Chapter 08: Pre-Adamite Races and the Gap Theory – Dake’s Dangerous Fantasy

Opening Story: In 1965, a young Bible college student named Thomas sat in his dorm room, excitedly reading his new Dake Annotated Reference Bible. As he studied Genesis 1, he discovered Dake’s elaborate theory about a pre-Adamite world that existed for millions of years before Adam. “Finally,” Thomas thought, “a way to reconcile the Bible with science!” He eagerly absorbed Dake’s teaching about prehistoric races of humans who lived under Lucifer’s rule, built cities, and were destroyed in a flood when Satan rebelled. This theory seemed to answer so many questions. But years later, as a pastor, Thomas would weep as he realized how this teaching had poisoned his ministry, justified racism in his congregation, and contradicted the very heart of the Gospel message. “I taught fantasy as fact,” he would later confess, “and led God’s people into serious error.”

Big Word Alert: Gap Theory

The Gap Theory (also called the Ruin-Reconstruction Theory) is the idea that millions or billions of years passed between Genesis 1:1 (“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”) and Genesis 1:2 (“And the earth was without form, and void”). During this supposed gap, an entire civilization existed and was destroyed. Think of it like claiming there’s a whole movie between the opening credits and the first scene—except this “movie” supposedly lasted for ages and involved prehistoric humans, Satan’s rebellion, and worldwide destruction.

What Dake Said:

“We mean by ‘original creations’ the first creation of the heavens and of the Earth and all things therein. This was done ‘In the beginning’ or in the dateless past (Gen. 1:1)… The creation of the pre-Adamite world included the first inhabitants of the Earth, called ‘nations’ over whom Lucifer ruled (Isa. 14:12-14), ‘man’ who built cities (Jer. 4:23-26), and ‘the world (Greek, kosmos, social system) that then was’ (2 Pet. 3:5-8). The pre-Adamites were Earthly creatures as proved by the fact that they were drowned in the pre-Adamite flood.”¹

—Dake, God’s Plan for Man, “Ages and Dispensations” section

What Dake Said:

“Long before a man called Adam walked with God in the gardens of Eden, longer still before the flood of Noah covered the face of the earth, in a time called ‘the beginning,’ God created the heavens and the earth. A grand and beautiful design, the earth as conceived by the Creator was an exquisite home for the creatures He had fashioned. The earth itself was a magnificent garden where life flourished in a dazzling display of variety… God created men and they began to settle in villages, cities and nations. Angels, a part of this new creation, were given dominion over the earth, to rule with the authority of their Creator.”⁸

—Dake, Another Time… Another Place… Another Man, page 2

What Dake Said:

“This age could have lasted for thousands, millions, perhaps even billions of years. Lucifer, the first ruler of Earth, was the first to rebel against God. He conceived the idea and boldly attempted to carry out his plan to dethrone God and become the supreme ruler of God’s universal kingdom.”¹⁹

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What Dake Said:

“That Lucifer had control of this pre-Adamite kingdom and ruled this social order is clear from such verses as Isaiah 14:12-14… In these verses we see that Lucifer had a throne (which implies dominion and rulership), and that his rulership extended over territory which existed, not in heaven (since his desire was to ‘ascend into heaven’) but on the Earth.”²

—Dake, God’s Plan for Man, page unnumbered

What Dake Said:

“Belief in the pre-Adamite system allows that the earth could be millions of years old. Prehistoric animals could have been a part of that system, as well as any different type of man, if such is ever excluded from Adam’s race by established proof.”⁹

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 1

What Dake Said:

“It is to this original period that all fossils and remains of animals belong, as well as the geologic formations of the Earth, which went through one great cataclysm in the past.”²⁰

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What Dake Said:

“God told Adam to replenish the earth (Gen. 1:28). He told Noah to do the same thing 1,656 years later (Gen. 9:1). It is as reasonable to believe the earth was plenished before Adam’s time as it is to accept that it was plenished before Noah’s.”³

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 1:28

What Dake Said:

