The Bible recounts numerous miracles that challenge human understanding and cannot be verified through scientific investigation. These include events such as the parting of the Red Sea, the descent of manna from heaven, and the resurrection of Lazarus. For people of faith, these miracles are seen as evidence of the Creator’s immense power and wisdom, with wonders beyond human comprehension. One passage in the Book of Genesis has long puzzled both Jews and Christians and is frequently cited by atheists as evidence that the biblical account of creation is incompatible with modern scientific understanding. This concerns the creation of the Sun, which, according to the Bible, occurred on the fourth day—after the creation of plants, which, as we know, depend on sunlight for photosynthesis. This raises the question of whether the existence of the Sun is essential for plant life to survive.
This issue has captivated theologians for centuries. The medieval scholar Thomas Aquinas addressed this apparent contradiction in his Summa Theologica: ‘The sun, moon, and other luminous bodies are the causes of plants. In the natural order, the cause precedes the effect. Therefore, the luminous bodies should not have been created on the fourth day, but earlier’. He then offered a response to this objection: ‘The creation of plants was placed before the creation of luminous bodies to prevent idolatry. Indeed, those who worship luminous bodies as gods believe that plants primarily originate from these bodies’.1
Debates on this subject have existed since ancient times and continue into the present. Both Jewish and Christian thinkers generally agree on one key point: the light required for plants to grow did not necessarily have to come from the Sun and could have originated from an alternative source. Over the centuries, various hypotheses have been put forward about what, or who, this source of light could have been. It is clear, however, that God has repeatedly demonstrated His ability to create light without relying on any known source, as seen in the burning bush in the Book of Exodus and the star that led the Magi to Bethlehem.2
Light Before the Sun
Basil of Caesarea, an early Christian bishop and theologian, suggested that light existed during the first three days of creation, with its distinct form only being established on the fourth day. In this view, God created the essence of the Sun, which illuminated the Earth in the early stages, without forming its physical substance until the fourth day. To explain this, Basil used the analogy of a lamp and fire: while the lamp provides light, the fire within it can exist on its own, independent of the lamp.3
Augustine of Hippo (354–430), a renowned theologian, suggested that God created angels on the first day, with these angels acting as the source of light that illuminated the Earth during the initial three days of creation. The idea is plausible, given that angels are frequently depicted as bearers of light. Troy Lacey and Bodie Hodge, however, contend that angels are spiritual beings, which makes it unlikely that they were the physical source of light and warmth.4
An English Puritan theologian by the name of Matthew Poole (1624–1679) proposed that the light that could have shone during the first three days was a radiant cloud that traversed the Earth, providing partial illumination. On the fourth day, this light was solidified, increased in size, and perfected, resulting in the creation of the Sun.5
Brian Thomas suggested that God’s glory could have radiated over the Earth and waters, or that God might have created some unspecified luminous substance. He contended that various possibilities are consistent with the creation account in Genesis, and it is unlikely that we will ever be able to definitively identify the light source during the first three days of creation.6
Jonathan Sarfati observed that the Genesis account of Earth’s creation provides an insightful lesson. He proposed that the cycle of day and night described on the first day could be explained by a rotating Earth with a light source illuminating one side. This suggests that Earth must have been rotating on its axis from the very start of its existence. For Sarfati, this supports the accuracy of the biblical account, as the ancient authors would not have had knowledge of Earth’s rotation.7
Faith in God’s Sovereignty
It is highly improbable that we will ever uncover what was the source of light before the stars were created. As noted by Protestant reformer John Calvin, God, in the early stages of creation, demonstrated His power to provide light without relying on the Sun or Moon.8 The existence of plants before the appearance of sunlight does not challenge the accuracy of the creation narrative; instead, it highlights God’s omnipotence, which exceeds human comprehension.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Anxiety Disorders: What Guidance Does the Bible Offer?
- Noah’s Flood – Global or Local in Extent?
- Which Came First: The Flood or the Pyramids?
- The Flat Earth Myth in Christian History
- King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: How History Validates the Bible
Footnotes
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, vol. 5, p. 128, http://katedra.uksw.edu.pl/suma/Suma%205.pdf.
- Grigg R., Light, Life and the Glory of God, 2011, https://creation.com/light-life-and-the-glory-of-god.
- Basil the Great, De Spiritu Sancto Homilies on the Hexameron, http://www.documenta-catholica.eu/d_0330-0379-%20Basilius%20Magnus%20-%20Nine%20Homilies%20on%20the%20Hexaemeron%20-%20EN.pdf.
- Lacey T., Hodge B., Light Before the Sun, 2019, https://answersingenesis.org/days-of-creation/days-without-sun-what-was-source-light/.
- Ibid.
- Thomas B., Were There Days Before God Created the Sun?, 2017, https://www.icr.org/article/were-there-days-before-god-created.
- Sarfati J., Literal Days Before the Sun, 2019, https://creation.com/literal-days-before-the-sun.
- Sarfati J., Calvin Said: Genesis Means What It Says, https://creation.com/calvin-said-genesis-means-what-it-says; Calvin, J., Genesis, 1554; Banner of Truth, Edinburgh, 1984, pp. 76–77.
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