Unlocking Biblical Mysteries: Gerald Schroeder's Day-Age Theory Revealed

Gerald Schroeder and a New Variation on the "Day-Age" Theory: Part 2

Several months ago, Dr. Gerald Schroeder appeared as a guest on the Zola Levitt TV program, discussing his views on the interpretation of Genesis. In this article, we will delve into part 2 of our review of these TV broadcasts.

Summary of Part 1

Dr. Schroeder, a physicist from MIT who now resides in Israel, claims to believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that his theory is actually a new variation on the old "day-age" theory. This theory suggests that although the world may be as old as evolutionists claim (around 14 billion years), it can be divided into six age-long periods of time referred to as "days." Like proponents of the "day-age" theory, Dr. Schroeder believes in the big bang and asserts that it marked the beginning of the first day.

In part 1 of our review, we critiqued Dr. Schroeder's conclusions, highlighting issues with his mathematical calculations, his understanding of the Hebrew text in Genesis, and the biblical arguments against the big bang theory. Now, let's move on to part 2.

Evolutionary Dating Methods and Interpretation of the Fossil Record

Although Dr. Schroeder may not explicitly endorse evolution, he bases his version of the "day-age" theory on evolutionary dating methods and an evolutionary interpretation of the fossil record. According to his theory, the fossil record predates the arrival of humans, implying billions of years of death, disease, and struggle before sin entered the world. This contradicts the biblical teaching that death is a consequence of sin (Genesis 2:17; 3:19) and undermines the significance of Jesus' work on the cross. It is worth noting that Dr. Schroeder is affiliated with the Jewish faith.

It is unfortunate that Dr. Schroeder has compromised his understanding of the Bible due to evolutionary "science" and embraced the standard evolutionary big bang theory. However, his understanding of the big bang theory appears to be flawed.

Misunderstandings about the Big Bang Theory

Dr. Schroeder seems to imagine that there is an "edge" to the universe in the context of the big bang theory, where clocks near this edge would run slower compared to clocks on Earth. However, standard big bang theory does not support this notion. Clocks in a cosmos with an edge would actually run at the same rate everywhere, according to Dr. Russell Humphreys' book "Starlight and Time." This discrepancy in Dr. Schroeder's ideas was pointed out several years ago in Dr. Humphreys' book on pages 103-104, 128, and 132. It is unclear whether Dr. Schroeder has revised his views since then.

Even if Dr. Schroeder's belief that clocks far away tick slowly were correct, it raises a significant biblical question: where does God measure time? The Bible teaches that time is measured on Earth, with approximately 24-hour rotations. According to Schroeder's theory, the universe would be much older than what the Bible indicates.

Outdated Numbers and Inconsistencies

Dr. Schroeder's numbers have not kept up with the latest scientific understanding. His theory suggests that to account for six days of creation, the universe would need to be around 16 or 17 billion years old. However, current estimates place the age of the universe at around 13 billion years. Using his method of equating creation days to observed years, we end up with approximately 16.4 billion years instead of 13 billion years, putting us in day 4.8 instead of day 5.5. This means that Creation Week is still ongoing, and man has not been created, nor has God rested yet.

Furthermore, the figure of 1,000,000,000,000 that Dr. Schroeder uses to represent the expansion of the universe is arbitrary and lacks a solid foundation. It is based on a specific stage of expansion in the alleged big bang theory and could just as easily be a thousand times bigger or smaller.

Why This Matters

Dr. Schroeder's theory represents a compromise with evolutionary ideas and undermines the biblical account of creation. By incorporating evolutionary dating methods and an evolutionary interpretation of the fossil record, it disregards the biblical teaching that death is a consequence of sin. This compromise ultimately weakens the significance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Think About It

Dr. Schroeder's theory raises important questions about the accuracy of biblical interpretation and the compatibility between science and faith. As Christians, it is crucial to critically evaluate scientific theories and align them with God's Word. By doing so, we can maintain a strong foundation for our faith while engaging with scientific discoveries in a meaningful way.

For more information on "gap" and "day-age" theories and a deeper exploration of the Genesis account, please visit our Q&A: Compromises section.