“The command for Adam to replenish the earth (fill it again), not plenish it, proves that the earth had been filled before this (Gen. 1:28). God gave the same command to Noah, after the second universal flood (9:1-2). Should we conclude from His command to Noah to replenish the earth that He meant to fill it for the first time, and not refill it? Substitute the word fill (meaning supply for the first time) in Gen. 9:1; Isa. 2:6; 23:2; Jer. 31:25; Ez. 26:2; 27:25, as some do in Gen. 1:28 and see if it makes better sense. Whatever we conclude in these other places where replenish is used, let us be consistent and give the same meaning to Gen. 1:28.”¹⁰

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 1:28

What Dake Said:

“Moses also speaks of the Earth being ‘replenished’ by Adam in the same sense the word is used elsewhere in Scripture. In Genesis 1:28, God blesses Adam and Even and says to them ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth.’ The word ‘replenish’ is the same word used in Genesis 9:1 where we read ‘And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth.’ According to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, the word ‘replenish’ means: ‘to recover former fullness.’ It is apparent that Adam and Eve were to restore the Earth to its former fullness in exactly the same way that God required for Noah and his family (Gen. 9:1; Isa. 2:6; 23:2; Jer. 31:25; Ezek. 26:2; 27:25). We have just as much right to argue that the Earth had not been ‘plenished’ before Noah as to argue that it had not been before Adam. Both were commanded to ‘replenish’ the Earth.”²¹

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What Dake Said:

“The fact that Moses by inspiration said that God told Adam to multiply and replenish the Earth proves that there was a social system on the Earth before Adam, for he could not replenish something that had not been plenished before. Some argue that the Hebrew word for replenish means fill and not refill, but this proves nothing. An examination of all places where the word replenish is used disproves this… To say, ‘Fill that glass with water,’ does not prove that it had never been filled before, but to say, ‘Refill that glass with water’ proves that it had been filled before. When God said to Noah, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth’ (Gen. 9:1), it is clear that the Earth had been plenished before, so why not believe that God meant the same thing when He said it to Adam?”²²

—Dake, God’s Plan for Man, page 118

What the Bible Really Says:

This argument completely falls apart when we look at the actual Hebrew word. The Hebrew word “male” simply means “to fill”—not “to fill again.” The King James translators used “replenish” in its older English meaning of “to fill completely” (think of being “fully plenished”), not in the modern sense of “to fill again” or “to refill.”

Modern Bible translations correctly render this verse as “fill the earth,” not “refill” or “replenish.” There’s no “re-” prefix in the Hebrew that would suggest filling something again. This is like claiming that when someone says “I’m going to finish my homework,” they must have previously finished it before—it’s adding meaning that isn’t there.

What Dake Said:

“Before the time of Adam, men lived in cities and fruitful places on earth, so they must have eaten food and been mortal as we are today… Jeremiah 4:23-26 also speaks of the curse on the Earth when Lucifer rebelled.”⁴

—Dake, Heavenly Hosts, page unnumbered

What Dake Said:

“The only time the earth has ever been without form and void was before the 6 days of Gen. 1:3—2:25 when it was made chaos through the fall of Lucifer and the pre-Adamites—when God brought the first great universal flood upon the earth to destroy all life (Gen. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:5-7). The statement without form and void means desolate and empty… The only time Jeremiah could have seen the earth without form and void and totally dark and desolate of all life was at the same time Moses saw it thus, as recorded by him in Gen. 1:2. There never has been a time from Adam until now when the earth was in such a state (not even at the time of Noah’s flood), and there will never be a time of such a curse in the eternal future. The only time Jer. 4:23-26 could be fulfilled was before Adam, for the earth was in such a condition when the Spirit began the 6 days’ work of restoring it to a second habitable state (Gen. 1:2-21).”¹¹

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Jeremiah 4:23-26

What Dake Said:

“Jeremiah’s description of the chaotic earth confirms the fact that men, not angels, inhabited the earth before Adam: ‘I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.’ (Jer. 4:23-26) Before the time of Adam, men lived in cities and fruitful places on earth, so they must have eaten food and been mortal as we are today.”²³

—Dake, Heavenly Hosts

What Dake Said:

“Jeremiah (4:23-26) also speaks of the curse on the Earth when Lucifer rebelled. The Earth here was in the same condition as it was in Gen. 1:2 before the six days of re-creation.”²⁴

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What the Bible Really Says:

Jeremiah 4 has absolutely nothing to do with prehistoric times! The context makes it crystal clear that Jeremiah is prophesying about the coming Babylonian invasion of Judah. The chapter begins with God calling Judah to repent (verses 1-4) and warning about invasion from the north (verse 6).

