How Long Were the Creation
Days in Genesis?
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:11)
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:16-17)
THE VERSES IN EXODUS 20:11 AND 31:16-17 tell us how long the creative days in Genesis were: 24-hour days. THAT'S MY OPINION after studying and researching various writers of notable reputation for ability and honesty of character. I’m in debt, first, to Hebrew scholars and traditions that go back 3,600 years and then to Christian scholars and traditions that go back 2,000 years.
RESEARCHERS AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS report that James Barr, former professor of Hebrew at Oxford University says that the creative days of Genesis were what we today would call 24 hour-days, and that he knows of no professor of Hebrew at any leading university who would say otherwise. : https://creation.com/media-center/youtube/how-long-were-the-genesis-days-creation-magazine-live-7-02 Located at reference point 2541 in the video. You can watch a 28-minute discussion of this subject at the above address. I have watched it twice and will preserve the link. These two guys are plenty sharp, and I believe them to be honest.
MARTIN LUTHER (500 YEARS AGO) DID NOT TOLERATE ANY VIEW OTHER THAN a literal six-day creation. There was an idea floating around that God created everything in one day but Luther wouldn’t have it. Luther didn’t have our problem of today by people who have written a fictional philosophy that the earth is billions of years old, without any scientific proof.
MATTHEW HENRY, THE WORDY, GENIUS WRITER WHO WAS READING AT AGE THREE, doesn’t feel the need to tell you why you should believe in a literal six-day creation. It doesn’t occur to him that anyone would believe anything else. He pours forth a water fall of words about God’s progression from chaos to order. No gap, nothing but a straight-forward six-day massive creation. In our day we have a great number of competent, well-trained scholars who repeat the historical conclusions of the past 3,600 years: the days of Genesis creation were six, 24-hour days.
WILMINGTON'S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE tells us on page 18: “There is strong scholarly and scriptural evidence that the days are indeed literal. A. The use of a numerical adjective with the word “day” in Genesis 1 would limit it to a normal day. B. The natural reading of the Genesis account would suggest it. C. Moses believed it. See Exodus 20:11; 31:17. D. Edward Young, (outstanding Hebrew scholar) believed it. E. Benjamin Warfield (one of the great Orthodox theologians of all time) believed it.
"F. DEPARTMENTAL PROFESSORS OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGE in nine leading universities were once asked the following question by a research scholar: “Do you consider that the Hebrew word Yom (day) as used in Genesis 1 accompanied with a numeral should be properly translated as (a) a day, as commonly understood, (b) an age, or (c) either a day or an age without preference?
THE NINE UNIVERSITIES POLLED WERE: Oxford, Cambridge, London, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Toronto McGill, and Manitoba. Of these, seven universities responded that it should be translated as a day as commonly understood.” (Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible)
ORTHODOX JEWISH RABBIS SPEAK FREELY THAT FROM THE BEGINNING of Jewish life until the present day, Orthodox Jews have believed and taught a literal six-day creation as they interpret Genesis 1 and Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17. Following in that pattern, mainstream Christianity has believed and taught a literal six-day creation until the appearance of Darwin and the surge of evolution about 1880. Departing from that long, unbroken practice can only be done by outside secular influence.
SCIENCE IS NOT CAPABLE OF MAKING A CASE FOR AN OLD EARTH. Many scientists are making philosophical statements as a personal belief in evolution which requires an old earth. But as scientists, they have nothing. Is your moral authority in Scripture or in the traditions and words of men who want to rule the world with their empty words?
THE IDEA OF AN EARTH BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD is strictly something written on paper. Carbon 14 dating is deeply flawed as proven by its dating the lava flow from Mount St Helens (1980) as being 300,000 years to a million years old. Therefore, to bow to these men with degrees who make astounding claims is to exalt them as an authority source they are not entitled to. If you try to make peace with these people who claim what they cannot prove, they will laugh at you because they know they cannot prove an old-age earth by science. It cannot be done. They are peddlers of ideas just like the devil approached Eve and said: “Yea, hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1)
REMEMBER THAT DARWIN DID NOT PROVE ANYTHING. He asserted. He claimed. He wrote a book that people in rebellion against God wanted to be true. He was not a scientist. And to this day, his theory of evolution has not been proven by science. It’s an assertion, the opinions of men.
IF YOU WANT TO READ SOMETHING INTERESTING that will shine a bright light on Darwinian evolution, read the book by biochemist: Michael J. Behe: Darwin’s Black Box. (307 pages, paperback - © 1996.) I’ve read it several times and keep it close by. It is not theological. He is Roman Catholic but says he wrote the book apart from his religious belief. He wrote it as a biochemist and scientist. It’s full of scientific facts showing that evolution cannot be true. He pounds away on the law of “irreducible complexity.”
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MAY 7, 2019 – TUESDAY
A.M. 1 Kings 14-15 P.M. John 1:1-28
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verses to Memorize:
●For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:11) ●It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:17)
Song for Today:
The Holy Hills Call Me (5:49) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXrL-Z44KHc
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