Wally Rendel

I want to address a tired argument that keeps popping up in comments on various of my social media posts, and one I've heard (and continue to hear) from some pastors and many others in the church. The argument goes something like this, "The days of creation can't be ordinary days, as the bible states that a day is like a thousand years." I can't believe Christians even try to use this argument, but it's quite prevalent in the church. First of all let's consider the passage of Scripture they are alluding to. It comes from 2 Peter 3, but this passage does not say "a day is like a thousand years." Here is the actual passage: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). 1. Note the passage states, "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years...". In other words, to God one day is like a thousand years. Most people don't quote the rest of the verse which states that a thousand years is like a day! So does that mean whenever 1,000 years is used in Scripture it should be interpreted as one day? Of course not. 2. The context of the passage concerns scoffers who reject the second coming, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation”" (2 Peter 3:3–4). In others words, scoffers claim things just go on and on and Jesus is not coming back. The context is the second coming. 3. Now this passage talks about the "last days," and we've been in the "last days" for 2000 years since Christ's ministry on earth. 4. However, the passage in 2 Peter is stating that 2,000 years might seem a long time to us, but not to God, as to God, a day is like a thousand years, and then the rest of the verse states, "and a thousand years as one day." In other words, God is outside of time. He is not limited to natural process and time as we are. To God, whether it's a day or a thousand years it makes no difference as He is outside of time. 5. The passage then tells us why Christ hasn't returned yet, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). So this passage has nothing to do with defining the length of the creation days in Genesis 1. Besides, one can't use a passage from the New Testament to define the meaning of a Hebrew word such as "yom" (day). A Hebrew word is defined according the the rules of Hebrew and the context in which it is used. Whenever "yom" is qualified by "evening" or "morning" or a number it always means an ordinary day. And this is how it's used for each of the days in the creation week in Genesis 1. Also, if one used 2 Peter to claim the days of creation were a thousand years each, then a thousand years won't help those who want the days to fit will millions of years. But notice something else. I find most people don't question what the word "day" (yom) means anywhere in the Old Testament except Genesis 1. Now why is that? Because they've been impacted by the millions of years belief from the world and are attempting to reinterpret the word day to fit that in. By the way, if one uses 2 Peter to insist the word in Genesis 1 means 1,000 years, then they need to do this everywhere else the word day is used, which makes passages about Joshua and Jonah for instance ridiculous. Actually, Psalm 90:4 states something similar concerning God and time comparing a thousand years to a watch in the night, which was 4 hours. But it's the same teaching that God is outside of time. People need to stop using this totally wrong idea that this 2 Peter passage means the days of creation can't be ordinary days! Christians need to read 2 Timothy 2:15 carefully!