Jeremiah uses dramatic, poetic language to describe how devastating the coming judgment will be—so terrible it will be as if creation itself is being undone. This is like saying “it’s raining cats and dogs”—it’s figurative language for emphasis, not a literal description of animals falling from the sky. To claim these verses describe prehistoric events is to completely ignore their actual context and meaning.

What Dake Said:

“According to Isa. 14:12-14, Lucifer actually invaded heaven from earth, hoping to defeat God and take His kingdom; but, Lucifer himself was defeated and his kingdom cursed. Before his defeat he had a throne and therefore a kingdom and subjects to rule over. His kingdom was under the clouds, under the stars, and under heaven—therefore, on earth.”¹²

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Isaiah 14

What Dake Said:

“Isaiah (14:12-14) teaches that Lucifer invaded Heaven from the Earth; that he was cast out of Heaven back down to the Earth; that he had weakened the nations on Earth before his invasion; that he was king of these nations; that he had a throne under the clouds, stars, and under Heaven; that he wanted to dethrone God and be worshipped in the congregation of Heaven; and that he was defeated by God.”²⁵

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What Dake Said:

“Ezekiel (28:11-17) reveals that Lucifer was the anointed cherub that ruled the Earth; that he was perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him; that when he ruled Eden (an Eden on Earth before Adam) every precious stone was his covering; that he fell because of pride; and that he was cast down to the ground in utter defeat.”²⁶

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What the Bible Really Says:

These passages primarily address historical human rulers, not prehistoric events. Isaiah 14 explicitly identifies its subject as the king of Babylon (verse 4), and Ezekiel 28 addresses the prince and king of Tyre (verses 2 and 12). While these passages may contain secondary references to Satan’s fall (many Bible teachers see a dual meaning), they’re primarily about actual historical kings.

The “nations” being weakened were contemporary nations that these kings oppressed, not prehistoric civilizations. Any application to Satan must be understood as symbolic or typological (where an earthly event pictures a spiritual reality), not as literal historical narrative about pre-Adamite times.

What Dake Said:

“Peter tells us that ‘the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished.’ He makes it clear that ‘the world that then was’ existed before ‘the heavens and the Earth, which are now’ (2 Pet. 3:5-8). Peter could not be referring to the flood of Noah any more than did Moses in Gen. 1:2, for the entire social order was not destroyed in Noah’s time. Obviously, Noah and his family were saved on the ark, continuing the social system which began with Adam.”²⁷

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

What the Bible Really Says:

Peter is clearly referring to Noah’s flood, not some unknown prehistoric catastrophe. The context proves this beyond doubt. Peter is addressing scoffers who deny that God will judge the world in the future (verses 3-4). He uses Noah’s flood as historical proof that God has judged the world before and will do so again.

When Peter says “the world that then was” perished, he means the world system, the civilization, the way of life—not that every single thing was annihilated. It’s like saying “the ancient Roman world perished”—the civilization ended even though people survived. Peter’s argument depends on his readers knowing about Noah’s flood from Scripture. If he was referring to some unknown prehistoric flood, his argument would make no sense.

What Dake Said:

“They are called nations in Isaiah 14:12. The Hebrew word goy is translated Gentiles, nations, people, and heathen hundreds of times, but never angels. It follows then that the nations Lucifer ruled over must have been made up of men.”⁵

“Peter indicates that the pre-Adamites were mortals, for they drowned. In 2 Peter 3:5 we read ‘that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water,’ proving that the earth was not created all wet as described in Genesis 1:2.”⁶

—Dake, Heavenly Hosts

What Dake Said:

“Peter indicates that the pre-Adamites were mortals, for they drowned. In 2 Peter 3:5 we read ‘that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water,’ proving that the earth was not created all wet as described in Genesis 1:2 when ‘the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ Rather, it was created dry and was then flooded and later restored to dry ground as recorded in Genesis 1:9-10. Verse 6 of 2 Peter 3 describes this flood, saying that ‘the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.’ The Greek word for world here is kosmos which means social order. Thus ‘the world that then was’ refers to the social order before Adam’s day. It is contrasted with the heavens and earth ‘which are now’ (v. 7)—since the six days’ work of Genesis 1:3-2:25.”²⁸

—Dake, Heavenly Hosts

The Catastrophic Problem:

If there were humans before Adam, then fundamental biblical doctrines collapse:

• The Bible says Adam was the first man: “The first man Adam was made a living soul” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Not “the first man of this race” but THE first man, period.
• All humans descend from Adam: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men” (Acts 17:26). We’re all related. We’re all one human family.
• Sin entered through one man: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12). If death existed before Adam, the Gospel falls apart.
• Eve is the mother of ALL living: “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Not some living, but ALL living humans.

