It seems to me that Bible supports the notion that there was age long before God created man in which the Angelic realm interacted with the triune God for a vast period of time culminating when 1/3 fell into a rebellious state. This idea coheres nicely with many verses that imply an Angelic fascination with man and a literal reading of Genesis in which the entire universe is created in verse one: “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.” This opening declaration in verse 1 stands alone; Seven Hebrew words say it all. If you understand this verse you will have no trouble with any other verse in the Bible.
רֵאשִׁית reshit “the beginning”
The first word is Beresheeth, “In Beginning,” which yields the name of the book of Genesis in Hebrew. Hebrew scholar John Sailhamer contends in his book Genesis Unbound that:
The Hebrew word reshit which Moses used has a very specific sense in scripture. In the Bible the term always refers to an extended yet indeterminate duration of time – never a specific moment. It is a block of time which precedes an extended series of time periods. It is a time before time. The term does not refer to a point in time but to a period or duration of time which falls before a series of events. (Sailhamer, 38)
The Bible simply does not address the amount of time “in the beginning” in which the universe was created. While we find some Answers in Genesis, we do not find them all, we need to consult the whole counsel of God. The multitude of events that necessarily lie somewhere “in the beginning” is a hermeneutically sound basis for adopting an Old Earth position. This video argues from the text of Genesis as well as appealing to the Angelic conflict which strongly suggests the preexistence of the universe to the “week” of Genesis 1.
About Cris Putnam
Actually, when given the tools of understanding on HOW the universe was spread, and the underlying fabric of the universe and its basis of operation, much may be ‘surmised’ about its actual age. Lets say that atomic reactions occurred millions, or billions, of times faster in a cosmos where the underlying ‘resistance’ was much less than now.
To provide a proper website for understanding this nature, I refer you to http://www.setterfield.org/ , and more explicitly perhaps: http://www.setterfield.org/ZPE-Plasma_model.html.
Good reading to you.
Respectfully
Robert
Hi Robert,
The problem I have with the young earth view is not so much the science, rather I just don’t see it in scripture. The earth is already created and present in verse 2 of Genesis before the “week” even starts. Thus, there is no need to reconcile the creation of the universe in 6 days as the Bible says God created it before the 6 days “in the beginning.”
Genesis 1:1; “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”
…And the Bible goes on to explain…
Genesis 1:2; “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.”
Sounds more like the time that the plasma pinch effect has created what will eventually become a solid earth.
Given the effects of the very early part of day 1 within this new cosmos, the whole galaxies were created within the first half of day one, and that being within what we acknowledge as our 12 hour time span. The beginnings of their creation were largely completed before 12 hours elapsed, including those plasma beginnings of earth.
An item of curiosity about Genesis 1; ‘mornings and evenings’ are firmly noted, but nothing about afternoons.
However, In essence, I find it ’empowering’ to know that God can, and did, in actuality make his creation within the time span of 6 actual 24 hour solar days, and that the information comes clearly through the physics of today, for those that care to understand.
I would also enjoy hearing how matter might exist (as earth or anything) before matter is created within the early universe plasma pinch effects, etc. If you might lead me to that examination, It would be highly appreciated.
Respectfully
Robert
Did you watch the video you are commenting on? Genesis 1:1 declares the heavens and earth were created during an unspecified period “in the beginning.” God doesn’t tell us how. The week that is described after the creation is simply the preparation of a place for man.