Chapter 14: The Hermeneutical Gap Principal
CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE HERMENEUTICAL GAP PRINCIPAL
Now let us look at a few of the other gap principles that occur in the Word of God. May I point out once again, that studying the Bible systematically and acknowledging the dispensational teachings are of the utmost importance; or one will read right over the Gap periods of time and never recognize them. Now, allow me to draw your attention to a few:
(1). Romans 11:25-26 - Between Romans 11:25-26 there is a gap of seven years. This is the 7 years of Tribulation following the Rapture of the Church.
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (the Rapture)." (V.25).
GAP - 7 years of Tribulation, known as the 70th Week of Daniel.
"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away the ungodliness from Jacob." (V.26). This occurs when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom at the end of the 7 years of tribulation.
(2). Revelation 12:5-6 - Between Revelation 12:5-6 there is a gap consisting of the Church Age, which now has extended over 2,000 years and will consummate at the Rapture. Added to this is the first 3-1/2 years of the 7- Year Tribulation period of time. After 3-1/2 years of peace, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and seeks to destroy her. Israel's persecution, in part, is spoken of in Matthew 24:15-22. The woman in Revelation, Chapter 12, is none other than the Nation of Israel. (In Jeremiah 3:6-10, Israel is referred to as "she" and "her" as in many other places.)
"And she (Israel) brought forth a man child (Jesus Christ), who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child (Christ) was caught up (His ascension in Acts 1:11) unto God, and to his throne." (V.5).
GAP - The Church Age, over 2,000 years plus. Also 3-1/2 of the 7-Year Tribulation period of time.
"And the woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." (V.6). This takes place in the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation.
(3). John 5:29 - This verse gives a general statement concerning the Resurrection of Life and the Resurrection of Damnation. Between these two resurrections there is a gap period of time. This gap is 1,000 years long, in which Christ will reign on this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I will quote John 5:28 and the first half of John 5:29, as the resurrection of life is composed of four separate events, which include all the saved.
"Marvel not at this: for the hour (i.e., time) is coming; in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice." (John 5:28). "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life...( John 5:29 a). The Resurrection of Life is composed of four parts as follows:
(a). Christ's Resurrection and being the First Fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) of them that sleep, along with those resurrected in Matthew 27:52-53.
(b). Those at the Rapture. "The dead in Christ shall rise first." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
(c). The Two Witnesses in the Tribulation Period. (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 11:7-12).
(d). All the Old Testament saints, along with those in Revelation 20:4 who were beheaded in the Tribulation for refusing to worship the Antichrist; but here resurrected to live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years. The First Resurrection is composed of all the saved.
Now notice in Revelation 20:5-6.
"But the rest of the dead (i.e., the lost) lived not again until the thousand years (Christ's Kingdom Reign) were finished. This is the first resurrection." (V.5). 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." (V.6).
GAP - of the 1,000 year reign of Christ before the "resurrection of damnation" spoken of in the last half of the verse in John 5:29 b.
"And they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (V.29b). This resurrection consists of only those who are lost. This is the Great White Throne Judgment where the lost are brought up out of Hell (Greek "Hades") and cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. (Revelation 20:11-15).
(4). Isaiah 9:6-7 - Between these two verses there is the GAP of the Church Age and the 7-Year Tribulation.
"For unto us a child is born (Christ), unto us a son is given..." (V.6). This is speaking of the BIRTH of Christ.
GAP - Church Age, 2,000-plus years, also included, the 7- Year Tribulation Period, and then Christ comes back to establish His kingdom reign spoken of in Isaiah 9:7.
"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon HIS KINGDOM to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth ever for ever." (V.7).
(5). Malachi 3:1-2 - Between Malachi 3:1-2 we have a gap period of time. The gap is composed of the Church Age plus the 7-Year Tribulation Period.
"Behold, I will send my messenger (i.e. John the Baptist) and he shall prepare the way before me." (V.1).
GAP - The Church Age 2,000-plus years, also the 7-Year Tribulation Period of time.
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like the refiner's fire, and fuller's soap." (V.2). This is when Christ returns to judge the nations at the end of the Tribulation Period, just prior to establishing the Kingdom. Matthew 25:31-41 speaks of the same event, as well as many other Scriptures. So, between Malachi 3:1, which is speaking of John the Baptist, and Malachi 3:2, speaking of Christ's return to earth to judge the nations and set up the Kingdom; there is a GAP of 2,000-plus years, besides the 7-Year Tribulation Period.
I have only projected five examples of the gap principle in order to show that in studying God's Word, it must be rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15). Young earth advocates absolutely refuse to believe the first mention of a Gap Principle as given in Genesis, Chapter One, between Verses One and Two. I get a little sick of hearing from some of these young earth advocates, such as Ken Ham, saying, "We must get back to Biblical authority." Statements similar to this are only a smoke-screen to make you believe that you are denying God's Word and its authority if you don't believe their philosophy, i.e., that the earth is only about 6,000 years old. This is "brain washing" philosophy at its best. (or worst?) I wonder if these young earth advocates even recognize the gap of the Church Age in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets knew nothing of the Dispensation of the Church Age. You can search the Old Testament through from Genesis to Malachi and you will not find one reference to the Church Age. This dispensation of time we are now in was a mystery. A mystery in the New Testament is a truth which has never previously been revealed; but, now is made known for the first time. The Apostle Paul, who had penned fourteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would be the one to expound on these truths; which had previously not been known to the prophets. Read Ephesians 3:1-10.
We shall see, later on, that the theology of many of these young earth advocates is corrupt. Since they refuse to accept the Gap Principle in Genesis 1:1-3 as set forth in the original Hebrew, then how could these same men recognize this same Gap Principle which is prolific throughout the Old Testament? Maybe I should remind our readers again that it was a Seventh-Day Adventist, a so-called prophet named Ellen G. White, which introduced the young earth philosophy. A man by the name of George McCready Price, who was an amateur geologist, followed her philosophy; thus attributing most fossil-bearing rock formations to the geological disruptions of the Biblical flood. Only a hand-full followed his philosophy before his death in 1963.
Two years prior to Price's death, a book entitled "The Genesis Flood" came out in 1961. One John C. Whitcomb, Jr. and Henry J. Morris, a hydraulic engineer, co-authored the book. They borrowed and incorporated the same pseudo- philosophy from one Ellen G. White. "The Genesis Flood" which was very influential in promoting the young earth philosophy and, in turn, led to the formation of the Creation Research Society in 1963. This society is dedicated to promoting their philosophy and theory of a young earth of only about 6,000 years old.