Crusader37

God uses a relatively large amount of space in Genesis 1 to make it very clear that He created the universe in six days. There is no mention of billions-of-years or any great period of time. However, many people still wonder whether or not the modern scientific belief that the earth and universe have existed for billions of years can be harmonized with a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Most Christians have heard the argument that the word day in Genesis does not mean a literal 24 hour type day, but rather that the days represent 6 great ages of time. This is often referred to as the day-age theory. Many people have wondered whether this argument is valid. It is true, after all, that the Hebrew word for day (yom) can have several different meanings, depending upon its context. However, when all the facts are gathered, it is abundantly clear that God communicated with precision that all creation took place during the time period of six, normal, 24-hour type days.

The first reference to day in the creation account is in the context of a 24 hour cycle of light and dark, And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day (NASV, see Genesis One).

When the word day is used with a number, such as day one, day two, etc., it always refers to a literal, 24 hour type day. This is true 100% of the time. This holds true all 359 times that day is used with a number outside of Genesis chapter 1.

There is no Biblical indication that day is used differently in the beginning chapter of Genesis than it is throughout the rest of the book, or the rest of the Old Testament.

The days in Genesis 1 are always specifically used in connection with the words evening and morning. This phrase is used with day 38 times in the Old Testament, not counting Genesis chapter 1. Each time, without exception, the phrase refers to a normal 24 hour type day. It is also important to note that this phrase is never used in the Old Testament in a manner which is obviously metaphoric.

When the phrase evening and morning is coupled with a numbered modifier and the word yom, there is no stronger way of specifying a normal day. We understand that Genesis is describing six Earth rotations, not an unspecified period of billions of years. We see therefore that a study of the Hebrew text of Genesis 1 states in clear language that creation took place during the period of six, normal 24-hour type days. Further evidence of this conclusion is given in Exodus 20:11. This passage, written in stone by the finger of God Himself, states, For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. God, the only witness to the creation events, testifies that all things were created within a literal six day period. Ultimately, whether one accepts this information or not probably depends more upon their interpretation of science than of the scriptures. For without the consideration of modern scientific theories of the age of the universe, there can be little reason to question the clear communication of the Bible.

As stated by Pattle P.T. Pun, a leading progressive creationist, It is apparent that the most straightforward understanding of the Genesis record, without regard to all of the hermeneutical considerations suggested by science, is that God created heaven and earth in six solar days, that man was created in the sixth day, that death and chaos entered the world after the fall of Adam and Eve, that all of the fossils were the result of the catastrophic universal deluge which spared only Noah's family and the animals therewith. [Pattle P.T. Pun, A Theology of Progressive Creationism, Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Ipswich, MA: March 1987), p. 14]. As in all areas of theology, God allows each believer to decide which side to take on a controversial topic. It must be noted, however, that the Scriptures are emphatically clear on this issue. The billions-of-years timescale estimated by modern scientific theories cannot be harmonized with the literal interpretation of the Bible by resorting to the misguided notion of a day-age.

Many people have tried to place a gap of indeterminate time between the first two verses of Genesis chapter 1. There are many different versions as to what supposedly happened in this "gap" of time. Most versions of the "gap" theory place millions of years of geologic time (including billions of fossil animals) in between these two first verses of Genesis. This is the "ruin-reconstruction" version of the gap theor. However, this undermines the gospel as it allows for death, bloodshed, disease, and suffering before Adam's sin. Because most "ruin-reconstruction" theorists have accepted the millions of years dating for the fossil record, they have thus allowed the fallible theories of scientists to determine the meaning of Scripture.

All versions of the gap theory impose outside ideas on Scripture and thus open the door for further compromise.These are the verses where there is supposed to be a gap:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and empty; and the darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).

There have been many attempts over the years to harmonize the Genesis account of creation with accepted geology (and its teaching of billions of years for the age of the earth), such as "theistic evolution" and "progressive creation."

The gap theory was another significant attempt by Christian theologians to reconcile the time scale of world history found in Genesis with the popular belief that geologists provide "undeniable" evidence that the world is exceedingly old (billions of years).

