Creation Timeline
What this article will explore is whether the heavens and earth are billions of years old like many scientists tell us today OR if the heavens and earth are only approximately 6,000 years old as many Christians believe. And this 6,000-year belief is based on an actual 24-hour consecutive creation period culminating in day six with the creation of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. From Biblical genealogies and historical narratives, it is very easy to back into the approximate 6,000-year number that many Christians believe.
And not only are scientists telling us that the heavens and earth are billions of years old, but archeologists are discovering numerous civilizations on earth that are more than six thousand years old. An example is the recent discovery of Gobekli Tepe in Southeastern Turkey, which may be the site of one of the oldest temples in the world dating back some 11,000 years. Then you have the Sumerian civilization and additional civilizations before the Sumerian’s whose writings and inventions go back further than 6,000 years. Lastly, there is much evidence of older civilizations than Gobekli Tepe both above and below water that may have been destroyed by cataclysmic events.
So, another question arises. Were Adam and Eve really the first humans created in Yahweh’s image? Or were there humans created in Yahweh’s image before Adam and Eve? This idea would be based on the interpretation that the creation of man and women in Genesis 1:26-27 was long before the creation of Adam and Eve in in Genesis 2:7 and 2:21-23. Or maybe there were humanlike creatures not made in the image of Yahweh before Adam and Eve. For now, we will leave this very difficult question for a future article!
Let us be clear, the age of the Heavens and Earth is not a salvation issue. But non-the-less, a topic that will help with discussion of spiritual matters with non-believers.
Let us start with whether the heavens and earth are billions of years old as most scientist tell us today or approximately 6,000 years old as many Christians believe.
As we interpret Scriptures to determine which scenario is more than likely correct, true science and the Scriptures should not conflict. Interpretation of Scriptures before modern science was based on what man knew at the time, including the possibility that the heavens and earth were only approximately 6,000 years old. But as we receive new revelations from science on the possible age of the universe it appears that some of the long-held views of the mainstream Christian Church on the age of the heavens and earth may be wrong.
Again, true science and the Scriptures should not conflict. In fact, the knowledge that Yahweh has given to man through science confirms the Word of Yahweh to be true. It is amazing how scientific discoveries over the ages have confirmed what Scriptures already told us. If we keep an open mind when looking at the Holy Scriptures and understand how science works, it is clear the Scriptures represent a sensible, consistent, and logical view of science and do not contradict today’s understanding of science. An example of scientific truth in the Scriptures is the spread of disease from waste.
Deuteronomy 23:12 “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 “and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. (NKJ)
Other examples of scientific proof in the Scriptures is the Bible’s consistency with astronomical realities long before they were discovered, including a starting point for the universe (Genesis 1:1), the spherical shape of the earth (Isaiah 40:22), the fact that our planet is not held up by anything but space (Job 26:7), that the number of the stars are innumerable (Jeremiah 33:22), that we should not eat the flesh of any animal that had died a natural death (Deuteronomy 14:21), and that we should quarantine contagious diseases (Leviticus 13:45-46).
Another interesting point is Yahweh tells us that He speaks through His creation, which Scientist study. Therefore, Science and the Scripture should not conflict. Psalm 19:1-2 shows us that “The heavens declare the glory of Elohim; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.”
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Headship, so that they are without excuse (NKJ)
Job 12:7 ” But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. 9 Who among all these does not know That the hand of Yahweh has done this (NKJ)
When Science and the Scriptures conflict, we have reason to reexamine our interpretation of those facts and words. Because sound Science and sound Biblical exegesis will always be in harmony. Yahweh through His Holy Spirit moving men to write Scriptures is responsible for the words of the Bible. Therefore, no contradictions between the facts of nature and the facts of the Bible are possible. Any apparent contradictions must stem from human misunderstanding.
And to many of us who have searched the Scriptures for truth, what we have found is that many of the long-held beliefs of the mainstream Christian Church are wrong. So let us read what the Bible says about the age of the heavens and earth. The smoking gun that the heavens and earth may be a lot older than 6,000-years old is found between verse one and verse two in Genesis.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters.
Verse two in Genesis states the earth was without form and void. Did Yahweh through His Son really create the heavens and earth as stated in Genesis 1:1 or really anything else that was not perfect from the beginning? Selah (i.e. think about it). Suffice to say here that Yahweh does not create by first making a mess.
Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith Yahweh that created the heavens; Elohim himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am Yahweh; and there is none else.
Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth (i.e. Satan/Lucifer); and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of Elohim; 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.
1 Corinthians 14:33 For Elohim is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all assemblies of the saints.
So how can we logically explain verse one and two in Genesis when Yahweh’s creation should be perfect in verse one but verse two tells us it was without form and void, that it was not perfect?
If Yahweh created the heavens and the earth perfect in verse 1 but it was not perfect in verse 2, something must have happened between those two verses. How long was the earth perfect before it became formless and void? A clue maybe found in the translation of Genesis 1:2. Many biblical scholars propose that Genesis 1:2 could be translated as “now the earth became without form and void”. The word translated as “was” in verse two is from the Hebrew word “hayah” (#1961). What we find is that this Hebrew word can be translated “became/become”, therefore opening the possibility of billions of years between verse one and verse two in Genesis.
The earliest known recorded controversy on this point can be attributed to Jewish sages at the beginning of the second century. The Hebrew scholars who wrote the Targum of Onkelos, the earliest of the Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament, rendered Genesis 1:2 with an Aramaic expression as “and the earth was laid waste”. The original language evidently led them to understand that something had occurred which had “laid waste” the earth. The early Catholic theologian Origen (186-254) in his commentary De Principiis, explains regarding Genesis 1:2 that the original earth had been “cast downwards”.
Then we have the phrase “without form and void” which comes from two Hebrew words, “tohu (#8414)” and “bohu (#922)”. These words are used in other parts of the Scriptures to describe that something became chaotic, but that it was not that way originally. This interpretation of these Hebrew words “tohu” and “bohu” is another clue that after Messiah created the heavens and earth perfect in verse one that it became chaotic in verse two.
An example is in the verse we just read in Isaiah 45:18….. Elohim himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain (#8414 – tohu), he formed it to be inhabited: The Hebrew term rendered “in vain” in the above verse is from the same word translated “without form” in Genesis 1:2. Yet here Isaiah records Yahweh as saying He did not originally create the earth in this condition. If such a time interval exists between verse one and two, there may not be any discrepancy between the Scriptures and scientific discoveries that the earth is up to several billion years old. I believe a potential good translation of Genesis 1:2 could read “now the Earth became a wasteland and a desolation”.
Another clue that the heavens and earth may be billions of years old comes from the study of the Hebrew word “yowm” (#3117) that is translated “day”. Sometimes Hebrew and Greek words can have many meanings although they are translated into one English word. At other times the Hebrew or Greek words have a more precise meaning compared to the translated English word. In other words (no pun intended), we should not assume the translation to English is correct. That is why we must go back to the original language.
Let us look at the Hebrew word “yowm”.
3117 yowm {yome} • from an unused root meaning to be hot; TWOT – 852; n m • AV – day 2008, time 64, chronicles + 01697 37, daily 32, ever 17, year 14, continually 10, when 10, as 10, while 8, full 8 always 4, whole 4, alway 4, misc 44; 2274 • 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time
Based on the above definition, the Hebrew word “yowm” that has been translated into the English word “day” has multiple meanings. It can be translated for the daylight part of the day. An example would be Genesis 1:14 which reads “Elohim said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day (yowm) from the night;”. It can be translated as the 24-hour day. Lastly, it can be translated as a period of time. We have already read in Genesis where the Hebrew word “yowm” is both translated as daylight and the 24-hour day.
Let us look at Scriptures that use the word day to mean a period of time. These verses equate a day with a year or 1,000 years.
Isaiah 34:8 For it is the day (yowm) of Yahweh’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
Numbers 14:34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day (yowm) you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. (NKJ)
Ezekiel 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day (yowm) for a year.
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with Yahweh as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
We also have in Scriptures the phrase “the Day of Yahweh”. When you read the books of Peter, the book of Revelation, and the Books of the Prophets, do you really thing all those things mentioned in the Scriptures will happen in one literal 24-hour day when referring to the great and dreadful Day of Yahweh? Based on Scriptures, this is impossible. Even in English, day does not automatically mean “24-hours”, but a period of time. Examples used in the English language include “in my grandfather’s day” or “the day of the dinosaurs”.
So, the question becomes whether or not Elohim’s creation on day one through day six really happened in six 24-hour periods. Or where there six unspecified periods of time opening up the possibilities of billions of years from the beginning of the creation of the heavens and earth till the creation of Adam and Eve.
Then we have the plain fact that it was not until day four when Elohim made lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night and that these lights would be for signs, seasons, days and years.
