It seems like the Bible and science are at odds with each other. The timeline of Scripture would seem to make the earth a few thousand years old, but the observations of scientists would say it’s more like a few billion. So which is it?
Well, before anything, we need to establish that God is the creator of all things. The first page of Scripture In Genesis 1 makes it clear that God spoke the universe into existence through the power of the Holy Spirit. It was purposeful and planned, not random and haphazard. In the New Testament we also learn that Jesus was involved in creation: “Everything was created by him in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
Everything seen and unseen in the universe was created by the Trinitarian God for his specific purposes.
But we still want to know: when did that happen? Is the Bible right or is science right?
In the end, facts are facts and truth is truth. The Bible and science are in perfect agreement. Unfortunately, with our limited human knowledge, we can’t (yet) completely see how. In his book No Final Conflict, Christian scholar Francis Schaeffer says there are seven views Christians might legitimately hold, and still be faithful to Scripture (even though the views are contradictory):
- There is a possibility that God created a “grown-up” universe.
- There is a possibility of a break between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or between 1:2 and 1:3.
- There is a possibility of a long day in Genesis 1.
- There is a possibility that the flood affected the geological data.
- The use of the word “kinds” in Genesis 1 may be quite broad.
- There is a possibility of the death of animals before the fall.
- Where the Hebrew word bara is not used, there is the possibility of sequence from previously existing things.
I’ve gone back and forth between different views, but I’m often drawn to the “gap theory” (#2 in the list above). Genesis 1:2 says after God created the heavens and earth in verse 1, the earth was formless and empty. The Hebrew words for formless and empty are tohu vabohu. Another way to translate these two words would be “chaotic wasteland.” The problem is that Genesis gives us no explanation for how the earth came to be this way.
It’s possible that God created the heavens and the earth in verse 1, then some period of time passed before verse 2, and during that time the earth came to be in a chaotic and desolate state. So how much time passed between verse 1 and verse 2? Maybe billions of years?
Verse 2 could also be translated, “The earth became formless and empty.” The question is, why did it become that way? Well, in every other passage where this phrase tohu vabohu is used in the Old Testament, it’s a sign of God’s judgment on rebellion: “They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good. I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty (tohu vabohu)” (Jeremiah 4:22).
Taking this into account, it’s possible that the earth came to be formless and empty because of God’s judgment on it. We know that Satan is the prince of this world, so maybe it had something to do with God’s judgment after the fall of Satan and his angels. Maybe there were all kinds of living things all over the earth for millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, but then God judged the earth, and the world became a chaotic wasteland.
Could it be that the story of creation is a prelude to the Bible’s overarching story of redemption?
When the Bible talks about how God redeemed Israel, it says: “He found him in a desolate land (tohu vabohu), in a barren, howling wilderness; he surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of his eye. He watches over his nest like an eagle and hovers over his young; he spreads his wings, catches him, and carries him on his feathers” (Deuteronomy 32:10-11).
God’s people were in a state of desolate chaos, judged because of their rebellion. But God didn’t leave them there. He hovered over them like an eagle, and carried them to safety.
Interesting. When the earth was in a state of desolate chaos, what did God do? “The Spirit of God was … wait for it … hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
Boom! Now we’re starting to see a pattern. God takes things that are in chaos, and through his Holy Spirit begins to care for them, transform them, redeem them.
It could be that the story of Earth is the story of us. Our Trinitarian God redeems us by the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like he redeemed creation, and will again one day in the future.