What Dake Said:

“This verse can be understood by realizing that Adam was created the first of this present race of men. It should never be taken to mean that he was the first man who ever lived on the earth, for nations of men—mortal beings capable of being drowned in a flood—operated in a social system before Adam and the flood of Lucifer’s time.”⁷

—Dake, Heavenly Hosts

What Dake Said:

“Adam and Eve were the first and only people on earth immediately after the 6 days’ work of re-creation. They were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth with their own kind (1:26-28)… The fact that Gen. 3:20 says, ‘Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of ALL living,’ is proof enough that she was responsible for Cain’s wife as well as for Cain himself.”¹³

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 3:20

What the Bible Really Says:

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

What Dake Said:

“In the new earth there will be no more curse; everything will be as it was before Lucifer’s rebellion in the pre-Adamite world, and before man’s rebellion in the Adamite world (Acts 3:21; Rev. 22:3).”¹⁴

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 3

What Dake Said:

“Genesis 1:3 – 2:25 is no longer being viewed as the original creation, it must now be seen as the re-creation or restoration of the earth, following the destruction of the pre-Adamite world described in Genesis 1:2.”¹⁵

—Dake, Another Time… Another Place… Another Man, page 94

What Dake Said:

“Turning to the N.T. we find that Jesus taught the fall of Satan from heaven in Lk. 10:18. When did he fall? Before Adam’s time, for he was already a fallen creature when he came into Adam’s Eden (Gen. 3). Why did he fall? Because of pride and wanting to exalt his earthly kingdom above God’s (Isa. 14:12-16; Ez. 28:11-17). What was the result of his fall? All of Satan’s earthly subjects as well as over one third of God’s own angels fell with him (Rev. 12:3, 7-12); and all nations were totally destroyed, along with vegetation, fish, fowls, and animals (2 Pet. 3:5-7).”¹⁶

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Luke 10:18

What Dake Said:

“The fact of two universal floods (one in Lucifer’s day and one in Noah’s day) and a later division of the earth can easily explain the fossil remains being where they are. In Lucifer’s flood God turned the earth upside down by earthquakes (Gen. 1:2, notes). This accounts for fossil remains being found deep in the earth underneath many layers of solid rock.”¹⁷

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Genesis 1:2

What Dake Said:

“That there was a great catastrophe that came upon the pre-Adamite world is clear from many Scriptures as well as from facts of geology, botany, and other sciences. Scientists assert that the Earth went through JUST ONE great catastrophe at an unknown period in the past; that animal remains show that they died in great agony; and that some unexplainable something happened to the Earth itself to cause it to be turned upside down.”²⁹

—Dake, God’s Plan for Man, page 128

The Dangerous Logic:

The Gap Theory provides a theological framework for arguing that:

1. Different races might have different origins: If pre-Adamites were a separate creation, perhaps some modern races descend from them rather than from Adam. This would make racial differences not just skin deep but fundamentally ontological—different kinds of beings.

2. Racial mixing violates creation order: If God created different races separately, mixing them would violate His creative intent. This is exactly what Dake argued in his “30 reasons for segregation of races,” where he claimed God intended races to remain separate forever.

3. Some races might be inferior: If different races have different origins, some might be created with different capacities or purposes. This opens the door to racial hierarchy and the dehumanization of certain groups.

4. Segregation becomes divinely ordained: If God created races separately and destroyed a world for mixing, then racial segregation isn’t just permissible but mandatory. This is the logical conclusion of Dake’s system.

