sed into a fiery, molten ball. Water was vaporized as steam surrounding the superheated globe. Although the sun, moon, and stars were in place and functional, dense clouds would have obscured their view. We have no way of knowing when the sun started giving off sunlight, but certainly the sun?s energy was required to facilitate photosynthesis for the vegetation that began on the third day. Finally, the earth cooled to where the water vapor in the atmosphere condensed, whereupon the sun, moon, and stars shined through. An alternate explanation is that sighted creatures began to use the luminaries to measure time on the fourth day. An earth-bound observer who could have witnessed sunset and sunrise did not exist through the first four days of creation. Archer says, Genesis 1:14-19 reveals that in the fourth creative stage God parted the cloud cover enough for direct sunlight to fall on the earth and for accurate observation of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars to take place. Verse 16 should not be understood as indicating the creation of the heavenly bodies for the first time on the fourth creative day; rather it informs us that the sun, moon, and stars created on Day One as the source of light had been placed in their appointed places by God with a view to their eventually functioning as indicators of time (signs, seasons, days, years) to terrestrial observers. The Hebrew verb ?wayya? ?as? in v. 16 could better be rendered ?Now God had made the two great luminaries, etc., rather than as simple past tense, God made. 9 Instead of the word ?create? in the passage cited by Archer, a different verb was used meaning, ?made? or ?had made.? This could make good sense. The Lord created heaven and earth on day one, but on day four the celestial bodies were available for earthly observers to use as measures of time. Not only is the word ?day? defined by usage in Scripture, the words ?evening? and ?morning? are also resolved. In Psalm 90, hu...