Although Chalmers' writings give very little information about the gap theory,[3] many of the details are obtained from other writers such as the 19th century geologist Hugh Miller, who quoted from Chalmers' lectures on the subject.[4] This ruin-reconstruction view is held by many who use Bible study aids such as the Scofield Reference Bible, Dake's Annotated Reference Bible, and The Newberry Reference Bible. The most notably influential 19th century writer to popularize this view was G.H. Pember, in his book Earth's Earliest Ages,[5] first published in 1884. Numerous editions of this work were published, with the 15th edition appearing in 1942.[6]. The 20th century writer who published the most academic defense of the gap theory was Arthur C. Custance in his work Without Form and Void.[7]. The basic reason for developing and promoting the gap theory can be seen from the following very telling quotes:

Scofield Study Bible: Relegate fossils to the primitive creation, and no conflict of science with the Genesis cosmogony remains.[8]                       

Dake's Annotated Reference Bible: When men finally agree on the age of the earth, then place the many years (over the historical 6,000) between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, there will be no conflict between the Book of Genesis and science.[9]

A Testimony of Struggle

For, as the fossil remains clearly show not only were disease and deathinseparable companions of sin then prevalent among the living creatures of the earth, but even ferocity and slaughter.

He understood there could be no carnivores before sin:

Pember taught from Isaiah that the earth will be restored to what it was like at first. There will be no more death, disease, or carnivorous activity. However, because he had accepted the long ages for the fossil record, what was he to do with all this death, disease, and destruction in the record?

Thus, in trying to reconcile the long ages with Scripture, Pember justifies the gap theory:

There is room for any length of time between the first and second verses of the Bible. And again; since we have no inspired account of geological formations, we are at liberty to believe that they were developed just in the order which we find them. The whole process took place in pre-Adamite times, in connection, perhaps, with another race of beings, and, consequently, does not at present concern us (page 28).

           

With this background, let us consider this gap

theory in detail. Basically, this theory incorporates three strands of thought:

           

In the far distant dateless past, God created a perfect heaven and perfect earth. Satan was ruler of the earth which was peopled by a race of "men" without any souls. Eventually, Satan, who dwelled in a garden of Eden composed of minerals (Ezekiel 28), rebelled by desiring to become like God (Isaiah 14). Because of Satan's fall, sin entered the universe and brought on the earth God's judgment in the form of a flood (indicated by the water of 1:2), and then a global ice age when the light and heat from the sun were somehow removed.

All the plant, animal, and human fossils upon the earth today date from this "Lucifer's flood" and do not bear any genetic relationship with the plants, animals, and fossils living upon the earth today.[13]

Some versions of the gap theory state that the fossil record (geologic column) formed over millions of years, and then God destroyed the earth with a catastrophe (Lucifer's flood) that left it "without form and void."

Other information

Is the age of the Earth a "trivial" doctrinal point? Answer

10 Dangers of Theistic Evolution - Go...

Answers about the age of the earth - Go...

Is the Bible clear about the age of the earth and universe? Answer

What is Progressive creationism and is it a good way to interpret Genesis? Answer

Progressive creationist Hugh Ross, who is he and what does he believe? Answer

Could all of the events recorded on the 6th day of creation really have taken place during a normal, 24-hour-type day? Answer

See the Christian videos:

The World That Perished, Grand Canyon: Monument to the Flood, The Grand Canyon Catastrophe, ORIGINS: How the World Came to Be, Mount St. Helens.

See the Christian books: The Young Earth, The World That Perished, The Handy-Dandy Power Persuasion Pack, Creation and Time: A Report on the Progressive Creationist Book by Hugh Ross,

Ken Ham
 

Gap Theory: Its Background
The Gap Theory was first proposed in 1814 by a Scottish minister named Chaulmers. It was during this period that scientists were beginning to teach that the earth was billions of years in age. As a response to the scientific community, Chaulmers theorized a "gap" in time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. His motive was probably well intentioned, but there is no scriptural reason to infer or imply that such a gap ever existed.

Gap Theory: The Position & Problems
The Gap Theory holds that the ages of evolution (the periods and eras of "modern science") occurred before the six days of biblical Creation, but were part of the creative process of God. These ages were then terminated by a global cataclysmic event, followed by a period of replenishing the earth, according to the following instructions of God in Genesis: "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28 KJV).

We may relate the modern concept of "replenishing" to that of refilling a soda at a fast food restaurant, when we "replenish" a half empty cup. But the word replenish has changed in meaning since the King James version of the Bible was written in 1611 AD. At that time, the Hebrew word "male" [mah-lay] was used for the word "replenish," and it meant "to fill," as in an initial act of completion. The word "replenish" didn't take the meaning of "refilling" until it was incorporated into the English language about 1650 AD. The Hebrew word for "replenish," as in "refilling that which was once filled" is "shana." Genesis 1:28 uses the word "male" in the original Hebrew text. So, God told Adam to "go fill the earth," and did not imply a refilling or replenishing of what had once been filled or completed.

