The First Day's Work. Light Appears.

"And God said, 'Let the light appear'," through the thick vapors. And
the light appeared, so that the day could now be distinguished from
the night. "And there was evening, and there was morning, one day."
This day did not need to be an age or even 24 hours for God's
work. How long did it take light to appear? Many years, and even ages,
may have followed between each day's work as the "days" were not
necessarily consecutive, and it is not so stated.


Second Day's Work. A Clearing Expanse.

"And God said, 'Let there be a clearing expanse (called heaven)
dividing the waters which were on the earth from the waters in the
thick clouds above, firmly suspended in the air'." This may have
continued a long time, though begun in 24 hours.


Third Day's Work. Land, sea and vegetation appear.

"And God said, 'Let the waters under the expanse be gathered together
into one place (seas and oceans), and let the dry land appear'." The
contraction of the cooling earth caused the elevation of the land, and
the draining of the waters into the seas. The geologist Lyell says,
"All land has been under water." Hitchcock says, "The surface of the
globe has been a shoreless ocean." "And the earth brought forth grass,
herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is
the seed thereof, after its kind." Though the sun was not yet visible