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The creation of the world. How did it happen? Where did it happen? Who did it? These
questions have been asked since the beginning of time. Many people have made their theories on
how the earth was created. Examples of such theories are the Gap Theory and the traditional
young-Earth view. The Gap Theory, “also known as the “ruin-restitution” theory, preserves the
literal, recent six twenty-four-hour-day creation but assumes that the vast ages so well attested to
by science occurred prior to his set of events. In other words, Earth – and life – was created
before the creation week of Genesis. This exegesis is accomplished by postulating a tremendous
“gap” between the very first two verses of Genesis”.1 However, a traditional young-Earth view is
seen as “the most literal and direct interpretation of Genesis”. 1 This interpretation includes that
the Earth was created in six literal twenty-four-hour-days, and there was no gap of time between
any of the creation days.1
The Gap Theory holds the belief that “the surface of the earth was “created” during the
six-day series of events detailed in Genesis 1:2 through 2:25. This creation followed a global
holocaust brought on by the fall of Satan, which destroyed a supposed pre-Adamic world”.2
After the earth was somewhat destroyed, God came back and filled it and made it “new” again.
Essentially, one that believes in the Gap Theory believes that the earth’s surface was created and
later destroyed due to Satan. After that destruction, God restored part of the earth and filled it.2
1 Tom Mclver, “Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism: National Center for
Science Education,” Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism | National Center for Science
Education, 1998, https://ncse.ngo/formless-and-void-gap-theory-creationism, 1.
2 John D. Morris, “Does Scripture Allow a Gap?,” The Institute for Creation Research,
September 3, 2013, https://www.icr.org/article/does-scripture-allow-gap, 2.
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The popularity of this belief “became increasingly attractive during the end of the eighteenth
century and first half of the nineteenth century”.3 This was due to the rise of science and end of
the enlightenment era. Scientists wanted to find a way to balance their faith and scientific views.
Therefore, many scientists inherited this view because it “provided an attractive escape from this
dilemma, allowing religious geologists to preserve both their faith in the Bible and in the new
authority of science”.3
Many Biblical and scientific claims have been made for the Gap Theory, however, there
is not enough evidence to make the claim plausible. When looking at the Bible, one can clearly
see the original meaning of the creation account. When looking at Genesis 1, “verse 2 beings
with a waw-disjunctive indicating a disjunctive clause”.4 “Such a clause has two major
functions: contrast and background information”.5 “Since contrast does not appear to be the
intent of the narrator, the obvious choice is background information. Anaphora is employed here
be beginning this sentence just as the last one ended. That acts as a hinge to focus attention on
the primary topic for the rest of the section”.4 If one looks the original language and context of
the Bible, they would be able to see that the Gap Theory is incorrect. When diving even deeper
into the Bible, one can see that Moses (the author of Genesis), interpreted the creation account in
a different way than Gap Theorists. When looking at the account in Genesis, “a noun-clause
could have been employed for the disjunctive clause of verse 2. However, the narrator (Moses)
3 Tom Mclver, “Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism: National Center for
Science Education,” Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism | National Center for Science
Education, 1998, https://ncse.ngo/formless-and-void-gap-theory-creationism, 4.
4 Willim Barrick, “Is There a Gap in Genesis 1:2?,” DrBarrick.org, 2000,
https://drbarrick.org/2014/04/is-there-a-gap-in-genesis-12/, 1.
5 Frederic C. Putnam, Hebrew Bible Insert: A Student's Guide to the Syntax of Biblical
Hebrew (Ridley Park, PA: Stylus Pub., 2002), 2.
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chose (under the supervision of the Holy Spirit) not to employ it. He chose the verb hayatah (“it
was”)”.4 “Being the qatal (perfect) of a stative verb, the verb focuses on the state of being, the
existing condition of the earth”.6 “Had the narrator employed a yiqtol (imperfect), the force of the
verb would have been a state of becoming, transition, change, occurrence (dynamic stative). The
meaning is that the earth was being described as a result of the act of creation in verse 1”.7
Looking at this evidence, one can see that it could not be plausible for there to be a million-year
gap between the creation of the earth and when it was filled/restored. As well, when looking at
other Scripture, one can see evidence against the Gap Theory in Exodus. “Exodus 20:11 offers
yet another strong reason why the Gap Theory does not mee biblical standards. God Himself
wrote the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets which Moses received on Mt. Sinai. The
commandment concerning the Sabbath states in no uncertain terms that God created the heavens,
the earth, and the seas, and all that is in them in just six days”.7
When looking at the evidence presented, one can see that the Gap Theory has many holes
within it. One of the biggest pieces of evidence against the Gap Theory is that it is not plausible
for there to be millions of years in between the creation/restoration of the earth. Scientifically,
“the very structure of the geological age system is based on the assumption that present rates and
processes are the same as those that took place in the past. There is no room for a world-wide
cataclysm interrupting those processes in the system of the geological ages”.8 If there was a gap
6 JoFon Paul and T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (Roma: Gregorian &
Biblical Press, 2018), 113.
7 Willim Barrick, “Is There a Gap in Genesis 1:2?,” DrBarrick.org, 2000,
https://drbarrick.org/2014/04/is-there-a-gap-in-genesis-12/, 2.
8
Henry M. Morris, “The Gap Theory-an Idea with Holes?,” Creation.com | Creation
Ministries International (Creation Ministries International, August 15, 2016),
https://creation.com/the-gap-theory-an-idea-with-holes, 3.
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of millions of years between when God restored the earth, there would have to be evidence of
fossils or sedimentary rocks that could date back to that time period.8 Also, another Biblical
argument made against the Gap Theory is that there is no interpretation that concludes the re-
creation of the earth. Instead, one can see that the earth was created within the amount of time
allotted. So, when looking at young-Earth creationism in comparison with the Gap Theory, one
can see the drastic evidence countering the Gap claim.
Bibliography
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Barrick, Willim. “Is There a Gap in Genesis 1:2?” DrBarrick.org, 2000.
https://drbarrick.org/2014/04/is-there-a-gap-in-genesis-12/.
JoFon Paul, and T. Muraoka. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Roma: Gregorian & Biblical
Press, 2018.
Mclver, Tom. “Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism: National Center for Science
Education.” Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism | National Center for Science
Education, 1998. https://ncse.ngo/formless-and-void-gap-theory-creationism.
Morris, Henry M. “The Gap Theory-an Idea with Holes?” Creation.com | Creation Ministries
International. Creation Ministries International, August 15, 2016. https://creation.com/the-
gap-theory-an-idea-with-holes.
Morris, John D. “Does Scripture Allow a Gap?” The Institute for Creation Research, September
3, 2013. https://www.icr.org/article/does-scripture-allow-gap.
Putnam, Frederic C. Hebrew Bible Insert: A Student's Guide to the Syntax of Biblical Hebrew.
Ridley Park, PA: Stylus Pub., 2002.
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