Gap Theory of Genesis 1:2

Created Date: 27-Nov-2018
Did Lucifer Devastate the Earth?

Last updated: 31-Aug-2021
Revised Gap Theory by this Author  
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Sections

1 Summary 2 Why is there a Gap Theory?
3 Problem with the Generalized Gap Theory 4 Revised Gap Theory that is most likely true
5 Age of the Earth 6 Gap Theory used to explain Dinosaurs ?

Summary

The Gap Theory is based on Genesis 1:2 verse which indicates the Earth:

where God does not create anything in this status.  In order for something to become this way on Earth then something, someone or even God must have made it become that way.  Note that the Great Flood of Noah was the second time the Earth was covered with water.

Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Some points regarding Genesis 1:1-2 and Genesis 1:9:

  1. The "heavens" in verse 1 is the Hebrew word "shamayim", which is plural because of the "im" and has several possibilities according to Hebrew Scholars when used in verse 1:
    (a) Visible Sky, and/or
    (b) The heaven where God and the angels dwell.
  2. Verse 2, in conjunction with Genesis 1:9 where God exposes the land underneath the water, informs us the whole Earth was covered with water, which means the Great Flood of Noah was the second time the Earth was covered with water.
  3. In verse 2, some Hebrew commentaries are implying the water was a fiery darkness.  This seems like a contradiction or an oxymoron, but it means the water was foreboding and dreadful while covering the entire Earth. 

As stated, one of the more pressing questions, is why was the face of the earth dreadful and/or void when in Job 38:7 the angels shouted for joy at the foundations of the earth?  More on the possible answer later in this topic.

Job 38:4-8
4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?  6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb

Why is there a Gap Theory?

The Gap Theory is sometimes given as a theoretical solution to the problem concerning the age of first the Earth, and then the Universe.  There are a few proposed charts that state that when adding up the life spans of the people, in succession, in the Bible after leaving the Garden of Eden leads to an age of the Earth as somewhere around 6,000 years old.  Two quick points:

  1. The scriptural based theories on the age of the Earth are from the point that Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  
    (a) The scriptures do not give us the length of time that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden before their expulsion, where at the very least, Adam had to have been there for a long time to have named the animals as explained in the Garden of Eden topic, and Adam then had a long-time enjoying the Garden with Eve.
  2. The Universe was not created until Day 4, Genesis 1:14-19, and God stretched the Universe out which in a summary statement gives an initial explanation against the theories on age for the Universe. 
    (a) Note, from a scientific standpoint, there is more to determining the age of the universe based on many aspects such as a star supernova which requires billions of years for the stars primary core element of hydrogen fuel to burn up, but there are other factors that can a cause premature death of a star that are beyond the context of this topic. 
    (b) Additionally, consider if a star has a premature death and is 300,000 light years away but the stretching of the universe can mean the star death occurred before the stretching where light particles/waves were also moved.  Recall from the scriptures that Creation groans, Romans 8:18-27, for its rebirth because of the Fall in the Garden of Eden.

Depending upon what resource material that is being used the proposed age, as of 2020, the current thoughts of the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years and Universe is around 13.8 billion years to 15 billion years old, give or take 100 million years.  There is many fascinating formulas and reasons for coming up with this estimation.

Therefore, there is a very large discrepancy in the calculations based on scriptures and those of scientifically theoretical analysis.  One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome is the theoretical lifespan of a star, which is often given at somewhere around 4.5 billion years.  A star death begins when the primary hydrogen element in the core is nearly completely burnt up, which often causes a supernova to eventually occur.  Since we occasionally have visual evidence of supernovas in astronomy, then that means the estimation of the star had to be at least a few billion years old to already experiencing a supernova.  With this knowledge that supernovas are occurring in our time, then scientist believe that the universe cannot be any younger than a few billion years old.

There are of course many other modeling calculations that give the proposed life of the universe based on expansion of the galaxies and other factors.  A model on expansion can be used to explain the Universe is around 13.8 billion years to 15 billion years old.

