The opening words of the Scriptures directly from the Holy Spirit state, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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" (Gen. 1:1,2). This sounds easy enough to understand, but some have suggested there was a “gap” of time between these verses. The idea is that there lived successive generations of plants, animals, and perhaps even pre-Adamic men. Some even say that God destroyed this original creation because of a Satanic rebellion and the wording of Genesis 1:2 would be better rendered as, "the earth became waste and void." Here are two simple reasons why this theory is false:
First, the gap theory is false because no biblical scholars have ever translated "was" as "became" in Genesis 1:2. Henry Morris, in his book Scientific Creationism, observed that in only six of its 264 occurrences in the Pentateuch is it rendered "became." He further stated that another Hebrew word (haphak) would have been better used here if the idea of a change from some previously different state was to be conveyed.
Second, the gap theory is false because it implies that death was in the world before Adam. The theorists believe there was a race of people who were completely wiped out before the creation of Adam and Eve. Yet, this is a direct contradiction of New Testament teaching which reveals that sin and death entered the earth as a result of Adam's sin (1 Cor. 15:21; Rom. 8:20-22; Rom. 5:12). Furthermore, the apostle Paul stated, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45). Thus, there was no man before Adam—he was first.
God created all things at the beginning of time on earth. There was no gap. It is harder to disbelieve God’s Word than to believe it!
Derrick Coble
First, the gap theory is false because no biblical scholars have ever translated "was" as "became" in Genesis 1:2. Henry Morris, in his book Scientific Creationism, observed that in only six of its 264 occurrences in the Pentateuch is it rendered "became." He further stated that another Hebrew word (haphak) would have been better used here if the idea of a change from some previously different state was to be conveyed.
Second, the gap theory is false because it implies that death was in the world before Adam. The theorists believe there was a race of people who were completely wiped out before the creation of Adam and Eve. Yet, this is a direct contradiction of New Testament teaching which reveals that sin and death entered the earth as a result of Adam's sin (1 Cor. 15:21; Rom. 8:20-22; Rom. 5:12). Furthermore, the apostle Paul stated, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45). Thus, there was no man before Adam—he was first.
God created all things at the beginning of time on earth. There was no gap. It is harder to disbelieve God’s Word than to believe it!
Derrick Coble