Why six days in Genesis?

[hapidawg]

It is not meant to be taken in a literal fashion-the earth is about 5 billion years old-the Universe 3 times that -it is just a metaphor-Maybe day 1 was the Big Bang and then the other days are measured in billions and millions of years-it was written by the ancients - a creation myth

There was a ancient ball of mass that expanded over billions of years, due to pressure, it finally exploded. all the parts flung out into space and it all now works together like a well greased machine. if you believe that, i have some oceanfront property in Arizona for sale!

 

[meltzerboy]

In Genesis it says that the world was created in six days then God rested on the seventh, I was wondering to my self why is it six days instead of say five or ten? Is there a underlying meaning for there being six days in the symbolic sense or is it just that it was six days and that’s it.

I was just interested to the reason why and would appreciate it if someone could tell me. Thank you.

For an extraordinary answer to your question, please log on “How old is the world? What is the age of the universe?” from aish.com, and read the whole article. In it, the argument is slowly and carefully made that the six days in Genesis are actually the equivalent of 15 billion years, which astrophysicists tell us is the age of the universe. This connection had been spoken of in ancient times by Nachmanides, the Hebrew scholar who delved into the mystical teachings of Kabbala. Nachmanides profoundly interpreted the Creation part of Genesis in a manner which corresponds to Einstein’s theory of relativity with regard to time and, in the case of Nachmanides, G-d’s creation of time. It is an absolutely FASCINATING read!

 

[edwest2]

There’s nothing less miraculous or impressive about a 14 billion year old universe and evolution than a six day creation. Anyway, the Church allows both, and the forums forbid debate. Perhaps we shouldn’t get into this.

Strange that you mentioned it. If a man raises my dead son during a funeral procession, that’s a miracle. That’s God.

Ed

 

[TimothyH]

For an extraordinary answer to your question, please log on “How old is the world? What is the age of the universe?” from aish.com, and read the whole article. In it, the argument is slowly and carefully made that the six days in Genesis are actually the equivalent of 15 billion years, which astrophysicists tell us is the age of the universe. This connection had been spoken of in ancient times by Nachmanides, the Hebrew scholar who delved into the mystical teachings of Kabbala. Nachmanides profoundly interpreted the Creation part of Genesis in a manner which corresponds to Einstein’s theory of relativity with regard to time and, in the case of Nachmanides, G-d’s creation of time. It is an absolutely FASCINATING read!

Do you have a link?

-Tim-

 

[meltzerboy]

Do you have a link?

-Tim-

If you key in those two questions, the title should appear.

 

[Peebo]

When I look up at the night sky I think of the awesome majestic power of God who even before the moment of creation had already set in motion all the laws that would govern his creation throughout eternity…I am in awe that he has given us…we who were created in his image…the intelligence to grasp a fraction of the laws of the universe and the evolution of his creation over billions of years…that to me shows the infinite power and glory of God more so than a literal translation of six days…I wonder what the Vatican Astronomers views are on creation…the bible tells us that to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day…God is outside of what we perceive as time…but others who see a more literal interpretation of creation may see Gods creation with the same enthusiasm as I do…either way I hope one day we will all be witnesses to the glory of his continuing creation throughout eternity

 

[Medawlinno]

As others have said - seven is indeed considered the perfect nember in many cultures.

Another thought on the “seven day week” and why the number seven is considered somewhat ‘mystical’ –

When very ancient man looked at the sky; he saw seven luminaries; five planets (so noted because of their brightness and the fact that they “wandered”), the sun, and the moon. One can speculate that some sort of meaning was ascribed to that number and just passed from one generation to the next. That may have been the original ‘observance’ of the concept of “seven” as more than just a number between 6 and 8 (i.e. the idea/thought that seven must have some sort of power attached to it).

As for the beginning chapters of Genesis – sort of like a chicken and egg thing in a way. One can almost imagine a Hebrew settlement in some distant ancient time where some kid asks his/her parent, teacher, etc. “Why are there seven days in our week? My older cousin told me that our neighbors to the south (i.e. the Egyptians) have ten days in their week; why do we only have seven??”