For the Christian, who is seeking answers, fortunately there is many theories that are based on science and the scriptures that have logical explanations that do not contradict science, but can yield different theoretical answers.  This author has read many great papers on calculating the age of the universe and earth where there is no problems in justifying the faith in the scriptures stating the Universe cannot be older than the Earth along with having being created in the Book of Genesis creation scriptures. 

It is impossible to determine the age of the Universe based on the scriptures for reasons based on the following points regarding the age of the Earth, where there is still a possibility of both the Earth and the Universe being very old:

  1. Regarding the Earth according to the scriptures, the Earth was in existence and formless and void before the creation of the Universe. 
    (a) We are not given the period of time between the Job 38:4-8 Angel's experience of watching the Earth created and Genesis 1:1-2. 
    (b) The Earth could have been formless and void for billions of years.
  2. Prior to either the war with Lucifer or the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Earth was part of the Kingdom of Heaven as inferred by:
    (a) Genesis 1:1
    (b) Isaiah 65:17 - For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
    (c) Revelation 21:1 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
    (d) The times in the future
    by these scriptures, infers there is no separation of the Earth from the perfect Kingdom of Heaven, which most likely means it was that way in the past before the sins of Lucifer, Adam and Eve.
  3. Regarding the Universe, we are also not given the amount of time that Adam and Eve worked and lived in the Garden of Eden before the ate the forbidden fruit. 
    (a) At the very least it was not a week later after being created.  They could have been there for a very long time. 
    (b) We do know that Adam lived for 930 years after leaving the Garden of Eden.
  4. Astronomy and the methods of calculating the lifespan of a burning hydrogen core of a star are all based on what is theoretical where the scale of a star with gravity created from the dwarf stars to red super giant stars can affect the lifespan.
  5. Time is not a uniform property because it based on mass, acceleration, gravity so there may unknown factors that are affecting what is seen in the universe for objects that are great distances away and we also know that God stretched out the universe.
  6. God did exercise judgments (Romans 8:19) against the whole creation, and also allowed many things after the fall of Adam and Eve and with the battle of Lucifer.  This most likely effected the age of stars and other factors of the universe to show the Angels that Lucifer was powerless to create and sustain the universe.
    (a) Stars could have experienced an acceleration of burring their core centers of hydrogen.  We know from the scriptures that the Creation waits and groans since the fall as read in Romans 8:19-22.
    (b) There are many world-renowned scientists that are coming out with alternate determination calculations to calculate the age of the universe.
Romans 8:19-22 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope, 21 Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Problem with the Generalized Gap Theory

The Generalized Gap Theory is a theory and is not scriptural, but there can be some benefits of theorizing what God was teaching us with the two verses of Genesis 1:1-2.  There is a possible better theory which is discussed in the next section of this topic.  

The Generalized Gap theory is usually presented with the following two points:

The problem with the generalized Gap Theory list is:

Therefore, the Universe, Sun and Moon did not exist in the Kingdom of God until the third day. 

What is a day and does it have any bearing on the Generalized Gap Theory?

Before the third day, Biblical Scholars have several theories on what defined a day period.  We know from the Ten Commandments that a day has always been defined as:

which is an approximate 24-hour period of time because of Exodus 20:11 which refers to God making the Heaven* and Earth in six days.  Note that prior to third day, the scriptures indicate that God was the only light.  God informs us that the day starts with darkness and then ends when there is no light.  This has always been a Biblical Day, where we have adopted as an approximate 24-hour period to be midnight to midnight.

Genesis 1:13-18
13 And there was evening, and there was morning the third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. 16 God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Note that prior to the Sun and stars, the question is often asked was there light before the first day?  The answer is no because God was the light provider until the Sun was created.  That is why there is no mention of the Sun and light in eternity, Revelation 22:5, as the light is from God.

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Revised Gap Theory that is most likely true

There are at least two primary questions, for the Christian to consider, on why was the Earth formless void in Genesis 1:1:

  1. Was the Earth beautiful when it was created? 
  2. Did something happen to the Earth to cause it be covered with water that made it dreadful, foreboding and a fearful woe as indicated in verse 1?

