WHAT IS THE "GAP THEORY"?

Just what is the "Gap Theory"? The Gap Theory concerns a supposed gap of time between Gen.1:1 and Gen. 1:2. And it is just a "THEORY"!! An unproven theory, and improvable theory.

The Gap theory is simply this: That at sometime before Gen 1:1 God had created a perfect environment and that for some reason Satan was cast down and to the earth. And the earth was destroyed. And became chaos, Some say the disaster was God's judgement against Satan. And that the earth was without form and void for a long period of time. And then God began to create, again, making the earth as we know it today..

This is a FALSE view of creation.

The Scofield Bible places a notation between Gen.1:1 and Gen1:2. which reads "Earth made waste and empty by Judgement" That is the Gap Theory in a nutshell.

WHO IS BEHIND THE GAP THEORY??

The real culprit is Satan. But who are the men he used to start this thing, it sure is not found in none of the writings of the Old or New Testament. And in none of the manuscripts. In fact it was not heard of before the 18th century. When some man became wise in his thinking and thought that the Holy Spirit had translated the Bible wrong, and had made a mistake when He (Holy SPIRIT) used the word was in the second verse of Gen:1. So he changed the word '"was" to the word "became" Which if you do that changes the whole outlook of the scripture. And this is the reason God did not want ANYONE tampering with the word of God.

Have you ever wondered why we have so much unbelief in the world today???. I'll tell you why!!! It's because we have to many "wise Men" tampering with the word of God instead of taking it for what it say and living by it. This was just another way of excusing The sin man is living in. Anyone who will tamper with the word of God in Gen. 1:1 will do it in other parts of the word. If man can make the word of God read like he wants it to, He can live any way he wants, commit any sin he likes and leave off what he don't like. THIS IS AN ATTACK OF SATAN AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD.

How did this doctrine come about?????. Man is not infallible, the word of the living God is!!!!. And when it is quoted, it is truth in it's purest form.

To know how this theory got started we will have to look at the man who started it.

Did you know that all the religions of the world all started from this ONE BOOK THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD.???

Do you know why??? It is because men did not want to be obedient to the word of God so they started their own religion. Or occult. Mohamad started as a student of the word of God. All the different denominations of this country had their roots in the Bible. Just because some one did not like what the word said to them, and they would not live by it, because of Greed and Pride, they started their own church or religion.

The man who started the "GAP THEORY" was a Scottish Theologian by the name of Thomas Chalmers in the early 19th century He was the first man to suggest the Gap Theory. And he was a contemporary of Charles Darwin, who by the way started EVOLUTION THEORY AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

Paul said in the book of 1 Thess 5;2 " Prove all things" Darwin could have read that and he needed some one to prove his evolution theory, He could not believe the Bible account of creation and have the earth 10 million years old without having some kind of explanation for it, So Chalmers provided that and called it science, He determined that God had made a mistake by using the word was, so he substituted the word became and thereby created the Gap theory, which in turn gave Darwin a explanation for his Evolution theory. By creating the Gap theory you can make the earth as old as you would like it to be.

We need to look at the man who started the Gap Theory. Chalmers (1780-1848) was a contemporary of Darwin (1809-1882)

They both went to Edinburg University at the same time. Between 1823 and 1843. Darwin graduated in 1843. And they probably knew each other personally. Many a 18th century theologian was influenced by Darwin, Thus producing many attempts to combine the Genesis account of creation with science, in order to explain his theory of evolution.

There are a lot of believing Christians who believe the Gap Theory, even though they do not believe that Gen 1:2 was mistranslated.

(And OH!!! YES I believe the Holy Spirit translated the word of God Just like He wanted it.) And They should realize that the man who started the Gap theory, based it of what he thought was a mistranslated word of God.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown ,A commentary in the late 19th century, alludes to the so called Gap theory in its comments on Genesis. Interestingly, The pentatecuh portion of that commentary was written by Robert Jamieson (1802-1880). Jamieson went to Edinburg University at the same time that Chalmers did. He graduated in 1837. Possibly at the same time as Darwin.

Earth's Earliest Ages: A book written by George H. Pember, was first published in 1876, seventeen years after the publication of Darwin's "The Origin of the Species".(1859). Following the theory of Chalmers, Pember built an elaborate case solely on speculation, and Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

Then more recently; C.I. Scofield reference Bible 1909) and Clarence Larkin (Dispensational Truth 1918) picked up the theory in the early Twentieth century. The printed works of these two men are excellent study tools. We remind the reader that they are MEN and must be checked out by the word of God.(1 Thess.5:21)

Just because they may be wrong about some particular belief is no reason to trash their works. You supposed to eat the fish but spit out the bones. Make sure the scripture backs up what is being taught.

Auther W. Pink followed the same line of teaching in his book on "Gleaning in Genesis"

Now a hundred or so years since Chalmers, This Gap Theory Has spread among many prominent Protestants. One was Merrill F. Unger. Of Dallas theological Seminary, and Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse. It has also began to weave it thread among Independent Baptist. A lot have picked up on Chalmers, and they should give him the credit, he started it all.

