A Prickly Problem for Gap Theorists.

Gap Theorists are those of the church who dismiss Biblical chronology in favour of the world's view of an old (billions or million of years) age for the earth. Traditionally, the Gap Theory proposes a long age between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 during which the earth and all its inhabitants (pre Man) were destroyed by God and most, if not all, fossils found today are relics of that destruction. Generally, Gap Theorists will accept thousands of years passing from the appearance of Adam to the Incarnate Son of God.

Commonsense adherence to the reading of the Word of God speaks against their preferred position and, increasingly, the fossil record indicates likewise.

One example from the fossil record is revealed in the following article.

In accepting the long ages of the geologic column, Gap Theorists are confronted by cactus fossils found in the Eocene ('dated' 35-55 million years), rose fossils from the Miocene (5-23 million years) and Oligocene (23-35 million years), plus many others dated prior to the alleged appearance of man. However, the Word of God says that thorns and thistles are a product of the Curse (Genesis 3:17-18).

In agreeing to the ages of the geologic column and consequent ages of thorn fossils found therein, Gap Theorists are putting a product of the Curse for Adam's sin prior to Adam's sin. This is a nonsense and demonstrates the danger of not accepting the Word of God as intended - be sure your sins will find you out!

To accept God at His Word one is obliged to regard the thorns found in fossilized form being, not millions of years old, but thousands of years old and buried in the rock strata subsequent to Adam's sin - possibly buried in the Flood of Noah's time.

An even greater disparity of dating arises with respect to spiny plant fossils found in strata assigned to the Devonian Period ('dated' 360-410 million years). Again, well before the appearance of man according to the world's current dating method.

By taking God at His Word in Genesis 3:17-18, Biblical Creationists have been subjected to criticism from Theistic Evolutionists and Gap Theorists of having to assert that God created thorns and thistles after having rested from his Creation activity. This is a false argument and proven so by scientific observation. Thorns and thistles are not a new creation but a mutation - degenerative leaves or parts of leaves that didn't unfold properly or bases that have failed to grow into leaves or are left over when leaves fall off or failed branch development.

Being mutations, thorns and thistles are in accord with other mutations which came upon living forms because of Adam's sin and have caused disease, suffering and death ever since. As such, the existence of thorns and thistles are testimony to the Word of God and the need to take God at His Word.

Gap Theorists (and Theistic Evolutionists) are left to the embarrassment of inadequately explaining nature when putting the current world view (the splintered reed of Egypt) above faith in the Word of God.

Sam Drucker