CREATION IN SIX LITERAL DAYS

The gap in time between verses one and two in no way affects the account of the six days of creation that follows. God chose to take six literal days to make a new creation of planet earth, even though He could just as easily have done it in one. Just as fallen man has to become a new creation in Christ to fulfill God’s purpose, so the fallen earth had to become a new creation to fulfill His purpose for man—as it will again before eternity begins.

As I have continued to study, especially in the area of prophecy, I believe the six days of creation and one day of rest were necessary to establish the foundation for the consistency of God’s teaching in the area of “types” or examples throughout scripture. He was illustrating His truth by the use of these examples. I personally believe that one of the key truths to be learned from the time of creation regards the timeframe of His plan for the redemption of mankind. Both the Psalmist and the Apostle Peter equated a day with 1000 years from a heavenly perspective.

Psalms 90:4 “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”

2Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

That would give a picture of 6,000 years for the work of redemption to be accomplished and a time of 1,000 years during which man would enjoy the rest of Jesus as the authority on planet earth without the interference of Satan.

Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

I think it is significant that God defines the days of creation with the phrase “and the evening and the morning were.” The scripture is God’s revelation to man and was written so as to be understood by man. The next revelation given is that on the first day God said, “Let there be light…and God divided the light from the darkness.” (v3-4)

We know from scripture that God is light.

1 John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

It would seem that Satan’s rebellion caused God to remove His presence from planet earth resulting in darkness. Light had to be added to the darkness that resulted from Satan’s rebellion. It would also seem that the universe as we know it was quite different before Satan’s fall. The sun and moon and stars weren’t even made until day four. The sun and moon weren’t necessary for God to define “evening and morning,” but they were necessary to man’s understanding of the terms and what God is saying.

The account of Day 2 seems to indicate that a flood of some type also resulted from Satan’s rebellion since God used this day to divide the waters to make room for the firmament of Heaven between them. This made me think that there might be more significance to the establishment of the rainbow than is at first obvious.

Genesis 9:13 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”

It is interesting to note that on the first two days of creation, God makes no statement that it was good. I think this probably relates to the fact that He is reestablishing order from the chaos caused by Satan. On the following days he will be adding things to the creation that are specifically meant for the good of man.