The explanation offered by said parent/teacher being the creation story in Genesis; nicely explaining why there are seven days in the week and not ten.

I guess the point being that it could be argued that the seven day creation story in Genesis came after the concept of the seven day week as a way to explain the origin of said seven day week (as opposed to say, the ten of the Egyptians, etc.).

One has to wonder if everyone in the Middle East (well, at least the Hebrews anyway) had, like the Egyptians, adopted the concept of a ten day week, if the beginning chapters of Genesis would read very differently. I suspect so.

 

[Tim_D]

There is no evidence that the men who wrote the Bible borrowed anything regarding the six day creation described in Genesis.

Check out the Enuma Elish.

 

[ichabode]

that to me shows the infinite power and glory of God more so than a literal translation of six days…

Well put I hope tonight is clear so I can gaze upwards, yet if God did create all of this in six days it would not be less glorious of His power, and even more so if he “aged” the creation, so that it do like appear like it was created in six days that too would be marvelous.

I wonder what the Vatican Astronomers views are on creation…the bible tells us that to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day…

The Vatican Astronomers are normally closer in opinion to Ivy league university science professors.

but others who see a more literal interpretation of creation may see Gods creation with the same enthusiasm as I do

I am sure they do. As it is a wonder to behold. I personally do not believe that God created the world in six literal days, but I dislike it when people say “this is Church teaching” and it is not. Kinda like when people say the Church teaches capital punishment is a sin. Of course it does not teach that and never will be able to teach that it.

I know you did not say a Catholic cannot believe in a 6 day creation. I just liked the way you phrased your post and wanted to make comments within.

Don’t forget to look to the stars.

 

[kkollwitz]

platytera.blogspot.com/2011/06/sacraments-and-semitic-triliteral-roots.html

 

[edwest2]

From Catholic Answers:

"The Time Question

“Much less has been defined as to when the universe, life, and man appeared. The Church has infallibly determined that the universe is of finite age—that it has not existed from all eternity—but it has not infallibly defined whether the world was created only a few thousand years ago or whether it was created several billion years ago.”

Ed

 

[cfauster]

Creation and Genesis

I’m glad you cited that excellent Catholic Answers article.

It quotes from many Church Fathers, including the following from St. Augustine:

“[A]t least we know that it [the Genesis creation day] is different from the ordinary day with which we are familiar” (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis 5:2 [A.D. 408]).

“For in these days [of creation] the morning and evening are counted until, on the sixth day, all things which God then made were finished, and on the seventh the rest of God was mysteriously and sublimely signalized. What kind of days these were is extremely difficult or perhaps impossible for us to conceive, and how much more to say!” (The City of God 11:6 [A.D. 419]).

“We see that our ordinary days have no evening but by the setting [of the sun] and no morning but by the rising of the sun, but the first three days of all were passed without sun, since it is reported to have been made on the fourth day. And first of all, indeed, light was made by the word of God, and God, we read, separated it from the darkness and called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night’; but what kind of light that was, and by what periodic movement it made evening and morning, is beyond the reach of our senses; neither can we understand how it was and yet must unhesitatingly believe it” (ibid., 11:7).

 

[cfauster]

… but the first three days of all were passed without sun, since it is reported to have been made on the fourth day.

Previous posts have answered “why six days?” A related question, raised by Augustine (and many others), is “why the particular creations of each day?” For example, why were the sun and moon created on the fourth day?

For centuries - probably preceding even the New Testament - people studying the Old Testament noted that the first three days of creation report God creating habitations, and the second three days of creation report God creating inhabitants. The inhabitants (sun, moon, and stars) created on the fourth day were placed in homes created on the first day (day and night). The inhabitants created on the fifth day (birds and fish) were placed in homes created on the second day (sky and seas). Finally, the inhabitants created on the sixth day (land animals, and humans) were placed on land, which was created on the third day.