Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Did God Create the Universe in 6 Days?
This is one of the most debated questions in Christianity. Not only is it argued between Christians and atheists, but Christians also argue with other Christians over it. Did it take trillions of years, or did God create it all in just 6 literal days like the Bible says?
First let's clarify, that is exactly what the Bible says. It is not using the word day in a general sense as in a day to us is a thousand years to God kind of generality. The Hebrew word used literally means a 24 hour day. So make no mistake, the Bible is stating that God created everything in just six 24 hour days. On the other hand, science has shown through radio-metrics and mathematics that the universe had developed over trillions of years. The Earth is about 4.5 Billion years old. So which do you believe? Science or the Bible?
This question has led many Christians to become atheists because they simply could not accept a Bible that is proven wrong by science. Another group, known as Young Earth Creationists have spent years trying to prove the radio-metrics used to estimate the age of the earth to be faulty. They believe they have done a good job of that, but most scientists scoff at their reasoning and say the Young Earth Creationists own studies have flaws. Creationist physicist Dr. Russell Humphreys has even come up with a theory that he says proves the entire universe is only 6,000 years old. Many scientists tend to agree with his stance. This is a battle that has been going for a long time and shows no sign of ending.
Then there is me. I am a nobody. I do not have a degree and my studies only go as far back as about a year before I wrote this. Yet I believe I have the answer to this great debate. I believe that the Young Earth Creationists, the atheists and everyone else I have found who has an opinion on it is making the exact same mistake. They are assuming that the almighty, all powerful God, is limited to the boundaries of science and time.
God is not bound to the limits of science and time. God gave us science and time because as humans, we need them. For our sake he usually works within their rules, but there is nothing in the Bible that says God cannot work outside those boundaries when He wishes. By definition, God being "all powerful" means He has no limits. He can do absolutely anything.
In Genesis, the first day consists of God creating light simply by saying "Let there be Light". But God has not created the sun or stars yet. So what does science say the Big Bang was like at first? It was very bright. From there the universe began to develop. At first it was chemicals and gases that became like a dust. The dust converged with gravity and began to form solid matter. Meteors or planets maybe. God created the earth as well, but did not finish it yet. It was formless still. God separated light from darkness and called them day and night. The first day took millions, billions or maybe a trillion years.
But that's not a 24 hour day!
I know. Just be patient and bear with me here.
In Day 2, God separates the water on Earth by creating the atmosphere. Lets say this took a few million years to do.
The first simple fact is that God created these things through a scientific process that took trillions of years. Just like science says. So now ask yourself, how could the Bible possibly be right? If God took trillions of years to create everything, how can the Bible still be right when it says God created everything in 6 literal 24 hour days?
Because God is not limited by time. In fact, God controls time!
Have you ever watched a time lapse camera's footage? They can plant a seed in the ground and place a camera on it and film it for 3 months non-stop. The plant will sprout from the ground and grow upwards. Leaves will develop and spring outward. Then at the end it will open up and blossom into a beautiful flower. Then you watch the footage and it all happens in 3 minutes. Everything that took place in that film, actually took place over a 3 month period and yet we see it happen in 3 minutes. This is exactly what God does but He doesn't bother using a camera. God simply speeds up the process.
God takes a trillion years of the universe developing and speeds it up to the point where it all happens in 24 hours. It all still happened. It still took a trillion years to develop. Its just sped up to happen in a 24 hour day. Then in day two God sped everything up to do whatever he needed to do for that second day and does it in another 24 hour period of time. Even though in regular time it was millions of years this time.
Here's a little kicker for you. God is not trapped by time in the least way. So while he was speeding up a million years worth of work in day 2, the rest of the universe still developed over billions of years. In the end, God took trillions of years of creation, and sped it all up to fit it in 6 (24 hour) days.
So we can do whatever science we want and it will prove out to have taken trillions of years. The earth will prove out to be 4.5 billion years. Everything that would take 4.5 billion years for the Earth to get to where it is today, actually happened. Only God sped up the process to happen in 6 days.
Right now any atheist reading this is likely rolling his eyes and saying "This is ridiculous!", but keep in mind, this is only ridiculous if you don't believe in an all powerful God. If God really does exist, and He is truly all powerful, then this is easily in the realm of his abilities. The only reason it is ridiculous to you is because it takes away your greatest weapon. Making the Christians believe God is limited to the boundaries of Time and Science.
Christians need to stop putting limits to God. It is the greatest mistake they make on a consistent basis. Because we are human, we naturally try to see God with the same limits. Because we believe in science, we limit God to that same science. But the simple fact is, the true meaning of what a miracle is, is something that is done outside the realm of time or science. Moses spreads his arms and God splits the Red Sea. Impossible by any reasoning of science, so it is a miracle. Jesus healing a leper. Science cannot accept it. So it is a miracle. Creating the first singularity to start the Big Bang is unexplained by science. It is a miracle. God creating the universe through trillions of years, is in the realms of science. God speeding it up to happen in 6 days? Miracle.
We don't need a new theory to prove the universe is only 6,000 years old. That is limiting God to the boundaries of time and science. We don't need to prove their science is flawed. That is accepting that God is limited to the boundaries of time and science. We simply need to recognize one simple fact about God. He is "All Powerful".
