Gap Theory

[greg1844]

Make note the word "asah" in Gen. 2.2 for made means restoration for the 6 days. This includes man's body from "dust" (Gen. 2.7). God made desolate in Gen. 1.2, for God does not create earth a waste or without form. This is the consequence of sin, just like when God produced the flood in Noah's day. So too in Gen. 1.2 God made desolate the earth because of the sin of the inhabitants of earth's earliest ages. Your idea is not a clear teaching because you don't accept God's teaching on fallen Lucifer who brought a third of the angels with him to rule over the earth and over what was now to become the demons.

Day 2 is the only day not considered a good day because when God split the firmaments, up came some of those demons from the deep that God cast down into during Gen. 1.2. To assume otherwise as you do is an unclear treatment of those beings before Gen. 1.2. Don't just think either it is splitting hairs, for God deals with sin most exactingly. Those less conscientious in their conscience would tend to minimize God's working in restoration. Thank God that your being wrong before and wrong now is not the guiding principle, that since you could not repent then and still not now will not be the determining factor. It is merely your pointing to self. You can't force your rejection of the truth onto people as you think that the truth of the gap teaching would be.

You have accepted some complex, dark and ambiguous teaching that I can not condone. This is not God's love, for God deals with sin. Moreover, it is not so much your not agreeing, but the arrogance by which you speak without reason which is not healthy for you. The same goes true when you said in private message that you believe there are no more apostles today, again, without reason when you reject Eph. 4.11. Why do you seek to change the times and the ways and erradicate the apostolic commission of apostles appointing elders to take care of local churches in the first century apostolic age? Who made you God to stop the work of the apostles all of a sudden? Be ashamed!

In Genesis 1:1 God created the heavens and the earth. So Jesus is clearly the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:2 states that the earth was without form and void. Does it say in Hebrew how long this state was? It appears from the context that the time span for verses 2-5 was one day - one evening and one morning.

Now I certainly agree with the teaching of the Bible about the fall of Lucifer/Satan and that he was cast out of heaven with 1/3 of the angels. I do not believe that satan had control of the earth before it was created. I also do not believe that Jesus gave the earth to satan. Jesus gave the earth to man. There was no sin on earth until Adam and Eve rebelled against Jesus.

I believe that satan became the prince of this world when he stole the dominion of earth from Adam, Jesus' appointed ruler of this world. That is why when Jesus came to live, die, and resurrect again He was considered the second Adam. Thus Jesus overcomes the strong man and takes the posession of the earth back from satan and will restore it to mankind after the judgment, the destruction of the world through fire, and then He will recreate a new heavens and a new earth in Rev 21:1

[Churchwork]

In Genesis 1:1 God created the heavens and the earth. So Jesus is clearly the creator of the heavens and the earth.

This verses is not specific about which Person in the Godhead created so it should be taken as God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit holding council to create together. This discription is most apt,

http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/thewayofthelord.htm

Genesis 1:2 states that the earth was without form and void. Does it say in Hebrew how long this state was? It appears from the context that the time span for verses 2-5 was one day - one evening and one morning.

Gen. 1.2 does not say earth was without form and void, but became desolate and waste. Gen. 1.1, scientifically speaking we know was at least 13.7 billion years. Gen. 1.2 separates with an And,... to describe what happens sometime later. Then God began to restore summarized by the six summary days.

Now I certainly agree with the teaching of the Bible about the fall of Lucifer/Satan and that he was cast out of heaven with 1/3 of the angels. I do not believe that satan had control of the earth before it was created. I also do not believe that Jesus gave the earth to satan. Jesus gave the earth to man. There was no sin on earth until Adam and Eve rebelled against Jesus.

Earth was created in Gen. 1.1, then Lucifer fell and ruled over the beings before God made the earth desolate in Gen. 1.2. Naturally, falling out of heaven, Satan comes downward to earth and operates in 2nd heaven. It is unavoidable. Since God could not erect His authority over the angels, He did so in man, through His Son. Day 2 says there was sin prior to making desolate because day 2 is the only day not called a good day. When the firmament was split, up came some of those demons cast into the deep in Gen. 1.2. Proper cause and effect is vital to understand God's ordering. Here we have explained God's use of time, 13.7 billion years, the fallen angels sometime later, then God making desolate, then restoration. The Hebrew words for the six days is restoration, not creation, that is, a restoration of what was already there.

I believe that satan became the prince of this world when he stole the dominion of earth from Adam, Jesus' appointed ruler of this world. That is why when Jesus came to live, die, and resurrect again He was considered the second Adam. Thus Jesus overcomes the strong man and takes the posession of the earth back from satan and will restore it to mankind after the judgment, the destruction of the world through fire, and then He will recreate a new heavens and a new earth in Rev 21:1

Satan did not steal it from Adam for that is to imply Adam could not have done anything about it. Thus, Satan fell to earth long before the first Adam on earth. So God made the earth desolate and cast the demons into the deep because Satan corrupted the beings on earth. The demons, when the firmament was split, could tempt Adam in the garden but he could not harm him against his will. The garden was the one safe place on earth (though Adam was responsible for the whole earth in due time), and there were disembodied demons looking to inhabit bodies. They could steal nothing from man if man did not fall. When Adam fell, it just gave what Satan needed to be god of earth, for Satan loves the destruction of men and the kingdom of God. Satan was not cast into the deep, but all the demons were in Gen. 1.2. Satan was still in 2nd heaven as were the fallen angels, but they were essentiall prevented from being rulers of earth, because man was now ruling earth in the garden. Yes, Jesus is the second Adam and is the perfect submission unto the Father to find obedience in men again. Yes, the cross defeats Satan. Christ returns in Person to reign in the millennial kingdom-to-come, the time of recompense of rewards for those in Christ that overcome (Matt. 25.1-12, Rev. 20.4), then the earth is burnt up (Satan let lose briefly from the pit), and then the new city begins where there is no longer need for rewards.

Rev. 20.3 says the millennial kingdom has not started yet because the nations are still deceived. Christ is not reigning with an iron rod now, for that is not the sense you get with an iron rod. And certainly this is not a millennial peace now with the lamb and lion laying down together.

You leave out accountability in the future, as well as accountability in the past.