Genesis 1 presents a creation order that has shaped religious thought for millennia. But when read through a scientific lens, one detail stands out as problematic: the creation of plants before the sun.
Here’s what Genesis 1 says:
Day 1 – Heaven, Earth and Light Created (Genesis 1:1-5):
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Day 2 – Sky and Waters Separated (Genesis 1:6-8):
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Day 3 – Land, Seas, and Vegetation (Genesis 1:9-13):
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Day 4 – Sun, Moon, and Stars (Genesis 1:14-19):
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,[f] and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Here’s the problem: according to modern science, plants cannot exist without the sun. Photosynthesis requires specific wavelengths of light that plants use to produce energy. In reality, the sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago—long before the Earth or any plant life appeared. Plants evolved on Earth because the sun was already present as a stable energy source.
The Earth as we know it cannot exist without the sun. The sun’s gravity holds Earth in orbit. Its energy drives the climate and weather systems and sustains all life through photosynthesis. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen, lifeless rock drifting in space. There would be no liquid water, no atmosphere as we know it, and certainly no plants.
Scientists estimate that the sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago, and Earth formed shortly after, about 4.5 billion years ago, from the same cloud of gas and dust. Only because of the sun’s heat and light did Earth develop stable conditions for water, an atmosphere, and life.
Some argue that the “light” created on Day 1 was a temporary light or God’s own light, with the sun only becoming visible on Day 4. But Genesis doesn’t say this explicitly. The text simply presents light existing without a source and vegetation growing before the sun, moon, and stars exist.
This order contradicts what science tells us about the natural world. Plants depend on sunlight for photosynthesis—a process that requires not just any light, but the specific energy output of a star like our sun. Without the sun, there would be no energy source for plants to convert into chemical energy, and no way to sustain a functioning ecosystem.
Earth Needs the Sun: Why Genesis 1’s Timeline Doesn’t Match Reality
With today’s technological advances, we understand that stars, including the Sun, are the true sources of light in space, which is otherwise a vast, dark vacuum. Without stars, space would be completely dark, as there would be nothing to emit light. The Sun, as a star, produces energy through nuclear fusion, converting hydrogen into helium and releasing massive amounts of light and heat. This light not only illuminates the Earth but also makes life possible by driving photosynthesis and maintaining a stable climate. Ancient people may not have understood what stars were, but modern science has confirmed that all natural light we see in the universe—whether from our Sun or distant stars—comes from these nuclear processes. Therefore, the idea that light could exist without stars or the Sun, as described in Genesis 1, is inconsistent with what we now know about the universe.
For Earth to form and exist as a stable planet capable of supporting life, very specific cosmic and physical conditions had to be in place. Here’s a breakdown of the environment Earth needed for its formation and development:
1. Formation of Stars and Heavy Elements (Before Earth)
- Earth could not form until after earlier generations of stars had lived and died.
- The first stars (Population III stars) were made mostly of hydrogen and helium — no heavier elements like carbon, oxygen, or iron.
- When those massive stars exploded as supernovae, they forged heavier elements (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, iron, silicon, etc.) and spread them into space.
- These elements are essential for rocky planets, atmospheres, water, and life.
- Conclusion: Earth needed an environment enriched with heavy elements, which came from previous star deaths. Genesis 1:14-19 talks about the stars being created after creating the earth.
2. Formation of the Sun (A Stable Star)
- A stable, long-living star like the sun had to form before Earth could exist.
- The sun formed from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust (a “solar nebula”) around 4.6 billion years ago.
- The sun provided:
- Gravitational center to hold planets in orbit.
- Light and heat essential for life.
- Conclusion: No sun, no Earth. Earth formed from leftover material in orbit around the sun.
3. Protoplanetary Disk: Raw Materials for Planets
- Around the young sun, a disk of gas, ice, and dust formed — called a protoplanetary disk.
- In this disk:
- Dust grains clumped together through collisions, forming larger bodies called planetesimals.
- Over time, these planetesimals merged into proto-planets, including early Earth.
- Conclusion: Earth needed a protoplanetary disk rich in heavy elements to provide the material for its rocky structure.
4. Right Distance from the Sun (“Habitable Zone”)
- Earth formed in the habitable zone — the region around the sun where temperatures allow liquid water to exist on a planet’s surface.
- If Earth were too close: too hot, water would evaporate.
- If Earth were too far: too cold, water would freeze.
- Conclusion: Earth needed to form at just the right distance — about 93 million miles (150 million km) from the sun.
5. Stable Orbit and Size
- Earth had to have:
- A stable, nearly circular orbit to prevent extreme temperature shifts.
- Enough mass to:
- Hold onto an atmosphere via gravity.
- Maintain internal heat (driving the magnetic field and plate tectonics).
- Conclusion: Right size and orbit were essential for long-term habitability.
6. Collision to Form the Moon (Stabilizing Factor)
- Early in Earth’s history, a Mars-sized body likely collided with Earth.
- This impact:
- Formed the moon from debris.
- Stabilized Earth’s tilt, preventing chaotic shifts in climate.
- The moon’s gravitational pull also stabilizes Earth’s rotation and drives tides, both important for life’s development.
- Conclusion: The moon-forming impact helped make Earth more stable and habitable.
7. Volcanic Activity and Outgassing (Building an Atmosphere and Oceans)
- Early Earth was volcanically active.
- Volcanic outgassing released water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other gases, forming the early atmosphere.
- Water vapor condensed into oceans as Earth cooled.
- Conclusion: Volcanic activity was essential to create the atmosphere and oceans.
8. Protection from Radiation (Magnetic Field)
- Earth’s liquid iron core generates a magnetic field.
- This magnetic field:
- Shields Earth from solar wind and cosmic rays, which would otherwise strip away the atmosphere.
- Protects life from harmful space radiation.
- Conclusion: A strong magnetic field is critical for long-term habitability.
Conclusion
When we compare the biblical timeline of creation in Genesis 1 to the scientific timeline of Earth’s formation, the differences are undeniable. Genesis describes light existing without a source, plants growing before the sun, and the creation of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day, after Earth and vegetation are already in place.
But scientifically, this order is impossible. The sun formed before Earth, and without the sun, Earth could not exist—there would be no gravity to hold it in orbit, no energy to drive climate or sustain life, and no light for photosynthesis. The moon formed soon after Earth, not days or epochs later. Plants and life came billions of years after the sun and Earth had already stabilized.
In reality, the correct scientific sequence is clear:
- Stars and galaxies form
- The sun forms
- Earth forms from leftover material around the sun
- The moon forms from a collision with Earth
- Atmosphere and oceans develop
- Life begins (simple, then complex)
This sequence is backed by astronomy, geology, physics, and biology, not speculation.
If Genesis 1 is read as literal history, it is scientifically wrong. Its sequence of events does not match how the universe, the solar system, and life actually came to be. However, if Genesis is viewed as a theological or symbolic text, aimed at explaining God’s power and role in creation to an ancient audience, it serves a different purpose—but it cannot stand as a factual, scientific account of Earth’s origins.
