Why Did God Need A Mist To Water The Earth
before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. Genesis 2:5-6
These verses go into more detail on Day 4 of creation. See my other article on the creation order.
On Day 4, God caused the waters to separate and the dry land appeared. Then later that day, God caused vegetation to grow. Genesis 2:5-6 explain how God created vegetation. He chose not to do it miraculously, but via natural processes. There was no rain. There was no man to till the earth. So God caused a mist to water the ground.
BUT WAIT!!!
Early in Day 4, God had only just a few hours ago separated the oceans from off the land. Wouldnt you expect the land to still be at least a little damp? The fact that God needed a mist to water the earth suggests that it had already dried. It sounds like more than just a few hours had elapsed, suggesting that the day was much longer than 24 hours during this time.
I am more inclined to believe that God only established the rotation of the earth on Day 4. But He did not bring the rotation to full speed until Day 6. In other words, the creation days were more than 24 hours long the first 4 being much longer than the last 3.
Using Scripture To Reason: Moses
First, we can reason with the Bible to find answers for how old the Earth really is.
In Genesis 1:1-2, it says In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Over the next several chapters, Genesis details how God created the heavens and the Earth, and how Adam was created from the dust of the ground . This is where believers interpret this section of the Bible literally, and believe Adam and Eve were the first two human beings on the planet.
But there are several discrepancies if we interpret this literally first, if Genesis was the literal account of creation, then who wrote Genesis?
The book of Genesis was actually written by Moses, the pastor of God who led the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Promised Land.
What Does The Bible Tell Us About The Age Of The Earth
In other texts that I have put on my website, I have fired a few shots at the evolution theory. In this text, Illaim from a different angle: looking at the first few verses of the Bible, Ill explain that the Bible does notnecessarily say that the world is about 6000 years old. What some people claim is a Biblical truth is more theirinterpretation of the Bible.
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Earths Decaying Magnetic Field
Dr. Thomas Barnes wrongly extrapolated back the decay of the earths magnetic field to show the earth is only 20,000 years old . The major problem is that the overwhelming evidence shows that there have been many reversals of the earths magnetic field. Morris admits this , but tries to resurrect Barnes theory through Surge Tectonics during the flood . For more information see . Also for more information about magnetic stripes see .
Regarding Science & The History Of Creation
Lets also briefly examine the fields of science and history. With rapidly advancing technology, researchers are able to analyze fossils, historical artifacts, and ancient manuscripts and determine their age. Ancient artifacts often date back thousands and millions of years far beyond the 6,000 year old Earth many claim is recorded in the Bible. Yes, we can argue that science can be inaccurate even scientists acknowledge that the field of science is always changing but the Earth only being 6,000 years old would challenge many ancient civilizations around the world.
For example, Chinese history predates 6,000 years, yet nowhere in the Bible does it record any Chinese history. So then, where did Chinese people originate? Did they pop up out of nowhere? Where were Chinese people prior to Adam and Eve?
But when we examine the Bible further, we can see that only the histories of Judaism and Christianity can be found. Here, we can begin to understand that the Bible only details biblical history the history of God and His people and not world history.
So, from what we have understood so far, is the Earth really only 6,000 years old? Most likely not. How old is it then? Scientists claim its billions of years old, but how can we really know? The most popular theories for creation are the Big Bang Theory and evolutionism. But these are all still theories, not facts. It is difficult for us to study about the creation of everything, when we are part of that creation too.
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Flood Geology And The Biostratigraphic Record: The Ecological Zonation Version
Even as Price and Nelson were vigorously promoting the thesis that the order to the fossil record is a fiction contrived by atheistic scientists, some of their contemporary Flood geologists were grappling with the fact of biotic succession of stratigraphy. Notably, Harold Clark propounded a theory in The New Diluvialism that the organization of the fossil record basically conforms to an expectation of preservation order according to pre-Flood ecological zonation. Clark, a Seventh-day Adventist, began his career as an intellectual protégé of Price. However, a visit to the oilfields of Oklahoma and Texas during the summer of 1938 persuaded him that the order to the fossil record is empirical and provided practical benefits to those exploring the subsurface . Clark was forced to part company with Price, resulting in animosity on Prices part. Clark continued to look up to his former mentor and furnished a one-hundred-page eulogy in 1966 for Price, Crusader for Creation.