What the Bible Really Says About Human Unity:

Paul’s declaration in Acts 17:26 stands as a direct rebuke to any theology that divides humanity into separate creations: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”

ONE blood. ONE human race. ONE family descended from ONE couple. This is the biblical truth that destroys racism at its root. We’re all cousins in the human family. The variations we call “races” are minor genetic differences that developed as humans spread across the earth—like how children in the same family can have different hair or eye colors.

Big Word Alert: Imago Dei

Imago Dei (ih-MAH-go DAY-ee) is Latin for “Image of God.” It means that humans uniquely reflect God’s nature in ways like: ability to reason, moral conscience, creativity, capacity for relationship, and spiritual awareness. It’s like how a child might have their parent’s eyes or smile—we “resemble” God in certain ways (though we’re not gods ourselves!).

Dake’s Attempted Solution Creates More Problems:

Dake tries to solve these problems by arguing that pre-Adamites were a completely different order of human being, unrelated to Adam’s race. But this solution creates more problems than it solves. It essentially argues for polygenism—multiple separate creations of different human races—which has been used throughout history to justify racism and deny the unity of humanity.

Big Word Alert: Hamartiology

Hamartiology (ham-ar-tee-AH-lo-jee) is the study of sin—its origin, nature, and effects. It comes from the Greek word “hamartia” meaning “to miss the mark” (like an arrow missing its target). It’s the biblical study of what went wrong with humanity and creation.

Big Word Alert: Soteriology

Soteriology (so-teer-ee-AH-lo-jee) is the study of salvation. It comes from the Greek word “soter” meaning “savior.” It covers how God saves people from sin and its consequences—everything from why we need saving to how salvation is accomplished and applied.

Big Word Alert: Eschatology

Eschatology (es-kuh-TAH-lo-jee) is the study of last things or end times. It comes from the Greek word “eschatos” meaning “last” or “final.” It covers topics like the second coming of Christ, resurrection, judgment, heaven, hell, and the new creation.

What Dake Said:

Dake outlined what he called the “10 Careers of the Earth”: ¹⁸

1. First perfect earth: when it was first created in the beginning (Gen. 1:1; Eccl. 3:11)
2. First sinless career of the earth: when Lucifer and the pre-Adamites lived without sin (Gen. 1:1; Ez. 28:11-17)
3. First sinful career of the earth: when Lucifer, the pre-Adamites, and over 1/3 of God’s angels rebelled (Gen. 1:2; Isa. 14:12-14; Jer. 4:23-26; Ez. 28:11-17)
4. First imperfect earth: when cursed and flooded at the fall of Lucifer and the pre-Adamites (Gen. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:5-6)
5. Second perfect earth: when God restored it to a second habitable state (Gen. 1:3—2:25; Ex. 20:9-11)
6. Second sinless career of the earth: when Adam and Eve lived without sin (Gen. 2:7-25)
7. Second sinful career of the earth: from the time when Adam and Eve sinned until now (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12-21)
8. Second imperfect earth: when cursed at the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 5)
9. Third perfect earth: when it will be renewed and made perfect again at the end of the Millennium (Isa. 65:17; 66:22-24; 2 Pet. 3:5-13; Rev. 21-22)
10. Third and eternal sinless career of the earth: when man will continue eternally without sin (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 1:10; Rev. 21-22)

—Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Haggai 2:7

Big Word Alert: Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism is a way of interpreting the Bible that divides history into different periods (dispensations) in which God relates to humanity in different ways. While moderate dispensationalism can be helpful for understanding biblical history, Dake’s extreme version creates multiple plans of salvation and fragments Scripture into disconnected pieces.

What Dake Said:

“From several passages in the Old and New Testaments, we learn that, before Adam was created, there was a social order on Earth which was destroyed before the events of Genesis 1:3 (Isa. 14:12-14; 45:18; Jer. 4:23-26; Ezek. 28:11-17; 2 Pet. 3:6)… This administration of angels was evidently a moral or probationary period designed to test the angels before trusting them in an eternal state. So we call it a ‘dispensation,’ which means a moral or probationary period in which God tests free moral agents according to a fixed standard of conduct.”³⁰

—Dake, Ages and Dispensations

A Sunday School Teacher’s Confession:

“I taught the Gap Theory to children for years using Dake’s notes. I told them about prehistoric worlds, Lucifer’s rebellion, and pre-Adamite races. When one child asked if prehistoric men went to heaven, I couldn’t answer. That innocent question haunted me and eventually led me to study the issue properly. I had to go back and correct years of false teaching. Some of those children, now adults, still believe what I taught them. The guilt of leading little ones astray still weighs on me.”

