The Gap Theory – What is it? Did anything happen in between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?

TL;DR:

The gap theory is an attempt to explain the fossil record by inserting a long chronological gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. However, the Bible does not say what, if anything, happened between 1:1 and 1:2.

what does the bible say?

The Bible does not give any indication that major events occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Nonetheless, the gap theory proposes that between these two verses, the earth was created, a major battle of angels and demons occurred, and the earth was left desolate, making the rest of the story in Genesis 1 a story of re-creation. This view inserts an entire history in the middle of a seamless narrative. It also inserts a discussion of angelic history into what appears to be entirely about the physical world. We occasionally get glimpses into the spirit world in the Bible, but those are few and brief. The beginning of the Bible is about the physical land of the Hebrews. While it is possible that the fall of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18) occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, the Bible gives no indication when this took place or how long it took. The gap theory assumes it happened between the first two verses and further assumes that it took eons. Neither assumption has biblical support.

from the old testament

Genesis 1:1–2 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The gap theory is the view that God created a fully functional earth with all animals, including the dinosaurs and other creatures we know only from the fossil record. Then, the theory goes, something happened to destroy the earth completely—most likely the fall of Satan to earth—so that the planet became without form and void. At this point, God started all over again, recreating the earth in its paradise form as further described in Genesis. The gap theory, a view of old-earth creationism, is also called gap creationism and the ruin-reconstruction theory. The gap theory is distinct from alternative old-earth creation views, such as the day-age theory.
Genesis 2:4 summarizes chapter 1 and introduces a more detailed history of the creation of man and woman: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens." This verse and it's context is about creation, not re-creation. Thus, the gap theory is contrary to Scripture. No verse of Scripture teaches an earlier creation.

from the new testament

The foundation for the gap theory is not found in the New Testament.

implications for today

The proposed gap between the first two verses of Genesis has been called "dinosaur space," a convenient place to dump the fossil record along with millions or billions of years. The gap theory gained popularity in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries. It paralleled the emergence of modern geology. Christian scientists could account for long ages of geological history while still affirming a recent six-day creation week. Acceptance spread even more when it was referred to in the notes of the 1917 Scofield Reference Bible. However, the gap theory has declined in popularity today, partly because it lacks explicit biblical support and is an unwarranted insertion into the text. The theory fails to provide a coherent explanation for the fossil record, as the catastrophic event would have destroyed all life, leaving no fossils behind. Contemporary geologists and astronomers do not accept the gap theory.

understand

The gap theory suggests a long period between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
The Bible does not support the gap theory as no events are indicated between the first two verses.
The gap theory has declined due to lack of biblical support and failure to explain the fossil record.

reflect

How does your understanding of Genesis 1:1-2 impact your view of the creation narrative?
How do you reconcile the apparent age of the earth with the biblical creation account?
What is your response to theories like the gap theory that attempt to explain scientific observations, and how do you balance faith with knowledge?

engage

Why do you think some Christians are drawn to theories like the gap theory even when the Bible doesn't explicitly support it?
How can we address the tension between modern science and the biblical creation account?
What are the implications of inserting human assumptions, like the gap theory, into Scripture, and how might this affect our understanding of God's Word?