Was the World Created in Six Days?

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Believe it or not, perhaps the Bible itself offers us the greatest insight into the question posed. Although Genesis 1 offers the Story of Creation while referring to a period of various “days,” it is Genesis 2 that offers further insight into the figurative nature of the Story of Creation. Compared to Genesis 1 discussing six days worth of creation and a seventh day of rest, the account of Genesis 2 offers a deeper and perhaps more spiritual understanding of the creation of humanity and the world around us. In this regard, Genesis 2 presents the Story of Creation within the lapse of a single day in that there is no designation between the various acts of creation. Now I am by no means arguing that the accounts presented in each of these respective chapters are at odds with each other, but rather I am arguing that the author of Genesis appears to not place any degree of importance on the duration of time, but rather on substance. In this regard, it would be understandable to accept the Story of Creation as being symbolic in its meaning.

Further in Genesis 2:1 it states “At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” It is here that we find a singular term (time) being used to reference the period of creation. I find this reference intriguing because it further solidifies the singular nature of God’s creation. In other words, the Lord created the heavens and the earth, but this statement does not find any necessity in referring to either the number of days of creation or for that matter any particular duration of time. With this said, it would appear that this passage offers insightful understanding regarding the nature of God’s creation, in that Genesis 2 further expounds upon the bounty of theology that is offered from the inspired Word of God without any emphasis on time in particular terms.