To answer these questions, consider these points from the scriptures (listed below):

  1. Job 38:7 informs Job that the Angels, Sons of God, witnessed the creation and shouted for joy which means the Creation was beautiful and perfect.
  2. Genesis 1:2, informs us that the Earth was in a wrecked state "waste", void and darkness was upon the waters.  So how did it get this way?
  3. Isaiah 14:17 informs us that Lucifer made the world like a wilderness but we are not given the period of time when Lucifer did it.
  4. Luke 4:5-6 informs us that Lucifer had authority over the Earth in the temptation to Jesus which was Lucifer's way of trying to get Jesus to avoid the path of the Cross.  Lucifer's authority over the Earth was gained by either a time prior to Genesis 1:2 or because of Adam and Eve giving it to Lucifer because of the eating of the Forbidden Fruit.  Some Biblical Scholars then state that Genesis 1:2 was caused by Lucifer.  (Note that in order for the temptation to be real then ownership/authority by Lucifer had to be a real option, but obviously Jesus Christ purchased the World through the action of the Cross where Jesus Christ will take ownership at His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation Period to sit on the thrown of King David.)
  5. Isaiah 14:12 and Revelation 12:7-9, let us know there was a war in Heaven which is when Lucifer was cast down to Earth.
Job 38:4-8  4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?  6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;

Notice also the creation of ocean reference that is interesting when considering the Great Flood of Noah.
Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Isaiah 14:15-19 15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.  16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' 18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. 19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.
Luke 4:5-6 5 And he (Lucifer) led him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine.
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!   O day-star, son of the morning is Lucifer.
Revelation 12:7-9 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.  

The Dragon is Lucifer.

Another two potential question for the Christian are:
 
Since God made the great lights in Genesis 1:16, which is Day 4,
  1. What was the light source for the Earth prior to Genesis 1:1, when the Angels shouted for joy at the Earth's creation in Job 38:4-8? 
  2. What was the light source for the Earth when God was recreating the Earth in Genesis 1:3-13, which is Days 1 through 3?  On Day 3, there was no light of the sun to provide energy for the plants and trees created that day.

The only answer for both of these two questions is:

  1. As previously noted, the Earth was part of Kingdom of Heaven prior to Genesis 1:1 where God's light illuminated the Earth.
  2. God once again temporary provided His light on the first three days of the Recreation of Genesis 1:3-13 until God created the Sun, Moon and Stars.
Additionally, the new Jerusalem and new Earth Creation in Revelation Chapter 21, has light provided by God, which makes John 8:12 have a profound insight into eternity.
Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

At some point before Genesis 1:1, God withdrew His light that caused the dark foreboding water of Genesis 1:1, as read from the correct Hebrew translation.  An absence of God's care and love results in the Hebrew scholar's analysis that state the waters on the earth in Genesis 1:1 was fearful.

After Genesis 1:2, light was from God until the celestial objects were created.  Also note that God separated the waters with boundaries.

Genesis 1:16 And God made the two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars.
Proverbs 8:28-29 A proverb on Wisdom states:

28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

Revised Gap Theory:

Therefore, considering all the scriptural references and points just detailed, the "Revised Gap Theory" could be the following, which is this author's theory that is also partially inferred in some older Biblical Commentaries.

