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Article - Six days or billions of years?

Six days, or billions of years?
It is widely accepted that the six days of the Genesis creation account should be understood as representing long periods of time, rather than six consecutive days. The highly respected Christian leader and scientist, Dr. Louw Alberts, for example, holds this view. An advantage of this view is that it neatly harmonises the biblical account with the generally accepted age of the universe of billions of years. There is, however, a major problem with this view. The Bible teaches us that sin and death came into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12, I Corinthians 15:21). Because of their sin the entire universe was brought into the bondage of decay (Romans 8:21). The beautiful and perfect creation which God had pronounced to be very good (Genesis 1:31) became cursed. Harmonious relations between humans, animals, and the earth were replaced by violence, alienation, suffering and death. All of these negative things are summed up as the "the curse" which one day will be removed from the earth (Revelation 22:3).
Now here is the problem. If there were billion of years before Adam and Eve during which millions of animals suffered violent destruction in various ways, where did this death and decay come from? Are violence and death the mechanisms which God created to bring the earth and its inhabitants into being? The rejection of the six days as ordinary consecutive days undermines the very important biblical doctrine of the Fall. That doctrine teaches us that God made all things very good, without sin or death or pain. But when the first humans disobeyed God's commandment, they brought upon themselves, their descendants and the whole world the curse of suffering, pain, death and decay. Jesus Christ, as the second Adam, came to redeem us from the curse of sin and death. When he comes again in glory to consummate his victory over evil, then the curse will be banished and in the new heavens and earth "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
Why has this traditional understanding of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Regeneration been questioned today? Chiefly because it is felt that the weight of evidence is in favour of an earth that is billions of years old. Surely, it is argued, God would not have deliberately deceived us by planting evidences in the earth indicating great age when, in fact, the earth is relatively young? It must be agreed that God is not in the deception business. That is the work of the devil. But how do scientists conclude that the earth is so very old? Chiefly by measuring certain processes that occur today, such as the rate of decay of radioactive substances and the slow movement of continental plates and mountain ranges. But if God created a fully operating universe, complete with mountains, stars, seas and all the creatures inhabiting them, it is unavoidable that they would have an appearance of age. This is not because God is trying to trick us. It is simply the result of creation out of nothing. Imagine, for a moment, that you had the power to create something out of nothing and you made a full-grown man and then took him to a doctor. The doctor would pronounce your five-minute-old creation to be about thirty years old. The doctor's estimation would be quite scientifically correct. Only by special revelation could he know the truth. Likewise today. The calculations of scientists are quite accurate, on the assumption that the processes they measure have always been in operation. But special revelation informs us that God created them, out of nothing, by the power of his word. Of course, there are problems with the above view. There are difficult questions that are not easy to answer. But every approach has its problems. My honest conviction is that the traditional view has fewer problems than the view that there were long ages on earth during which death reigned before ever Adam sinned (Romans 5:17).
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Now, here is the portions of God's Word referenced to in the message:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.

Romans 8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children.

Genesis 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Revelation 22:3 and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.

Romans 5:17 Since by the one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

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Thanks for reading! I hope God's able to teach you something through this. I love you! And remember, if anyone has any questions, I'm more than glad to research the best possible answer for you!