Below you will find points from scripture that provide support for a literal old earth interpretation of Genesis.
1) Genesis 1:1-2 is completed before the first creative "yom" (often translated as day). This places no restriction on the age of the Earth and the Universe.
"Genesis 1:2 states that the Earth was in existence before the start of the first creative period. The nature of the Hebrew perfect completed action verb does not indicate when this completed state had been achieved or how long the Earth had been in this state. How long the Earth continues in this state before the commands of Genesis 1:3 is also unstated and unknown" (Reading Genesis One by Whitefield)
2) The events of day six suggest that they took place over the course of many weeks, months or years.
Adam engaged in the following activities: gardening, studying animals, and naming animals.
Adam exclaimed "now at last" when he first sees Eve, suggesting that he realized deeply that something was missing from his existence. (A Matter of Days by Ross)
3) The Hebrew text of Exodus 20:11, used by many young earthers in support of their position, does not contain the word "in".
"The insertion of the world "in" into the translation of Exodus 20:11 significantly distorts the meaning of the verse. The "in" appears italicized in the KJV, but is not italicized in most other English translations or in some recent printings of the KJV." (Reading Genesis One by Whitefield)
4) Exodus 20:11 does not refer to the same creative action of God that is referenced in Genesis 1:1.
"Exodus 20:11 does not indicate that the creative actions (bara) of Genesis 1:1 are included in the events referred to by this verse. Exodus 20:11 does refer to actions taken by God to modify, or further perfect, those things which He had already created (bara)." (Reading Genesis One by Whitefield)
5) The seventh day (or period) is not bound like the first six creative "yoms" (days or periods). Note the phrase "And there was evening and there was morning" is missing from the seventh day. This leaves the seventh period to be an unbounded amount of time.
6) Scriptures outside of Genesis support an Old Earth interpretation.
Hear, O mountains, the Lord's accusation;
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. (Micah 6:2)
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever...
All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again...
It was here already, long ago (Ecc. 1:4,7,10)
He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal. (Habakkuk 3:6)
7) Consider what those of time past had to say about the length of the creation days.
Newton - "Now for ye number & length of ye six days: by what is said above you may make ye first day as long as you please & ye second day too." (The Correspondence of Isaac Newton 1688-1694, letter 398)
Origen - "Now what man of intelligence will believe that the first, and the second, and the third day, and the evening and the morning existed without the sun, moon, and stars?
Augustine - "As for these 'days', it is difficult, perhaps impossible to think - let alone explain in words - what they mean." (The City of God)
8) Consider the list of present day believers that are open to an old earth interpretation.
