Does it Matter at all what the Age of the Earth is?

[Silverhair]

Personally I don’t see how you can say that God accomplished creation in six days with billions of years of preparation.

Exodus 20:11
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.

For all we know it could have been God's plan to have billions of years pass prior to Adam and Eve.

So if there were billions of years prior to verse 3 then who are we to say He could not have done it that way.

We do not know for how long verse 3 lasted.

 

[Ben1445]

For all we know it could have been God's plan to have billions of years pass prior to Adam and Eve.

So if there were billions of years prior to verse 3 then who are we to say He could not have done it that way.

We do not know for how long verse 3 lasted.

So it is probably all accomplished in six days like the Bible says it was. Since God said a few times that He made everything in six days, I think that makes the most sense. And it probably doesn’t say billions of years because they never happened.

And verse three happened within the first day. The day that is being used is the day that we currently use. It is the same pattern spoken of in Exodus 20. If it were not, the seventh day is an arbitrary rule that may have billions of years before anyone was required to rest.
If you read to verse five you find that it was part of the first 24 hour day, the evening, morning pattern that God established for time.

Why do you need billions of years anyway?
Why is it so important to not believe in a six day creation of all things?

It says God made the world in six days, but “yea, hath God said…”

Yes, it is what God said.

 

[Silverhair]

So it is probably all accomplished in six days like the Bible says it was. Since God said a few times that He made everything in six days, I think that makes the most sense. And it probably doesn’t say billions of years because they never happened.

And verse three happened within the first day. The day that is being used is the day that we currently use. It is the same pattern spoken of in Exodus 20. If it were not, the seventh day is an arbitrary rule that may have billions of years before anyone was required to rest.
If you read to verse five you find that it was part of the first 24 hour day, the evening, morning pattern that God established for time.

Why do you need billions of years anyway?
Why is it so important to not believe in a six day creation of all things?

It says God made the world in six days, but “yea, hath God said…”

Yes, it is what God said.

We do not know for how long verse 3 lasted. not verse 3 but verse 2.

You asked:

"Why do you need billions of years anyway?
Why is it so important to not believe in a six day creation of all things?"

Where did I say I needed a billion years?

Have I said I do not believe in a six day creation?

As I have said my trust in God is based on the totality of scripture starting with Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created... That answers the question of why there is something, instead of nothing.

Gen 1:2 וְהָאָ֗רֶץ H776 And the earth הָיְתָ֥ה H1961 was תֹ֙הוּ֙ H8414 without form וָבֹ֔הוּ H922 and void וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ H2822 and darkness עַל־ H5921 upon פְּנֵ֣י H6440 [was] upon the face תְה֑וֹם H8415 of the deep וְר֣וּחַ H7307 And the Spirit אֱלֹהִ֔ים H430 of God מְרַחֶ֖פֶת H7363 moved עַל־ H5921 over פְּנֵ֥י H6440 the face הַמָּֽיִם׃ H4325 of the waters Hebrew Study Bible

H8414
A masculine noun meaning formlessness, confusion. The exact meaning of this term is difficult at best since its study is limited to its relatively few [20] Old Testament occurrences. It is used to describe primeval earth before the seven creative days (Gen_1:2);...It represents chaos, confusion, and disorder, all things that are opposed to the organization, direction, and order that God has demonstrated.

H922
A masculine noun indicating void or emptiness. It depicts the state of matter after God had created it but before He had fashioned it for habitation (Gen_1:2). WordStudy Dictionary

 

[Ben1445]

We do not know for how long verse 3 lasted. not verse 3 but verse 2.

You were the first I had ever heard say that so it did throw me off a bit. I’m happy to hear that you meant 2. We have enough to discuss without questioning the length of each day of creation.

You asked:

"Why do you need billions of years anyway?
Why is it so important to not believe in a six day creation of all things?"

Where did I say I needed a billion years?

You did not explicitly say it.
People who believe in the gap usually take up the dating assumptions that “science” does.
What difference does it make whether you believe in billions or millions if you believe in an incubation period before a six day creation.
IMO a one week gap is too large a gap to fit biblical narrative.

Have I said I do not believe in a six day creation?

I don’t find six day creation to be compatible with a gap.
So if you defend a gap, I believe you make exceptions that ought not to be made in order to say you believe in a six day creation.

As I have said my trust in God is based on the totality of scripture starting with Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created... That answers the question of why there is something, instead of nothing.

Exodus 20:11
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.

Before the first day there was not heaven, earth sea or anything in them.
Heaven, earth, and sea are as the canvas that an artist begins to create on. So in the beginning (of the week), God put up the canvas, created the heavens and earth and seas. On day one He made darkness. On day one He made light. God made light and darkness incompatible on day one.
The first thing God did on the first day was create time-“in the beginning,” space-“heaven,” and matter- “the earth.”