Clarks ecological zonation theory for Flood-buried animals and plants has gradually gained wider acceptance within the young-Earth creationist community. Ariel Roth wrote:
Different Versions Of The Chronology
For a long time, mankind has been concerned about the creation of the world. How did the earth appear, how old is it? In total, there are 3 main theories in the world: philosophical, biblical, and scientific. Which of these positions to choose and which to believe, everyone will have to decide for himself.
But science and philosophy are limited by logic and cannot go beyond mathematical thinking. This is just science fiction, nothing more. According to these two versions, the age of the Earth is 4.5 billion years, with which proponents of the biblical version fundamentally disagree.
The divine doctrine is based on a document called the Bible. This is where you can find specific numbers and years. It should be noted that famous scientists adhere to this principle: Sergei Golovin, Karl Bach, and Henry Gale.
If we stop believing in the Bible, we can say that our ideas about faith are also wrong. Is it true?
The history of the earth is carved on its stones. In places like the Grand Canyon, eroding water from its walls reveals the layers of rock that make up these walls.
As older layers form new ones, geologists have an idea of what Earths crust is like. But the knowledge that the deeper layers are old doesnt tell us anything about their absolute age, that is, how old they are.
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Scientific Revolution And The Old Earth
Beginning in the 18th century, support for a young Earth declined among scientists and philosophers as new knowledge including discoveries of the Scientific Revolution and philosophies of the Age of Enlightenment. In particular, discoveries in geology required an Earth that was much older than thousands of years, and proposals such as Abraham Gottlob Werner‘s Neptunism attempted to incorporate what was understood from geological investigations into a coherent description of Earth’s natural history. James Hutton, now regarded as the father of modern geology, went further and opened up the concept of deep time for scientific inquiry. Rather than assuming that the Earth was deteriorating from a primal state, he maintained that the Earth was infinitely old. Hutton stated that:
the past history of our globe must be explained by what can be seen to be happening now No powers are to be employed that are not natural to the globe, no action to be admitted except those of which we know the principle.
This 19th century trend was contested. The scriptural geologists and later the founders of the Victoria Institute opposed the decline of support for a biblically literal young Earth.
Does The Bible Talk About Homosexuality
This is one of the most controversial and personal topics people are exploring right now.
And we know many people have used the Bible to demonize and exclude others. To those whove felt excluded, we invite you to watch this apology.
Of the more than 31,000 verses in the Bible, fewer than 10 specifically reference homosexuality. We invite you to check them out in the links below. But instead of just reading individual verses and forming your ideas in isolation, we also suggest getting a bigger picture.
As you do this, youre likely to find a wider sexual ethic running through the Bible: that God is a fan of sex and all that it brings. Because of this, we find protections and prescriptions for sexual expression in the Bible. In fact, the New Testament offers several lists of barred behaviors that can hurt our relationship with both God and othersand two of these lists include references to certain homosexual activities. But even these descriptions are accompanied by a deep awareness of the gracious invitation of God.
You can find the prohibitions against specific homosexual acts in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20, among the many laws given to the ancient Jewish people. And in the New Testament, Romans 1 paints a big picture of broken relationships running amok, with certain acts again singled out. Yet Romans 2 offers a larger picturewith a clear caution to people who judge others negatively.
To learn even more about Gods compassion, grace, and love, Look Inside.
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The Discovery Of Deep Time
Concordism in general is as old as references to the book of nature as a valid source of truth, supplementing the Bible. These go back at least to the Middle Ages and were very common by the 17th century, when Francis Bacon, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei and many others acknowledged multiple sources of truth, using the same terminology. Concordism in natural history, however, began in the late eighteenth century, in response to the growing sense that the Earth was vastly older than humanity. Martin Rudwick has about what he calls the discovery of deep time, his term for the idea illustrated in an engraving of Niagara Falls, showing how the gorge was produced by erosion over time, that helped introduce American readers to an ancient Earth in the 1830s. Concordism in natural history is all about reading Genesis in parallel with geology, in order to get a single, consistent picture. The rest of this column outlines key aspects of concordism in America since the 1830s.
From Sillmans Appendix to Bakewell, An Introduction to Geology . Courtesy of Edward B. Davis.
As Ive said before, most of the best material about Christianity and science is available only in print. If your interest in this topic is keen, the need to visit a library will not hold you back!
James Barr, Why the World Was Created in 4004 BC: Archbishop Ussher and Biblical Chronology, Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester 67 : 575-608.
