N-Age Of The Earth
How Old Is The Earth, 6,000 Years Or Millions Of Years?
Here, I wish to stress that everything I state on this subject, I am not presenting as Doctrine but only Theory. However, the commentary I present here seems to make the most sense to me and harmonizes how the earth can be millions of years old, and yet The Bible still be True. Actually, this theory is probably missed by most because it is actually so simple! I believe that Judeo-Christian scholars have concluded that the earth is only 6,000 years old or so because they trace the geneological records given in The Bible. For example: ’Such and such was 800 years old, and bore a son. The son was 65 years old when he bore’, and so-forth. However, this only tells us how long MAN has been on the earth, not how old the actual rock of the earth is. I say my theory is simple because it really is so simple: Let us look at Genesis chapter 1:
Genesis 1:1In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:2And 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.
[NOTE: That absolutely nothing is stated in these two verses, let-alone any hints how much time passed during these first two verses as man understands a day to be--light and darkness].
Genesis 1:3And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:4And Elohim saw the light, that it was good: and Elohim divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:5And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
[NOTE" Verses 3-5 define for us what an actual day is. While this light in these verses were probably not from the sun (since later on in the chapter, it seems that we are told that the sun was created on the fourth day), it appears that G-d used some other kind of light for the first 3 days before He Created the sun and moon on the fourth day.
Therefore, there could not have been an actual DAY--DAY ONE, inGenesis 1:1-2. There, we are told the earth and heavens were created, and the earth was unformed--or under construction (if you will). But the main point is that since there could not have been "A DAY" as we know it to be in verses 1 and 2, therefore, these two verses could have been millions of years as we would understand them to be! Yes, man may have only been on this rock for 6,000 or so years, but this explanation shows how this can be so, and yet the actual earth can yet be millions of years old! G-d gave us the definition of how we define a day in verses 3-5. Yet without light in verses 1 and 2, there is no record of time-let-alone "A DAY" in V1 and 2. Note the verses below:
Genesis 1:14And 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:
Genesis 1:15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Genesis 1:16And 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. So while it apears that ’Elohim made the sun and moon on the fourth day, it seems that He made some other kind of light to use:
Genesis 1:3And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:4And Elohim saw the light, that it was good: and Elohim divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:5And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. In other words, verses 1 and 2 cannot be counted as time AS WE KNOW IT because there is no recording of LIGHT in verses 1 and 2!This theory seems to harmonize perfectly the Bible as Truth, yet with earth, (the rock) being millions of years old. We also clearly see that the purpose of the light from the sun and moon, (v14), are for "times and seasons". The problem is most people start the count at verse 1 instead of at verse 3 where G-d seems to have used some other light for the first three days before He created the sun and moon on the fourth day.
Also note the point that every planet in our solar system that we know of is a different distance from the sun uniquely, just as the sizes of each of these planets. Therefore, the speed at which each planet rotates around the sun, (and probably other attributes) differ. Therefore, time as we understand it on earth would be different on other planets.
Still, another point: My theory above also throws a monkey wrench toward those who claim there is "archeological evidence" of animal skeletals being"millions of years old". Here is why: Although we are Told inGenesis 1:20-23that ’Elohim started creating animal life on the 5th day, nevertheless, the skeletons dug up today were lying in the rock of the earth that is millions of years old. Therefore, when archeologists examine these bones, they are concluding they are millions of years old based on the residue from the earth itself that they were burried in for thousands of years. In other-words, it might be that the actual rock or soil that is on those bones is millions of years old, thus they wrongly conclude that the age of the bones themselves are millions of years old.
Another point:
Exodus 31:17reads about The Sabbath:
It is a sign between me and the children of Yisrael for ever: for in six days ADONAImadeheaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Note above that it is The Hebrew word " `aseh" that is typically translated both here and elsewhere as "made", while the word can also mean "to fashion". And this same Hebrew word is also used about some things ’Elohim created during the six days. So it is possible that ’Elohim actually created the Heavens and the rock of the earth in millions of years, and that he fashioned the things on the earth that are specific requirements for human life in the six days.
Whatever you conclude or speculate, I offer this theory for you to ponder. It makes sense to me.