A Genesis Day and the Age of the Earth: what does the Bible say?

Welcome to the "pit". That word has a biblical meaning also. I'll pray for you as you are in the midst of a vast array of human influence in this forum.I used to be an OEC (old earth creationist). In recent years after much Biblical study and scientific study, I have become a YEC (Young earth creationist with an understanding that the earth is 6-10000 years old or so. The amount doesn't really matter, I just believe it is relatively young in contrast to scientific understandings.Now to your argument, I agree that the Bible doesn't address how old the earth is. All estimations by adding up dates and geneologies are potentially fraught with human error. So one must examine the logic used and base their understanding accordingly.What made me a convert to YEC was a look at other verses in conjunction with the Genesis account. As you read the Genesis account, there is absolutely no indication of long periods of time, but there is substantial indication that a day is one revolution of the earth on its axis relative to a light source(roughly a 24 hr. day as we know it). By day 4 the sun and moon were established and they had a pupose.... The sun and moon were to be used for timing events. The sun rise and sun set mark the timing of 24 hour days. They also mark the definition of "evening" and "morning" which are used for each creative day. There was also a different source of light on days 1,2,and 3. That light created a timing event of an "evening" and a "morning" just like days 4,5,6,and seven.From just reading the Genesis acount, there is substantial argument for 24 hour days, but no argument for longer periods of time. The argument for longer periods of time does not come from scripture, but it comes from outside the Bible.Now probably the greatest evidence of a 24 hour day comes from when God gave the ten commandments to Moses in Exodus 20. Now note that this God's words directly to Moses: It appears to me that the Lord Himself thinks that all the things created in the Genesis account were created in six days and this day period is in relationship to the sabbath day which was certainly 24 hours. Again, there is no indication of long periods of time here, only an indication from the Lord Himself of just a 24 hour day.I certainly understand why people try to reconcile the Bible with scientific data, beacuse I used to be one of them. Now I beleive that the reconciliation exists best by going to the source of all knowledge first. There are other cosmological theories other than the Big Bang theory. I lean towards Dr. Humphreys gravity well theory where time is relative and can be distorted and dialated by gravity. During creation week billions of years of light travel could have taken place in just 3-4 literal 24 hour days on this earth. That's physics. If you want information on this, I can provide it.

I know this is off the subject, but do you also believe that the 1000 years mentioned in Rev. 20 (the millenium) is just one day? That is according to 2 Peter 3:8.Just curious, I won't argue your answer.

Interesting. I agree. However, you and I are in the great minority with this understanding.

Yes, I understand that "yom" has many meanings just like our word "day", but the meaning is understood by the context. There is no context that indicates long ages in Genesis 1. The context indicates short periods of time. Even the "1000" year period day should only be invoked when prophecy is being used and not in a historical narrative IMO. A prophetic day can have different meanings within the scripture.The problem is there is no long age context, unless you bring it in from the outside.You didn't respond about God's comments on creation in Exodus. What do you think the context says there about "day".When I use the phase "24 hour day" that is my phrase, not the scriptures. When I say 24 hour day, I mean a short period day. It could be the morning, the evening, or both combined. It still is a relatively short period of time on the earth (24 hours or less). The context of Genesis 1 and Exodus 20 are only consistent with short period days.

Please identify where you conclude that the seventh creaion day is still going on. God's rest and the Sabbath day are two distint things. Hebrews is not discussing a "day of rest", it is discussing "God's rest". On earth we dwell in time marked by events. God gave us the sun and moon to time the days on creation day 4. When we enter God's rest there won't be any more days. That's why it is eternal. There will only be light and no darkness.The seventh day of creation was marked by the sun and moon just like every day is in this context. The Sabbath day commanded in Exodus as parallel to this is marked by the sun and moon. Every sabbath day has a beginning and and end.Please don't confuse the eternality of God's realm with the non-eternality of our realm. Our realm on this earth is marked in days, and that is by God's command and design on day four. Psalm 95:11 says nothing about "day" it says "rest". Hebrews says the same. For some reason you are inserting the word "day". Are you violating your own principles about not adding to God's word? All days are from evening to evening. The Israelite day was an exact representation of the creation days. They started with the evening and ended at the end of the morning. The next evening would be the next day. evening to evening. Well then I guess God's declaration of the six days of creation and the Sabbath day in the ten commandments is symbollic? You really have to add and take away from God's word on that one. How do you declare what is symbollic and what is not in the scripture? I would allow God to make those declarations if I were you. Again, you are equivocating on the definition of a "day". Evening to evening is not the same as evening through evening. Evening to evening is an evening and a morning period just as it is stated in the text of Genesis.I will be satisfied to accept God's interpretation of His creation week (Exodus 20) rather than your symbolic interpretation of the creation week. Again, I think the only reason you choose this is because of outside of the bible influences. You certainly haven't shown any from inside the Bible.

Bambootiger,You ignored everything I said in my post. For some reason you are creating a doctrine around the word "day" when "day" is not the subject being discussed in all the scriptures you are working with.WE have the concept of "day" and the concept of "rest".They are two different and independent meaningful words. Your whole argument relies on the addition of words..."day of rest."Ps 95:11 doesn't mention the word day does it? In context the passage is not talking about the sabbath or the creation.The Hebrew passage has nothing in context that is talking about the length of time regarding a day. Hebrews is talking about "rest", but not "day of rest".I will not argue with you that there is a "rest" that may be ongoing, but that does not follow that the "day" was ongoing. That is your mind speaking and not the scripture.I do believe every word of the Hebrew writer, but I do not believe your additions to PS 95:11 and Hebrews 3-4.Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day(in context 24 hrs.), to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days (in context 24 hrs.)shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day (in context 24 hrs.)is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days (in context 24 hrs.)the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day(in context 24 hrs.): wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day(in context 24 hrs.), and hallowed it.It's amazing how God thought that his seventh day had and end in context. It amazing how Moses and the Israelites all understood the concept that their sabbath was to have a beginning and an end just like God's did.It's also amazing how nothing in Ps 95:11 says anything about a day. Or about creation. Or about the sabbath.It's amazing how nothing in Hebrews is discussing anything anywhere that indicates how long the seventh day of creation was.And it is also amazing how you have chosen to add to God's word the concept that God's sabbath day didn't have an end just because the passage doesn't use the same phrase "an evening and a morning". Oh my! What I can make the Bible say, just because it doesn't say something in a particular passage.You don't have to agree with me on this subject, Your argument is not with me, it is with Him.