—Margaret, former Sunday School teacher

A Seminary Student’s Discovery:

“I arrived at seminary confident in my biblical knowledge from years of Dake Bible study. When my Hebrew professor showed that ‘replenish’ simply meant ‘fill,’ my entire theological system began unraveling. I felt betrayed and angry. Everything I thought I knew was built on sand. It took counseling and patient mentoring to rebuild my faith on solid ground. I almost left ministry entirely.”

—James, now a pastor

A Pastor’s Regret:

“I preached through Genesis using the Gap Theory framework. My congregation was fascinated by tales of prehistoric worlds and Lucifer’s ancient rebellion. But when we got to Romans 5, I couldn’t explain how death entered through Adam if millions had already died. My attempt to harmonize Dake’s theory with Paul’s theology confused my congregation and weakened their trust in Scripture’s clarity. Some left the church. Others lost confidence in the Bible’s reliability. I had to publicly repent for teaching speculation as fact.”

—Pastor Robert, Reformed Baptist Church

A Family Divided:

“My father used Dake’s Gap Theory and racial teachings to justify why my sister shouldn’t marry her African American fiancé. He argued that different races might have different origins—some from Adam, some from pre-Adamites. It tore our family apart. My sister hasn’t spoken to my father in ten years. False doctrine destroyed our family relationships. The Gap Theory wasn’t just wrong theology—it became a tool for racism and division.”

—Anonymous

What Dake Said:

“It is definitely stated in Isa. 45:18 that God did not create the Earth tohu (vain, or desolate), yet in Gen. 1:2 the Earth was tohu. If the Earth was not originally created desolate, then it must have been created, inhabited, and later became desolate.”³¹

—Dake, God’s Plan for Man, page 118

Practical Steps for Helping Others:

1. Begin with Common Ground: Affirm their commitment to Scripture’s authority. The problem isn’t that they don’t believe the Bible but that they’ve been taught to misinterpret it. Start where you agree—that God’s Word is true—and work from there.

2. Focus on Clear Scripture: Start with passages that clearly contradict the Gap Theory, like Exodus 20:11, Romans 5:12, and 1 Corinthians 15:45. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Don’t get lost in obscure passages or complex arguments.

3. Examine Context Carefully: Show how Dake’s proof texts (like Jeremiah 4) make perfect sense in their actual context without requiring a Gap Theory. Demonstrate proper hermeneutics by example. Teach them to ask, “What did this mean to the original hearers?”

4. Address the Underlying Concern: Often people accept the Gap Theory because they’re troubled by scientific claims about earth’s age. Address this concern with resources on young-earth creation or framework interpretation, depending on your conviction. The key is showing that you don’t need the Gap Theory to be faithful to Scripture.

5. Provide Better Resources: Recommend solid study Bibles and commentaries that properly interpret Genesis. Replace error with truth rather than just removing error. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does the human mind.

6. Be Patient with the Process: Abandoning the Gap Theory may require reconstructing one’s entire theological framework. This takes time and can be emotionally difficult. Be patient. Remember how patient God has been with your own growth in understanding.

7. Emphasize the Gospel: Keep the focus on what’s essential—salvation by grace through faith in Christ. The Gap Theory is serious error, but believing it doesn’t automatically damn someone. Don’t make secondary issues primary.

What the Bible Really Says:

“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

God has revealed what we need to know for faith and practice. When we go beyond revelation into speculation, we inevitably fall into error. The Gap Theory is a prime example of what happens when human imagination replaces divine revelation.