Old Earth Young Earth Does It Really Matter
In the end, the age of the earth cannot TRULY be proven by science. Whether we believe in an earth that is 6,000 years old or billions of years old , we must put our belief on faith and assumptions.
“Old earth” advocates must trust that methods such as radiometric dating are reliable and have faith that nothing has occurred in history that may have disrupted the normal decay of radio-isotopes.
“Young earth” advocates must trust that the Bible is true and have faith that other factors explain geological evidence, such as the global flood, or Gods creating the universe in a way that makes it look older than it is. For example, God created Adam and Eve as adults, not babies. If a doctor had examined Adam and Eve on the day they were created, the doctor probably would have guessed them to be around 20 years old . But the truth was that Adam and Eve weren’t even one day old yet.
Either way, it is wise to remember that whether you believe in a young earth or an old earth, that doesn’t make a difference when it comes to salvation. This viewpoint is not a make-or-break deal as far as whether or not you can be saved. Only faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin can save you .
TL DR
Writer/Editor: Catiana N.K.
WILL
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Why Is The Bible So Boring
Sure, the Bible can be a bit yawn-worthy at times, but it has riveting adventures, too.
In a way, the Bible is a vast storeroom, containing thousands of years worth of information and experience. Different parts will strike different folks in different ways.
For example: Leviticus is sort of a rulebook, akin to a modern-day penal code. You might find it tediousunless youre a lawyer.
Exodus has specs for the exact weights and measures for building temples and altars. Its really OCDunless youre an architect or engineer.
The Bible also contains many genealogies: lists of generation after generation, going back to the first-known human so it can sometimes feel like unraveling a very confusing family tree. But some folks are into that.
Inevitably, some things in the Bible just wont capture your fancy. But others might.
In fact, there are many stories in the Bible that are downright thrilling. The kind of dramas youd binge-watch on weekends. Stories about sex, murder, betrayal, deception, and redemption. Like the one where a teenage boy slays a warrior twice his size. Or the one where a sea splits in two. Or the one where a queen is served the head of a foe upon a platter. Yeah. Stories that are rarely G-rated.
A Lot Happened On Day 4
In the latter half of Day 4, God caused vegetation to grow. On Day 5 and the first half of Day 6, He created animals. By the time He created man on Day 6, the earth was already populated with animals and vegetation.
And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. Genesis 1:12
You could argue that God probably created a planet full of animals. Fair enough, but you cannot say the same thing about the vegetation. God did create the herbs and the grass, but God did not create the grass out of nothing, rather He caused the grass to grow naturally . Sure this could have happened in 2 and ½ days. Or maybe, the days were longer than 24 hours.
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Evolutionary Dating Methods Are Unreliable
Numerous pieces of evidence reveal that evolutionary dating methods are not reliable.
The following examples demonstrate the folly of giving unqualified endorsement to the various clocks that are reputed to prove the earth is ancient.
- Studies on submarine basaltic rocks from Hawaii, known to have formed less than two hundred years ago, when dated by the potassium-argon method, yielded ages from 160 million to almost three billion years .
- The shells of living mollusks have been dated at up to 2,300 years old .
- Freshly-killed seals have been dated at up to 1,300 years, and mummified seals, dead only about thirty years, have yielded dates as high as 4,600 years . In our book, Creation, Evolution and the Age of the Earth, we documented one case where muscle tissue from a mummified musk ox was dated at 24,000 years, while hair from the same carcass dated only 7,200 years! .
Clearly, the evolutionary clocks are drastically in need of repair!
Bible Refers To Dragons Multiple Times Says Expert
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The scientific model of the cosmos states the Big Bang gave birth to the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Within this incredible period, stars appeared, galaxies developed and planets took shape, with our solar system forming in the last five billion years or so. The US space agency NASA, for instance, states: When the solar system settled into its current layout about 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed when gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in to become the third planet from the Sun.
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The Job Factor: How Can We Know How Old The Earth Is
I do believe the Earth was created in six days and that God rested on the seventh. Genesis 1 and 2 are not examples of poetry or mythology. The language in Genesis 1 and 2 is the language of a historian. However, even as I believe the earth was created in six days and God rested on the seventh, and as I trust the genealogies given from Adam to Noah, I cannot, therefore, assert the age of the earth. When I encounter the Job Factor. What is the Job Factor? When Job stopped his complaining before God because he ran out of words, the Lord answered him. Gods answer to Jobs assumptions about the secret counsel of God did not lack for sarcasm, a holy derision that underscored the divide between God and Man:
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth .