REFUTING THE GAP THEORY

BY JOHN CELSO

            This is an argument disproving the views and beliefs toward the gap theory.  It will not be an argument proving what I believe in, which is a literal 6 day 24 hour complete creation; it is a series of doubts on the context the scriptures are used to prove the gap theory correct.  I want you to know first and foremost that I did a lot of praying before anything else to make sure God had his hand in this.  I also want you to know that I separated my predisposition from the evidence so I could approach this with an open mind.  Whenever I am faced with a theory and have to prove or disprove it I make sure 1, my sources are right on, 2, I have already done the work of my rival so I am prepared for any possible argument against my facts and/or sources, and 3, I also make sure I am getting more than one opinion on my facts and/or sources.  With that being said and all the research that I’ve done, I have to say now is this is also the LAST thing I will ever say about the gap theory.  No further discussion will be made by me regarding it no matter what you discover my findings to be.  Everything I present to you in this letter is my thoughts and beliefs that you do not have to agree with nor believe.  If you choose to that is totally up to you.

I also want to say that I believe the work of Peter Ruckman is great and he is truly blessed.  I am in no way discrediting him nor his ministry.  I believe he has done many great and wonderful things for God and I pray he continues to do so.  I do see a lot of pride in his statements in his books, which is exactly what Paul warned against but I understand he gets attacked and criticized a lot.  But I will never hold a man above the word and I will never automatically believe in something some guy says because he has a good track record or because he always the Bible.  Remember the Bible is perfect but the private interpretations are not always.  With that being said lets get started.

1)      The first problem I ran across was your unwillingness to listen to any evidence for or against the gap theory other than the Bible.  This idea was very clear to me when I first read Peter Ruckman’s books you sent me (by the way thank you very much).  He believes that the only thing you should ever go by is the Bible.  I totally agree with him and you on this.  For example the Bible tells me whales are fishes and the zoologists tell me they are mammals, I will go with the Bible and say they are fishes.

The problem with this is NO ONE uses just his or her Bible.  Even Peter Ruckman believes in the laws of physics and Einstein and quotes them in his book.  He also believes time came “in the beginning.”  So when you gave me 1 Timothy 6:20-21, you made it sound like because I rely on science I am not a true Bible believer.  That is so far from the truth it is not even funny.  When Paul says “oppositions of science falsely so called…” he is saying the science that will always oppose the Bible is a false one.  There is no comma between “science” and “falsely so called.”  That means even Paul believes in true science because it will always support the Bible.  The true definition of science is “Knowledge through observation and experimentation.”  Everything else is a theory and anyone who believes a theory doesn’t believe God, they believe a religion.  Read Romans 1:19-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, and 2 Timothy 2:15.  Then you used Hebrews 11:1-3.  Without taking that scripture out of context it is saying that faith is your only evidence of things not seen.  You have to have faith to believe in something you have never seen.  You have to put hope in things you have faith in to make it a belief.  When someone shows you those things you believe in without seeing, then you get more hope.  Everything we have here on Earth and in space is our evidence of God and we should be able to use them to further increase our faith.  They should never talk precedence over the Bible though.

2)      I will only use scripture though in my argument since that is the only common thing we can agree on.  Please remember that I am not giving you EVERY scripture just as I am sure that you haven’t given me every one.  That would take up too much time but the ones I have given you will be enough to prove the gap theory wrong.

3)      I am not even going to pretend as if I know everything about God and neither should anyone else.  The Bible has a lot in it we do not understand and in my personal opinion we should be silent where God is silent.  Justifying a whole theory on a few so-called nuggets is ridiculous.  Even Job, after being asked 77 questions about the universe from God, didn’t understand (Job 42:3).

4)      The facts on the Bible.  Just as you do, I believe the King James Bible is the preserved word of God.  Even though the KJV is all we need and was provided to us by God, people can still accurately translate Greek and Hebrew without God’s hand in it.  Just as when they found the Dead Sea scrolls and retranslated them in 1948, they were translated into English, and ended up reading almost exactly like the King James Bible.  This further supports that the KJV is the preserved word of God.  Those DSS translators weren’t inspired, but they made a SOMEWHAT accurate translation just as all the other 85 English Bibles we have today do.  All of those Bible have SOME accurate parts, but very few of them.  That is why I believe someone can get saved out of another Bible other then the KJV; because the parts that save him or her are the few pure ones that they read are also in a KJV.  The only COMPLETE inerrant and preserved English Bible on earth is the KJV.  The English language has gone through many stages of perfection since its origin.  In 800-1000 A.D. when it was Old English (Anglo-Saxon) it looked like its own separate language but it was still a conglomerate of a bunch of languages.  It is impossible to read by today’s English.  From 1000-1400 A.D. there was Middle English where it slowly started becoming redefined into Elizabethan English.  This is still hard to read by today’s standards because it had a female/male definitive just as foreign language does.  Also the language still looked like other foreign languages.  From 1400-1600 is when Modern English came out and… (say this very loudly) voila, it looked as it does today.  A separate and distinct language all on its own with a unisex definitive such as the.  Only God knew that it would become the world’s most powerful and common language ever.  In the early 1600’s is when Shakespearian English was taking over Europe by storm.  This is when it peaked its most intelligent, purest and poetic form ever.  So as you can see this is how the English language has gone through periods of perfection.  There were many English translations of the Bible through these periods.  Only 6 of them used the same originals manuscripts as the KJV.  The Wycliffe in 1382, the Tyndale in 1525, the Coverdale in 1535, Matthew’s in 1537, the Great Bible in 1539, and the Geneva Bible in 1560.  All of these were accurate NON-inspired translations that the common people used and it got them by.  But God didn’t want anybody using an English Bible until the language was perfected.  Until that time he wanted them using the Hebrew and Greek.  In 1611 is when the language was perfected and that is when he made his preserved copy.  So NOW we can have an English Bible.  Notice that 7 English Bibles perfected on the last one.  I wonder if that has anything to do with Psalms 12:6-7?!

5)      What happened in the 1700’s is horrible.  Culture started taking over English speaking countries and education became the primary goal in life.  Class systems started coming in place and the gap between clergy and laity begins to widen.  The rich and eloquent started using fancier and fancier English and the poor and dumb started using simpler and simpler English.  Thus the English language started going from perfection to perversion.  Definitions started changing and sentence structures started slipping.  So when you read a KJV Bible you should read it with the archaic meanings in place.  No one said we had to pervert our language, but everything God gives us perfect, we mess up.  Because God had no hand in the first numerous English translations of the Bible before the AV, and expected us to go back to the old language till then, we should do the same with the KJV, which is go back to the 1600 English when reading it.

6)      The reasons I use an 1828 Webster’s dictionary is because 1, Noah Webster was a Christian.  2, it is the only pure dictionary left that has archaic definitions in it that you can buy and own a copy of.  All the other “Old English” dictionary’s claim to be reprints but really are a new definition dictionary with an old definition claiming cover.  3, it shows the scriptures where each English word definition is used.  4, it was written with the intent to help dumb Americans understand their Bible as every American owned a Bible and this country was founded on one.  Guess which Bible America and Americans used?  A King James Version!  You don’t have to agree with using an 1828 dictionary, but I used one as my part of my argument.  God help someone for taking a scripture out of context because they use a modern definition and teach someone otherwise (Matthew 5:19, Mark 9:42 1 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 3:16).

