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BTG0290B.TXT
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1991-02-19
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DOES SCRIPTURE ALLOW A GAP?
by John D. Morris, Ph.D.
The so-called Gap Theory, proposed early in the
1800's, but which became popular around the
turn of the century, has very few scholarly
advocates these days.
However, many Christians do still
hold to it, mostly by tradition, having
never examined it closely. There have always
been many scientific and theological problems
with the idea of a long gap of time between
Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, but perhaps the "death" of
the Gap Theory came with the 1978 publication
of Dr. Weston W. Fields' fine book, Unformed and
Unfilled. In it, Fields specified the many Biblical
problems inherent in the concept, and with only
a few exceptions, Bible scholars have now
abandoned it. Some of his main arguments are
briefly summerized below.
Gap advocates hold that only the surface of the
earth was "created" during the six-day series of
events detailed in Genesis 1:2 through 2:25. This
creation followed a global holocaust brought on
by the fall of Satan which destroyed a supposed
pre-Adamic world. But the all-inclusive summary
statements of Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:11,
and elsewhere, argue otherwise; "the heavens
and the earth . . . all the host of them . . . all that
is in them . . . all His work which God created and
made," seem better to refer to all of creation, not
just the earth's surface.
Some have claimed that in Exodus 20:11 the verb
"to make" is used instead of "to create," and, that,
therefore, the summation is referring only to the
earth's surface, leaving the rock strata and the
earth's interior untouched. But in reality, while
there is an important distinction between the
words in Genesis 1, both are used
in Genesis 2:2,3 and Nehemiah 9:6 to refer to all
of creation; and are even used in synonymous
parallelism in Genesis 2:4, Exodus 34:10, Isaiah
41:20 and 43:7.
Another oft-repeated claim is that Genesis 1:2
should read, "the earth became without form
and void," as opposed to the traditional
understanding that when God first created the
earth in verse 3, it "was without form (i.e., not
yet in completed form) and void (i.e., not yet
inhabited)." The verb's normal meaning,
however, is simply "was," and while it may be
translated "become," the context does not
warrant it, and all accepted versions of the Bible
use "was."
Each verse in Genesis 1, except verse 1, begins
with the conjunction "and," thereby connecting
each verse sequentially to those before and after.
There is no hint of the passing of millions or
billions of years of time between verses 1 and 2.
Gap advocates frequently turn to other portions
of Scripture for support, particularly those which
use the words "without form" and "void"
(Jeremiah 4:23, Isaiah 24:1, and 45:18 are most
importaant).
In each case, the prophet refers to a wasted
state due to the judgment of sin, thereby
implying that Genesis 1:2 likewise implies a
condition brought about by judgment. But in each
case, the context regards the land of Israel, not
the original earth. There is no justification for
postulating long ages present in a supposed gap
in Genesis.
The Gap Theory, as with all efforts to harmonize
Genesis with the geologic ages, faces
insurmountable problems on several fronts. How
much better to take God at His Word
and simply believe what He says.