Genesis 1:14 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And Elohim made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And Elohim set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and Elohim saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
So let us ask a simple question. If Elohim did not create a 24-hour day until the fourth “day” (“yowm”) of creation, can we really say with certainty the first three days were actual 24-hour periods? This again opens up the possibility of billions of years of time from the beginning of the creation of the heavens and earth until the creation of Adam and Eve.
Here is an interesting twist in the creation story found in Genesis 1, which states “In the beginning Elohim created (#1254 bara) the heavens and the earth”. So, we find in verse one Elohim creating, in this case the heavens and earth. But what is very interesting is that we do not find Elohim creating (#1254 bara) until day five of the “creation story”. And if we translate verse 2 “And the earth became without form, and void”, then what happens after makes sense. When the heavens and earth were created in verse one, we can speculate that it was before Day 1 what many call the “creation week”. So, when Elohim stated in Genesis 1:3 “Let there be light: and there was light”, it started Day One of the “creation week”. The original translation of the English word light is from the Hebrew word “owr” (#216), which can be translated as light from something including references to light from Yahweh. This light cannot be the sun and moon, because they did not show until Day 4 of the “creation week”.
Maybe when Elohim said, “Let there be light: and there was light”, Yahweh Messiah, the great creator, may have inserted Himself into the darkness that existed on earth from the destruction of previous civilizations. 1 John 1:5 tells us, “That Yahweh is light, and in him is no darkness at all”. Or maybe where it states in the second part of Genesis 1:2 that “the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters.”, that Yahweh Spirit created light on earth. The point being here is that there is nothing in Scriptures that indicates that the first light on the earth after Genesis 1:2 was created.
Then on Day 2 Elohim said in Genesis 1:6 “And Elohim said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters”. Did He create waters on that day? No! So what did He do? He divided the waters from the waters that already existed. What was really created on this day? Scriptures tell us nothing. Everything was rearranged on this day. The waters already existed and He separated them (Genesis 1:6-8).
Later Elohim said on Day 3 in Genesis 1:11 “And Elohim said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so”. Where did the seed come from? According to Scriptures, the seed was on the earth. It could be that this is the seed left over from the previous civilization before their fall. Again, Scriptures tell us that the seed was already on the earth and nothing was created.
Next, we find in Day 4 in Genesis 1:14-15 “And Elohim said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so”. Again we find that nothing was created. It appears that Yahweh Messiah, the great creator, rearranged the sun, planets, and moon to give us signs (“marks”), seasons (“appointed times”), days and years. I think at this point we can say a day was 24 hours.
What we find is it is not until Day 5 of the creation story that Elohim again created (#1254 bara) something as He did in the beginning. On Day 5 Elohim created sea creatures and every living thing in the waters. Then on Day 6 Elohim created all living creatures on the land including man. Day 1 through Day 4 is evidence that Yahweh may have “renewed” our planet earth before creating all or most of the sea and land creatures, including man made in the image of Elohim.
Another reason the creation of heavens and earth may be billions of years old is that Scriptures tell us that much has happened over a great period of time before Adam and Eve were created and placed in the Garden of Eden. Maybe Yahweh is His infinite wisdom designed a long-time earth to allow the earth to become sustainable environment for His human creation with the formation of oil, coal, minerals, etc. that need a long time to be formed.
Before we go through those Scriptures that show the world before Adam and Eve, let us be clear of the following. First, Messiah is the great creator of the heavens, earth and Adam and Eve (John 1:9-10, Colossians 1:15-16, and Hebrews 1:1). That Messiah and the Father are outside of time (Titus 1:2) and have always been. In fact, the four-letter name of the of the Almighty (tetragrammaton) means “to be”. We also know from Scriptures that angels are created beings (Psalm 148:2-5 and Ezekiel 28:13) and were at the creation of the earth (Job 38:4-7).
So, Yahweh the Father and Yahweh the Son existed in an ageless past before time itself began with the creation of the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1). And that the creation of the heavens and earth by Messiah may have been with a spark, an explosion, a Big Bang with our universe continuing to expand even to this day. This would harmonize Scriptures with science.
Let us continue to look at Scriptures to see what it has to say about our ancient past, including a potential past before Adam and Eve.
