KBM Day Age Theory

Today, we pick up were we left off a few weeks ago, by continuing our series on Apologetics. In our last study we examined if “everything was created in six literal days.” As our study proved, it most certainly was created in six, twenty-four hour days. For our study today, we are going to stay with this topic and look at a very popular “argument” for evolution from Genesis 1 called the “Day Age Theory.” This is a very popular theory amongst the theistic evolutionists. Wilbur M. Smith, former dean of the Moody Bible Institute, wrote, “First of all, we must dismiss from our mind any conception of a definite period of time, either for creation itself, or for the length of the so-called six creative days.” Even in the “Living Bible Paraphrase” translation we find the footnote “evening and morning” actually meant a long period of time. Considering what we learned of the Hebrew word “yom” we know this isn’t true, but are there any other arguments made striving to defending this theory? Because there is no lexicon evidence for the Hebrew word “yom” to be anything other than a twenty-four hour period of time in Genesis 1, some have had to go to another argument that stems from 2 Peter 3:8, which reads…

2 Peter 3:8 NKJV

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

It is argued that this passage proves that God does not consider a twenty-four hour day any different than eons of time and thus God “could be doing the same” with Genesis 1.

Now, this is the best argument this theory can offer and yet, as we will see, it still falls short of it’s goal because the context of any text is vital to an understanding. In this case the inspired writer is making the point that the same God who promised to destroy the world at one point with water (2 Peter 3:6), by that same word has promised not to destroy the heavens and earth with fire until the day of judgment.

Now why is that significant, because Peter then explains that God’s promises are not like man’s promises because God is not bound by time. A man who makes a promise to be fulfilled within a few days is far more likely to be accomplished than if he makes a promise to do something a year or twenty years down the road.

God is not like that, because he is not governed by time like humanity is, and because of this he will always keep his promise, no matter if it takes thousands of years. Hence what Peter then writes in the very next verse in 2 Peter 3:9…

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God, through Peter, isn’t trying to make an argument against Genesis 1 and that being six literal days, God already established by using the word “yom” in the proper context for a twenty-four hour day. God, through Peter, is simply assuring those being persecuted that are being written to that God will keep his promise and send Jesus back.

This Day Age Theory is just that a theory and it should be ignored by any faithful student of God’s word.