Dear Glen: Thank you for you email and offer to help with my Conference topic. However, I will make a few COMMENTS in your email..................
Mr Smith,
I will not be able to come to your conference, but may I offer some insights that I have gained from years of study myself. First of all, the word "day" in Genesis can also be translated "age".
COMMENT: The Hebrew word "yom" (pronounced yome as in home) can be translated "day" or "time." Although it is found 7 times in reference to a "person's age," it never is used even one time in all Scripture to represent an age of time as opposed to a person's age. The "days" of Genesis one cannot be properly translated "age," but they could be properly translated "time."
This is the translation that makes sense to me. As for the approximate length of "ages", I have come to the conclusion that the "days" or "ages" each comprised 365,250 of our equivalent modern years.
COMMENT: Not true. There is no way to substantiate such a figure. There is no justification for turning a "yom" in a "thousand yoms" and then multiplying by the number of "yoms" in a year (plus an additional 250 years to make up for leap year). Besides, the word "yom" is seldom translated to mean a 24-hour day in the first place. And so as I have stated so many time: When one begins with a false premise, everything that follows will also be false.
Further, I conclude that the ages of man up to and including Noah represent specialogy; and there is some interlap or co-existence between the species as given.
COMMENT: I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you mean by that statement. Certainly some species "co-existed." There was never a time that only one species lived at a time.
I do not believe that Moses actually knew what he was writing. I believe that he wrote what was given to him to write.
COMMENT; Not true. You just are not understanding from what perspective Moses was writing. Also you are not aware of the fact that Moses undoubtedly had records that went all the way back to Adam, that were preserved through Noah's flood.
Further, I believe that the entire land mass was one single continent until the days of Peleg, because in his day the earth was divided.
COMMENT: Not true. I will cover what was meant by the earth being divided in the days of Peleg. It has absolutely nothing to do with continental drift. Continents drift at a rate of inches a year, not MILES a year.
I have attached a summary of my interpretations (four pages in the wrong format) for you to look over at your discretion. Finally, we know that the Bible indicates that God created the universe out of nothing.
COMMENT: Sorry, the Bible teaches no such thing. That is Jewish philosophy rather than theology. Hebrews 11 gives us the correct Biblical and Scientific beginning of matter.
We also know that matter and energy are interchangeable under certain conditions.
COMMENT: Not quite: we can change matter into energy (E=mc2). We can change a tree into smoke, heat, and ashes. I have yet to see anyone change smoke, heat and ashes into trees.
I believe that "God said, 'Let there be lightning.' and that was the beginning of creation.
Glen
COMMENT: Absolutely not. The first light was not produced by friction in an atmosphere. Nor was: "Let there be LIGHT" the turning on of our solar sun. Too bad you can't make our Nashville Conference, as I have a lot of interesting things to teach.
God be with you,
Ray
