Creation in Seven Literal Days: The Foundation of Time and Truth
A Presentation on the Chronology of Genesis 1
The biblical account of creation in Genesis 1 establishes the foundational rhythm of time—the week—and sets the theological framework for the relationship between God and His creation. The view that creation occurred in seven literal, consecutive 24-hour days is derived directly from the plain meaning of the text, supported by linguistic, contextual, and covenantal evidence.
The Return Question: Why “Literal” Days?
The primary evidence for literal, 24-hour days rests on three interlocking scriptural clues provided in Genesis 1: the use of the Hebrew word for day, the repeated framework, and the numerical sequence.
1. The Hebrew Term: Yom
The Hebrew word translated as “day” is yom. In biblical Hebrew, yom can have three main meanings:
- A 24-hour day (e.g., “The journey took one yom“).
- The daylight portion of a day (e.g., “The sun rules the yom“).
- An indefinite period of time (e.g., “In the yom of the Lord”).
The Literal Marker: When yom is used with a numerical adjective (first day, second day, etc.), it always refers to a literal 24-hour day throughout the rest of the Old Testament. The creation account uses numerical adjectives for every day: “day one,” “second day,” “third day,” and so on.
2. The Defining Phrase: Evening and Morning
The definitive phrase that brackets each day is repeated for all six days:
“And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5, KJV)
The terms “evening” (`ereb) and “morning” (boqer) are physical markers for the beginning and end of a standard, solar-defined period. The combination of yom with these physical boundaries explicitly defines each period as a normal, rotational day.
The Prophetic Hotspot: The Covenantal Significance
The literal seven-day week is not just descriptive; it is prescriptive, establishing the pattern for human worship and rest, which is codified in the Ten Commandments.
“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 20:11, KJV)
This passage, part of the covenant law at Sinai, directly appeals to the six literal days of creation as the reason for the Sabbath command. If the creation “days” were meant to be millions of years, the commandment would lose its logical and ethical basis for a literal, seven-day week of work and rest.
The Seventh Day: The Pattern of Rest
The pattern culminates in the seventh day, which is blessed and set apart:
“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.” (Genesis 2:2, KJV)
This day of rest (Sabbath) is a divine template, inviting humanity to participate in God’s creative rhythm and anticipate the final, eternal rest with the Lord at His return.
Conclusion: A Literal Reading
The most straightforward and consistent reading of Genesis 1, supported by the linguistic constraints of yom and the explicit context of the fourth commandment, affirms that God created the universe in six consecutive, literal 24-hour periods and rested on the seventh.
This literal chronology establishes the authority of Scripture and the reality of a sovereign God who created all things with intentionality, order, and speed, setting the pattern for all time.