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In one of the links that rmwilliamsjr provided it talked about people such as Origen and Augustine who believed that the days of creation were not literal 24 hour days, mainly because they had trouble with the creation of the sun on the fourth day, if it was 6/24 hour days.

(Fred) Actually, if you read what these men wrote, they did not have problems with the creation of the sun on day four. There problem was that the creation week itself was just too long for an all powerful God. Augustine, for instance, believed the creation happened in an instant, but still maintained a young view of the universe. His comments that are often cited by long agers as being proof that Genesis has a history of being read figuratively are taken from a work that is specifically responding to long age beliefs about the universe from a pagan perspective.

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How would you account for the creation of the sun, on the 4th day if you believe in 6/24 hr. days?

(Fred) I guess my initial question is, why is this a problem? So the light holders are created on day four, so what? Why does that mean a 6/24 hour understanding of Genesis 1 is in error? I have never understood why long agers believe this day four argument is somehow the magic bullet to shut down a literal reading of Genesis. Usually they don't like light existing prior to the sun and stars, but the sun and stars are not necessary for light to exist. The new heaven and the new earth will be illumined by God himself (Rev. 21:23). God set up some source of light for marking off time for three days, until his creation of the lightholders on day four. Why is that so hard to believe? Perhaps someone can explain?

Fred

"Ah, sitting - the great leveler of men. From the mightest of pharaohs to the lowest of peasants, who doesn't enjoy a good sit?" M. Burns