Did GOD really create the earth in seven days?

Question

Or is that just a metaphor?

Answer 1

Not entirely. He had some of the work subcontracted out, especially the plumbing and electrical work.

Answer 2

First, an aside to set up my answer. Remember when you were a kid ... or maybe you still are a kid, I don't know ...
And your mom says, "Take out the trash." But you're to busy playing a videogame or something, and you say, "In a minute, mom!"
Do you mean a literal minute, or are you speaking figuratively?
Figuratively, of course.

We have the same situation with Genesis. When the hewbrews left Egypt after 400 years, their culture had severely degraded. One of the consequences of the last couple hundred years of living in egypt was that they were not allowed to educated in almost any way. Even their understanding of years, and months were lost outside of the seasonal changes of the Nile River.

So as the hebrews are wandering through the desert, they start to wonder where it is that they came from. Moses writes a history for them.
You can refute this part if you want as hogwash, but that's up to you.
I think if God wanted to tell Moses exactly how everything was created, and how every law of the universe was enacted, He could have. However, the hebrews would not have been able to understand it at all.
Instead, God gave Moses a brief story that they people could understand - and here is the important part - the word used for 'day' in hebrew in this part of Genesis can, obviously, be used and translated into 'day.' But it can also refer to an unaccounted for expanse of time.
Kind of like when you tell your mom "In a minute."
Did you really mean minute? No, you meant a relatively short period of time.
Does the bible mean a literal day?
In my opinion, and many biblical linguest's opinions, no. It does not.

So the universe was created. Was exactly the way that Genesis says? No. Of course not.
Was it meant to be a literal science book?
No, of course not.
It was meant to give a people a brief account of their history and lineage that they could understand.
It's a metaphorical story, not a scientific text book.

Answer 3

God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. It doesn't need to be a metaphor. We are talking about GOD. He is all powerful. If the Bible said "and MAN created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh", then it would obviously be a metaphor because that would be impossible. With God however, all things are possible.

Answer 4

The Seven Days Count derives actually from Sumerian Texts dating back to more than 5000 years ago, the Bible compilers just 'borrowed' it reporting its meaning in a quite inaccurate way:

Sumerians report that when the first 50 Annunaki (Those who from Heaven to Earth came) 'splashed' on Earth, their chief, EA, gave them some tasks which they fulfilled in 6 days:

'1st day= they set up an encampment; 2nd day= they separated the 'waters from the rain' from the 'waters from Earth' in order to obtain drinking water; 3rd day= they examined the herbs and the fruits telling the good ones from the bad ones; 4th day= they built abodes; 5th day= they built a boat, and separated fish and fowl; 6th day= they took account of the orchard's creatures and built a fence to protect their new abodes; on the 7th day, EA summoned his heroes and decided that from then on THE SEVENTH DAY WOULD BE A DAY OF REST on Earth.

The Bible, which is a simple recollection of ancient Sumerian texts and stories, just 'borrowed' the 7 days count, and re-wrote it it such a way to fit the new emerging monotheistic Faith. EA, who later became known as EN.KI, was the one who allegedly 'created' Mankind in a genetics lab and that's why the 7 days count has a great importance and kept being told and reported in the Bible too.

P.S. The Annunaki were NO GODS (meant as 'immortal, onmipotent and omnipresent beings), they were just a far more advanced species. Plus, it doesn't take a genius to understand that the Earth couldn't possibly be 'created' in 7 days by a white-bearded guy!;)

Answer 5

Try to read Genesis 1:1!

The scriptural claim is that IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS OR THE EARTH! (paraphrased) There is no mention at all of days in regard to the creation of the earth!

Try to read the Bible a little--it's fun. The days mentioned tells us what was done (extremely briefly) to the earth to prepare it to be inhabited. What is very important is that the seventh day that began right after Eve's creation still hasn't finished--so, even these individual days refer to ages, thousand of years in human reckoning.

Answer 6

I think it's more of a metaphor. We are assuming that a day to god is the same for us. That may not be so. The bible mentions that our lives are but a speck of dust (or something like that) to god, so just how long does that make 1 of his days?

Answer 7

Wow, does this really have to be asked? I mean, the bible says that God had rested on the 7th day... What kind of perfect being has to rest? Why does no one question this? Some people try to equate the days in genesis as equal to 1000 years. Now why would a convenient number like 1000 be used? The answer is because it is an easy number to use. Zero scientific value!

Answer 8

It is just a metaphor. The Hebrew version of Genesis says "Seven Periods of Time".

Answer 9

No, he created it in less than one day. He spent the rest of the week filling it up.

Some people try to reason out some kind of reconciliation between evolution and creation and come up with a compromise. The one thing they can never get past is the way Genesis measures one day (one "yom" in Hebrew):

one day = one morning + one evening

The writer was very specific. He meant that the creation week was exactly seven 24-hour periods.

Answer 10

NO!G-D created all the universe,including Earth,and all who inhabit the Earth below and the heavens above in (6),six days,NOT 7.HE rested on the seventh day,which is Saturday,and we are to rest on that day also and keep it holy."Link"

Answer 11

its a metaphor,GOD just did it in a finger snap,but the seven days are used to show a more "humble" side of GOD,hmmmmmm!