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A Critique of the Dake Reference Bible's Gap Theory
Finis J. Dake clearly subscribed to the Ruin-Reconstruction theory as testified from his Annotated Reference Bible, OT pp. 51-57.
What I find interesting in his opinion of Behemoth at Jeremiah 40:15. On page 546 of his OT references, he writes, "It is not definite what animal is referred to here. A study of this passage by critics and naturalists has brought the conclusion that either the elephant or hippopotamus is meant; but there are some remaining difficulties, for parts of the description do not fit either animal. It could be that an animal now extinct is referred to. We do know that beasts of tremendous size have roamed the earth in ages past, especially in the pre-historic times. ... The fact that behemoth was chief of the ways of God (v. 19) suggests that he was something more than an elephant or a hippopotamus. Whatever the animal was, as described here, it was made when Adam was, according to this statement to Job. God said, 'which I made with thee,' meaning He made behemoth when He created man (v. 15)."
Aside from the "pre-historic" adjective, I agree with what he writes. However, he seemingly contradicts his earlier references in which he describes the Gap theory in detail. On page 53, regarding the "Age of the Earth," he writes, "We cannot say how old the earth is because we do not know WHEN the beginning was. God's creation of the heavens and the earth in the beginning could have been millions and billions of years ago. If geologists can prove the age of the earth to be what they claim, we have no scriptural authority to disagree. ... This much is certain ... that the earth is more than 6,000 years old, and there were inhabitants on the earth before the days of Adam. The earth was cursed and flooded, as in Gen. 1:2 because of sin before the 6 days of re-creation in 1:3-2:25. Lucifer was already a fallen creature when he came into Adam's Eden, having already ruled the earth, rebelled and caused the first flood" [emphasis in original].
In order to accommodate a fall of Lucifer prior to the Genesis creation, Dake creates a prior Eden: "In Ezek. 28:11-17 we have a picture of Lucifer before he fell, as the anointed cherub or protector of the earth, as being full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, as ruling in a garden of Eden (before Adam), as being created of God and perfect in his ways up to time of his fall and the result of it. The only time this could have been true of Satan was before the days of Adam, thus proving a pre-Adamite world" (p. 54, OT ref.) Actually, a pre-Adamite fall of Lucifer is unnecessary (see references previously given in earlier post). The only reason Dake believes this is because of his presupposition that geologists cannot be questioned in regards to the age of the earth. The Bible makes no direct statement that two Edens have ever existed. The Scriptures only testify of one.
Furthermore, to claim that there was "sin" before Adam is an absolute heresy. The Bible states emphatically that the entire creation has been subjected to the curse because of Adam's sin (cf. Rom. 8:19-22; Rom. 5:12). Dake tries to circumvent this by proposing a re-creation. "The original creations of God include the heavens, the earth and all things therein as first brought into being. They were made perfect the first time. Gen. 1:1 refers to the dateless past or the beginning of the creative ages. ... The 6 days of re-creation (Gen. 1:3-2:25) are part of and the end of the creation ages, and have nothing to do with the original creations of the heavens and earth" (p. 53, OT) [emphasis in original]. But again, the Bible firmly declares of itself, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Ex. 20:11). It doesn't get much clearer than that: the heavens, the earth, and all things therein, in only six day—a clear opposition to Dake's theory.
Dake attempts to alter this opposition by remarking, "The Lord made (did not originally create) the heavens and the earth in 6 literal 24-hour days..." (p. 116, OT) [emphasis in original]. "Heb. bara, to bring into being (Heb. 11:3). Used 7 times in Gen. 1:1-2. All other places made and make are used, thus proving the 6 days' work to be mainly reconstructive" (p. 51, OT) [emphasis in original]. "Heb. asah, to make out of already existing material. It is opposite of bara, to create" (p. 52, OT) [emphasis in original]. Dake, unfortunately, fails to notice the interchange of the Hebrew verbs as used in Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1-2, 6:6-7; etc. For example, "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him" (Gen. 5:1) [Dake does not comment on this passage].
If the words created and made require separate meanings, then God only re-"made" the firmament, the sun and moon, and the land animals; but he "created" the great whales, all swimming creatures, the winged animals, and even man. But this forces a convoluted perception of God creating ex nihilo one moment, and then only reforming pre-created material the next, switching back and forth in the process.
The words are used interchangeably in Genesis 2:1-4, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them [if Gen. 1:1-2 requires a Gap, then this verse makes no sense]. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." Dake comments, "The heavens and the earth, which are now," as in 2 Pet. 3:5-8, not the original creation of the heavens and the earth as in 1:1. This work was that of the 6 days of 1:3-2:25 to regulate the solar system in connection with the restored earth and to make it habitable again" (p. 2, OT) [emphasis in original]. Yet he makes no comment on the interchange of made and created here. If the words require an absolute separation, then this passage is absurd.
All in all, the Ruin-Reconstruction "Gap" theory can be summarized with Dake's words: "When men finally agree on the age of the earth, then place the many years (over the historical 6,000) between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2, there will be no conflict between the book Genesis and science" (p. 51, OT). Instead of accepting the Bible as the primary source of Truth, we need to constantly reevaluate it in light of external sources.