Probably the greatest problem with the Gap Theory is that it makes God responsible for the creation of evil. The theory implies that God used the methods of death and decay on a global scale for billions of years in order to accomplish His unknown purposes in a primeval world. The fossils and geological records, which the theory tries to place before Genesis 1:2, are the direct testimony of this violence and death. However, Paul writes about the manner in which Christ will destroy the last enemy - death: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 KJV).

Death cannot be construed as a benefit that God instituted in order to aid mankind or creation. Evolutionism teaches that death is part of the process that nature uses in order to continually promote each species and allow adaptation to the environment (survival of the fittest). The Bible clearly teaches that death is the result of the rebellion of Satan and Adam's sin, and not something that God created during the time period that gap theorists believe exists between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Chaulmers taught that the rebellion of Satan and his demons took place before Adam was created (a pre-adamite rebellion.) Satan's rebellion and eventual placement in Eden is actually discussed in a couple of books of the Bible, including Ezekiel: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezekiel 28:13-15 KJV).

To believe that a rebellious Satan was on earth prior to "day six" is in direct conflict with the following scripture: "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31 KJV). If God beheld everything after day six and it was "very good," how could Lucifer have rebelled back in verses one and two? That is simply impossible, since scripture would be in conflict with itself, which is an interpretive violation. Everything would not be "very good" if sin was present in the Garden and Lucifer had already rebelled against God. The concept of a pre-adamite rebellion seems to fall apart quite rapidly upon further examination of all the scriptures associated with the fall of Lucifer. Since there could not have been a pre-adamite rebellion, Satan's actions could not have accounted for the age-long spectacle of suffering and death in the world during the geologic ages that preceded it. Thus, God would have to be responsible for the death and suffering in the pre-adamite world, but that is impossible.

Gap Theory: No Support in Scripture
The Gap Theory has been advocated by many sincere Bible teachers, but it actually involves numerous and serious fallacies. In general, contemporary biblical scholars and scientists do not accept this theory. There is no scriptural support for any of its tenets that pass the tests of sound Biblical interpretation.          

Authors: Mark Van Bebber and Paul S. Taylor of Eden Communications

Copyright (C) 1995, Eden Communications, All Rights Reserved - except as noted on attached Usage and Copyright page that grants ChristianAnswers.Net users generous rights for putting this page to work in their homes, personal witnessing, churches and schools.

Preface

For 2,000 years, nearly all Christians believed and taught that the earth was approximately 6,000 years old as revealed by God's Word. In the early 1800s, some unbelievers began to teach that the earth was "millions of years old." This old earth teaching laid the groundwork for the evolution theory, which became popular a few years later. In an effort to blend both beliefs, some theologians invented the "gap theory" which allowed "millions of years" to be placed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

As this new gap theory began to be accepted by the church in the early 1800s, the majority of Christians offered little resistance. This effectively "neutralized" them in the war between the Bible and the rapidly spreading worldview of evolutionism. This godless theory resulted in the rise of such philosophies as communism, humanism, and Nazism. The acceptance of the gap theory opened the floodgates for these ideologies, which have caused untold suffering as well as hundreds of millions of deaths in the last two centuries.

We hope this booklet will help the reader see that the gap theory, which many well meaning people have promoted, is unscriptural, unscientific, unnecessary and is a dangerous compromise of God's Word.

- Dr. Kent Hovind

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Dr. Hovind's preface reveals a prejudice and narrow-minded bias from the first paragraph. His remarks that "...in the early 1800s, some unbelievers began to teach..." shows that he thinks that any Christian who does not accept a 6,000 year old age for the heavens and Earth can not be true believers. This implies that, if you don't believe like he does, you are not in the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Hovind is making a personal judgment of people's salvation in direct contradiction to Paul's admonishment in Romans 10:6-11.

Dr. Hovind infers that belief in the Gap Theory is automatic acceptance of the Theory of Evolution. That is not true. Old Earth Biblical Creationism does NOT require belief in Evolution. In this second paragraph Dr. Hovind implies that belief in the Gap Theory was the root cause for the rise of the Theory of Evolution. He then infers that it was acceptance of the Gap Theory that was responsible for evil political systems like Nazism. No, evil men and their political ambitions were responsible. But, then again, Dr. Hovind has emotionally branded anyone who does not believe as he does as being an evil unbeliever.

Hovind claims the Gap Theory is "unscriptural"...but it comes from the Bible. He claims it is "unscientific"...but it deals with the realities of the geologic record. He claims it is "unnecessary"...but it opens a way for understanding the origins of Satan and the Angels. He claims it is a "compromise" of God's Word...but it witnesses to the truth of both the written Word and the natural history of the world, both of which God ordained.

Pious and gratuitous ramblings to call attention to one's self and appear devout to men.