Chapter Summary: Main Points

• The Gap Theory claims millions of years passed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, during which a pre-Adamite race lived under Lucifer’s rule
• Dake taught that God destroyed this prehistoric world when Satan rebelled, and Genesis describes a re-creation, not original creation
• The “proofs” don’t work: “Replenish” just means “fill,” Jeremiah 4 describes future judgment not past, and Peter refers to Noah’s flood
• Pre-Adamite races contradict clear Scripture that Adam was the first man and all humans descend from him
• Death before sin undermines the Gospel by making death part of creation rather than the wages of sin
• The theory feeds racism by suggesting different human races might have different origins
• Multiple biblical doctrines are undermined: the image of God, origin of sin, salvation, and God’s plan
• Real people are hurt by this teaching through confusion, lost faith, and divided families
• The biblical account is sufficient: God created everything good, sin broke it, Jesus fixes it
• We must help those deceived with patience, clear Scripture, and focus on the Gospel

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Why might the Gap Theory seem attractive to Christians struggling with questions about the age of the earth? How can we address these concerns biblically without resorting to unbiblical theories?
2. How does the teaching of pre-Adamite races undermine the biblical doctrine of the image of God? What are the implications for human dignity and worth?
3. In what ways does the Gap Theory connect to and support racist ideology? How does the biblical teaching of one human race counter racism?
4. Why is it important that death entered through Adam’s sin rather than existing before his creation? How does this affect our understanding of the Gospel?
5. How can we help those who have been influenced by the Gap Theory without being condescending or harsh? What approach shows both truth and love?
6. What does Deuteronomy 29:29 teach us about the limits of our knowledge? How can we be content with what God has revealed?
7. How does the simplicity of the biblical creation account actually strengthen our faith rather than weaken it?

A Prayer for Truth and Unity

Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth,

We confess that we are often tempted to add to Your Word, to speculate beyond what You have revealed, to complicate what You have made simple. Forgive us for the times we have valued human cleverness over divine revelation.

Thank You for the clear, beautiful truth of creation—that You made us in Your image, that we are all one human family descended from Adam and Eve, that Your original creation was very good. Thank You that when sin entered through Adam’s disobedience, You already had a plan for redemption through Christ.

Help us to be content with what You have revealed in Scripture. Give us wisdom to recognize speculation disguised as biblical teaching. Grant us discernment to distinguish between Your truth and human imagination.

For those who have been confused by the Gap Theory and similar teachings, we pray for clarity and restoration. Help them rebuild their faith on the solid foundation of Your Word. Give them teachers who will guide them in truth.

Lord, where this false teaching has been used to justify racism and division, bring healing and reconciliation. Help us to celebrate the unity of humanity You created and the even greater unity we have in Christ. May Your church demonstrate to the world that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but all are one.

Give us courage to stand for truth even when speculation seems more exciting. Help us to teach Your Word faithfully to the next generation, that they might not be led astray by elaborate theories that contradict Your simple, profound truth.

We thank You that Your Word is sufficient, that the Gospel is clear, and that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. Keep us anchored in these truths.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the last Adam, through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together,

Amen.

Sources Cited

1. Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949. “Ages and Dispensations” section (pages unnumbered).
2. Ibid.
3. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. Note on Genesis 1:28.
4. Dake, Finis Jennings. Heavenly Hosts. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1950. Page unnumbered.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Dake, Finis Jennings. Another Time… Another Place… Another Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Publishing, 1997. Page 2.
9. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Genesis 1 (pages unnumbered).
10. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Genesis 1:28 (pages unnumbered).
11. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Jeremiah 4:23-26 (pages unnumbered).
12. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Isaiah 14 (pages unnumbered).
13. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Genesis 3:20 (pages unnumbered).
14. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Genesis 3 (pages unnumbered).
15. Dake, Finis Jennings. Another Time… Another Place… Another Man. Page 94.
16. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Luke 10:18 (pages unnumbered).
17. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Genesis 1:2 (pages unnumbered).
18. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Note on Haggai 2:7 (pages unnumbered).
19. Dake, Finis Jennings. Ages and Dispensations. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, page unnumbered.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949. Page 118.
23. Dake, Finis Jennings. Heavenly Hosts. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1950. Page unnumbered.
24. Dake, Finis Jennings. Ages and Dispensations. Page unnumbered.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid.
28. Dake, Finis Jennings. Heavenly Hosts. Page unnumbered.
29. Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Page 128.
30. Dake, Finis Jennings. Ages and Dispensations. Page unnumbered.
31. Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Page 118.

Additional Sources

• Dake, Finis Jennings. Revelation Expounded. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1950.
• Dake, Finis Jennings. “Ages and Dispensations” (document from project files).
• Various Dake Bible notes on Genesis 1-3, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Jeremiah 4, and 2 Peter 3.