The “Day” Wasn't Created Until Genesis 1:5

Genesis 1:5, “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.  And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

I just bought The Strand Study Bible and I can't put it down, because it is so fascinating. This helpful book is 2,368 pages thick, like a phonebook! If you desire to learn the Word of God, this is the book to get. It is not cheap, but nothing worthwhile in this life is cheap. Pastor Brad Strand was one of my favorite Bible teachers at Hyles-Anderson College. I enrolled in 1985, worked diligently to earn my degree in Pastoral Theology, and gratefully graduated in 1993 on the Dean's List. I thank God for giving me the privilege and opportunity to be a part of the great soulwinning ministry of Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001). I love Dr. Hyles and miss him!

Anyway, I was reading Brother Strand's Study Bible today in Genesis chapter one, and he explains the 5 different views of creation. I agree with view number 3, an “Old Earth View.” Pastor Strand explains in one of his notes that God didn't make the “day” until Genesis 1:5. So, before verse 5, time did not exist. Since we weren't there at creation, we don't know how long it was before the first “day” was made. Nuclear scientists tell us from radioactive decay testing of uranium rocks that the earth is 4,500,000,000 years old. I don't doubt them. Albeit, the Bible does not date the earth, since time didn't exist before Genesis 1:5. Fascinating, huh?

I am of the firm belief that God created the earth billions of years ago. What saith the Scripture? Psalms 102:25, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.” David specifically mentions that the “foundation of the earth” is old. That is very interesting. The fact that the psalmist makes a distinction regarding the age of the foundation of the earth speaks volumes, I humbly think. King David penned those inspired Words approximately 1,000 BC. I believe David was alluding to the age of the earth itself, and not the 6 days of creation in Genesis.

Having said that, I do believe God REMODLED the world as we know it today in 6 literal days. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” In Genesis 1:1 the Hebrew word for “created” is bara, which is an absolute word meaning to create something from nothing. This word is not used again in Genesis until God created man. All of the verses in between in Genesis chapter one use different Hebrew words. This is because there were different processes at work than we read in verse one. For example: We read in Genesis 1:7, “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.” The Hebrews word for “made” is asah, meaning “to do or make.” The words “created” and “made” have two very different meanings. A carpenter may make a table with some pieces of wood, but he cannot create the wood.

Dr. Arthur C. Custance (1910-1985) explains this truth in detail in his excellent book titled: 'Without Form And Void' (free to read online). Also, The Strand Study Bible teaches these same truths. Pastor Strand teaches an Old Earth View, for which I commend him.

Without Form And Void
(Dr. Arthur C. Custance)

I had never thought about it before until Brother Strand mentioned it in his study Bible, but time didn't exist until Genesis 1:5. That is very interesting. And we know that time will not exist after Revelation 10:6-7, “And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” So, in the Holy Bible, time exists from Genesis 1:5 to Revelation 10:6. Wow!

In his excellent 'Thru The Bible' commentary for Genesis 1-15, Pastor J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988) states:

There are several things here that I would like to call to your attention. In Exodus 20:11, it reads: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is...” There is nothing in that verse about creating. It says “made”; God is taking that which was already formed and in these six days He is not “creating” but He is recreating. He is working with matter which already exists, out of the matter which He had called into existence probably billions of years before.

SOURCE: 'Thru The Bible,' Genesis, Dr. J. Vernon McGee

Yes, that is sound doctrine. Dear reader, if you do your homework, you have to conclude that dinosaurs couldn't have lived 5,000 years ago. Legitimate science has determined that dinosaurs lived 65,000,000 to 220,000,000 years ago. I agree with that! Not one verse in the Bible even hints that dinosaurs lived with mankind. The very idea is preposterous!

Evangelist Michael Pearl errantly teaches that God created the universe with the appearance of age. That is also ridiculous.

Others believe in Theistic Evolution, where God created the universe and then it evolved. I do not agree with that at all.  Evolution is a blatant lie of the Devil. Nothing has evolved.

Still others teach that the 6 days of creation represent 1,000 year periods of time (or 6,000 years). This is nonsense, not supported by the Holy Bible.

Do you know why God made time? I humbly believe it was so that God could share with His friends (saints) what He plans to do next on His prophetic calendar. That is one thing that I really love about The Strand Study Bible, Brother Strand provides detailed chronologies of the inspired Word of God. He only uses the King James Bible. I cannot recommend The Strand Study Bible enough. I have a web visitor friend who bought a used copy as Abesbooks for $95. I paid $138 for a new one from Amazon. If you would like a copy, I suggest that you get one while you can, because I don't think they are being published anymore. The 'StrandStudyBible.com' website is disabled! I don't know what that means, but it can't be good.

In fact, I love The Strand Study Bible so much that I ordered two of them, for $138 each. It's that helpful. I just wanted an extra copy, because this helpful resource to learn God's Word is worth more than gold to me. Brother Strand spent 33 years and 30,000 hours putting this book together. Praise God! My Spidey-sense tells me that there likely wasn't enough interest in the book, especially for that high of a price, so it has been discontinued. You and I both know that 99% of professed Christians today have no desire to set out on a serious journey to study of the Holy Bible. They just want to watch Tv. That is what is wrong with Christianity today! Most people just sit in some church and blindly believe whatever their sorry pastor tells them. I challenge you to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES as did the wise Bereans. Don't be like the knuckleheads at Thessalonica, who didn't study (Acts 17:10-11).

Sadly, most Baptist pastors today are unlearned in the Word of God. They are ignoramuses! I can tell you this—if your pastor tells you that you must turn away from your sinful behavior to get to Heaven, he is a liar! God saves sinners! You just come to God as you are, sinful bad habits and all, and you by faith cast yourself at the dear Savior's feet, receiving His sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that after being buried, He bodily resurrected three days later for your justification. If you make this your only hope for Heaven dear friend, you are saved. Just believe that Jesus did it all for you! Thank you for reading.