Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

and not a condition resulting from destruction. Delitzsch combined with this theory the
idea that the earth was originally inhabited by the angels, and that the fall in the angelic
world was the cause of the destruction which resulted in the chaos referred to in verse
2. For some reason or other this view finds considerable favor among present day
dispensationalists, who find support for it in such passages as Isa. 24:1; Jer. 4:23-26; Job.
9:4-7; II Pet. 2:4. But even a careful reading of these passages is sufficient to convince
one that they do not prove the point in question at all. Moreover, the Bible clearly
teaches us that God created heaven and earth “and all the host of them” in six days,
Gen. 2:1; Ex. 20:11.
d. The concordistic theory. This seeks to harmonize Scripture and science by assuming
that the days of creation were periods of thousands of years. In addition to what was
said about this in discussing the days of creation, we may now add that the idea that the
earth’s strata positively point to long and successive periods of development in the
history of its origin, is simply a theory of the geologists, and a theory based on
unwarranted generalizations. We would call attention to the following considerations:
(1) The science of geology is not only young, but it is still in bondage to speculative
thought. It cannot be considered as an inductive science, since it is largely the fruit of a
priori or deductive reasoning. Spencer called it “Illogical Geology” and ridiculed its
methods, and Huxley spoke of its grand hypotheses as “not proven and not provable.” 74
(2) Up to the present time it has done little more than scratch the surface of the earth,
and that in a very limited number of places. As a result its conclusions are often mere
generalizations, based on insufficient data. Facts observed in some places are
contradicted by those found in others. (3) Even if it had explored large areas in all parts
of the globe, it could only increase our knowledge of the present condition of the earth,
but would never be able to give us perfectly reliable information respecting its past
history. You cannot write the history of a nation on the basis of the facts observed in its
present constitution and life. (4) Geologists once proceeded on the assumption that the
strata of rocks were found in the same order all over the globe; and that by estimating
the length of time required by the formation of each it could determine the age of the
earth. But (a) it was found that the order of the rocks differs in various localities; (b) the
experiments made to determine the time required for the formation of the different
strata, led to widely different results; and (c) the uniformitarian theory of Lyell, that the
physical and chemical action of today are safe guides in estimating those of all previous
74 Price, The Fundamentals of Geology, pp. 29, 32.
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