First let's clarify, that is exactly what the Bible says. It is not using the word day in a general sense as in a day to us is a thousand years to God kind of generality. The Hebrew word used literally means a 24 hour day. So make no mistake, the Bible is stating that God created everything in just six 24 hour days. On the other hand, science has shown through radio-metrics and mathematics that the universe had developed over trillions of years. The Earth is about 4.5 Billion years old. So which do you believe? Science or the Bible?
This question has led many Christians to become atheists because they simply could not accept a Bible that is proven wrong by science. Another group, known as Young Earth Creationists have spent years trying to prove the radio-metrics used to estimate the age of the earth to be faulty. They believe they have done a good job of that, but most scientists scoff at their reasoning and say the Young Earth Creationists own studies have flaws. Creationist physicist Dr. Russell Humphreys has even come up with a theory that he says proves the entire universe is only 6,000 years old. Many scientists tend to agree with his stance. This is a battle that has been going for a long time and shows no sign of ending.
Then there is me. I am a nobody. I do not have a degree and my studies only go as far back as about a year before I wrote this. Yet I believe I have the answer to this great debate. I believe that the Young Earth Creationists, the atheists and everyone else I have found who has an opinion on it is making the exact same mistake. They are assuming that the almighty, all powerful God, is limited to the boundaries of science and time.
God is not bound to the limits of science and time. God gave us science and time because as humans, we need them. For our sake he usually works within their rules, but there is nothing in the Bible that says God cannot work outside those boundaries when He wishes. By definition, God being "all powerful" means He has no limits. He can do absolutely anything.
In Genesis, the first day consists of God creating light simply by saying "Let there be Light". But God has not created the sun or stars yet. So what does science say the Big Bang was like at first? It was very bright. From there the universe began to develop. At first it was chemicals and gases that became like a dust. The dust converged with gravity and began to form solid matter. Meteors or planets maybe. God created the earth as well, but did not finish it yet. It was formless still. God separated light from darkness and called them day and night. The first day took millions, billions or maybe a trillion years.
But that's not a 24 hour day!
I know. Just be patient and bear with me here.
In Day 2, God separates the water on Earth by creating the atmosphere. Lets say this took a few million years to do.
The first simple fact is that God created these things through a scientific process that took trillions of years. Just like science says. So now ask yourself, how could the Bible possibly be right? If God took trillions of years to create everything, how can the Bible still be right when it says God created everything in 6 literal 24 hour days?
Because God is not limited by time. In fact, God controls time!
Have you ever watched a time lapse camera's footage? They can plant a seed in the ground and place a camera on it and film it for 3 months non-stop. The plant will sprout from the ground and grow upwards. Leaves will develop and spring outward. Then at the end it will open up and blossom into a beautiful flower. Then you watch the footage and it all happens in 3 minutes. Everything that took place in that film, actually took place over a 3 month period and yet we see it happen in 3 minutes. This is exactly what God does but He doesn't bother using a camera. God simply speeds up the process.
God takes a trillion years of the universe developing and speeds it up to the point where it all happens in 24 hours. It all still happened. It still took a trillion years to develop. Its just sped up to happen in a 24 hour day. Then in day two God sped everything up to do whatever he needed to do for that second day and does it in another 24 hour period of time. Even though in regular time it was millions of years this time.
Here's a little kicker for you. God is not trapped by time in the least way. So while he was speeding up a million years worth of work in day 2, the rest of the universe still developed over billions of years. In the end, God took trillions of years of creation, and sped it all up to fit it in 6 (24 hour) days.
So we can do whatever science we want and it will prove out to have taken trillions of years. The earth will prove out to be 4.5 billion years. Everything that would take 4.5 billion years for the Earth to get to where it is today, actually happened. Only God sped up the process to happen in 6 days.
Right now any atheist reading this is likely rolling his eyes and saying "This is ridiculous!", but keep in mind, this is only ridiculous if you don't believe in an all powerful God. If God really does exist, and He is truly all powerful, then this is easily in the realm of his abilities. The only reason it is ridiculous to you is because it takes away your greatest weapon. Making the Christians believe God is limited to the boundaries of Time and Science.
Christians need to stop putting limits to God. It is the greatest mistake they make on a consistent basis. Because we are human, we naturally try to see God with the same limits. Because we believe in science, we limit God to that same science. But the simple fact is, the true meaning of what a miracle is, is something that is done outside the realm of time or science. Moses spreads his arms and God splits the Red Sea. Impossible by any reasoning of science, so it is a miracle. Jesus healing a leper. Science cannot accept it. So it is a miracle. Creating the first singularity to start the Big Bang is unexplained by science. It is a miracle. God creating the universe through trillions of years, is in the realms of science. God speeding it up to happen in 6 days? Miracle.
We don't need a new theory to prove the universe is only 6,000 years old. That is limiting God to the boundaries of time and science. We don't need to prove their science is flawed. That is accepting that God is limited to the boundaries of time and science. We simply need to recognize one simple fact about God. He is "All Powerful".
