Why is earth's AGE important to you?

[didactics]

For me, Earth's age is important to me, as if it is 4.54 billion years old (according to science and OEC), it goes to show how vastly infinite God is in age. If the Earth is only 6000 years old, it makes history seem less impressive. The fact that God created our universe billions of years ago, just for us humans to come along in the current sliver of history and admire Him and creation just blows my mind away.

Note: If humans with spirits in the sense of Adam & Eve came about 10,000 years ago, and Earth's 4.54 billion year history was compressed into a day, beginning 12:00:00 AM, then all of our 10,000 year history could be the last 2/10ths of a second before midnight the next day.

There's just one problem. How is it a positive to say we've come along in the current sliver of history to admire his creation? Will we get billions of years before God wraps things up in consummation?

But really, who knows. No one can find out about the time of the end so it's an argument from silence. It may be 100 years before Christ returns or it may be 10,000, but I never would have guessed it would take billions of years. But suppose it does take billions of years before Christ returns, maybe it's impressive that his crowning creation humans have a sliver of time in the grand scheme of things. I say maybe because that means creation taking billions of years to come about is not the bulk of history. If human history gets its share of billions of years too, that sounds impressive.

As a YEC I find it impressive that human history is the arc of the narrative because we are the bulk of history made to glorify our creator.

 

[AlexB23]

There's just one problem. How is it a positive to say we've come along in the current sliver of history to admire his creation? Will we get billions of years before God wraps things up in consummation?

But really, who knows. No one can find out about the time of the end so it's an argument from silence. It may be 100 years before Christ returns or it may be 10,000, but I never would have guessed it would take billions of years. But suppose it does take billions of years before Christ returns, maybe it's impressive that his crowning creation humans have a sliver of time in the grand scheme of things. I say maybe because that means creation taking billions of years to come about is not the bulk of history. If human history gets its share of billions of years too, that sounds impressive.

As a YEC I find it impressive that human history is the arc of the narrative because we are the bulk of history made to glorify our creator.

We will probably get mere centuries or less.

 

[didactics]

We will probably get mere centuries or less.

Wow, you don't even think we are going to get another millennia. Now I'm left wondering what's the positive in that?

 

[AlexB23]

Wow, you don't even think we are going to get another millennia. Now I'm left wondering what's the positive in that?

The positive is that Jesus will return, maybe not this century, but soon

 

[didactics]

The positive is that Jesus will return, maybe not this century, but soon

Let’s put this into perspective. Creation takes billions of years to make. Humans only have a sliver of time in history and they mess it up. Creation groans eagerly to be restored because of what we did (Ro 8:22-23). It kind of makes the story of paradise lost a flicker of time before paradise is restored (well compared to eternity it is, but that's beside the point). The positive is that Jesus dying on the cross is the climax of the story because he shows us he has the power over death-- it can't hold him down and it does not have the final word. But it's only made a positive if death is a negative (1 Co 15:26). If it took billions of years of death involved in creation it doesn't sound like creation was ever a paradise to begin with.

 

[AlexB23]

Let’s put this into perspective. Creation takes billions of years to make. Humans only have a sliver of time in history and they mess it up. Creation groans eagerly to be restored because of what we did (Ro 8:22-23). It kind of makes the story of paradise lost a flicker of time before paradise is restored (well compared to eternity it is, but that's beside the point). The positive is that Jesus dying on the cross is the climax of the story because he shows us he has the power over death-- it can't hold him down and it does not have the final word. But it's only made a positive if death is a negative (1 Co 15:26). If it took billions of years of death involved in creation it doesn't sound like creation was ever a paradise to begin with.

For me, it is the opposite. Humans are so special in God's creation, that billions of years of Earth history has culminated in a climax of Jesus saving us (the first Easter is somewhere between AD 30 and AD 33). Humans messed it up, but God gave us a choice to make it right, by accepting Jesus into our hearts.

A Belgian priest and astronomer by the name of Georges Lemâitre said our universe has a finite age, and said the universe was much smaller when it was younger. So, a Christian came up with the Big Bang theory.

