The Gap Fact

Genesis 1:
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
[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.
[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Most Christians reject what is commonly referred to as the “gap theory” because they have been taught that it was invented in the late 1800’s by Bible teachers in order to accommodate Darwin’s theory of evolution. There have been a few teachers that use the fact that there is a gap between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2 to account for some geological issues and the "fossil record". However, there were Bible teachers long before the 1800’s that taught the gap and their teaching had nothing to do with accommodating the theory of evolution. My reasons for believing there is a gap has nothing to do with what any man teaches but has everything to do with what the Bible teaches. I totally reject evolution and so do many others that believe there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. We do not know how long ago God created the original earth. He created many things in eternity past before time as we know it. We do not know, nor can we know, how long the period was that elapsed between the creation of the original earth and the reconstruction of it. The length of that period is not the issue. The real issue is why was there destruction and reconstruction?

I. Creation (1:1) – eternity past

II. Destruction (1:2) – eternity past
III. Reconstruction (1:2b-2:3) – done in 6 literal 24 hour days about 6,000 years ago

 Twelve Bible Reasons to Believe the "Gap Theory"

1. Every verse in Gen. 1 begins with “And" which always moves the narrative forward and never refers back to the previous verse. Therefore v.2 is not a description of v.1.

2. The descriptive words in 1:2 match other verses that clearly speak of judgment. The prophet Jeremiah said, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." (Jer. 4:23) How did the earth become "without form, and void"? Jeremiah said that it was by "the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger" (Jer. 4:26). I believe that Jeremiah is speaking of a future judgment. But we know that "the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be" (Ecc. 1:9). So, by comparing scripture with scripture (1 Cor. 2:13) we KNOW that the earth becomes "without form, and void" as a result of God's judgment. The words "deep" and "darkness" are associated with God's judgment in many verses in the Bible.

3. God declared that He did not create the earth in vain (Isa. 45:18).

4. God does not create in stages. He speaks and it is done. For example, the Bible does not say, “God created the beasts, and the beasts were without form and void.” To suggest He spoke an earth that was without form and void belittles His power.

5. The description in Genesis 1:2 speaks of judgment. Why would there be a judgment before Adam was created and fell? Lucifer fell before Adam was created. The passages that reveal why he fell imply that he was the ruler on the original earth. Adam's fall affected the earth. It makes sense that Lucifer’s fall also affected the earth. Lucifer led away some of  the angels in a rebellion against God which resulted in a cataclysmic judgment. Satan wanted Adam to fall so that he could usurp the authority over this earth that he once had (Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-17; Matt. 4:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:4).

6. Some say that there was no sin or death on earth until Adam sinned (Lucifer and Eve sinned before Adam). They use Rom. 5:12 as a proof text but that verse is only talking about the human race. They also say that if Lucifer fell before Gen. 2:3 then God could not have said that everything He made was good (1:31). The first thing He says was good is Light in v. 4 (Lucifer fell between v.1 and 2). God’s statement in v.31 is limited to what He made during the 6 days in 1:3-30 and refers to the earth and its solar system (Satan’s primary habitation is “in heaven” – Job 15:15; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:7-9). Notice that God did NOT call “Heaven” (second heaven= space) good in 1:8.   

7. There are other places in the Bible where there is a big gap skipped over in the passage. For example, in Isaiah 61:1-2 both advents of Christ are described in the same prophecy with this present mystery age (that has lasted over 1900 years) totally skipped over. Just because God does not reveal why the judgment occurred in Genesis 1 does not mean that it didn’t. We must compare scripture with scripture.

8. Adam is told to “replenish” (which means to recover former fullness) the earth just as Noah was told to replenish the earth after the flood (Gen. 9:1). The corrupt Bibles say “fill” instead of “replenish”. There is a difference between "fill" and "replenish". God used the word "fill" in reference to marine life (1:22). Therefore there must not have been a sea on the original earth in eternity past just as there will not be a sea on the new earth in eternity future (Rev. 21:1).

9. Notice concerning plant life that the “earth brought forth” what was already there (1:9-13).

10. The original earth being destroyed by water (“deep”, “waters”) is referred to in 2 Peter 3:5-6. Some say that 2 Pet. 3:6 refers to Noah’s flood. But the world did not “perish” in Noah’s flood (Noah, his family, and animals did not perish). Notice that the flood in v.6 is in the context of “the beginning of the creation” (v.4).  

11. There is a future rebellion of Satan which results in the destruction and restoration of the earth. Once again, "the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be" (Ecc. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-21:1).

12. Paul refers to Gen. 1:2-4 as a type of salvation (2 Cor. 4:6). We were created, ruined by sin, and regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10). God used His Spirit and His word to bring us out of darkness into light (Acts 26:18)!