Creation as presented in Genesis chapters 1 and 2

In Genesis 1 and 2, there are several definitions of "day" First, in Gen 1, the day is the evening and the morning. Next, in Gen 1:18, the Sun governs the day, ~12 hours. Then in Gen 2:4, This is the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord made earth and heaven. Now this account includes the creation of Adam and Eve. On day one of Gen 1, God created the Heavens and Earth. On day 6, God created man, yet Gen 2:4 lumps days 1 and 6 into one day. Not only that, this form is used all through Genesis (5:1, 10:1, 11:10, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:9) It always follows the descendants of the one mentioned. Gen 2:4 says one day covers generations and then covers Adam, Cain, and 6 further generations. The list typically covered people considered important. Women were almost always left out. Frequently brothers not in the lineage were left out. Sometimes generations were left out (look at the genealogy of David.) Thus the generations of the heavens and earth cover at least 8 generations and is listed as one day. God makes it clear that the days of Gen 1 must not be taken to mean 24 hour days.

(quote) Why couldn't the 8 generations of people in the generations of the heavens and the earth take place in one day?God defined day as a light period. (/quote)ICANT, The one day of Gen 2:4 covers 6 days of Gen 1, which includes 6 evenings and 6 mornings. When you add in the 7 generations after Adam, you get about 200 years of life. To say there was never any darkness in the 200 years is an interpretation, but it does deny the claim that one day was 24 hours.I prefer the interpretation that the term "day" was used for variable periods of time, sort of like the Day of the Lord in Isaiah (2,13) There, the Babylonian and Medes took more than 24 hours to accomplish what God said would happen in that day.Since Gen 1 and 2 doesn't limit day to 24 hours, I am comfortable with the Days of Gen 1 being time periods of any length. The focus is on the event. When it ends, the day ends.

Yes, you referred to the first two mentions of day that I stated, the 12 hour day and the 24 hour day. There is also the single day that covers 6 days of creation and also covers at least 7 generations. (Gen 2:4) If Yom refers to a dark period and a light period, then the 12 hour day is wrong. There is only the light period in that reference.Also, the day of the Lord, as mentioned in Isaiah and elsewhere seems to refer to a period of "darkness" or oppression, and a period of "light" or God's victory. This seems to be closer to the meaning in Gen 1 and 2.For example, before the snowball earth, there was no land life. After the event, Life began to invade the dry land. The snowball earth could be a period of "darkness" and then the development of land life could be a period of "Light."Again, the dinosaurs would never have allowed the development of mammals. After the KT extinction event, mammals developed. Again periods of "darkness" or suffering, and "light" or growth of life.I do not insist on specific events as being the change to the next day, but just use these examples to show that this definition fits the Gen 1 and 2 usage of the word "day" better.

I am confused. Gen 2:4 "The day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens" does not refer to the first day Gen 1:1, when God made the heavens and the earth? Were there two creations of the heavens and the earth?