Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Are the Six Days of Creation Literal?
Are The Six Days of Creation Literal?
This question is often asked by those questioning the literal interpretation of Genesis 1. God answers this question in commanding the Israelites to observe the Sabbath: “For the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). According to the 4th commandment concerning the Sabbath, the 7th day rest (Exodus 20:8) is as literal in the definition of “day” as the six days of creation (Exodus 20:11). That is enough of a definitive answer.
Do we understand that we prove the 7 days were literal every single week which consists of 7 literal days!
In addition to those obvious answers, I want to address an argument that attempts to prove the days of creation are not literal days: “On the 7th day, it does not say, ‘evening came and then morning: the 7th day’. The 7th ‘day’ never ended. Therefore, if the 7th Day is not a literal ‘day’, then the 6 days of creation are not literal ‘days’”. That is the “Day-Age Theory of Creation.
Is this theory just a disagreement over a word? Or, is there something deeper that should shift our thinking?
It is understood within the ANE (Ancient Near East) cultural confines that Genesis 1-2 are records concerning God building his temple/palace. When he finished, he “rested”. Resting refers to the building of the temple. And in Psalm 132:8, resting refers to God coming into His temple/palace to be among His people. When we look at Genesis 2:2-3, the text does not need to say, “evening came and then morning: the 8th day” because creation had been completed. There is no more creating on the 8th day. As the Hebrew writer penned, “his works have been finished since the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 4:3).
• God’s creating ended that day, the 6th Day.
• God’s resting began that day, the 7th Day.
• God’s resting in that “temple/palace” did not end that day because He continued to be with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8).
• There is no 8th Day within the creating week.
What is not understood is that there are unforeseen consequences in not accepting the 7 days. It literally has an impact upon the gospel narrative:
• Yahweh finished is work on the 6th Day (Genesis 2:1). On the 6th Day Jesus finished his work saying, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
• Yahweh rested from all the work He had done on the 7th Day (Genesis 2:2-3). On the 7th Day Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath after having finished His work (Luke 23:54-56).
• If there is no literal day after the 7th Day, then there is no resurrection day. Jesus was resurrected on the very next literal day after the very literal 7th Day.
In Old Creation, God was finished after six days and rested on the 7th. In New Creation, Jesus was finished on the 6th day also, but The Father and Holy Spirit were not finished with their work. Evening came then morning: the 1st Day of the Week.
The question whether the seven days were literal is yes, as seen even in the gospel.
See less
Comments