The Days of Genesis

The Days of Genesis

What is a day?

This is an important question. Many who refuse to accept evolution believe, wrongly, that a the days referred to in Genesis is the same as the period of time we call a day. We even have several different definitions of a day:

A 24 hour period.

The portion of each 24 hour period when the sun is shinning. Note that this can be anywhere from 9 hours to 6 months depending on where in the world you live.

What is a day?

The days refereed to in Genesis are not any set period. Day is simply a convenient way of discussing a period of time. We note that in the Book of Psalms it says:

Psalms 90:1-4

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

The birth of Jesus Christ marked the end of God's day of rest. This was, at least, 4,000 years after the end of the 6th day. The beginning of the 6th day was, at least, 1,000 years earlier and it may have been millions of years. What is time to God? Why would he use a 'day' that is strictly human. Remember also that the day on Mars is much longer than on earth and the 'day' on the planet Mercury is 36 years long! (assuming a day is the rotational period of the planet). It is very egotistical for man to think that his day is the same as God's day.

2 Peter 3:8

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

What is a day?

The world was created much more than 6,000 odd years ago as the so-called creationists spout. At the very least, based on 2 Peter and Psalm 90 the world was created more than 12,000 years ago. We cannot ignore the results of our senses and studies. Clearly the world is nearer to 6 billion years old than 6,000. Once we accept that the day referred to in Genesis is not a 24 hour period but simply a convenient way to refer to a unknown and unknowable period of time, we can begin to understand where we came from.

This is just a beginning

Let's look at Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans, chapter 1 beginning at verse 18 (English Standard Version):

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Here Paul speaks of what is called General Revelation. General because it is available to all men. Revelation because any human, using his or her 5 senses and his or her innate cognitive ability can figure out that God is divine (and therefore righteous) and all powerful.

However, God's divinity could not be figured out from a falsehood. This means that creation (general revelation) is true, that we can (no guarantee that we will!) arrive at valid conclusions from our study of creation.

This brings us to the KT boundary (the cretaceous-tertiary boundary). This is a thin layer in the earth, about 2 inches or so thick. It contains a very high concentration of iridium. Iridium only comes to earth from asteroidal or cometary impacts. The KT boundary was created a the impact with a huge comet or asteroid.

Why is the KT boundary important? Well it separates things, specifically it separates the layers of earth where we find human artifacts and remains (fossilized and otherwise) and the layers where we find the fossilized remains of dinosaurs.

All dinosaur fossils are found at or below the KT boundary. All human remains and artifacts are found above the KT boundary.

There is only one conclusion that we can draw from this evidence.

Dinosaurs and humans never lived on this planet at the same time!

This inescapable conclusion fits nicely with the previous scripture. The days referred to in Genesis are based on God's time frame and not ours! Thousands, millions, even billions of years passed on earth while God spent 6 days creating all that we see!

Amen