By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Why do you insist on holding to the gap theory?
Answer:
– First and Foremost it is a SCRIPTUAL PRINCIPLE!!!
– Second it is a PROVEN PRINCIPLE that is laid out in scripture.
– Third it is the ONLY CORRECT view that INTERPRETS the creation account of Genesis CORRECTLY,
GENESIS 1:2
(Genesis 1:2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The word AND is the Hebrew word WAW and it is used as a conjective or in otherwords a connecting word, but it should NOT HAVE BEEN translated in to the english language as such.
In the Hebrew there is what is called a SILLUQ which ALWAYS APPEARS under the last word of a verse and regularly FOLLOWED BY the sign : which is equivalent to our period, which is the case in Genesis 1:1 to indicate a STOP.
In Genesis 1:2 the word AND( Hebrew – waw) should be translated as BUT to indicate a change of thought due to the ABRUPT STOP (period) at the end of Genesis 1:1.
Now lets move foward. The word WAS is the Hebrew word HAYAH and it means BECAME or HAD BECOME.
Genesis 1:2 should read as follows:
(Genesis 1:2) But the earth became (had become) without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
In order for the earth to BECAME or HAD BECOME without form and void it must not have been that way before.
Question?….. “What happen to CAUSE the earth to BECAME or BECOME in this condition (without form and void).
The Bible states in Isaiah 45:18 the SAME THOUGHT as Genesis 1:2:
(Isaiah 45:18) For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
The phrase “created it not in vain” is the SAME as “Without Form and Void”.
The following verses GIVE SUPPORT to Isa. 45:18 & Gen. 1:2.
(Jeremiah 4:23) I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.(Isaiah 24:19) The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
(Isaiah 24:1,19, & 20) Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. (19) The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.(20) The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
The Answer to the above Question is this:
Lucifer (Satan) before his SIN OF PRIDE lived on this earth along with all the other angels.
(Ezekiel 28:13 – 15) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. (14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Lucifer (satan) GOT PROUD and he wanted to be worshipped like God so he lead a rebellion and CONVINCED one third (1/3) of all the angels that God had created to follow him in that rebellion against God.
(Isaiah 14:12 – 14) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
(Revelation 12:4, 7- 9) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan(Lucifer) DECLARED five things:
1- I WILL ASCEND in to heaven (indicates living on earth).
2- I WILL EXALT my throne ABOVE the stars(angels) of God (indicating the want of authority).
3- I WILL SIT also upon the mount of the congregation (indicates sitting on God’s throne).
4- I WILL ASCEND ABOVE the heights of the clouds (indicates living on earth).
5- I WILL BE LIKE the most High (a DEMAND to be worshipped as God).
I said at the start of the answer of this question was that THE GAP was a PROVEN SCRIPTUAL PRINCIPLE and NOT a THEORY.
Gaps of Time PROVEN in Scripture:
Romans 11:25 & 26 – Gap of 7 years BETWEEN v25 & v26 refering to the 70th week of Daniel which is the 7 year Tribulation Period.
(Romans 11:25 – 26) 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
(26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Romans 12: 5 & 6 – Gap of 2,000 years BETWEEN Chp. 11:25 and Chp 12:5 & 6 – The Church Age. and another ADDITIONAL 7 years (trib period) for a total of 2,007 years
BETWEEN Chp 11:26 and Chp. 12: 5 & 6.
(Romans 12:5 – 6) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.
John 5:28 & 29 – Gap of 1,000 years BETWEEN v28, 29a and 29b.
(John 5:28 – 29) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
V28,29a – Resurrection of the SAVED that were killed during the Tribulation Period.
(Revelation 20:4,6) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (6) 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.
V29b – Resurrection of the UNSAVED.
(Revelation 20:5 – 6) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
(Revelation 20:11 – 15) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Isaiah 9: 6 & 7 – Gap of 2,007 + years BETWEEN v6 and 7
(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
(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 even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Malachi 3:1, 2 – speaking of the same time period – Gap 2,007 + years.
(Malachi 3:1) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Speaking of John the Baptist
(John 1:6 – 8, 15, 29) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
(7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. (29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(Malachi 3:2) But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap. Speaking of the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
Luke 2:40-43, 3:23 – Gap of 18 years BETWEEN Chp.2:40-43 and Chp.3:23
(Luke 2:40 – 43) And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. (41) Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. (42) And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
(43) And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
(Luke 3:23) And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.
In Conclusion:
As you can tell from scripture, THE GAP PRINCIPLE (Old World View) can ONLY be the CORRECT view that INTERPRETS the creation account of Genesis CORRECTLY.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH