I have a question that I was hoping you could answer?

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

This might be more popular in the Origins Theology section, but I'm really looking for serious answers to this question. Most Young Earth Creationists believe that the Earth is between six and ten thousand years old, but my question is, why is there a "between" there? I've tried to find information on the reason for the range of variation, but I can't really find it anywhere.

I know that some Young Earth Creationists believe in gaps in the Genesis genealogies, but even websites like Answers in Genesis that don't hold to that view still have the time frame as being between six and ten thousand years, so I question whether that could be it.

I'm really not looking for a Young Earth vs. Old Earth argument, just for a simple answer, because this confuses me quite a bit. Maybe it's based on the different years from different ancient copies of the Bible? I'm confused

 

[Julian of York]

The celebrated Bishop Ussher came up with the date of 4004 BC for the earth's Creation. I understand that he spent much time in adding the Biblically recorded births/deaths and recorded lifespans. These figures are extrapolated to around 4004 BC, which added to 2011 AD gives us around 6,000 years old. Considering that there are possibly gaps in the geneological record, the estimate is adjusted to say from 6,000-10,000 years of age.
My personal opinion is not a young earth or an old earth theory, but a mature earth. That is, when God created the heavens and the earth, He created a mature planet for mankind. Adam and Eve were not created as infants, or even as teenagers,but as mature adults. Animals were not created as eggs or pups or whatever;they were created mature animals.Trees were trees,not seeds. The stars were not created and left dark. If the universe was created at any less than billions of years ago,the starlight from distant galaxies,that we can see today, would not have reached us yet. They would have been of no use to mankind. But when God created stars,He created them in such a way that their LIGHT TRAVELED BILLIONS OF LIGHT YEARS AT ONCE, so the stars are visible to us,even though far,far away. Likewise the earth was made with sedimentery layers, coal deposits,oil deposits,diamonds, all things that "science" says takes millions of years to be created. HAH! It was a snap for Our God! And He knew we would need all those things in time. The earth was created a mature,usable planet.

Julian of York

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

Thanks for your answer. My confusion was more about the fact that some websites (again, like Answers in Genesis) that don't believe in gaps in the genealogies use the 6,000-10,000 year figure.

 

[Rick B]

May I suggest that the bible does not give a definite answer and only God knows for sure. Since He has deemed revealing the earth's age as unnecessary, perhaps the general range accepted by young earth advocates is sufficient for now.

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

May I suggest that the bible does not give a definite answer and only God knows for sure. Since He has deemed revealing the earth's age as unnecessary, perhaps the general range accepted by young earth advocates is sufficient for now.

From a theological standpoint that's most likely true. I was just curious.

 

[steve78]

This might be more popular in the Origins Theology section, but I'm really looking for serious answers to this question. Most Young Earth Creationists believe that the Earth is between six and ten thousand years old, but my question is, why is there a "between" there? I've tried to find information on the reason for the range of variation, but I can't really find it anywhere.

I know that some Young Earth Creationists believe in gaps in the Genesis genealogies, but even websites like Answers in Genesis that don't hold to that view still have the time frame as being between six and ten thousand years, so I question whether that could be it.

I'm really not looking for a Young Earth vs. Old Earth argument, just for a simple answer, because this confuses me quite a bit. Maybe it's based on the different years from different ancient copies of the Bible? I'm confused

I don't know. There are lots of things that hint to an earth far older than 6000 years, such as asteriod impact craters.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

I believe that man have been existing on this earth just over 6,000 years for the reason the second poster gave. It is not that I did my own investigation but the investigation of others. As to how old the world is, this is a different question. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Then.......... God started creation. How long was the earth without form and void? I have no clue but I would figure it won't be such a long time. What I do believe is that there was no life before creation.

 

[steve78]

The celebrated Bishop Ussher came up with the date of 4004 BC for the earth's Creation. I understand that he spent much time in adding the Biblically recorded births/deaths and recorded lifespans. These figures are extrapolated to around 4004 BC, which added to 2011 AD gives us around 6,000 years old. Considering that there are possibly gaps in the geneological record, the estimate is adjusted to say from 6,000-10,000 years of age.
My personal opinion is not a young earth or an old earth theory, but a mature earth. That is, when God created the heavens and the earth, He created a mature planet for mankind. Adam and Eve were not created as infants, or even as teenagers,but as mature adults. Animals were not created as eggs or pups or whatever;they were created mature animals.Trees were trees,not seeds. The stars were not created and left dark. If the universe was created at any less than billions of years ago,the starlight from distant galaxies,that we can see today, would not have reached us yet. They would have been of no use to mankind. But when God created stars,He created them in such a way that their LIGHT TRAVELED BILLIONS OF LIGHT YEARS AT ONCE, so the stars are visible to us,even though far,far away. Likewise the earth was made with sedimentery layers, coal deposits,oil deposits,diamonds, all things that "science" says takes millions of years to be created. HAH! It was a snap for Our God! And He knew we would need all those things in time. The earth was created a mature,usable planet.

Julian of York

Interesting..but flawed.

God made Adam and Eve on the sixth day. Birds and Fishes and Animals appeared on the fith day.

Question is what was the period of time between those two days?

 

[wanelad]

Interesting..but flawed.

God made Adam and Eve on the sixth day. Birds and Fishes and Animals appeared on the fith day.

Question is what was the period of time between those two days?

Considering days but up against each other what's the go?

