What Is The Biblical Age Of The Earth?

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What Is The Biblical Age Of The Earth?

• Is there a gap between Genesis 11 and Genesis
  12?

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Before The Creation Week?

• Called Gap Theory (gap between Gen 11 12)
• Harry Rimmer, Scoffield Bible, Robert Milligan
  (The Scheme Of Redemption), Arthur Custance
  (Without Form Void)
• Proof texts Ez.2812-17 Isa.1412-14 4518
  Jer.423-26
• Claim "was" should be translated "became" in Gen
  12
• No known translation says "became."

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Was Or Became?

• Poll of 20 Hebrew scholars regarding "gap" "NO."
  (Modern Science And Christian Faith, p.49, Van
  Kampen Press (1950))
• Hebrew scholar W. C. Watts "In Genesis 12a the
  verb is perfect. It indicates a fixed and
  completed state. In other words, original matter
  was in a state of chaos when created it came
  into being that way." (A Survey Of Old Testament
  Preaching p. 16)
• (A Commentary On Genesis) Harold Stigers "The
  cataclysmic theory (also called the restitution
  theory) respecting v. 2 can have no place in a
  proper translation. The construction of became
  void, etc., is not justified by Hebrew syntax.
  When the verb to be (hayah) is to be
  constructed as became, the addition of the
  prepositional lamedh is required with the
  following word to provide this meaning, and this
  preposition is absent here." p. 49.

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Was Or Became?
Translation Number of Times
Became 85
Become 230
Been 98
Came 526
Come 141
Happen 13
Happened 59
Has 19
Have 97
Remain 9
Remained 6

• True - Hebrew word in Genesis 12, hayah, usually
  translated "was," is also translated elsewhere as
  "became" or "had become."
• Word is extremely common, Over 1,000 times in
  Genesis alone, given over 100 different
  translations in NASB version.
• Many Hebrew words have multiple meanings.
  Therefore, proper translation must be determined
  from the context in which the word is found. Some
  of the more common translations of hayah from the
  book of Genesis

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Was Or Became?

• Genesis 12 could actually be translated "And the
  earth remained formless and void..." This would
  make more sense, since the context indicates that
  God had just begun moving above the waters of the
  earth to change it for habitation. The word hayah
  is used 18 times in the first 20 verses of
  Genesis 1 and it would not make sense to
  translate it "had become" in any of the other 17
  verses

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Before The Creation Week?

• Called Gap Theory (gap between Gen 11 12)
• Obvious answer in Ex. 2011. Heavens and earth in
  six days.
• Based on false distinction between "created"
  (BARA) "made" (ASAH).
• If "made" (Ex.2011 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) is different from "created"
  (Gen.11 In the beginning God created the
  heavens and the earth) then we avoid necessity
  of complete "creation" in 6 days.

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Bara (created) Asah (made)
SAME IDEA "Asha" "Bara"
SAME IDEA Labor, to work about anything ... To cut, to carve out, to form by cutting ...
SAME IDEA to make ... to create ..
SAME IDEA to create, as haven, earth of heaven and earth
SAME IDEA Gesenius p. 657 Gesenius p. 138
NO DIFFERENCE "BARA" great sea creatures, Gen.121 "BARA" animals, creeping things, birds, Gen.67
NO DIFFERENCE "ASAH" the beast, Gen.125 "ASAH" them, Gen.67
NO DIFFERENCE "ASAH" man, Gen.126 "BARA" everyone, "ASAH" them, Isa.437
NO DIFFERENCE "BARA" man, Gen.127 "BARA" and "ASAH"...all His work, Gen.23
NO DIFFERENCE "BARA" man, ASAH" him, Gen.51 "BARA" heavens and the earth, Gen.24
NO DIFFERENCE "BARA"...male and female, Gen.52 "ASAH" earth and heaven, Gen.24
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Bara (created) Asah (made)

• Since words are not contrasting but
  interchangeable
• Ex.2011 refers to creation of Gen.11.
• Creation of heavens and earth was done in six
  days.
• Before the six days there were no heavens or
  earth.
• David certainly seems to agree
• Ps.336 By the word of the LORD the heavens were
  made, and all the host of them by the breath of
  His mouth, 9 For He spoke, and it was done He
  commanded, and it stood fast
• Cf. Ps 483, 5 3 God is in her palaces He is
  known as her refuge. 5 They saw it, and so they
  marveled They were troubled, they hastened
  away..

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Further Scriptural Refutation Of The Gap Theory?

• I Corinthians 1545, 47
• Excludes pre-Adamic race
• I Corinthians1521-22
• No death before Adam
• Romans 512
• In 6 Days Heaven Earth Created "He spoke"
  1st man
• Scripture Excludes Eons Before

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Final Thoughts

• Bible leaves no room for speculation and
  addition.
• God often warned not to add anything to His words
• Deut 42, Deut 1232, Rev 2218-19
• Bible recounts that it took God 6 days to CREATE
  the earth and its inhabitants.
• Not because of His limitations, but because it
  was his plan to do so.
• Denying the biblically recorded account,
  discounts Gods power and plan as he spoke the
  world into existence.

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Conclusion

• In his book, Creation or Evolution?, D.D. Riegle
  observed
• It is amazing that men will accept long,
  complicated, imaginative theories and reject the
  truth given to Moses by the Creator Himself
  (1962, p. 24).