The Scriptural Case for a 6000-Year-Old Creation

I’ve written a new article dating creation based on the bible alone. I’ve posted a permanent link on this website below. Comments are always welcome.

The Scriptural Case for a 6000 Year-old Creation

 The ongoing argument between old and new earthers crosses both secular and religious boundaries. Young earth creationists typically adhere to an approximate period of 6000 years since creation based primarily on genealogies presented in scripture. Old earth creationists typically redefine what a “day” means in Genesis chapter1 to bolster their old earth conclusions, while secular sources rely on scientific dating methods, archeology, geologic interpretation of earth’s layers, big bang to present cosmology, etc. Their dating hypotheses give an age for the earth of millions or even billions of years since its formation by natural causes. This article will deal with the question of just how solid is the scriptural case for a 6000 year old creation.

Yom

 First of all, let’s dispense with the question of how long a “day” is in Genesis. The word “day” in Hebrew is “yom”. Genesis 1:3-5 defines yom. “Then God said ‘let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day , and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”  Notice that there are two definitions given here by God. The warm, light portion of the cycle was called yom as well as the combination of evening and morning (the periods beginning at dusk and dawn). We use the same definitions today, referring to the light period as day as well as the entire 24 hour period including night. The use of the terms morning and evening (in all six days of creation in Genesis) clearly describe one rotation of the earth in the presence of a stable light source; one 24 hour day unchanged through today. Of course, yom can have another meaning such as a general time period. For example, we might say “computers weren’t available in our day.” This application is easily determined by the context in which it is used. That a creation day in scripture is a 24 hour period is verified by further scriptures such as Exodus 31:16-17. “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the  earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” Obviously the seven days are one week ending on what we call Saturday or the seventh 24 hour day. The comparison of God’s creation week and the Jews Sabbath week are straight forward. The Jews were to work six 24 hour days and rest on the seventh 24 hour day. All of scripture continues in this same vein, there is no valid case to be made for yom to be longer than what we know as 24 hours. As careful interpreters of scripture we should adhere to an objective hermeneutic that will keep us from error. One overriding principle is to determine what the particular narrative would mean to its original intended audience. In the case of the above verses, Moses was addressing the literate Jews among them, present and future, and all those who would hear them read aloud. Their natural understanding would certainly be a 24 hour day for yom. Otherwise, Moses would have explained otherwise. And that is our natural understanding as well. Various old earth proponents go to great lengths to redefine yom to suit their fancies, but a 24 hour day for yom is inescapable. The use of 24 hour days for God’s six days of creation begins the genealogy of a 6000 year existence of our universe.

Genealogy

 While it’s not my intent to detail biblical chronology from creation to the present as it is beyond the scope of this article, I will make some general observations agreed to by most who study biblical chronology. First of all, the book of Genesis gives us a complete genealogy from Adam to Abraham in chapters 5,10,and 11. A careful study of these dates results in a 2000 year period from Adam to Abraham. From Abraham’s birth to the Exodus was another 500 years. From the Exodus to the decree of Cyrus to free the exiled nation of Israel was another 1000 years. Another 500 years and Jesus was crucified around 30AD. These time spans can be calculated from various events, prophecies, and the reigns of various kings. I would recommend reading books such as Tim Warner’s “Time of the End” for detailed chronology. From Jesus’ crucifixion to date is nearly another 2000 years. The total of these time spans comes to nearly 6000 years, right where we should be. Most reputable bible chronologists agree generally with this timetable.We are approaching the seventh millennium from creation, the 1000 year kingdom reign of Christ our returning Savior.  

An Eyewitness to Creation

 A most important proof of the occurrence of any event and its timing is to have the testimony of an eye witness. Concerning the six days of creation we just happen to have the eye witness of the most reliable person who ever walked on this planet, the Creator Himself. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). Jesus was there at the beginning of the creation of all things, which includes time. In fact, He was the beginning. Jesus Himself said so four times in Revelation. “I am the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega”. (Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13). That He was the Creator of everything is supported by other scripture. “The fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:9). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:15-17). A remarkable Old Testament passage in the Book of Proverbs details Jesus’ presence at creation where He has the proper name “Wisdom”. “I Wisdom… .The Lord possessed Me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning before there was ever an earth. When there was no depths I was brought forth… .While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there… .When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him, as a master Craftsman.” (Proverbs 8:12,22-30).  

 Jesus’ presence at creation is biblically indisputable. He’s a perfect trustworthy eyewitness.

 Jesus confirmed the accuracy of the Genesis account by quoting from it or referring to it many times. Here are some examples. Jesus was asked about divorce. “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’ and said ‘ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ “ (Matthew 19:4-5). Asked about life in the resurrection Jesus said this: “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God saying ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ “ (Matthew 22:31-32). Several other quotes and references to Genesis by Jesus can be found in the Gospels. Evidently, Jesus considered Genesis accurate and reliable or He would not have quoted from it so freely. The six days of creation cannot be an inaccurate exception. After all, He was there.

Where Did Moses Get His Information to Write Genesis?

 This, of course, is not a problem for believers, as we know the Holy Spirit motivated the writers of scripture. We also know that wisdom was handed down to Moses from his ancestors. Using Genesis genealogies, we can calculate that Shem, who was on the ark may have lived long enough to even meet Abraham. However, Moses may have had another infallible source, Jesus Himself. We know that Jesus accompanied the children of Israel for all 40 years of desert wandering. “All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:2-4). Moses saw and met with God frequently over the course of those 40 years. “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11). We know that this was not the Father meeting face to face with Moses, as He lives in “unapproachable light”and “whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). Moses met many times with Jesus. Surely, over those 40 years Moses had ample time to hear and record the Book of Genesis as related to him by Jesus, our eyewitness. We can rely on Genesis as God’s accurate word from beginning to end. Jesus certainly did.

Conclusion

 In consideration of what I have presented above, the reader of Genesis can come to one of three general conclusions. 1. Genesis is literally true in all respects, and with the rest of scripture details a nearly 6000 year old creation.(Young earth creationist).  2. Genesis is true but subject to alternate interpretations that can point to an earth much older.(Old earth creationist). 3. Genesis is mostly fiction as science describes a universe and earth billions of years old.(Subscribes to secular sources). If you believe #3 you are either not a believer, or the bible is not prominent in your religious beliefs. If you believe #2, you may be a believer, but are torn by an eisegetical approach to scripture that gives you room to compromise with secular scientific theory. That begs the question, what other biblical truths are you willing to compromise?

 If you are a true bible believer that trusts in God’s authoritative word and apply a literal, objective, and natural interpretation of scripture you cannot come to any other conclusion than that creation as presented in the bible was a mere 6000 years ago. I know that this flies in the face of all that we may have been taught from evolution to the big bang. In this modern world Christians are ridiculed for having such a position. But you’re in good company. By ridiculing you they are, to their own peril, ridiculing Jesus Himself. Though in the eyes of the world, they may seem wise, the prophet Isaiah said this as quoted by Paul: “For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall vanish.” (Isaiah 29:14). This is not to say that real science is of no value, but to say that it cannot replace biblical truth.

 Of great significance, 6000 years since creation is an important conclusion concerning eschatology as the upcoming seventh millennium is the 1000 year reign of Christ in His coming kingdom. It’s the Sabbatical rest for God’s people.

 In this article I’ve not dealt with the scientific discourse between creation scientists and secular scientists. That is an interesting and ongoing field of study. However, based on God’s Word alone, 6000 years since the creation of everything is a solid conclusion.

Maranatha. Jim