GOD CREATED THE WORLD IN SIX LITERAL DAYS

The most fundamental and basic rule of biblical hermeneutics (principles of interpretation of the Bible) is that a word has no meaning outside of the context in which it is used. Likewise the usage of the word “day” has no meaning outside of the context in which it is used. The word "day" is used in three different ways in Genesis: (1) the 12-hour period of daylight, in Genesis 1:5 , 14 , 16 , 18 ; (2) the normal 24-hour period of the earth's rotation; and (3) the entire creation week, Genesis 2:4 . We do not deny that there are many usages of the word “day” as the above illustrates. But what we have to contend with is not the usage of the word “day” in other passages of the Bible but how it is used in Genesis chapter 1 when God created the heaven and the earth.

The arguments for a 24-hour day, as stated by Dr John Whitcomb are:

i) the use of the numerical adjectives in a historical narrative limits the term to a 24-hour period e.g. 2nd day, 3rd day, etc.

ii) the qualifying phrase, "there was evening and there was morning" points to a 24-hour day-night cycle (cf. Dan. 8:14 ).

iii) a creation week of six indefinite periods of time would hardly serve as a pattern for man's work week of six literal days (Exo. 20:11 ).

iv) "days" contrast with "years" (Gen. 1:14 ) as unchanging astronomic times units.

v) "day" must be literal in 2 Pet. 3:8 or the contrast between God and man is obscured.

The numerical adjective – This is one of the clearest proofs that the literal 24-hour day was meant when it is used in Genesis 1 .The numerical adjective is used in verses such as Genesis 1:5 , “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” And Genesis 1:8 , “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” (Emphasis added--see also Genesis 1:13 , 19 , 23 , 31 ; 2:3 ). The occurrence of the numerical adjective in historical narratives such as the book of Genesis argues for a 24 hour literal day interpretation. There is no other interpretation that fits the context here.

The phrase “there was evening and there was morning” – This phrase of evening and morning is still used today to refer to only one interpretation and that is when we are referring to a 24 hour literal day cycle. Any other usage would make normal conversation impossible. Likewise we find the same understanding in Daniel 8:14 , “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” The word translated as “days” in Daniel 8:14 literally means “evenings and mornings” in the Hebrew language. The literal meaning of Daniel 8:14 would then be “. . . two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings . . . ..” The KJV translated the Hebrew phrase accurately when they used the word “days” for there could be only one meaning according to the context of Daniel 8 .

The Creation week our pattern for keeping the Sabbath – The God of Israel cited His own example in the creation of the world as the basis for Israel to keep the Sabbath holy in the Fourth Commandment. Exodus 20:11 , “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11 makes no sense if the word “day” in the phrase “seventh day” does not refer to a 24 hour literal day for we are living within the context of the 24 hour literal day period when commanded by God to keep the Sabbath Day holy. For anyone to interpret the word “day” to mean “millions of years” would be ludicrous. He would be a dishonest interpreter of God’s holy and perfect Word.

“Days” contrast with “years” – Genesis 1:14 , “And God 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:” The phrase “for days and years” has no significance if the word “days” refer to millions of years or even billions of years! The contrast between “days” and “years”, when interpreted as a literal 24 hour day, would mean that the heavens above will continue to be signs for human kind for days and for years. Barnes rightly commented, “They are to serve as the great natural chronometer of man, having its three units, - the day, the month, and the year - and marking the divisions of time, not only for agricultural and social purposes, but also for meeting out the eras of human history and the cycles of natural science. They are signs of place as well as of time - topometers, if we may use the term. By them the mariner has learned to mark the latitude and longitude of his ship, and the astronomer to determine with any assignable degree of precision the place as well as the time of the planetary orbs of heaven. The "seasons" are the natural seasons of the year, and the set times for civil and sacred purposes which man has attached to special days and years in the revolution of time.”

“Day” literal in 2 Peter 3:8 -- 2 Peter 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.” Some have argued that since one day is to the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, then one 24 hour day in Genesis 1 must refer to a thousand years! This line of reasoning is unsound and unbiblical. 2 Peter 3:8 argues for the certainty of the Second Coming of Christ. There were mockers who said that Christ will not come for they have been hearing this “Second Coming” doctrine for so long and Christ has yet to appear! Peter warned them that man must not count time the way that God looks at time. To us one day is short and one thousand years is considered very long but from God’s perspective He works within His own perspective of time for He transcends time. He knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. The contrast of “one day” and “one thousand years” in 2 Peter 3:8 makes sense only when the word “day” is translated as a literal 24 hour day period.

Conclusion – Evolutionists and neo-evangelicals who marry evolution with theism (theistic evolutionists) would argue that since it takes millions of years for the light of the furthest star to arrive in order that we might see these stars, therefore the universe and the earth has to be billions of years old! The error with this line of argument is that they limit and fix God into a man-made mold. The miracles of God in holy Scriptures argue that God can advance or reverse time. Eyes that were born blind were made whole. Legs that never walked could walk by the power of His word. What we have in Genesis 1 is an “appearance of age” and not “real age.” For example, Adam was a full grown man although he was only one day old. So were all the trees and plants and fish and animals and birds. God made them all within six literal 24 hour days! All the stars and the beams of light from the stars were created by God so that when Adam and Eve who were created on the sixth day saw the sun, the moon and the furthest stars all of which continues to declare the glory and might of the Almighty God even till today! There was no evolution at all but only the creation of the great Creator who is all powerful and the voice of creation declare loudly that God exists and He is a powerful God. To reject and replace Him with evolution is to destroy the Bible for to reject the first chapter of Genesis is to deny the creative power of God! Psalms 19:1-3 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Do not muffle the voice of God by man-made theories of evolution for there is a great price to pay for going against God’s perfect and holy Word!

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