Jeremiah 4:23 I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. 25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of Yahweh, By His fierce anger. (NKJ)
Isaiah 14:16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man (better translated as being) who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, (NKJ)
Psalm 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
We read in Jeremiah that the earth at some point was formless and void (Genesis 1:2) with broken down cities by Yahweh’s great wrath and there was no man. And we read in Isaiah this destruction of these civilizations was all because of the wickedness of Satan. Then the psalmist tells us in the above verse that Yahweh sent forth His Spirit (Genesis 1:2) and that through His Spirit, Yahweh “renewed” the face of the earth. This would harmonize with the second part Genesis 1:2 which states “and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters”. Again, these verses imply that a past civilization existed and were destroyed before the earth was renewed (Genesis 1:2).
So, do long creation days imply we evolved from Apes or inorganic matter if you go back to the evolutionary timeline taught today? Absolutely not! Evolution simply means change with respect to time. Time can be short or long. The change can be small or great, more-or-less gradual. An example of change in humans is the average size of a human being, which has gotten taller. Since human beings have had some changes, this does not mean we came from a primordial soup of non-organic matter to single cell life form, to apes, and finally to humans. An old earth concept does not mean that Yahweh didn’t create man in His image. Evidence of a Creator of intelligent design is apparent everywhere we look. The Scientific community and the Bible agree that the degree of fine tuning for the support of life on Earth supersedes anything nature could ever achieve.
Although human beings share anatomical, physical, biochemical and genetic similarities with extinct hominids as well as with great apes and other animals, human beings are behaviorally distinct, in ways that reflect Yahweh’s image. Human beings can have similar attributes but do not necessarily evolve from those creatures. Yahweh created man to be distinct from all other creatures, again made in the image of Yahweh. Below are a few reasons that only humans are made in the image of Yahweh.
- Moral compass….to know right from wrong.
- Spirtual compass….to have the ability to understand and have a relationship with Yahweh.
- Mental compass…. superior mental capacity with larger brain.
We have already learned that angels are created beings, including Lucifer, aka Satan. It is interesting to note that the creation of angels is not mentioned in the “six days” creation account in Genesis 1. In fact, angels were presence at the creation of the earth (Job 38:4-7). Therefore, angels were created before the creation of our current earth. Lastly, Scriptures tell us Lucifer was perfect on the day he was created, until iniquity was found in him. Sadly, iniquity was found in the anointed cherub, Lucifer aka Satan, and he rebelled and was cast down to the earth.
Ezekiel 28:11 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh Elohim: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of Elohim; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of Elohim; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of Elohim; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. 18 “You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. (NKJ)
Isaiah 14:12 ” How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground (can be also translated earth), You who weakened the nations! (NKJ)
Luke 10:18 And he (Yah’shua) said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Did you catch that Satan became violent and sinned by the “abundance of trading “(Ezekiel 28:16) and because of this, he was cast out of heaven? More evidence that Lucifer was involved with civilizations and commerce prior to the creation of Adam and Eve. And as we continue to read in Ezekiel, there were kings on earth when Satan was cast out of heaven.
Ezekiel 28:17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground (can be translated earth), I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. (NKJ)
If there were kings as we just read, there would be kingdoms and nations, boundaries, and commerce. There was definitely some type of trading that existed among these nations, and Lucifer was engaged with commerce with the kings/kingdoms. The earth has been and is Satan realm. The book of Job records Yahweh asking Satan “And Yahweh said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. (Job 1:7). And we know Satan is the mighty one, the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Think about this. When Lucifer, aka Satan was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve with the soul purpose of deceiving them (Genesis 3:4), Satan was already corrupted and had been cast out of the mountain of Elohim. Therefore the abundance of trading with kings/kingdoms that corrupted him was before Adam and Eve. And those kings/kingdoms that Satan was trading may have consisted of some type of intelligent creatures that may or may not have been human.
A lot may have happened to the earth between Genesis 1:1 with Yahweh Messiah creating the heavens and the earth perfect and Genesis 1:2 with the earth becoming without form and void by Yahweh’s great wrath. The conclusion is that the original creation in Genesis 1:1 preceded the making of a gigantic mess by Lucifer AKA Satan in Genesis 1:2.
We also have Old Testament verses of Yahweh “renewing” the earth (Psalm 104). Therefore, Yahweh Messiah needed to renew or “fix” current conditions on Earth and the surrounding cosmos to allow for His created creatures to survive. And if you really study the “creation account” found in Genesis 1, after Messiah created the heavens and earth in verse 1, there is really not anything created until day 5 with the creation of every living thing in the water and on land. This implies that there was already Earth, plants, Sun and Moon in existence that needed to be renewed or “fixed” to allow for life on Earth.
HalleluYah
(10-26)