"I would like to thank the Motion Picture Academy and all the little people who made my Oscar winning performance possible."

-- Gaines " gayboy "Johnson

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The belief of most gap theorists is that II Peter 3:5-6 is not referring to the flood of Noah, but "Lucifer's flood," that brought on the formless water-covered earth described in Genesis 1:2. II Peter 3:5-6 "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" No Scripture exists to support the idea that Peter was referring to "Lucifer's flood." With no references in Scripture to such an event, teachers of this opinion are guilty of "adding to the word of God." There are good reasons, however, to believe that Peter is referring to the flood of Noah in these verses. The only flood to which Peter had previously referred is the flood of Noah (I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:5). If Peter were referring to a different flood, he most certainly would have done so with an explanation. The words, "willingly ignorant," suggests that it is a flood that is well-known, yet one that they have rejected. Possibly these scoffers could be willingly ignorant of Noah's flood even though there is a detailed description of it in the Old Testament and ample evidence for it all over the surface of the earth today. However, one could not be willingly ignorant of a flood that God had never revealed to them in His Word.  - Hovind

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Actually, Genesis 1:2 is the Scriptural cross-reference to the event. They just don't want to admit it.

Note: The above graphic is talking about Christians being titled as "sons of God" which is true, but the angels, including the fallen ones (See Genesis 6:1-2) are also called "sons of God" and they are not Christians (or true humans). This is a confusion of the issue.

In Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17, God says He created all things in six days.

Exodus 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Exodus 31:17 "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested." -- Hovind

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Notice that "the sea" is set apart from the Earth in this verse as something separate. This is the contextual qualifier of the verse because the "Sea" spoken of here is the waters (or sea) above the firmament which was placed there at the time of Genesis 1:6-8 and which is no longer there after the final judgment:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the sea."

-- johnson

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The phrase "and all that in them is" included Satan, the angels, stars, space, earth, plants, animals, and man. Genesis 2:1 further supports this through its use of the phrase "and all the host of them." It is not possible to say it more plainly than the words used in Exodus 20:11! Since everything was made in the six days, then obviously Satan was also made then. Genesis 1:5 states, "And the evening and the morning were the first day," demonstrating there is no gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The translators of the KJV wisely chose this word rather than the incorrect way many new translations say it was "a day" or "one day" to allow room for the gap theory. -- Hovind

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No, the creation of Satan and the angels during the six days is an assumption, not a Scriptural fact. There is NO MENTION of God creating Satan or Angels anywhere in the Genesis narrative. Satan first shows up afterwards (Genesis 3) which shows that he was already around, and was already an enemy of both God and man.Now an appeal to the Authority of the literal letter of the KJV Bible after previously challenging the literal letter (replenish) at Genesis 1:28. Typical and Hypocritical YEC tactic. The statement is a belief, not a Scriptural fact. Now the author claims he can prove something that is not true in the first place. Watch the Scriptures rip this reasoning apart.

Satan was created during the six-day creation week. Scripture leaves no room for a period of time prior to "the first day." Is it possible to determine which day Satan was created?  - Hovind

The statement is a belief, not a Scriptural fact. Now the author claims he can prove something that is not true in the first place. Watch the Scriptures rip this reasoning apart. - johnson

All wrong and all guesses. The "sons of God" (and Satan) had to be created BEFORE the Lord God "..laid the earth's foundations.." before He started the work (before Genesis 1:2). By the author's reasoning God made the earth, then created a cheering section, sometime after the work started and before it was finished. The word "laid" is PAST TENSE. Some people can't read 6th grade English. -  scoffing johnson

Since everything was created in six days (Exodus 20:11) and Lucifer was created (Ezekiel 28:13,15), the gap theory's second assumption, the idea that Satan fell prior to the six days of creation, is already invalidated.

-- Hovind

Only in the author's twisted circular reasoning. -  crybaby johnson

Obvioslly Mr johnson just does not like this idea, he has to resort to name calling.

