Body: | Biblical Age of the Earth
<10,000 years old
Did you know that the Bible clearly teaches that the earth is less than
10,000 years old?
Click to View
Bible-Skeptic Converter Video Lectures!
Click to View
1:03 hours
Biblical Age of the earth
Below is the outline for the video. We recommend you print the outline below before viewing the video. Then watch the video with the hard copy (printed) of the outline in your hand. Enjoy!
See also: Scientific age of the earth. Did you know that science clearly evidences that the earth is thousands and not millions of years old?
Click to View
Click to View
SCRIPTURAL AGE OF EARTH
By Don Patton Ph.D. (March 2000)
Introduction:
A. Atheist like Stephen Gould often play theologian, piously
affirm, "No conflict between great ages of evolution and the Bible."
"Honors God; shows grandeur and beauty of God's wisdom."
1. Truly honors God to believe His word, to accept His
testimony.
2. Will see that unbelievers make lousy theologians.
B. Age is pivotal, crucial issue. Insistence, "It makes no
difference," is often a smoke screen to avert attention from compromise of
faith.
1. Philosophical implications:
a. When the beginning is distant, not directly associated
with us, then end is easier to view as distant and unassociated with us. A
recent beginning is often stiff-armed in order to escapes the sharp edged
accountability associated with an imminent end.
2. Scientific Implications:
a. When great ages of Geologic column are acknowledged,
change through time (their definition of evolution) is inescapable. So what
if evolutionists can't explain how. It happened!
b. If great ages are excluded then evolution obviously
impossible. Philosophically and scientifically essential for the
naturalist.
3. Religious implications:
a) When we learn to explain away apparently plain
statements to accommodate what already "know," unending consequences.
(Examples: Marriage, deviant sex, salvation, heaven, hell.)
b) Would one decide that ancient Roman historians were all
poets, there never was a literal Julius Caeser, or Emperor Tiberias.
c) Follow same line of reasoning in American history, who
can say George Washington, Abraham Lincoln real, not metaphorical
personifications of American political and social ideals?
C. Evolutionists certainly understand the significance.
1. Richard Leakey, "Lyell published the first volume of his
Principles of Geology in 1830...The world was soon accepted of being of
extreme antiquity, not thousands but many millions of years old, and this
provided the essential geological background against which a theory of the
slow evolution of species could be formulated." The Making of Mankind,
p.22, 1981
2. Earnst Mayr, Harvard, "The revolution began when it
became obvious that the earth was very ancient rather than having been
created only 6,000 years ago. This finding was the snowball that started
the whole avalanche.", THE NATURE OF THE DARWINIAN REVOLUTION, p.3
3. Lawrence Badash, Professor of History of Science, U. of
CA, S.B., "...4.5 billion years ago, the primal earth emerged from a
spinning, turbulent cloud of gas, dust and planetoids that surrounded the
new star. .... On these figures for the age of the earth rest all of
geology and evolution." Scientific American, Aug., 1989, p.90
D. SCRIPTURAL EONS? WHERE?
1. Not found in scripture. But, are they allowed by
scripture? If so, must be placed in the text. Where?
2. Three possibilities only. Before, during or after
creation week. All three have been desperately tried.
3. If all three are impossible, then eons excluded by
scripture.
I. BEFORE THE CREATION WEEK?
A. Called: The Gap Theory (gap between Gen.1:1 and Gen.1:2
(Ruin and Reconstruction; Ruination/Re-Creation; Pre-Adamic Cataclysm;
Restitution; etc.)
1. Popularized by Harry Rimmer, THE SCOFFIELD BIBLE, Robert
Milligan (THE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION), Arthur Custance (WITHOUT FORM AND
VOID).
2. Proof texts: Ez.28:12-17; Isa.14:12-14; 45:18;
Jer.4:23-26
3. Claim "was" should be translated "became" in Gen.1:1.
a) No known translation says "became."
b) Poll of 20 Hebrew scholars regarding "gap;" "NO."
(Modern Science And Christian Faith p.49)
c) Hebrew scholar W. C. Watts: "In Genesis 1:2a the verb is perfect. It
indicates a fixed and completed state. In other words, original matter was
in a state of chaos when created: it came into being that way." A SURVEY OF
OLD TESTAMENT PREACHING p. 16.
d) A COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, Harold Stigers: "The cataclysmic theory (also
called the restitution theory) respecting v. 2 can have no place in a
proper translation. The construction of 'became void,' etc., is not
justified by Hebrew syntax. When the verb 'to be' (hayah) is to be
constructed as 'became,' the addition of the prepositional lamedh is
required with the following word to provide this meaning, and this
preposition is absent here." p. 49.
