Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Doug:

Now you mention the day=age theory. This is what 
I say that the text excludes. As one Christian 
literalist told me, "The question is not what God 
could have done, but what did God SAY he did?"

You bring in things from outside the text. You 
mention Einstein, modern science, the frozen flora 
and fauna found in the tundra of Alaska and Siberia 
(earlier message) and you claim that God is "the 
Master Scientist". The last brings up the question, 
do modern scientists follow the same science as 
God? If not, then the statements of the Master 
Scientist should take precedence over the claims 
of modern scientists. 

As far as Einstein is concerned, back in my college 
days I commented to physicist friends that I had 
trouble with the image of atoms as described by 
quantum mechanics, and gave an alternate 
description based on experiments: their answer was 
the quantum mechanics was not a description, rather 
just a series of mathematical models which worked, 
but could very well be wrong. In fact, they said 
that my understanding fits the experimental data 
better than did the mathematical models of quantum 
mechanics, but in order for my understanding to be 
accepted, I would have to "do the math" - make 
mathematical formulae that would describe what the 
experiments show. Well, I'm not good at math (much 
to the disgust of my math prof father) so that was 
out of the question. (An interesting (to me) 
sidelight: when I disagree with evolution, 
biologists get all emotional and accuse me of 
attacking science; but when I attack quantum 
mechanics, physicists quietly evaluate and discuss 
what I say. The difference is: evolution is a 
deeply held religious belief that masquerades as 
science, while physics is science.) Recently I 
found a site, http://www.commonsensescience.org 
where a group of scientists apparently have done 
the math that I was unable to do.

The conclusion I draw is that the text of Genesis 1 
describes a six day creation where each day is the 
equivalent of a 24 hour day. It is immaterial to 
the discussion whether or not anyone believes 
this description, what Einstein said or other 
discoveries that may or may not have been made, 
what we have here is a linguistic question asking 
for a linguistic answer. I read years ago, I think 
it was in a book by Dr. Bolton Davidheiser, biology 
prof then at San Jose Sate University, that a 
creationist organization sent letters to profs of 
Hebrew at major universities throughout the U.S. 
asking the question, "day" when connected to a 
number, as in Genesis 1, does it mean the 
equivalent of a 24 hour day, or could it mean a 
long period of time? Of those who answered, the 
unanimous response was that it referred only to a 
day, and that an age is not indicated. I personally 
have seen nothing that contradicts that assessment.

Karl W. Randolph.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Revdpickrel AT wmconnect.com
> 
> 
> In a message dated 4/17/2006 1:05:18 PM Central Daylight Time,
> kwrandolph AT email.com writes:
> 
> 
> > Further, as I wrote Doug Pickrel, it is dangerous to use outside 
> > beliefs that may or may not be true to define the words used in 
> > this text. We may agree or disagree with what the text says 
> > according to linguistic evidence, but to redefine terms according 
> > to how we think they should be read is invalid, putting words in 
> > the mouths of the authors that the authors never intended.
> >
> 
> Hold on, Karl.  Everything I wrote is biblical text based.  I brought 
> nothing
> to the table from outside sources, except what Einstien had said about light
> and darkness and you said he had that wrong, even what Einstien said was
> biblically sound, Isa 45:7.  Just because you're not willing to 
> look or consider
> something doesn't make it untrue or not biblically sound.  A veil 
> has fallen to
> cover your eyes.  Biblically, a day is a thousand years to the Lord, and a
> thousand years is one day.  That means a day = age, eon, or an 
> indefinate period
> of time.
> 
> Let me create for you an example:
> One day there was a fire that destroyed a family home and they rebuilt it
> much larger and more expensive then before.
> 
> Like in the Genesis scenario, it is obvious to the reader that it took 
> longer
> than one day to rebuild a house.  In the say way, Karl, it is obvious that
> the words 'day one' covers an indefinate period of time.  If you reconstruct
> chronogically from Adam to now you will find about 5750 years, give 
> or take a day
> or two.  Now that leave about five days to cover three hundred and 
> sixty-five
> billion years, give or take a year or two.  Remember, Karl, the God of
> Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God of modern science, He is the 
> Master
> Scientist.  Creationist, evolutionist, scientist, preachers and the 
> Karls of this
> world haven't got it all together yet, but they have a place in God's plan.
> 
> Doug
> Rev. Doug Pickrel, Litt.D.
> Tejas Valley
> San Antonio, Texas

>


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