7)      One of the things we should NEVER do is say “a better translation would be...”.  That is placing your opinion over God’s.  So people who understand archaic English definitions or Greek or Hebrew and say, “so it should say this” are wrong.  We should use the archaic word and definition WITHOUT changing it, but also explain what it means to help understand the scripture and keep it in context.  I know, I know, you want biblical evidence, 1 Samuel 9:1-11.  So to your argument about the word replenish.  The Webster’s 1828 defines the word fill as meaning to fill WITH measure or limit.  The verse is gives that uses this definition is Genesis 1: 22.  Such as you can fill a cup and you can fill your stomach.  For the word replenish it gives the definition to fill WITHOUT measure or limit.  For example you can fill the atmosphere with air and there is no limit to how much (if you could create air).  The verses it gives in reference to the word replenish and this definition are, guess what, Genesis 1:28 and 9:1.  The interesting thing here is if you over fill the oceans with too much fish they will die just like in an aquarium.  God programmed them to be fruitful and multiply to a limit.  He placed no limit on man because we are the main focus of life other than God himself.  It is the work of Satan that we believe we are overpopulated.  You can tell me what common sense tells you about fill and replenish, but 2 quick points, 1, it is only common sense to say replenish means fill again IF you use modern perverted English and 2, it was common sense to people in the 1600’s to think replenish meant fill without measure or limit, because that is what it meant back then.  An interesting side note is the Hebrew word male’ is used not only for the word fill and replenish but also for full, fully, fulfill, consecrate, accomplish, wholly, set, expired, gather, overflow, and satisfy.  Why would they use all those different English words for the same Hebrew word?  Do you believe the English corrects the Greek?  I do and there is a reason for each different English word used.  I just showed why replenish is used instead of fill for humans.  Now using root word analysis, I see the creation as the “plenishing” and the human reproduction as replenishing.

8)      Let’s move on to the rest of the creation.  Turn to Genesis 1:1.  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  This means that God exists or can exist outside of heaven.  Which is why in Revelation 20:11 there is no more heaven and earth during the judgment.  They can be removed and God can still exist.  He is not confined to the boundaries of heaven.  Next in the creation we see the earth is without form and void.  The definitions of form and void as used in Genesis, are saying it has structure but is unlivable.  Just as a house that is built with no drywall, carpeting, glass windows, furniture is still a house but not livable.  So it would be a house without form and void.  Darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  Well we know that deep waters are dark right?  You can see that for yourself (true science).  So the whole earth was submerged under deep water.  All I have up to this point by using JUST my Bible is the world was created that way.  Read Exodus 20:11, the earth was created the same day the sea was.  The water existed with the earth.  And 6 days later the Lord rested, just as the Jews due for the Sabbath (See argument point number 20).  Then God said let there be light.  I believe light already existed as part of the first created heaven because of God’s glory, just as it will in Revelation 22:5.  This light talked about in Genesis was created towards the earth and is from the Hebrew word ‘owr which means… light.  So we have just plain light now on the earth separate from God’s light.  And when the light made for the earth is divided you get some light and some darkness on the earth.

9)      The first created heaven is where God resides.  It is the heaven of heavens.  1 Kings 8:27, Psalms 2:4, and Revelation 4:2.  Now why does it say heaven of heavens?  Because as we know there are three, just as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:2.  Jacob saw angels coming down from heaven through heavens in Genesis 28:12-13.  So where are the other 2 heavens?  The second one was created in Genesis 1:6-8.  So God cut the waters in half, depth wise, and split them into two.  When he pulled them apart, he got an earth submerged in less deep water, and water above the earth.  The area in between is our atmosphere and he named that heaven also.  This is where birds fly such as in Genesis 1:20.  It is also where clouds reside such as in Deuteronomy 11:17 and 28:12 and Job 38:29.  Just like in 1 Kings 8:27 it is this heaven plus the heaven where God is that they are adding together.  I know this because these are only two heavens named by God.

10)  The third heaven talked about wasn’t directly created as the first and second were.  It is a perceived heaven.  Read Genesis 1:14-17.  God creates a brand new firmament IN the heaven.  Which heaven you ask? God’s heaven!  How do I know this, because of Psalm 19:1-6, it says that the firmament shows his handy work.  The stars and the universe show how awesome God’s creation is.  I also believe that the firmament created to separate us from God’s heaven is like a tent and it blocked us from God’s glory (light).  That is why our universe is black.  Now some of the stars are nothing but pinholes through this tent revealing some of Gods glory (light).  I also believe it is this firmament that will be torn away from the sky in Isaiah 34:4 and Revelation 5:14.  This tent is shown in Isaiah 40:22.  Now all the stars and planets and sun and moon inside of this firmament are giving light upon the earth.  This light is the Hebrew word ma’owr, which means light source.  They are a source of light unlike the light that was created with God as the source.  They exist in this “created” heaven such as Jeremiah 8:2 shows.  The host is the firmament and everything inside as Genesis 2:1 shows.

