True, but the word used in genesis is referenced ordinally, e.g. "first day", "second day", etc. To my knowledge, there are no examples in the scriptures of this sort of ordinal reference applying to anything but a literal day.
Morninn' Dave! It's a real pleasure reading your posting- you are thinking rather than being dogmatic! Consider this: Gen 2:4-These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the DAY that Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens,
~wy from an unused root meaning to be hot
Definition: day, time, year,day (as opposed to night),day (24 hour period) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1, as a division of time
a working day, a day's journey days,
lifetime, time period (general)
>>To take that statement as 'proof' of God creating Heaven & Earth in a 24-hour day- even tho He could have if He wanted to- is absurd
Well, remember the book we're talking about here. The sun is portrayed as stopping in the sky long enough for [what's-his-name] to slaughter [whoever it was]. Balaam is depicted as having a conversation with a talking donkey. And the entire earth's population of animals is said to be descended from single pairs of various "kinds". You don't wanna go around labelling things "absurd" in this context, I don't think.
HOWEVER, while I think there's a good argument for the Bible writer having meant a literal 24-hour day, that isn't the point. The point is that in order for the earth to be billions of years old, and the days of creation to NOT encompass billions of years, you've got to pull the creation of the earth itself out of those creative days. This is the teaching of the Watchtower, and I believe, your view as well. "In the beginning..." was a starting point, where the earth and heavens were created. THEN the creative days kick off. Am I right so far?
The problem with the scriptures in Exodus is that they lump the creation of the earth and heavens INTO the creative days. So in order to believe the earth is billions of years old, you either have to find some way to explain how those Exodus scriptures don't really mean that, or you have to let the creative days themselves be billions of years old. Or you have to do some third thing I haven't thought of. :-)
Mad replies: The setting is the deciding factor! Whining, Complaining Israelites with little education (recently slaves), and he wanted them to understand the concept of a Day of Rest (Sabbath), and even encourage them to make it a DEFINITE practice by using God Himself as an example; wether 24-hours or 24 milennium (beyond their concept; that kind of math was not common knowledge)- the point was TAKING THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THEIR GOD- AND THE LIFE HE GAVE THEM. It WASN'T a discourse on Creation...as they are making it HERE! It reminds me of a Christian teenager who's offered drugs- and his mind is racing to find ways to justify taking them!
BTW - Why'd you change your login name? Just curious...
Mad reples: I think someone banned me; I couldn't log on anymore...
I have no problem accepting the Days being 24 hours....EXCEPT there is nothing but the passionate reasonings of others to support it! ( In MY tiny little mind! )
Agape, the Mad JW