Did God Create Everything in Six Days?

1. Did God Create Everything in Six Days? Mike Riddle www.CreationTraining.org

2. Questions • Why is this an important issue? • Have scientists really proven the earth is billions of years old? • What should Christians believe about creation? • Does the age of the earth really matter?

3. So Many Interpretations Doesn't Matter Six Days ? Gap Theory Poetry Day-Age-Theory

4. Why is This Important? The first three chapters of Genesis lay the foundation for the rest of Scripture. Therefore, it is imperative that we have a correct understanding of these verses.

5. Why is This Important? Philip Johnson (Executive Director of Grace to You), Answers Magazine, July 2019. “Genesis lays a foundation that is absolutely necessary for understanding the gospel, and it serves as a model for how we should present gospel truth.”

6. Why is This Important? John MacArthur (President Master’s College and Seminary) “I'm convinced the opening chapters of Genesis are not optional. They establish the vital foundation for everything we believe as Christians.” John MacArthur (President Master’s College and Seminary), “How Important Is Genesis 1-3?”, https://www.gty.org/library/articles, Aug 27, 2009.

7. Why is This Important? Robert McCabe (Th.D. Old Testament Languages and Literature) • “Genesis is the foundation for the remaining 65 books of the Bible.” Robert McCabe (Th.D. Old Testament Languages and Literature), “Theologian: Genesis means what it says!”, Creation Magazine, July 2010.

8. Why Is This Important? Jeffry Tompkins, Ph.D. Genetics “It seemed obvious to me that if I accepted the New Testament message of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that I must also accept the biblical revelation regarding six-day creation”. Jeffry Tompkins, Ph.D. Genetics, “Geneticist Praises The Creator”, Creation, Vol. 38 No. 4, 2016.

9. Why is This Important? Over 80% of Christian youth have doubts about the Bible Source: Answers in Genesis and The American Research Group, Already Gone

10. Why is This Important? Over 60% of youth are leaving the church

11. Reasons Youth Leave • Christianity is shallow and too exclusive • Church appears to be anti-science • Learning about evolution in college • Lack of specific or scientific evidence for a creator • College is a hostile environment towards Christianity • The teaching of moral relativism

12. What does the Bible teach about creation?

13. Words Have MeaningHermeneutics Made Easy The study of the interpretation of written texts A method of interpreting Scripture

14. Hermeneutics • Context • The explicit constrains the implicit • The purpose of communication • Interpretation must be based on the author’s intention of meaning and NOT the reader’s intent. • Be sensitive to the type of literature (genre).

15. The Word “Day” 10 Evidences

16. Evidence 1 God explicitly chose the word “day” (Hebrew “yom”) to describe the length of time for each creation period.

17. Evidence 2 The first use of the word “day” is defined in Genesis 1:5, where “day” is used to describe the light portion of a day. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

18. Evidence 3The days are numerically ordered The first day The second day The third day The fourth day The fifth day The sixth day Hermeneutics Context The explicit… Communication

19. Always Means an ORDINARY DAY “DAY” WITH AN ORDINAL NUMBER Ordinal First Second Third Fourth Cardinal One Two Three Four (in singular and plural)

20. Evidence 4Day is bounded by “evening and morning” evening and the morning were the first day. evening and the morning were the second day. evening and the morning were the second day. Hermeneutics Context The explicit…

21. ALWAYS Means an ORDINARY DAY “EVENING” & “MORNING” TOGETHER WITHOUT “DAY” The meaning of the word yomor “day” is understood by its context. • Yom with a number • Evening and morning 38 times

22. Evidence 5Genesis 1:14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; Day Season Year If a day is a long period of time then how long are a season and a year?

23. Evidence 6 Exodus 20:9-10 (The Law and Creation) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

24. Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

25. Exodus 31:15, 17 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.

26. Evidence 7Genealogies – Genesis 5 • When they were born • When the next person in the timeline was born • How long they lived • When they died

27. Genealogical Timeline Adam 1 930 Lamech 874 1651 Noah 1056 2006 Terah 1878 2083 Abram 2183 2008 FLOOD appx 1656

28. About 2,000 Today Jesus 2,000 Jesus Abraham 2,000 Abraham Adam About 6,000

29. Evidence 8 Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

30. Evidence 9: The GospelLiteral Interpretation The Fall (Sin) Creation 6 Days (Perfect)

31. Foundation for the GospelMillions of Years The Fall (Sin) Creation Millions of Years ? Adam Eve Death Before Sin

32. Perfect Creation Restoration God’s plan of redemption Death Disease Pain Suffering SIN

33. Evidence 10Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Very Good DEATH PAIN KILLING DISEASE STRUGGLE SUFFERING EXTINCTION PERFECT NO DEATH ?

34. Three Conclusions • The creation days in Genesis 1 are literal days • A literal, historical interpretation of Genesis 1-3 is essential for understanding the Gospel. • The first three chapters are essential for understanding the character of God.

35. ChallengeYom Does Not Always Mean a Literal Day • A literal day • A period of daylight • A season • A year • A distant point in time • Time in a general sense (Gen 39:11, KJV)

36. Genesis 4:3 yom And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Context: “growing season” Not accompanied with an ordinal number or bounded by “evening and morning”.

37. Isaiah 30:8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever: yom Context: “future generations (forever and ever) Not accompanied with an ordinal number or bounded by “evening and morning”.

38. 1 Kings 1:1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. Yamim (plural of yom) Context: To be old the context must be years not days. Not accompanied with an ordinal number or bounded by “evening and morning”.

39. Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Yamim (plural of yom) Context: the context warrants “age” and not “day” to be past childbearing. Not accompanied with a number or bounded by “evening and morning”.

40. Hosea 6:1-2 Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. • It can mean literal days. • It can mean a reference to quickness. • It cannot be forced to mean long ages.

41. The 2 Peter 3:8 Challenge But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Two Questions What does the word “day” mean in this verse? Can this be applied to Genesis 1?

42. Answering the Challenge 1 Day 1,000 Years Context matters Style of writing Conclusion

43. Step 1: Context Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:1-12 The full context refers to the end times and the character of God and not Genesis.

44. Step 2: Style of Writing But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Simile (Figure of speech)

45. Step 3: Conclusion • Step 1: Context • Step 2: Style of writing (figure of speech) • Step 3: 2 Peter 3:8 cannot be used to change the word “day” in Genesis 1 to mean long ages. We have answered the 2 Peter 3:8 challenge

46. Challenge: Scientific Evidence 4.7 Billion Years Old ? Can we use scientific evidence to interpret Scripture?

47. Scientific Evidence • God did not write the Bible to be understood only by a small percentage of elite experts. • If we use modern science to interpret Scripture then: • Point 1 – For over 1,800 years… • Point 2 - An illogical conclusion • Point 3 – New revealed knowledge

48. New Revealed Knowledge • Mormonism (Joseph Smith) • Seventh Day Adventist (Ellen White) • Church of Christ, Scientist (Mary Baker Eddy) • Jehovah Witness (Charles Taze Russell) • Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard) • Islam (Muhammad) • Scientific age (non-believers, many Christian leaders, BioLogos, Reasons to Believe,…)

49. Point 4: The Resurrection For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

50. Michael G. Houts (Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering from MIT) “If the Bible can be interpreted to allow a Creation that is billions of years old, it can be interpreted to say anything a person wants it to say. Attempts to force billions of years into the Bible record also result in numerous irresolvable theological issues.” Michael G. Houts (Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering from MIT), 2007, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?article=2309.