4. Obvious answer in Ex. 20:11. Heavens and earth in six
days.
a) Response based on false distinction between "created"
(BARA) & "made" (ASAH).
(1) If "made" (Ex.20:11) is different from "created" (Gen.1:1) then avoid
necessity of complete "creation" in 6 days.
(2) Definitions are not contrasting. They overlap.
S
A
M
E
I
D
E
A
"Asha"
"Bara"
Labor, to work about anything ...
To cut, to carve out, to form by cutting ...
to make ...
to create ...
to create, as haven, earth
of heaven and earth
Gesenius p. 657
Gesenius p. 138
(3) Words used interchangeably.
N
O
D
I
F
F
E
R
E
N
C
E
"BARA" great sea creatures, Gen.1:21
"BARA" animalsm, creeping things, birds, Gen.6:7
"ASAH" the beast, Gen.1:25
"ASAH" them, Gen.6:7
"ASAH" man, Gen.1:26
"BARA" everyone, "ASAH" them, Isa.43:7
"BARA" man, Gen.1:27
"BARA" and "ASAH"...all His work, Gen.2:3
"BARA" man, ASAH" him, Gen.5:1
"BARA" heavens and the earth, Gen.2:4
"BARA"...male and female, Gen.5:2
"ASAH" earth and heaven, Gen.2:4
b) Since words are not contrasting but interchangeable:
(1) Ex.20:11 refers to creation of Gen.1:1.
(2) Creation of heavens and earth was done in six days.
(3) Before the six days there were no heavens or earth.
c) David certainly seems to agree, Ps.33:6, 9; Cf. Ps 48:3,
5.
B. Further Scriptural Refutation Of Gap Theory
1. I Cor.15:45, 47, Adam "first man." Excludes pre-Adamic
race.
2. I Cor.15:21-22; No death before Adam, Gen.1:30;
Deut.14:21-22.
3. If death before Fall, Adam & Eve already destined to
die. Return to dust anyway. Curse is meaningless. Kill and be killed,
decay, cancers, all designed by God.
C. In Six Days: H.&E. Created; "He spoke..."; First man
D. Scripture Excludes Eons Before: No Hor E; No Man; No Death
II. DURING THE CREATION WEEK? ( Days = Eons)
A. Called: The Day-Age Theory: Popularized by:
1. Wilbur M. Smith (Therefore Stand)
2. Davis A. Young (Creation and The Flood)
3. Jack Wood Sears of Harding
4. John Clayton
B. Word "day" (10 compelling reasons why we know meaning).
1. Though can be figurative, context determines: three
indicators.
a) "yom" occurring in plural (yamin) in non-prophetic
passage.
b) "yom" preceded by a numeral (100+ times in OT)
c) "yom" with "evening & morning" (100 + times in OT).
d) "Days" of creation have all three contextual
indications!
2. Gen.1:5; "day" (yom) is precisely defined when first
used.
3. Gen.1:8-31; "day" (yom) is defined for each of creation
days (same before the sun as after). Cf. Cartoon: "Why six days?"
4. Ex.20:9-11. Comparison w/Sabbath day defines.
5. Gen.1:14; "days" used in contrast to "years".
6. Objective linguistic scholars;
a) Prof. James Barr, Oxford: "So far as I know, there is no
professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world class university who does
not believe that the writer(s) of Genesis 1 through 11 intended to convey
to their readers the idea that (a) creation took place in a series of six
days which were the same as the days of 24 hours we now experience; (b) the
figures contained in the Genesis genealogies provided by simple addition a
chronology from the beginning of the world up to the latter stages of earth
history." Personal Letter, 4/23/84
b) Marcus Dods, evolutionist and Hebrew scholar: "If the
word 'day' in this chapter does not mean the period of 24 hours, the
interpretation of Scripture is hopeless." THE BOOK OF GENESIS, p.4.
c) Cf. Cartoon: Stop sign.
7. Science of botany proves "day" is day: Implies millions
of years of darkness followed by millions of years of light. Plant life
impossible. Fruit trees before sun?
8. Science of zoology proves "day" is day:
a) Many plants, animals, insects in symbiotic relationship.
b) Stephen J. Gould, Harvard, "Many species are fertilized
by insects in a mutually beneficial arrangement that supplies food to the
insects while transporting pollen from flower to flower. So intricate...are
the features of both flower and insect in many cases-special colors and
odors to attract the insects, exquisitely fashioned mouth parts to extract
the nectar...", Natural History, 2/1994
9. Position of man trivialized; far, far removed from
beginning. If age of earth is 24 hour scale, man here less than minute. If
scale is arm span, man is swipe of fingernail file.
a) Implications are obvious.
