The First Six Days
- The First Six Days – Related Articles
- Chapter 1 – The Importance of Genesis
- Chapter 2 – Evolution Plus God
- Chapter 3 – The “Fact” of Evolution
- Chapter 4 – Interpreting Genesis (How Then Should We Read?)
- Chapter 5 – The Question of Days
- Chapter 6 – Days According to the Ancient Jewish Commentators
- Chapter 7 – Days According to the Church Fathers
- Chapter 8 – What Did Adam Know On His First Day?
- Chapter 9 – The Day God Created Dinosaurs
- Chapter 10 – The Day Men Saw Dinosaurs
- Epilogue
- Appendix 1: The Last Years of Time
- Request a Free Presentation
- Make a Donation
The goal of this book is to show that biblically and historically creation took place in six, literal days. I do not attempt to argue the finer points of creation science because I am not a specialist in those areas. However, there are many who are specialists in their respective fields who have spent many years developing plausible answers to the questions surrounding creation. I have listed the resources below that I believe will be of particular interest as you desire to dig deeper and discover that the science of creationists is just as good, and many times better, than that of the evolutionists.”
– Douglas Hamp
If God really created via evolution then why does God say that He created everything in only six days? Are those days literal days or are they really indefinite periods of time as Progressive Creationism claims? We know dinosaurs were real; when did God create them if He created in six, literal days only thousands of years ago. The answers to these questions are plainly laid out in Scripture. Ancient commentators, both Jewish and Christian, all agreed that the Bible taught a literal, six day creation only thousands of years ago.
Douglas Hamp’s work The First Six Days is a much needed contribution to settle the question of days or ages. As a Hebrew language specialist trained at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he demonstrates convincingly from the pages of Scripture that the days of the Genesis creation account are literal days. He also carefully clarifies some misrepresentations of what day means in Hebrew. This is followed up by a stimulating review of the literal, six-day position held by ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters as well as archaeological corroboration of the biblical record.”
– Dr. John Morris, President Institute for Creation Research
It’s wonderful to have an easy-to-read yet well-researched book that demonstrates that a sound reading of Genesis chapter 1 demands a literal, six-day creation week. If you’ve ever asked yourself whether the first six creation days were real days, or whether it even matters, this book by pastor and educator Douglas Hamp is for you.”
– Ken Ham, Founder and President, Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum
A powerful examination of the biblical, linguistic, historical and archaeological evidence affirming that the creation days of Genesis were nothing but real and literal days. If you think that God worked through evolution, read this book and be challenged. If you believe that God created in a literal six days, read this book and be strengthened.”
– Joseph Farah, Chief Executive Officer WorldNetDaily.com Inc.
For me, this book was a faith-strengthener in the power of God as creator.”
Carl Westerlund Th.M, Director Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa School of Ministry and Graduate School
An easy to read yet meticulously researched book demonstrating that the only sound reading of Genesis 1 is a literal, six-day creation week. This is a must read for everyone asking the question of how long were the first six days!
Pastor Chuck Smith, Senior Pastor Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CA
– Pastor Chuck Smith, Senior Pastor Calvary ChapelCosta Mesa, CA
And others…
Mr. Hamp,
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the study that you have put into proving the literal interpretation of Genesis and helping to help others that have been deceived by the deceptive philosophical truth claims that have permeated our society. You are a true blessing and I’m praying for you and your family. When I have the money I will support your ministry and of course by your book “The First Six Days”. Blessing to you and your family.
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Questions of Origins
- How Long Were Those Six Days?
1 – The Importance of Genesis
- God’s Word is Above His Name
- Genesis is Foundational
- The Origin of Sin and Death
- Genesis Contains the Promise of the Redeemer
2 – Evolution Plus God
- What is Evolution?
- The Changes in Language and Culture
- From Micro to Macro to Abiogenesis
- According to Its Kind
- Dogs Are Still Dogs
- Views of Biblical Creation
- Theistic Evolution
- The Gap Theory
- Progressive Creationism
- How Much Time Does God Need?