11)  Then why does Paul refer to heaven where God is as the third heaven?  Simple, because that is the order you pass through them.  The first heaven you go through is our atmosphere, which we see by day.  The second heaven we go through is our universe, which we see by night.  The third heaven we go to is the one we see by faith, you get to this by passing through the water canopy that existed before the flood and passing through the firmament mentioned in Genesis 1:14, the tent, and right on into heaven.  Did you know that a million lost space astrologists say that when you look at the center star in Orion’s belt it looks like the “entrance to heaven”?  So let me clarify this.  We have three heavens created in order, the first one is the one where we go when we die, the second is the atmosphere trapped between two layers of water, and the third which is the universe that came after God made a firmament to separate the earth from his heaven.  But they go 1, 2, 3 based on earth outward.  So in recap it went in Genesis… earth, water, air, water, universe, outer space (firmament), and heaven.  Isn’t it funny how man calls outer space infinite when really it is just where the “tent” is wrapped around us?  If something finite is infinite to us then I can hardly believe we have even begun to comprehend God.

12)  I am saying that at one point from the beginning the earth was surrounded with a water canopy.  Science proves this true but I will only use scripture.  Reread Genesis 1:7 and then read 2 Peter 3:4-7.  Before God increased the density of water on earth by pulling it together to make land appear, Genesis 1:9-10 (notice it says appear not created, meaning the earth already had land on it), it was an earth completely submerged in water and some water floating above it in mid air.  We know this because Genesis 1:9 says the waters UNDER the heaven (atmosphere) were gathered together to form seas.  Then there is water above the atmosphere or Heaven (Genesis 1:6-8) as in Psalm 148:4.  This also proves the above argument of 1 Kings 8:27 that the heaven talked about is our atmosphere and the heaven of heavens is God’s.  Keeping Psalms 148:4 in context it is showing scripture to all three heavens as verses 1-2 show the first created heaven, and verse 3 shows the third created heaven, and verse 4 shows water above the second created heaven.  We know that this is the context since the whole beginning of the Psalm glorifies God’s creation.  The canopy included a part of the creation.  The Jews knew about this as part f history.  So we have three heavens shown.  I believe this water suspended in the air was ice because of the temperatures of the different altitudes of the atmosphere.  The stratosphere at 25,000 to 35,000 is 35 below 0.  The water must have been frozen.  The reason I know this is because the area underneath the stratosphere is called the troposphere and that is the only layer where weather occurs.  Clouds exist in our atmosphere and they did under the canopy too.  God creates clouds and commands rain as the Bible says he does.  Read Genesis 9:14, Job 38:26, 28, 34, 35, 37, Proverbs 3:19-20, and Isaiah 14:14.  Even God appeared as a cloud out of nowhere every day in Exodus and Numbers.  So clouds could have existed even before the flood, just no rain.  We know there was no rain because of Genesis 2:5-6.

13)  Now where did the water come from that flood the world?  It came from rain and underwater springs.  Genesis 7:11-12 and 8:2.  The fountains are the underwater springs.  These springs have been here since the creation in the same day the seas were created also (Revelation 14:7).  These springs are still in existence making it knowledge through observation, which is true science, and true science always supports the Bible.  In Proverbs 30:4 it talks about Jesus Christ ascending and descending.  This part is in reference to what happened at Calvary as is shown in Ephesians 4:8-10.  This shows that Jesus ascended above all the heavens showing that there are three.  If it were just 2 heavens it would have said both heavens, not all.  This also shows that God’s residence might not be in the first created heaven high above all the rest.  Since Jesus sits at the right hand of God and his throne exists when there is no more heaven and earth (Revelation 20:11).  The rest of Proverbs 30:4 shows how the same person who did the ascending and descending, Jesus, was there from the beginning of the creation.  Jesus, the Word, gathered the wind in his fist, bounded the waters in a garment (canopy), and established the ends of the earth.  “Ends” does not mean destruction it means physical size.  The Word created, remember? (Colossians 1:16).  Turn to Proverbs 8:27-30, which just shows how Jesus was there from the beginning.  Verse 28 shows how he created clouds and strengthened the fountains of the deep.  He strengthened the fountains of the deep, or underwater springs, by closing them up, as shown in Genesis 8:2.  The ice that came down was the frozen water suspended above the earth breaking up and falling to the earth.  There isn't a canopy anymore because of the flood.  The water that once was above fell on the earth and then evaporated away.  The canopy is gone but the evaporated water is vapor in our atmosphere, which is why it still continues to rain today.

