In the late Eighteenth Century, “science” determined through geology that the earth was much older than was stated in the Bible. In an effort to reconcile science with the Bible, it was determined that there was a gap between the first two verses of the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” – Genesis 1:2One of the early promoters of this reconciliation was Thomas Chalmers in 1814. It has become known as the “Gap Theory.” The premise of the Gap Theory is that the earth was created complete and perfect, in Genesis 1:1. Then, as the result of sin and rebellion, the earth was destroyed and laid waste, and therefore it was “without form, and void,” as in the next verse. The Gap Theory surmises that the Devil was cast down to earth at that time, and his sin and rebellion was what brought about the earth’s destruction. However, this reasoning does not fit with the following verse:
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men …” – Romans 5:12The Apostle Paul said that death because of sin began with Adam. If the sin of the Devil caused the destruction of the earth, that would have been the first sin, not the sin of Adam.
There is also a “gap” in the Gap Theory. This theory conjectures that the world was perfect in Genesis 1:1, but was destroyed (without form and void) by the next verse. But how do they explain the destruction of the entire universe? Was it because of the rebellion of the Devil? If the Gap Theory is correct, the entire universe must have been destroyed because the Lord then re-created the sun, moon and the stars of the universe on the fourth day of Creation.
In my opinion, the Gap Theory is based upon an assumption. The assumption being that when the Lord created the heaven and earth in Genesis 1:1, it was complete, even though He did not give us the details as He did in the supposed “second creation.” The Bible tells us that the Lord created our world and then developed it step-by-step, creating dry land, plants, fish, sun, moon and stars, birds, animals and then mankind.
Further, in the Bible we find the principle of “two witnesses.” Several cults and denominations have been built on a single verse of the Bible. The two witnesses principle requires confirmation by at least another verse. I find no such confirmation in the Word of God for the Gap Theory.
Lastly, science shows that the earth is not millions and millions of years old. Science knows that the revolving of the earth is slowing down at a rate that makes it impossible to be millions of years old. Likewise, science knows that the magnetism of the earth is decreasing at a rate that creates the same impossibility. Science knows the rate of accumulation of certain salts and minerals in the oceans. And science knows that the oceans cannot be “billions and billions” of years old. But true science takes a back seat to what the “scientists” want to believe.
The answer to the Gap Theory is right there in the Word, in the very first chapter. Praise the Lord for the completeness and the truth of His Holy Bible!