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"The Ancient Landmark"

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

Question:

I have a question of God's existance. If God made Earth in 7 days. And on the 2nd day he made the sun (light) how do we know that the days weren't actually years or decades? Their was no way of telling time no way to show day and night. It was a queston asked to me and I wanted an answer I figured that you could lead or help me to get the answer.

My Response:

Hello ,

I appreciate you writing, and I hope this letter will help you in your study of God's word. First, I might correct one thing, and that is that God made the sun, moon, etc., on the fourth day (Gen. 1:14-19). Yet, your question is how can we know that these days of creation were days and were not years or decades, etc. Let's start off with the obvious:

1. We can know that these days were days because God said so! "The evening and the morning were the (first, second, third, etc.) day"! Though the sun, moon, stars, etc., were not around until the fourth day, this obviously didn't keep God from letting us know that those 24-hour days were already in effect.

2. Bear in mind, that though there were no sun/moon for 3 days, light WAS divided from darkness by God (Gen. 1:4). This light/darkness produced "day" and "night" without the need for a sun or moon, stars, etc.

3. Also, remember that during the third day, plants were created (Gen. 1:9-13). If there is but a matter of hours between light and darkness, not to mention upcoming sunlight (4th day), then there is no problem. But, how will these plants, which survive on light (photosynthesis) survive if between day 3 and day 4 there is, for example, a span of 50 million years? Furthermore, many plants rely upon animals and "creeping things" in order to pollinate and reproduce. Yet, animals were not created until the sixth day (Gen. 1:24-25). If there are millions upon millions of years (or even mere decades as you stated) between days 3 and 6, then how could these plants have reproduced as God commanded (Gen. 1:11-12)?

4. Please note the words used: "...the evening and the morning were the ____ day." In what sense does, for example, 100 million years have an "evening"? Or a "morning"? In what sense could we (as you stated) say one decade has an "evening" and a "morning"? Yet, we know how one day can have an "evening" and a "morning."

5. The Hebrew word for "day" is "Yom." This is the word used to describe one day. If, for example, Moses wished to have stated a time period of "x" number of years, he would have used another word (sunah). Had he wished to speak of long eons of time, he would have used another word (dor). Yet, he used the word "yom," or "day" and namely six days to describe the period of creation.

6. Christ said man and woman were made "at the beginning" (Matt. 19:4; Mk. 10:6). In what sense could they be created "at the beginning," if there are years and years which transpired between day one and six?

I hope that these thoughts help you in your study of God's word. There are other passages which also declare that creation was limited to but 6, 24-hour days. Perhaps these might help you in your study as well: Exodus 20:11, 31:17; Psalm 33:6-9.

I hope you have a good day. God bless.

Sincerely,
Jarrod Jacobs

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