You say why is all of this important??? Well look at History. We understand things because of history, and you give the devil a foot hold and he will take your leg. There was no revised version of the Bible before Westcott and Hort, and they were able to pull off the revised version of 1881, because they misused this theory started by Cha;mers. Thus it began a whole avalanche of So Called Bibles tampering with the word of God. And Christians today just want to argue about the word of God instead of studying the word of God. Why ? Do they want to argue?? Because they are looking for a way to cover their sins. The ecclesiastical climate that was produced in England by Darwin's evolution theory, in he 19th century, opened up the door for the Gap Theory. Thus opening the door for others to misuse and misstranslate the word of God.

           WHY THE GAP THEORY?

The church for centuries taught that the earth was the center of the universe, the church not the Bible. Science proved the church wrong. The church taught that the earth was flat, once again science proved the church wrong. People 300 years ago who stood up against the state for the word of God was put to death. So when Drwin came a long with his evolution theory, no one wanted to make him mad. Cause the state religion was financeing his work. And when they found that the Bible did not go along with is theory they had to come up with something that did, and they the (the church) pickup on Chalmers Gap Theory and that gave the scientist a way to say the earth was over 10 million years old . The same things are happening in our societyToday. People are afraid to stand up for the word of God, for righteousness, they are afraid to do what is right, because it might cost them something. God Fundamental Preachers and Christians alike are buying and using these revised versions of the word of God, Because they say the congregation can understand it better, or they can. Either way is a lie of Satan, God wont call amen to preach and not give him a good understanding of the word of God. One of the biggest lies of our time is for a Christian to stand up and say he or she can not understand the word of God. That would take away the power of the Holy Spirit To teach some one. John14:26 and 1John 2:27.

TheHoly Spirit will teach you the word of God You don't need no man to teach you. But you need to study 1 Tim.2:15. That's why I say you should always check out this writer and all others by the word of God.

"THE PURPOSE OF THE GAP THEORY"

The whole purpose of the Gap theory was to harmonize the Bible with the accepted scientific teachings.

Every reputable scientist before the 19th century, people such as Isaac Newton, Gallileo believed the earth was less than 6000 years old. We have searched in vain to find one scientist before the 19th century who believed that the earth was over 6000 years old. The reason they believed that was obvious, they believed the Bible. In fact most of these men were true Christians or at least belonged to the church of that day.

All Gap Theorists, say that the earth is millions of years old. When one believes the Gap theory he believes in Evolution, whether he says so or not. He gives place for it. If one takes God at his word, and believes it, all questions can be answered , as far as God wanted us to Know. The word of God , 1611 KJV has the answers to life.

In the next chapter we will give you answers to the GAP THEORY.

CHAPTER II

THE GAP THEORY TRUE OR FALSE ???

The theory (1) of original Creation in dateless past, (2) of the millions of years in which scientists Imagine to provide the fossils, Earth strata and Coal beds. (3) And then recent restoration Creation of the 6 days on the earth formerly ruined by Divine Judgement

IS NOT TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE!!!!!

The Scofield Reference Bible, since 1909 Canonized or made popular with fundamental Christians what is called the Gap Theory of Creation, or the restoration Theory. The theory simply is that Gen.1:1 Tells of the original creation of the earth in ages past, and that Gen 1:2 tells of divine judgement on that creation, lasting millions of years, and accounts for the strata of the earth, the fossils, the coal beds, to fit in with the theory of the scientists, and that the rest of the first chapter of Gen. Tells of the restoration of the ruined earth, with the added six days of creation of animals and man.

THE SCOFIELD BIBLE NOTES ON THE �GAP THEORY�

Dr. Scofield has a note on Gen1:1 on the word �created� as follows: �But three creative acts of God are recorded in this chapter, (1) The Heavens and the earth are created, V-1. (2) Animal life, (3) Human life,V26,27. The first creative act refers to dateless past, and gives scope for all the geologic ages.

In Gen. 1 V-2 �The earth WAS without form, and void....�Dr. Scofield has this note: Jer.4:23-26, Isa.24:1 and 45:18 clearly indicate that the earth had under gone a cataclysmic change, because of divine judgement. The face of the earth bears everywhere the marks of such catastrophe. There are not wanting intimations which connect it with previous Testing and falling Angels.. See Ezek. 18:12 25. And Isa.14:9-14. Which certainly go beyond the kings of Tyre, and BabylonThen on verse 3 of Genesis, chapter one, which says, �And God said , Let there be light: and there was light,� Dr. .Scofield has this following note on page three, � Neither here nor in verses 14-18 is an original creative act implied. A different word is used. The sense to appear: made visible. The sun and the moon were created in the beginning. The light of course came from the sun. But the vapor diffused the light, Later the sun appeared on an unclouded sky.

The above notes are modified in the brand new addition of the Scofield bible and the Gap theory is not given qualified endorsement.

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