What I find interesting in his opinion of Behemoth at Jeremiah 40:15. On page 546 of his OT references, he writes, "It is not definite what animal is referred to here. A study of this passage by critics and naturalists has brought the conclusion that either the elephant or hippopotamus is meant; but there are some remaining difficulties, for parts of the description do not fit either animal. It could be that an animal now extinct is referred to. We do know that beasts of tremendous size have roamed the earth in ages past, especially in the pre-historic times. ... The fact that behemoth was chief of the ways of God (v. 19) suggests that he was something more than an elephant or a hippopotamus. Whatever the animal was, as described here, it was made when Adam was, according to this statement to Job. God said, 'which I made with thee,' meaning He made behemoth when He created man (v. 15)."
Aside from the "pre-historic" adjective, I agree with what he writes. However, he seemingly contradicts his earlier references in which he describes the Gap theory in detail. On page 53, regarding the "Age of the Earth," he writes, "We cannot say how old the earth is because we do not know WHEN the beginning was. God's creation of the heavens and the earth in the beginning could have been millions and billions of years ago. If geologists can prove the age of the earth to be what they claim, we have no scriptural authority to disagree. ... This much is certain ... that the earth is more than 6,000 years old, and there were inhabitants on the earth before the days of Adam. The earth was cursed and flooded, as in Gen. 1:2 because of sin before the 6 days of re-creation in 1:3-2:25. Lucifer was already a fallen creature when he came into Adam's Eden, having already ruled the earth, rebelled and caused the first flood" [emphasis in original].
In order to accommodate a fall of Lucifer prior to the Genesis creation, Dake creates a prior Eden: "In Ezek. 28:11-17 we have a picture of Lucifer before he fell, as the anointed cherub or protector of the earth, as being full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, as ruling in a garden of Eden (before Adam), as being created of God and perfect in his ways up to time of his fall and the result of it. The only time this could have been true of Satan was before the days of Adam, thus proving a pre-Adamite world" (p. 54, OT ref.) Actually, a pre-Adamite fall of Lucifer is unnecessary (see references previously given in earlier post). The only reason Dake believes this is because of his presupposition that geologists cannot be questioned in regards to the age of the earth. The Bible makes no direct statement that two Edens have ever existed. The Scriptures only testify of one.
Furthermore, to claim that there was "sin" before Adam is an absolute heresy. The Bible states emphatically that the entire creation has been subjected to the curse because of Adam's sin (cf. Rom. 8:19-22; Rom. 5:12). Dake tries to circumvent this by proposing a re-creation. "The original creations of God include the heavens, the earth and all things therein as first brought into being. They were made perfect the first time. Gen. 1:1 refers to the dateless past or the beginning of the creative ages. ... The 6 days of re-creation (Gen. 1:3-2:25) are part of and the end of the creation ages, and have nothing to do with the original creations of the heavens and earth" (p. 53, OT) [emphasis in original]. But again, the Bible firmly declares of itself, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Ex. 20:11). It doesn't get much clearer than that: the heavens, the earth, and all things therein, in only six day—a clear opposition to Dake's theory.
Dake attempts to alter this opposition by remarking, "The Lord made (did not originally create) the heavens and the earth in 6 literal 24-hour days..." (p. 116, OT) [emphasis in original]. "Heb. bara, to bring into being (Heb. 11:3). Used 7 times in Gen. 1:1-2. All other places made and make are used, thus proving the 6 days' work to be mainly reconstructive" (p. 51, OT) [emphasis in original]. "Heb. asah, to make out of already existing material. It is opposite of bara, to create" (p. 52, OT) [emphasis in original]. Dake, unfortunately, fails to notice the interchange of the Hebrew verbs as used in Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1-2, 6:6-7; etc. For example, "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him" (Gen. 5:1) [Dake does not comment on this passage].
If the words created and made require separate meanings, then God only re-"made" the firmament, the sun and moon, and the land animals; but he "created" the great whales, all swimming creatures, the winged animals, and even man. But this forces a convoluted perception of God creating ex nihilo one moment, and then only reforming pre-created material the next, switching back and forth in the process.
The words are used interchangeably in Genesis 2:1-4, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them [if Gen. 1:1-2 requires a Gap, then this verse makes no sense]. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." Dake comments, "The heavens and the earth, which are now," as in 2 Pet. 3:5-8, not the original creation of the heavens and the earth as in 1:1. This work was that of the 6 days of 1:3-2:25 to regulate the solar system in connection with the restored earth and to make it habitable again" (p. 2, OT) [emphasis in original]. Yet he makes no comment on the interchange of made and created here. If the words require an absolute separation, then this passage is absurd.
All in all, the Ruin-Reconstruction "Gap" theory can be summarized with Dake's words: "When men finally agree on the age of the earth, then place the many years (over the historical 6,000) between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2, there will be no conflict between the book Genesis and science" (p. 51, OT). Instead of accepting the Bible as the primary source of Truth, we need to constantly reevaluate it in light of external sources.
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