Gen 1:2 וְהָאָ֗רֶץ H776 And the earth הָיְתָ֥ה H1961 was תֹ֙הוּ֙ H8414 without form וָבֹ֔הוּ H922 and void וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ H2822 and darkness עַל־ H5921 upon פְּנֵ֣י H6440 [was] upon the face תְה֑וֹם H8415 of the deep וְר֣וּחַ H7307 And the Spirit אֱלֹהִ֔ים H430 of God מְרַחֶ֖פֶת H7363 moved עַל־ H5921 over פְּנֵ֥י H6440 the face הַמָּֽיִם׃ H4325 of the waters Hebrew Study Bible

H8414
A masculine noun meaning formlessness, confusion. The exact meaning of this term is difficult at best since its study is limited to its relatively few [20] Old Testament occurrences. It is used to describe primeval earth before the seven creative days (Gen_1:2);...It represents chaos, confusion, and disorder, all things that are opposed to the organization, direction, and order that God has demonstrated.

It also means that dinosaurs, previous civilizations like “Satans earth dominion,” Lilith and all the other strange ideas couldn’t have been there because they not only represent form but they have form so they don’t fit within the context of verse 2.

H922
A masculine noun indicating void or emptiness. It depicts the state of matter after God had created it but before He had fashioned it for habitation (Gen_1:2). WordStudy Dictionary

This doesn’t indicate any amount of time elapsed. It only says that at 00:00:00 (the beginning) God created the heaven and the earth.

Gap is a superimposed idea that doesn’t match with Exodus 20, and other creation narratives from Scripture.

 

[360watt]

The question was "Do animals sin?" Answer NO but they still die.

Secondary question, did Adam and Eve sin? If so then what was the consequence?

What does the bible tell?

Animals these days obviously die, but before the fall, the answer would be no.

Adam and Eve obviously sinned, the consequence was spiritual separation from God and they became mortal, so also physical death, even though delayed.

 

[Silverhair]

I don’t find six day creation to be compatible with a gap.
So if you defend a gap, I believe you make exceptions that ought not to be made in order to say you believe in a six day creation.

As I have said more than once I have not really thought to much about YEC, OEC, GAP or whatever. We are told God created and that is all I need to know. It is a fight that some see as critical I do not.

It is not a hill I am willing to die on.

You should also remember that H3117 can also mean a time period in other words no specific length.

If you need it to be 24 hours that is ok, but as you know many other Christians do not agree with your view.

This doesn’t indicate any amount of time elapsed. It only says that at 00:00:00 (the beginning) God created the heaven and the earth.

Gap is a superimposed idea that doesn’t match with Exodus 20, and other creation narratives from Scripture.

Actually Exodus 20 does not contradict Gen 1:2. Exodus 20:11 starts at vs 3.

 

[Silverhair]

Animals these days obviously die, but before the fall, the answer would be no.

How do you know?

 

[Ben1445]

As I have said more than once I have not really thought to much about YEC, OEC, GAP or whatever. We are told God created and that is all I need to know. It is a fight that some see as critical I do not.

It is not a hill I am willing to die on.

You should also remember that H3117 can also mean a time period in other words no specific length.

If you need it to be 24 hours that is ok, but as you know many other Christians do not agree with your view.


Actually Exodus 20 does not contradict Gen 1:2. Exodus 20:11 starts at vs 3.

Go read it again.
In six days heaven, earth, seas, and everything in them. That goes all the way to the beginning. Explain to me how it doesn’t.
If you have no opinion, why are you bothered by mine? But for the sake of the forum and discussion, I hope you don’t mind my defense of what I believe Scripture explicitly states.

 

[Silverhair]

Go read it again.
In six days heaven, earth, seas, and everything in them. That goes all the way to the beginning. Explain to me how it doesn’t.
If you have no opinion, why are you bothered by mine? But for the sake of the forum and discussion, I hope you don’t mind my defense of what I believe Scripture explicitly states.

Yes please read it again.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

What does verse 2 say?

What does verse 3 say?

Do you see anything that limits the time of verse 2?

I am not bothered by your view but you seem to be bothered that anyone would not hold the same view as you do.

Many people can defend their view from scripture. But that does not mean I have to agree with what they say they see in scripture.

I know that God created the heavens and earth and I know He did it in six days and rested on the seventh. Whether there was a gap [vs 2] or not I do not know and frankly neither can you. That is why I do not focus on what we cannot know and instead focus on what we can know from scripture.

 

[360watt]

How do you know?

Animal Death Before the Fall?

Once we dig deeper into the two Did animals die before the fall? The short answer is “no,” but let’s unpack that answer. There are several reasons we believe animals did not die before the fall.

answersingenesis.org