  1. Before Lucifer thought his thought of rebellion against God:
    (a) The Earth was created by God where it was beautiful that caused all of the Angels to rejoice.  Job 38:4-8
    (b) The Earth's location was part of Heaven, just like there will be a new Earth in the future eternity.  Revelation 21:1-3
    (c) There was no universe of stars with other planets when the Earth was created, and God's light was the light shown on the Earth.  
    (Note: There are still other universes as indicated in the scriptures, see Time Domains and Kingdom of God topics where we have no idea what other creations God has created.)
  2. There were most likely living creatures that included plants and trees on the Earth in that period of time before Lucifer's rebellion. 
    (a) Lucifer was the highest Cherub.  Ezekiel 28:14-15, which means Lucifer was over all things by reference of "coverteh".
    (b) Lucifer was in charge of the Earth.
    (c) The Earth and everything on it was under Lucifer's management for God.
  3. Lucifer rebelled and the following consequences occurred:
    (a) The living creatures, including plants and trees, on the Earth suffered a consequence.  Isaiah 14:15-19  (Note that we do not know their fate.)
    (b) The Earth was made barren like a wilderness, Isaiah 14:15-19,
    (c) The Earth's surface area was covered in a foreboding and dreadful water.
  4. God left the Earth in this state for an undetermined amount of time that could have been billions years.
    (a) By leaving the Earth in chaos (without God's love and care), this showed the Angels and the Fallen Angels that Lucifer was incapable of doing any type of creation or repair.
    (b) Lucifer's deceptions to the other Fallen Angels, was that Lucifer could be equal to, "I will make myself like the Most High", which is absolutely not true.  Isaiah 14:14.
    (c) God let the Earth languish in the Void before Genesis 1:2, to not only show that Lucifer was incapable of creating anything, but also as part of the Great White Thrown of Judgment's indictments against those destined to the Lake of Fire who preach Evolution, as God is the Creator and Evolution is impossible even with billions of years.
  5. God came and restored the Earth, "Spirit of God was hovering over the waters", as described in the Book of Genesis, which started in Genesis 1:2.

Ezekiel 28:14-15 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Isaiah 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.
Isaiah 14:15-19  15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home? 18 All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot.

Age of the Earth

Many Biblical Scholars use the Gap Theory to propose the Age of the Earth is much older than the Scripture timeline based on the lineage of Adam and Eve to Jesus Christ and then finally to our current year in time.  

The explanation is given:

This author has not seen the following additional points in commentaries, but maybe these two points have been stated before.

As pointed out in the Age of the Earth topic's section on Carbon Dating Accurate there are three problems that are always omitted in secular analysis documents regarding decay of isotopes. 

Answers in Genesis has a great article to explain the above three questions.  Their article lists also much more information. 

  1. "No geologists were present when most rocks formed, so they cannot test whether the original rocks already contained daughter isotopes alongside their parent radioisotopes. For example, with regard to the volcanic lavas that erupted, flowed, and cooled to form rocks in the unobserved past, evolutionary geologists simply assume that none of the daughter argon-40 atoms was in the lava rocks."
  2. "The problems with contamination, as with inheritance, are already well-documented in the textbooks on radioactive dating of rocks."
  3. "Physicists have carefully measured the radioactive decay rates of parent radioisotopes in laboratories over the last 100 or so years and have found them to be essentially constant (within the measurement error margins). Furthermore, they have not been able to significantly change these decay rates by heat, pressure, or electrical and magnetic fields. So, geologists have assumed these radioactive decay rates have been constant for billions of years.  However, this is an enormous extrapolation of seven orders of magnitude back through immense spans of unobserved time without any concrete proof that such an extrapolation is credible."

(The three points above are copied exactly from the Answer in Genesis article.  It is the opinion of Biblical Thoughts that their article is a must read.)

Dinosaurs?

Some Biblical Scholars use the Gap Theory to explain the Dinosaur Fossils, where the Dinosaurs were casualties of the "event" that may have happened between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.   Even if there was a creation of life on Earth prior to Genesis 1:2, the Scriptures do have many references to the dinosaur Leviathan which means Dinosaurs existed after Genesis 1:2.   (See Job 3:8, Job 40:15-41, Psalm 74:13-23, Psalm 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1.)

What to read next?

See: (a) Time and Time Travel, (b) Time Domains, (c) Kingdom of God, (d) Singularity and the Big Bang Theories, (e) E=mc ,  (f) Ten Dimensions of the Universe, (g) Age of the Earth, Periods that Developed Life, Heavens, (h) Evolution