14)  Now verse 29 shows how he kept the waters under his command and appointed the foundations of the earth.  The foundations of the earth are the ocean floor and have been here since the earth was created.  The earth was created covered in water.  Because of this the earth was without form and void, from the beginning.  Therefore the whole earth (land) was an ocean floor in the beginning making it also the foundation.  Using only the Bible I get an accurate description of what that looked like in Genesis.  Isaiah 40:21 points this out also.  In Job 38:4 we see this is the earth since it was created.  Verse 6 shows the foundations must have been fastened.  Verse 8 shows the sea was shut up after it was broke first.  Water came out of the foundations of the earth.  Verse 16 shows how the foundations have underwater springs in the seas as Genesis 7:11 and 8:2 show them as fountains.  The depth is also referred to with a water context here again.  Verse 30 shows the waters are hid with a stone.  The fault lines stopped emitting water because volcanic rock that erupted out where the fault lines are, cooled off and solidified underwater, making underwater mountains.  Pyramids are called cornerstones and mountains look like pyramids.  The cornerstone mentioned in verse 6 could just be the underwater mountains that sealed up the fault line or springs.  The face of the deep is frozen.  The deep is the water.  The face of the deep is the part that got separated from the original waters on the earth and lifted up above the earth as the canopy.  Look it says it’s frozen, I love how true science supports the Bible.  The water canopy above the earth was ice as I mentioned earlier. 

15)  All of this scriptural proof shows that there was only one earth and three heavens and water above the earth and the second created heaven.  The flood came from the water above the earth and beneath it.  Nothing so far supports a pre-flood flood.  So how about a pre-adamic race.  Was Satan here WAY before Adam was?  Or how about another human race?  Lets see.  Genesis 2:4 shows that the generations of the heaven and the earth were since they were created.  This is otherwise saying since the earth was first created, these are the generations since then.   The next record of generations, or created genealogy, is Adam in Genesis 2:7.  This shows no sign of another created generation, or race, before this.  How could there be death before the law of sin as Romans 5:12-14 shows that death was a result of sin, which is manifested to condemnation when the law is given.  It says death reigned form Adam, not someone before!  The law was when God said “ye should not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Adam did this and now his sin was manifested into deserving condemnation.  This is known as imputed sin (Romans 7:7-13).

16)  Were there angels left here on earth before Genesis 1:2 and were destroyed?  There is no proof of this since we know that Genesis 6:1-4 talks about angels raping human women.  Women weren’t around until Eve since she came from man.  We know angels raped women because of 1 Corinthians 11:10, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6,7.  This is obviously an extensive study that I am not even going to get into.  But we know Satan was on earth because of Genesis 3:1 and Job 1:6-7 and 2:1-2.  Knowing this lets look at Isaiah 14:12.  This is Isaiah speaking directly to Satan.  Notice how he says, “how art thou fallen from heaven?”  That means it did happen.  This is a past event being talked about in a present tense.  Isaiah is not saying that the reason Satan got kicked out of heaven was because he said in his heart at the time of casting out that he will exalt his throne above the clouds.  He says this today and Isaiah knew it.  That is why he says he was cast to the ground, which didst weaken the nation.  The only nations Isaiah knew of were the ones the humans were apart of.  He has seen the destructive power of Satan.  Satan does have a throne, NOW.  He was cast into the earth to rule and that is where his throne resides.  He is the prince of the power of the air (John 16:11, Ephesians 2:2, and 2 Corinthians 4:4), the air is the second created heaven.  He rules an earthly heaven and an earthly kingdom.  Ezekiel reveals the same thing about Satan in chapter 28.  Satan is referred to as the prince of Tyrus here and he weakened nations also.  He also talks about exalting himself above the stars of God.  We know that God calls angels stars.  Who is to say that he wants to be above all the angels?  Remember he lost his rank when he was cast out.  Now he is under Michael and Gabriel.