 

[didactics]

For me, it is the opposite. Humans are so special in God's creation, that billions of years of Earth history has culminated in a climax of Jesus saving us (the first Easter is somewhere between AD 30 and AD 33). Humans messed it up, but God gave us a choice to make it right, by accepting Jesus into our hearts.

A Belgian priest and astronomer by the name of Georges Lemâitre said our universe has a finite age, and said the universe was much smaller when it was younger. So, a Christian came up with the Big Bang theory.

I'm just saying from a bird's eye view it seems like something's missing. It takes billions of years for earth's creation, in a moment of time man messes up, earth groans eagerly to be restored, and it's over before it's even started. If humans come about much later, than God's saving plan begins not with earth's history but human history.

 

[AlexB23]

I'm just saying from a bird's eye view it seems like something's missing. It takes billions of years for earth's creation, in a moment of time man messes up, earth groans eagerly to be restored, and it's over before it's even started. If humans come about much later, than God's saving plan begins not with earth's history but human history.

Yeah, it begins with human history.

 

[didactics]

Yeah, it begins with human history.

Let me be clear though. Just because I call myself a young earth creationist doesn't mean I think the earth is young. Here's what I mean, the earth is only young because thousands of years is apparently young to an evolutionist. No, but I think God created a mature earth in a matter of six literal days. I say mature because not everything was made young. I believe that God created some things instantaneous with maturity by design, such as Adam and Eve created as adults.

 

[Derf]

Wow, you don't even think we are going to get another millennia. Now I'm left wondering what's the positive in that?

Today is the day of salvation...don't wait another millennium, in case either you or the earth doesn't last that long.

 

[didactics]

Today is the day of salvation...don't wait another millennium, in case either you or the earth doesn't last that long.

Wow, that's even more depressing. The earth is literally going to burn up and God is going to have to start from scratch? There goes the hope that this earth will be restored. I know people usually point to this verse as evidence-- 2Pe 3:10. But what about the Lord's Prayer?
Matthew 6:10

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

 

[Derf]

Wow, that's even more depressing. The earth is literally going to burn up and God is going to have to start from scratch? There goes the hope that this earth will be restored. I know people usually point to this verse as evidence-- 2Pe 3:10. But what about the Lord's Prayer?
Matthew 6:10

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

There's supposed to be a new heaven with the new earth, so I don't see how that helps. And God's kingdom coming on earth doesnt end all of His will not being done here, if Satan's little season is any indication.

 

[didactics]

Why is a new heavens and new earth with no sin, no sorrow, no grief, no pain, no sin, no wickedness, no wicked men, no wicked women, no wicked children
depressing ? No memories of past evils, no current evils present in the new heavens and the new earth - no, nothing bad at all, and no boredom at all, and no anxiety at all,
and no depression (no vitamin b deficiencies, etc) there at all....
so again,
why would anyone consider that new everything
depressing ?

I don't know, I just think if paradise is lost because of man's sin, why does it have to take annihilation of the earth to be new again? It's a little beside the point but that's why I take it the earth will be restored; this earth will be made new one day.

His Salvation Plan and Purpose was Completely and Perfectly Ready and Designed in Perfect Wisdom
BEFORE creating the world and sun and stars and life on earth.

I get what you're saying, but what I mean is that God makes known his plan of salvation beginning with man, in seed form he tells us (Ge 3:15). The difference is that I think man was made in the beginning. Therefore I see no distinction between earth history and human.

 

[Derf]

I don't know, I just think if paradise is lost because of man's sin, why does it have to take annihilation of the earth to be new again?

I dont know why it has to work that way, but it seems to with mankind. We can't be with the Lord forever unless we first either die and are resurrected, or are changed in the twinkling of an eye, which means, I think, that we will shed our old bodies and receive brand new ones. Maybe it's the same for the heavens and the earth.

It's a little beside the point but that's why I take it the earth will be restored; this earth will be made new one day.

I get what you're saying, but what I mean is that God makes known his plan of salvation beginning with man, in seed form he tells us (Ge 3:15). The difference is that I think man was made in the beginning. Therefore I see no distinction between earth history and human.

Then it should make sense that earth's future will look like man's future, death before renewal.

 

[FaithT]

Why is the age of the earth an important matter to you (if it is)?