but anyway, The timing of Satan's fall is extremely important to the integrity of the gap theory, since its proponents use it to mark the end of the gap and the beginning of Genesis 1:2. An answer to the time of Satan's fall can be found with a careful look at the Scriptural accounts of this event. The first clue, found in Isaiah 14:14, records the words of Satan at the time of his fall - "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Since the clouds could not have formed prior to God's creation of water on day one, Satan fell after day one. Referring back to Job 38:4-7 that Satan was "shouting for joy" as the foundations were being laid, his fall must have occurred after day two or day three. Isaiah 14:13 also reveals to us that Satan's fall must have occurred after the creation of the "stars," which occurred on day four. Certainly, these verses imply Satan could not have fallen before creation. The Bible gives one of the most influential clues about the timing of Satan's fall in Ezekiel 28:13-17, which presents a picture of what Satan was like prior to God's discovery of iniquity in his heart. God revealed that Lucifer, in an unfallen state, existed in the Garden of Eden, which was not created until day six. Many gap theorists have tried to explain this by saying tat the Garden of Eden in Ezekiel 28:13-17 could not have been the one described in the book of Genesis. To preserve their theory, they invented another garden just as they invented another flood. Neither is every mentioned in God's Word. The gap theorists' opinion comes from the fact that Ezekiel describes the Garden as having "every precious stone," which, they say, is different from the Genesis account. This difference is unsubstantiated Biblically since the Genesis Eden was described as having precious stones (Genesis 2:11-12). -- Hovind

Ask yourself a question: If there was a world on the Earth in earlier times (and evidence of living plants and creatures in the deeply buried fossil record), would there not have been sunshine and clouds up in the sky. Would not the night sky have stars? The author is basing his reasoning on the pretext that the heavens and Earth were only first created 6,000 years ago. The geologic facts tell a different story and the record of an ancient Earth is written in stone (by the hand of God), revealing even that there were more days to a year in the ancient past then these present days. This record also includes a long history of death going way back in time. The only way to dispute this is to deny the entire body of all the radio dating methodology which is based, of course, on the laws of physics that God Himself ordained. The Young Earth Creationists do exactly that. They are in denial. First of all,  besides the fact that i just dont like the idea, the Bible says that Lucifer was in "Eden the garden of God" not the "garden of Eden" which is not exactly the same. By noting this difference you gain another valuable cross-reference to Lucifer's fall. Here is a passage that, like Ezekiel 28:13-17, is addressing Satan in the Spirit, but is also a historical reference to "The Assyrian" (Ezekiel 31-3): 

God said in Genesis 1:31 that He "saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." If Satan had already fallen, God could not have made this statement. The clues of Scripture confirm that Satan could not have possibly fallen until after day six.-- Hovind

After determining the earliest point at which Satan could have fallen, discovering the latest point that it could have occurred proves to be very difficult. The next "date" given in Genesis 5:3, records, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and call his name Seth." This clue, however, helps deduce the time of Satan's fall.

After determining the earliest point at which Satan could have fallen, discovering the latest point that it could have occurred proves to be very difficult. The next "date" given in Genesis 5:3, records, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and call his name Seth." This clue, however, helps deduce the time of Satan's fall.

From the sixth day of creation up until the time Seth was born to Adam and Eve, several events had transpired - Satan had fallen, Adam and Eve had fallen into sin, Adam and Eve had been expelled from the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel had been born, and Abel had been murdered by Cain. - Hovind

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This entire discourse, including the "common sense" assumptions that will follow, overlook some very important Scriptural facts:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
(Romans 5:12 KJV)

That verse is absolutely true, in context.  Death entered this world (our world) when Adam sinned, about 6000 years ago, and Adam was the first man who sinned. But if you don't understand the BIBLICAL differences between the words "world" and "earth," you cannot grasp the truth of the following points of logic and common sense:

1. The Scriptures say that the "serpent" tempted Eve and caused her and Adam to sin.
2. If the serpent tempted the man and woman to sin against God, then the serpent was disobedient and evil before Adam and Eve.
3. And if the "serpent" was evil before Adam fell, then the spirit of the serpent would have had to have sinned against God at some point of time BEFORE Adam sinned. Got that?
4. Therefore, if Death comes by sin (see Romans 6:23 and James 1:15 [an eternal rule]), and the serpent was a sinner before Adam, then Death already existed...and it existed in a "world" BEFORE Adam and Eve sinned. It was Adam's disobedience which allowed "Death" to enter the newly-formed pristine world. It was Lucifer's disobedience and rebellion which allowed "Death" to enter the original, ancient world. That is what the Bible says. If you don't get this point clear in your mind, it is not possible to understand the full Scriptural picture.

With this information, and the following "common sense" assumptions, one can now find out the latest at which Satan could have fallen:

- Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel shortly after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

- Cain and Abel had been at least 25 years old when Abel's murder took place.

- Seth had probably not been born when Abel was killed in light of Genesis 4:25 "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth; For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." -- Hovind

All of this is meaningless because the author is not facing the full spiritual realty. If Satan fell (sinned) first, then why wasn't he given credit for bringing sin upon the world of Adam and Eve? Now think about that. Adam's fall is recorded in Genesis, but Satan's is not! Did Satan get a free pass for rebelling, but God socked it to Adam and his seed for just eating from a forbidden tree (Adam's sin was also rebellion).