17)  How do we know that Lucifer and the angels weren’t created when the first heaven was?  They were part of the creation of the first heaven.  We know this because after Genesis 1:2 everything God created was good.  How could they all be good if a sinner (Satan) existed on the earth?  Besides, what was the point of destroying a first earth if Satan and his angels are still here doing wicked things?  It would be pointless.  So the casting out of Satan must have been sometime after the creation of man.  He saw man and hated him because he was in the image of God.  During the days of creation, the angels could have looked upon the earth and saw an event that appeared to be thousands of years, as in heaven there is no time (2 Peter 3:8).  A lot could have happened in heaven while only 6 days worth of work was being done on the earth.

18)  In Hebrews 11:3 it talks about the worlds.  The worlds are not different planets, as we know earth is the only one with life.  They are also not multiple versions of the earth as I just showed that there is no biblical or scientific evidence that the world was recreated multiple times.  In Hebrews 1:2 it shows how worlds are referring to ages of the earth as in different cultures and generations of people in power and kingdoms.  We know that God determines the kings of the world and gives them office as Colossians 1:15-16 shows.  This also shows that Jesus created, as he was the Word.  The Word created using words.  “God said let there be…”.  This is how he also frames the worlds.  If you can read it in a KJV, then it is Gods word that did it.  This also explains why in 2 Peter 3:5 it says the heavens of old and the earth under the canopy and above the seas by the word of God.  The heavens of old are what the sky looked like under ice.  It would look completely different as light refracts through ice and then through air to your eyes.  The world perishing does not mean planet earth.  It means us living on the planet.  John 3:16 says “for God so loved the world.”  He didn’t love planet earth to die for it; he loved us enough to die for it.  Isn’t he going to remove the earth anyways?  Jesus said the world would hate us (John 15:18-20).  I don’t think planet earth has feelings and emotions.  Webster’s 1828 defines perish as “To die; to lose life in any manner; applied to animals. Men perish by disease or decay, by the sword, by drowning, by hunger or famine, etc.”  It does not mean recreate a new world. 

19)  The sea that gives up the dead talked about in Revelation 20:13 is not this ocean that exists above our heads.  It is the sea that judgments get cast on and the dead bodies are left there before the great white throne judgment.  Revelation 8:9, 16:3, 18:21.  The reason there is no more sea in the new earth (Revelation 21:1) is because there is no reason for it.  Water is the essence of life on this earth.  It is also a reminder of God’s wrath and a hindrance to our abilities to move and form kingdoms and empires.  That will obviously not be needed in the new earth as God is present with us in direct interaction for 1000 years.

20)  The creation was a literal 24-hour a day, six day creation as we know by two things.  One is that the evening and the morning were THE first day.  And the evening and the morning were THE second day, and etc.  You can only have one First day and one Second day.  The first day started when time did… in the beginning.  That is what beginning means.  It means the start of time.  Other Bibles say “…were A first day and A second day and etc.”  The other point is that the Jews were told to celebrate the Sabbath on the seventh day and rest as God rested also.  If there was a gap between the Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 then the Jews have no idea how long they would have to wait till the seventh day and this would throw away the weeks as we know them.

In conclusion, using scripture only is there is no PROOF that there was a pre-adamic race.  Now if I was to share true science with you, I could show you how the universe is no more than 6000 years old, and when you add up the ages of Biblical men backwards you get almost 6000 years old.  There was a canopy (water) over the earth and it fell when the flood came.  There still is a canopy (outer space) over the universe and some day that will be torn away.  One day both the heaven and earth will be removed and we will be able to truly understand what infinity is.  Before that time we should continue to preach the only prophecy we were given since the end of the world started at Calvary… the church.  I do not believe God is revealing a prophecy such as the gap theory to one man in the end days.  It doesn’t make sense.  Why didn’t the Major Prophets get this revelation or John at the island of Patmos?  Because it is a theory!  It’s the same theory Jehovah witnesses use, and anyone else who discredits the evidence of a 24-hour a day, six-day creation.