(1) Stephen J. Gould: "We cannot bear the central implication
of this brave new world. If humanity arose just yesterday as a small twig
on one branch of a flourishing tree, then life may not, in any genuine
sense, exist for us or because of us. Perhaps we are only an afterthought,
a kind of cosmic accident, just one bauble on the Christmas tree of
evolution." WONDERFUL LIFE, 1989, p.44.
(2) Mark Twain: "If the Eiffel Tower were now representing the
world's age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle knob at its summit would
represent man's share of that age; and anybody would perceive that the skin
was what the tower was built for. I reckon they would, I dunno."
b) Inspiration affirms man was here from the beginning.
(1) Mk.10:6, "from beginning of creation".
(a) "Beginning" defined by Cremer: "Absolute, denoting the beginning of the
world and of its history, the beginning of creation,...." p. 113.
(b) "Beginning" defined by Thayer: Beginning, origin: a. used absolutely,
of the beginning of all things: en arch, Jn.1:1 sq.
(Gen.1:1);...Mk.10:6;...". p.76
(2) Rom.1:20, "seen...understood" since creation of
world.
(3) Lk.11:49-51, "from foundation of the world...Adam."
10. Day Age Theory is not harmonious with geological ages.
Click to View
a) Fruit trees on 3rd day. Sun on 4th day. Fish on 5th day.
b) 7-10 also refute lame variations used to explain
mismatch.
(1) Overlapping days (Hugh Ross).
Click to View
(2) Meandering days (Davis Young).
Click to View
(3) Non literal days: Shane Scott
(4) Non-consecutive days (Hill Roberts).
Click to View
(5) Cf. "three days" Mat.27:63, Actually thousands of years?
C. Conclusions Re: Day Age Theory
1. Summary of 10 Reasons. Therefore excluded after sin
days.
2. While Genesis 1&2 do not tell us the age of earth, we
are told the earth's age relative to creation of man; 5 days older.
III. AFTER CREATION WEEK?
A. Scriptural gaps in genealogies?
1. In derived, secondary genealogies; poetic license
allowed.
2. Arthur C. Custance (a long ager) acknowledges: "We are
told again and again that some of these genealogies contain gaps: but what
is never pointed out by those who lay the emphasis on gaps, is that they
only know of the existence of these gaps because the Bible elsewhere fills
them in. How otherwise could one know of them? But if they are filled in,
they are not gaps at all! Thus in the final analysis the argument is
completely without foundation." Genealogies of the Bible, p.3.
3. Only question from Abraham to Adam (20 generations).
Jude 14 eliminates first 7. Leaves only 13 (12 spaces). Billions in 12
spaces? Scale, 50 miles to inch. Gapeologies!!
4. Gaps would not affect chronology of Gen. 5&11. Cf.
Gen.5:6-7; Immaterial if Enosh was son or great-great grandson; Was born
when Seth was 205 (LXX). Truth?
5. Father's age when "decedent" was born is recorded from
Adam to Joseph. Irrelevant unless chronology intended.
6. Christianity, uniquely, is founded on historical
accuracy. Chronology is backbone of history. Accuracy is demanded.
B. Septuagint (quoted by Christ) from manuscript 350 years
older than oldest Massoretic Text, eliminates apparent discrepancies
(scribal errors in some manuscripts does not invalidate.)
1. Creation would be at 5315 BC according to Alexan.
Septuagint.
2. Age of earth (in 2000 AD) would be very close to 7,315
years.
C. Summary: Not After: Gaps Excluded ...
IV. CONCLUSION:
A. All 3 efforts to place great ages in text of Genesis fail.
1. Each of "possibilities" are impossible.
2. Scripture Excludes Before, During & After
3. Therefore EONS EXCLUDED.
B. Real Problem: Attitude toward Scripture. What did Jesus
think.
1. Jesus said serious mistake to discredit words of Moses,
Jn.5:46.
2. Jesus believed poetry was authoritative, Jn.10:34,
35-36.
3. Jesus rebuked failure to believe "all," esp. Moses,
Lk.24:25-27.
C. Conclude with admonition to believers by Martin Luther:
"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest expression every portion
of the truth of God, except precisely that little point which the world and
the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not professing Christ, however
boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the
soldier is proved. To be steady on all the battle field besides, is mere
flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
Click to View
Click to View Click to View
Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA
|