The Gap Theory is a story that we do not agree with. It says God created the world two times. The “first” creation supposedly lasted many billions of years. During this “first” creation, all the fossils and sedimentary rocks we see today were formed. In this “first” creation Satan was ruler over a race of “men” without any souls. Eventually, Satan, who lived in a garden of Eden made up of minerals (taken from Ezekiel 28), wanted to become like God (taken from Isaiah 14) so he rebelled along with many angels. Because of this revolt, sin entered the world. As a result, God became angry and flooded the world. This “Lucifer’s Flood” destroyed the earth, leaving it dark and empty. God then had to remake (recreate) the world in 6 days as it says in the first chapter of Genesis. This Gap Theory tries to put billions of years of imagined earth history between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Although most who believe in the Gap Theory, do not believe in evolution, they have bought into the billions of years that evolution teaches.
One of the many problems with the gap theory is that there is no gap between verses one and two in the first chapter of Genesis! These verses were originally written in Hebrew; verse two is included in verse one – not separate from it. In other words, the first and second verses are one nonstop idea.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” – Genesis 1:1-2 (KJV)
The Gap Theory says all the plant, animal, and “human-like” fossils we find on the earth are from this “Lucifer’s flood” and are not related to the plants and animals living upon the earth today. Today’s creatures are a result of a 6-day recreation. One problem with this idea is that we find fossils that are exactly like animals and plants living today! Also, all these “Lucifer’s flood” fossils would have been destroyed by Noah’s Flood. That would mean that Noah’s Flood left no sign or was only a local flood! Yet the Bible says that the water of Noah’s flood covered the whole Earth, even the highest mountains. “In six days, the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” – Exodus 20:11 (KJV) “All that in them is” shows angels were also created in this six days period, not before. And remember, Satan is an angel. So he could not have been created before the six days of Creation!
Another problem with the Gap Theory is the Bible tells us that the Creation was “very good.” The fossils we find today show evidence of death, disease, and suffering. Death, disease, and suffering came after man sinned! Romans 5:12 says, “by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” The Gap Theory would go against Romans 5:12 and mean Adam and Eve were running around on top of all those buried fossils. Could God have called this “very good?”
A bigger problem for the Gap Theory is that it puts sin and death before Adam was created on day six. If there were billions of years of death and suffering before man or Satan sinned, then God would have been responsible for sin. God is holy. He cannot sin. It is clear that there was no death in this world until Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden. Sin came from man after being created and placed in the garden of Eden. Because of this sin, God had to send Jesus to die for us on the cross so that we might be saved from our sin.
If there was a gap of billions of years between verses 1 and 2, God would have told us a lot more about it. He did not. He did tell us that He created everything in six days, and gave us great details about those days. We should not try to make the long ages of evolution fit in with the Bible, but believe what the Bible actually says. “In six days!”
Originally Published in the November/December 2001 Kids Think and Believe Too!