 

[steve78]

I believe that man have been existing on this earth just over 6,000 years for the reason the second poster gave. It is not that I did my own investigation but the investigation of others. As to how old the world is, this is a different question. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Then.......... God started creation. How long was the earth without form and void? I have no clue but I would figure it won't be such a long time. What I do believe is that there was no life before creation.

I partly agree with you this on this one. However How long had animal life been on earth before God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Gensis says that Animals were created before humans.

 

[wanelad]

May I suggest that the bible does not give a definite answer and only God knows for sure. Since He has deemed revealing the earth's age as unnecessary, perhaps the general range accepted by young earth advocates is sufficient for now.

Hey man are you natural or on Steroids?

 

[steve78]

Considering days but up against each other what's the go?

Were they 24 hour day? My personal opinion is they were not.

 

[wanelad]

Gen 1:19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

 

[steve78]

Gen 1:19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

That still does not say it was 24 hours. There could have been hundreds of hours between the evening and the morning.

The Hebrew word for day (yom) can have several different meanings.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

I partly agree with you this on this one. However How long had animal life been on earth before God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Gensis says that Animals were created before humans.

According to Genesis 1, God made the animals and mankind of the same day. Do you believe that the creation week was literal?

 

[steve78]

Gen 1:19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

God did not create the sun until the third day. The whole 6 literal day thing does just not add up.

Where as the most intersting thing is that there seems to be six stages of earth history including man.

 

[steve78]

According to Genesis 1, God made the animals and mankind of the same day. Do you believe that the creation week was literal?

No.

He made land animals on the sixth. Birds and creatures in the sea appeared on the firth.

So life already exists on earth before Adam Appears.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

No.

He made land animals on the sixth. Birds and creatures in the sea appeared on the firth.

So life already exists on earth before Adam Appears.

Yes you are correct. I stand corrected there. But to my last question. Do you believe in a literal 7 day creation week.

 

[miamited]

Hi GW,

I, of course, can only speak for my own belief, but here's why I 'quibble' about being exact. There are claims that some generations are missing in the Genesis accounts of the generations from Adam, then from Noah. As we get to Abraham the actual births and deaths of the descendents of Abraham, by which I determine the age of the earth, become a little more difficult to discern.

Therefore, throwing out completely any evolutionary theory that the God I know and love would possibly need any more time than just the time it takes for the thoughts and words of His commands that brought about the creation, to be formed and spoken, I actually, come very close to 6,000 years old. Even the Jewish calendar, depending on some slight variations also pegs the age of the creation between 5900-5700 years old. So, my faith, tells me that the age of the earth is right near 6,000 years old, give or take a few hundred years, but, as a very slight concession to the argument that the generations may not be complete I do hedge my claim that it is absolutely no more than 10,000 years old.

In other words, I'm pretty confident in my spirit that the creation that God spoke into existence for the very purpose of nothing more than to plant a garden and provide a 'realm' in which flesh can live, is very close to 6,000 years old, but I do offer some hedge that while still denying any possibility of 'evolutionary theory' it is absolutely no more than 10,000 years old.

That's my reason for allowing the 'range' of age. I can't honestly say that I know the exact morning and evening that God spoke the first command to create this realm of existence, but I can absolutley with complete confidence bracket an age. Usually when I'm asked what my faith in the age of the earth is, I will answer, "I firmly and confidently believe that the earth and all of the universe and everything that exists in this realm of God's creation as somewhere around 6,000 years, but absolutely deny that it is anywhere over 10,000 years old." The final addition of a closing bracket is really more to deny the evolutionary tales, than to give any indication that I'm doubtful about the age of the universe.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[PROPHECYKID]

Hi GW,

I, of course, can only speak for my own belief, but here's why I 'quibble' about being exact. There are claims that some generations are missing in the Genesis accounts of the generations from Adam, then from Noah. As we get to Abraham the actual births and deaths of the descendents of Abraham, by which I determine the age of the earth, become a little more difficult to discern.

Therefore, throwing out completely any evolutionary theory that the God I know and love would possibly need any more time than just the time it takes for the thoughts and words of His commands that brought about the creation, to be formed and spoken, I actually, come very close to 6,000 years old. Even the Jewish calendar, depending on some slight variations also pegs the age of the creation between 5900-5700 years old. So, my faith, tells me that the age of the earth is right near 6,000 years old, give or take a few hundred years, but, as a very slight concession to the argument that the generations may not be complete I do hedge my claim that it is absolutely no more than 10,000 years old.

In other words, I'm pretty confident in my spirit that the creation that God spoke into existence for the very purpose of nothing more than to plant a garden and provide a 'realm' in which flesh can live, is very close to 6,000 years old, but I do offer some hedge that while still denying any possibility of 'evolutionary theory' it is absolutely no more than 10,000 years old.

That's my reason for allowing the 'range' of age. I can't honestly say that I know the exact morning and evening that God spoke the first command to create this realm of existence, but I can absolutley with complete confidence bracket an age. Usually when I'm asked what my faith in the age of the earth is, I will answer, "I firmly and confidently believe that the earth and all of the universe and everything that exists in this realm of God's creation as somewhere around 6,000 years, but absolutely deny that it is anywhere over 10,000 years old." The final addition of a closing bracket is really more to deny the evolutionary tales, than to give any indication that I'm doubtful about the age of the universe.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

Great Post. Praise be to God.