What is the most important thing that knowing the age of the earth will tell you?

It used to be because I went to a LCMS church that believes ina 6000 year earth and I don’t. But now I’ve returned to a ND church that has various opinions so that’s refreshing.

 

[didactics]

I dont know why it has to work that way, but it seems to with mankind. We can't be with the Lord forever unless we first either die and are resurrected, or are changed in the twinkling of an eye, which means, I think, that we will shed our old bodies and receive brand new ones. Maybe it's the same for the heavens and the earth.

Then it should make sense that earth's future will look like man's future, death before renewal.

Whatever happens it will look dramatically different if there will be no more sea. It won't look like the same paradise we were given, that much we can be sure. In the first paradise, Adam and Eve were given a conditional immortality and in the new there won't even be the possibility to lose it.

Which really leads me to the argument I wanted to make to @oikonomia that I don't think "no more sea" for the new earth means there is an allusion to a satan's flood. I think there will be no more sea because of man's sin not satan's sin. Or really I should say because man's sin allowed a foothold for satan's sin. Because in this paradigm of a gap theory it sounds like there are 3 paradises-- it gets lost once in a flood by satan and gets restored during Adam and Eve's creation and it has to get restored a second time. Lastly, if paradise was good enough to include a sea in the beginning and fill it with sea creatures, then the association of evil and disembodied spirits comes from the flood of Noah's day. Yes, the ocean is chaotic and the earth was made in the beginning on day one with nothing but flooding, the difference is no disembodied spirits were lurking around in them yet. That's why it was very good to have sea creatures. It's also possible there won't be any sea because originally the land masses were not originally separated. It was only by the flood of Noah's day that the fault lines separated the continents, making the sea serve to separate people.

 

[Derf]

Messiah Jesus died, shed His Blood , to Redeem men.
He did not redeem the heavens and the earth, thus they will , as He Says, be destroyed eventually , and replaced, as He Says.

I suppose...but man needed redemption because Adam, the father of man, sinned. Why does the rest of creation need redemption?

 

[didactics]

The rest of creation, the 'physical' / temporal things, does not need redemption
and
cannot be redeemed, as The Creator has illustrated throughout Scripture. His Wisdom is to show His Grace and Plan and Glory in Saving men / Salvation/ that the angels are eager to see/look into ....
and in His Infinite Perfect Wisdom , as Revealed by Him through His Word and to little children (as Jesus Says), the physcial creation was not created to be saved from the fall of Adam and Chavah (Eve), but rather as written for His Purpose. (For instance, no man will be excused for denying the Creator , since all creation shows to them His Existence - it is perfect and sufficient and more than sufficient proof that He Exists)
Always
as written, in line with all that is written, in harmony with all that is written in Scripture
and harmony with His Will and His Plan and His Purpose in Christ Jesus.

Well, I think about the expression "bless this home" and that is not just talking about some find of feeling in the air. It really is an expression to say people are what make a home blessed. It is when people are inviting and welcoming that a home is blessed. The earth does need to be restored because it was made to be inhabited by God's people (Is 45:18).

 

[AlexB23]

Let me be clear though. Just because I call myself a young earth creationist doesn't mean I think the earth is young. Here's what I mean, the earth is only young because thousands of years is apparently young to an evolutionist. No, but I think God created a mature earth in a matter of six literal days. I say mature because not everything was made young. I believe that God created some things instantaneous with maturity by design, such as Adam and Eve created as adults.

For me, I think Adam and Eve were created instantaneously, but still believe our Earth was created nearly 5 billion years ago. Just look at the Cambrian explosion. Life went from simple structures to complex lifeforms in a short period of time around 500 million years ago. That was God's doing.

Cambrian explosion: Cambrian Explosion Brings Burst of Evidence for Creation

 

[Derf]

For me, I think Adam and Eve were created instantaneously, but still believe our Earth was created nearly 5 billion years ago. Just look at the Cambrian explosion. Life went from simple structures to complex lifeforms in a short period of time around 500 million years ago. That was God's doing.

Cambrian explosion: Cambrian Explosion Brings Burst of Evidence for Creation

Why do you think the earth had to go through numerous mass extinction events before man was created?