3 – The Fact of Evolution
- What is Science?
- Evolution Sunday
- The Clergy Letter Project
- What Kind of Truths Are the Biblical Promises?
- Darwin Didn’t Want God’s Help
4 – Interpreting Genesis
- The Method of Interpreting the Bible
- Scripture Interprets Scripture
- Hermeneutics
- What Do We Mean By Literal?
- What is Allegory?
- Striking the Rock
- Daniel
- Jeremiah’s 70 Years
- Daniel’s Understanding of the 70 Years
- The Chronicler Agreed
- Interpreting Literary Genre
- What is Meant By Literary Genre?
- Scholars Believe in Literal Days of Genesis
- Final Thoughts Concerning Biblical Interpretation
5 – The Question of Days
- Meanings of Day in the Old Testament
- 24-Hour Days
- Days With a Cardinal Number
- Days with Ordinal Numbers
- Days in Hosea 6:2
- The First Day
- Bara and Asa
- The Heavens and Earth
- Tohu Vavohu
- Tehom, The Deep
- Merachefet, God’s Energizing of His Creation
- God Speaks
- The Days in Genesis 1
- God Defines the Days for Us
- The Days in Genesis 2
- Genesis 2:4
- Genesis 2:5 – 2:7
- Genesis 2:19
- A Final Objection
- With The Lord
- A Little Word with Big Meaning
- Psalm 90:4
- Summary of the Days in Genesis 1 and 2
6 – Days According to Ancient Jewish Commentators
- The Use of Ancient Interpreters
- Targumim
- Targum Onkelos
- Targumim Jonathan
- Josephus
- From The Creation
- In Just Six Days
- Rabbinic interpretation
- The Talmud Comments on the Mishna
- Rashi
- Other Rabbis
- Philo
- Philo’s Paraphrase
- Philo’s Allegorical Treatise
- Philo and the Number Six
7 – Days According to the Church Fathers
- The Early Church Fathers
- Twisting the Words of the Early Fathers
- Barnabas
- Irenaeus
- Theophilus of Antioch
- God Finished in Six Days
- Theophilus’ Simple Arithmetic
- To Theophilus, The Earth Is Young
- Clement of Alexandria
- Hippolytus
- Origen and Methodius
- Origen’s Disturbing Doctrines
- Methodius Opposed to Origen’s Teaching
- Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries
- Victorinus
- Lactantius
- Augustine
- Creation Was Less than Six Thousand Years Ago
- Augustine’s “Literal” Interpretation
- Spontaneous Generation a Fact For Augustine
- The Fathers Believed in a Young Earth
8 – What Did Adam Know On His First Day?
- Naming the Animals
- Parallelisms
- Etymologies
- Replenish the Earth and the Gap Theory
- Replenish/Malu
9 – The Day God Created Dinosaurs
- Dinosaurs Were Real
- Where Are the Dinosaurs in the Bible?
- Tanninim
- The Origin of the Word
- Three Root Letters
- Dragons in the Septuagint
- Behemoth
- God’s Description of Behemoth
- Elephant or Hippo?
- It’s a Tail and Nothing Else
- The Bones
- Leviathan
- A Dragon/Snake-Like Creature
- God’s Description of Leviathan
- Not An Ordinary Creature!
- Invincible
- Fire Breathing
- A Shining Wake
- Impenetrable Armour
- Where is the proof?
- Soft Tissue and Red Blood Cells
10 – The Day Men Saw Dinosaurs
- Challenging the Paradigm
- Needed Skepticism
- Nazca Graves
- Sophisticated Drawings
- Possible Hoaxes?
- Expert Analysis
- The Rocks in the Laboratory
- The Ica Stones Are Not Unique
- Three Possible Answers
11 – Are Six Days Enough?
- Starlight and Time
- The Rocks Speak
- Polonium Radiohalos
- Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth
- The Grand Canyon and Mount St Helens: Keys to Geology
- Cataclysmic Change
- The Canyon Formed Quickly
- Footprints in the Ash
- The Testimony of the Fossil Record
- Six Days Are Enough
