Biblical Age of the Earth

INTRODUCTION:

Believe Bible "literally"? Unreasonable Question.

Cf. William Jennings Bryan answer to Clarence Darrow's question about belief in literal Genesis. Bryan said some was literal and some was figurative; the context must determine.

Age of earth a pivotal, crucial point. ("Makes no difference" ???)

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 Lawrence Badash, Professor of History of Science, U. of CA, S.B., "As the sun's first ray's of thermonuclear light blazed across the galaxy 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

BELIEVE BOTH BIBLE AND EVOLUTION?

American beliefs about origins; Gallup poll, Nov.1991.

• 47% Recent Creation (39% of college students).
• 40% Theistic Evolution. Gould, "great majority of deeply religious people".
• 9% Atheistic Evolution. Taught exclusively (propaganda) in classroom.

Many try to mythologize Genesis while claiming faith in N.T. Don't like Genesis? You'll hate NT. Genesis repeatedly quoted.

• 165 passages in Genesis are either quoted or referenced in N.T.
• Over 100 quotations or direct references to 1st 11 chapters.
• Every one of the first 11 chapters alluded to in the N. T.
• 63 of the more than 200 allusions are to the first 3 chs.
• 14 are to the flood chapters (68).
• Every one of the N. T. authors refers to the 1st 11 chs.
• 25 references to Genesis were from Christ Himself.
• 6 different occasions Jesus quoted or referred to first 11 chs.

Basically a compromise, convinced science proved evolution.

1. A theistic (not a scientific) question; "Would God of Bible do it that way? Fossil record, billions of dead things; unimaginable pain, suffering. Wouldn't all wise God know better. Couldn't all powerful God do better?
2. Looks like atheistic evolution; yet, are told, "Honors God; shows grandeur and beauty of God's wisdom.". Truly honors God to accept His testimony about origins.

When learn to explain away apparently plain statements to accommodate what already "know", unending consequences. Examples: Marriage, homosexuality, salvation, heaven, hell.

SCRIPTURAL EONS? WHERE?

Found no where in scripture. If eons are allowed by scripture, great amounts of time must be placed in the text. Where?

Only three possibilities. Before, during or after creation week. All three have been desperately tried.

If impossible in all three places, is excluded by scripture.

BEFORE THE CREATION WEEK?

Called: The Gap Theory; 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.28:1217; Isa.14:1214; 45:18; Jer.4:2326
3. Claim "was" should be translated "became" in Gen.l:1.
   1. No known translation says "became."
   2. Poll of 20 leading Hebrew scholars regarding "gap" between 1:1 & 1:2. Responded unanimously, "NO". Modern Science And Christian Faith p. 49
   3. 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.
   4. 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., i8 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. False distinction between "created" (bara) & "made" (asah). Gen.1:1 "created". The rest was "made", Ex.20:11.

• Words used interchangeably, Gen.126, 27; Gen. 5:1-2. "asha"; " Labor, to work about anything ...to make... to create, as heaven, earth ..." GESENIUS p.657 "bara"; 'To cut, to carve out, to form by cutting, to create... of heaven and earth... " GESENIUS p. 138
• Gen.1:21, 25, "created fishes....made animals".

Scriptural Refutation

1. Ex.20:11; Earth and everything in it in 6 days, therefore neither earth nor anything in it prior to those 6 days.
2. I Cor.15:45, 47; "first man". Excludes pre-Adamic race.
3. I Cor. 15:21; Rom.5:12; Sin and death from Adam. If gap theory is true, Paul is a liar.

DURING THE CREATION WEEK?

Called: The Day-Age Theory:

Popularized by Wilbur M. Smith Therefore Stand; Davis A. Young Creation and The Flood; Jack Wood Sears of Harding; John Clayton

Meaning of word "day" (10 compelling reasons why we know).

1. Can be figurative. Contextual indications determine. Ex.
   1. "yom" preceded by a numeral (100+ times in OT) in nonprophetic passages, is a day.
   2. "yom"; occurring in the plural (yamin) in a nonprophetic passage, is a day.
   3. "yom"; with "evening & morning" (100+times in OT). in a nonprophetic passage, is a day.
2. "Days" of creation include all three contextual indications!
3. Gen.1:5; "day" (yom) is precisely defined when first used.
4. Gen.1:8-31; "day" (yom) is defined for each of creation days (same before the sun as after the sun).
5. Gen.1:14; "days" used in contrast to "years". Cf. Stop sign.
6. Ex.20:911; Comparison w/Sabbath day defines.
7. Objective linguistic scholars; Cf. Prof. James Barr, Oxford. EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE, W. R. Nicoll, Editor, Vol.1, pp45: "If the word 'day' in this chapter does not mean the ,period of 24 hours, the interpretation of Scripture is hopeless.".
8. Science of botany proves "day" is day: Implies millions of yrs. of darkness followed by millions of yrs. of light. Plant life impossible. Fruit trees before sun?
9. Science of zoology proves "day" is day: Many plants, animals, insects in symbiotic relationship. 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 mouthparts to extract the nectar...," Natural History, 2/1994
10. Day Age Theory is not harmonious With geological ages; Fruit trees on the 3rd day while fish not until the 5th day.

Ans. 8-10 refute lame variation, nonconsecutive day theory.

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.

AFTER CREATION WEEK?

Most anthropologist believe man is far removed from beginning.

1. If age of earth is 24 hours, man has been here for less than minute.
2. If age of earth is arm span, man is swipe of fingernail file.

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 flourishin6 tree, then life may not, in any genuine sense, exist for w 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."

Inspiration affirms man was here from the beginning.

1. Mk.10:6; "from beginning of creation".
   • "Beginning" defined by Cremer. "Absolute, denoting the beginning of the world and of its history, the beginning of creation,...." ; p. 113.
   • "Beginning" defined by Thayer. "1. 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. Luke 11:4951; "from foundation of the world....Adam''

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.5:67; 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. Info. is meaningless, useless, unless chronology intended. Otherwise information is irrelevant.
6. Christianity, uniquely, is founded on historical accuracy. Chronology is backbone of history. Accuracy is demanded.

Septuagint (quoted by Christ), based on manuscript 350 yrs, older than Massoretic text, eliminates apparent discrepancies.

1. Creation would be at 5315 B.C. according to Septuagint.
2. Age of earth (in 1994) would be, 7,309 years.

CONCLUSION:

1. All 3 efforts to place great ages in text of Genesis fail. Each of "possibilities" are impossible. Great ages are Unscriptural.
2. Jesus expressed His confidence in Scripture, Jn.10:34.
3. Serious mistake to discredit words of Moses, Jn.5:46.

Great age views beginning as not directly associated with us. As push back beginning we escape implications of immediate past. If beginning is way off in distant past, then end is easier to view as distant future. Sharp edge of accountability is blunted.