Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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.
“Mind the gap” is the refrain constantly heard on the London Underground, warning people to be careful not to step into the gap between the platform and the train. But “mind the gap” would also be a good refrain for students of the Bible!
There are some who suggest that there was a gap between Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 and 2. Some even suggest that this gap could have lasted for millions, or billions of years, during which Lucifer fell from heaven, pre-Adamic hominids lived, alongside other animals, including dinosaurs. And eventually, God destroyed the world in a so-called Luciferian Flood, leading into verse 2.
This idea dates back, before the theory of evolution, to the early deep-time geologists, such as James Hutton. Some theologians became convinced that a long age for the Earth had been proven, so they tried to accommodate the supposed millions of years by this idea.
There is neither Scriptural nor scientific warrant for this so-called Gap Theory. Indeed, the Bible states the opposite. In Exodus 20:11, God states, as a reason for the Fourth Commandment, that He created the heavens and the earth in six days. This means that Genesis 1:1 – the creation of the heavens and the earth – is part of the six days. Therefore, there can be no gap between the first and second verses of the Bible.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that Your Word means exactly what it says it means. Help us at all times to submit to Your Word. Amen.
Notes:
Fields, W. (2005), Unformed and Unfilled, (Master Books)
Image: Clarence Larkin, Public Domain
