The evolutionary theory has had a great impact on the world in the short time it has been around.  Those who advocate the evolutionary theory believe the age of the earth to be billions of years old.  According to the same theory, man did not arrive upon the scene until a few million years ago.  The evolutionary theory does not mesh with a literal interpretation of Genesis 1.  The evolutionary concept does not fit into a time period of six literal 24-hour days.  Those who desire to believe both the Bible and the evolutionary theory must come up with a different approach to Genesis 1.  What if the days of Genesis 1 represent long periods of time?  This would appear to salve the consciences of the theistic evolutionist, but is this what the Bible teaches?  Were the days of Genesis 1 long periods of time, or were they simply 24-hour days?
     The word “day” used in Genesis 1 is translated from the Hebrew word “yom.”  This word is extremely important in answering the question before us.  This word (or its cognates) appears eleven times in Genesis 1 (Ten times as “day,” one time as “days”).  In five of these instances, the word day is used in opposition to darkness or night.  The idea of time is not present in this usage.  The other six times this word occurs in Genesis 1 there is a reference to some period of time.  This is evidenced by the fact that they encompass an evening and a morning, as well as the fact that they are preceded by a cardinal numeral (1st, 2nd, etc).  It is very important to note that in every instance that the Hebrew word “yom” is preceded by a numeral, it always indicates a literal 24-hour day.  The only exception to this fact is this usage in prophetic literature, where it takes on a figurative meaning.  Genesis 1 is by no means prophetic.
     If it is true that the days of Genesis 1 were actually periods of thousands of years, then there are some questions which must be answered.  Plants and trees were created on day 3.  However, birds and insects were not created until days 5 and 6.  It is a scientific fact that many plants and trees cannot propagate without the assistance of birds and insects.  How then did the plants survive thousands of years without birds and insects?  Also, the sun was not created until day 4.  How did the plants survive thousands of years without the sunlight necessary for photosynthesis?  Another point to ponder:  Adam was created on day 6.  He lived through that day, and on into day 7.  By evolutionary logic Adam would have been thousands, even millions, of years old.  Yet the Bible records Adam’s age at his death to be 930 years (Gen. 5:5).  Which one will you believe?
     There is no doubt that the days of Genesis 1 were literal 24-hour days.  No clearer language could have been chosen to convey this idea than what Moses used in Genesis 1.  True faith in God and His word does not allow room for evolution nor theistic evolution.  These ideas are totally contradictory to the Bible.  The fact is that it takes greater faith to believe evolution than it does to believe the Bible.

Do you have a Bible question that deserves a Bible answer?  Do you want more information about this subject?  Feel free to contact the Mabelvale church of Christ at 455-2548 or by fax at 407-0072.  We may also be reached by e-mail at mabelval@cei.net, and we have a web page at www.cei.net/~mabelval.  On the web page you will find archives of all of the “Ask A Bible Questions” to date, as well as other items.  Also, tune into the Search television program on Sunday mornings at 8:00 on channel 4.