Question:
Hank, What do you believe about all of this when people tell you about the gap theory? Can you explain it. Also I keep hearing in my church about angels having sex with women on earth. I don’t read it that way. It says that angels do not have sex, then why do these preachers keep teaching this stuff? I hear many preachers doing this. About the earth in Revelation it says that we will have a new earth, to me it means that the earth will be destroyed and we will get a new earth. Is this earth just renovated like some are teaching or do we get a completely new earth and the old earth is totally destroyed? I read in Rev. about this 200 million soldiers that they are going to be chinese. I don’t believe this, I just heard that chinese have a very small army and will have a army of 1 million. They now have about a little over 2 million and will reduce it to 1 million. In this chapter I believe they are talking about demons being 200 million strong. What do you think about all of these questions, could you explain what your belief is on these. Thank you Vana
Answer:
Today the debate is raging concerning creation vs. evolution. It turns out to be a real sign of the Lord’s coming. II Peter 3:3, 4 tell us, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Scoffing at creation in the last days is a fulfillment of prophecy. It is one of the true signs of the times of the Lord’s return. The Bible speaks of an original creation of this earth, the present creation of this earth, and a new (future) heaven and new earth. Many overlook these wonderful facts. Please note the phrases given in II Peter 3:5,6: “The heavens were of old, and the earth” and “the world that then was.” These phrases are referring to the creation of the original earth in the dateless past. “The heavens and the earth which are now…(II Peter 3:7),” is referring to the present earth, and “look for new heavens and a new earth (II Peter 3:13),” is referring to the future earth. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).” This original creation of the earth could have occurred billions of years ago when God brought the universe into being. I believe the original earth was created perfect and was inhabited—Not by man, but plants, animals, marine life and angels. God’s angels, all of them, lived on this original earth. According to Isaiah 45:18, God did not create the original earth vain or void as we find it in Genesis 1:2, but God created it perfect and inhabited. Satan, whose name at this time was Lucifer, was ruler over the whole earth and over all God’s angels here on earth. Contrary to what we have all been taught, Satan never lived in heaven. In fact, Isaiah 14:12-14 describes the fall of Lucifer, and it is clearly implied that he lived on the earth. The five “I wills” of Satan given below, reveal his position: Satan said… 1. I will ascend to heaven 2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God 3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation 4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds 5. I will be like the most high Four out of five statements imply that Satan was not in heaven, but on earth. When Lucifer decided to overthrow God, the earth was judged along with Satan and the angels who followed him. As a result of the judgment of Satan the earth became without form and void as we find it in Genesis 1:2. There is a gap of undetermined time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, between the creation and judgment of the original earth. Peter tells us that this original earth perished (II Peter 3:6). The seven days in Genesis 1 are a re-creation of the earth to inhabit life and this time God puts man on earth. Coal is the fossilized remains of the plant life of the original earth. Petroleum is the fossilized remains of animal life of the original earth. Genesis 1:2 says, “darkness was upon the face of the deep.” First, this means the earth was flooded, which is in agreement with Peter’s description of the destruction of the original earth. Also, it was in darkness. Scientists tell us that if our sun’s light were cut off for as little as 72 hours, the earth would be frozen. Perhaps this explains the ice ages on the planet earth. A re-creation is implied by the words God spoke to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28 saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Replenish implies previous life was now gone and needed to be plenished again. This would be a weak argument except the same words in the Hebrew language are spoken to Noah after the flood in Genesis 9:1 saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” He did not. say plenish the earth, but replenish the earth. In Noah’s case there had been previous life that was destroyed and now Noah was to plenish the earth again. Therefore, this was true for Adam as well. There had been plant, animals, marine life, and angels living on the earth. Satan rebelled, and God judged the earth. This present world is also doomed! Peter tells us that it will be burned up and destroyed by fire (II Peter 3:7). This present world, since Adam, is probably no older than 6,000 years, although originally it was created maybe billions of years ago. Dealing with this present world, God gives an interesting insight. He says, “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (II Peter 3:8).” I believe God is telling us that the seven days of re-creation represent 7,000 years of human history. According to Bible chronology, Adam was here 4,000 years B.C., or about 6,000 years ago. The 1,000 year rule of Christ, or the millennium, is called the Day of the Lord. If the 7 days of the re-creation each represent a thousand years of human history, then we have completed the 6,000 years equal to the first six days. That means only one day is left, or rather that only 1,000 years of history is left on the present earth. If this is true, then we are very close to the Lord’s coming. First He is coming for us at the rapture, and then seven years later, He is coming to establish a thousand-year kingdom of peace on earth known as the Day of the Lord. The new heavens and new earth will follow the thousand-year reign of Christ. This future earth (Revelation 21-22) will be our home when we will live in the New Jerusalem forever and ever. So we learn from Scripture that our past originated with the original earth. The present earth is currently with man, and the future earth will be inhabited by all the saved of mankind and all of the angels that didn’t follow Satan’s rebellion. Will you be on the new earth? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).” Trust Christ as your Savior. On the Chinese army, please go to the CIA web site. The CIA says that China has an army of 200 million at this moment. Check it out for yourself.