This is a question we hear often in conversation and we hardly have to think twice about our answer (if we're honest).
But what if someone asked you this question:
How old is the Earth?
What would you answer? Really old? Or would you stand there with an expression on your face looking something like this:
(Keanu Reeves Dumbfounded)
Man has some pretty good theories on how old the earth is. One such theory comes from mainstream science which is the most popular and publicly taught answer to this question. But is this 'scientific' answer the only one out there? Should we blindly accept this theory or should we question 'why'?
The following will serve as an introduction to the topic of Why Should I Question the Age of the Earth?. In this introduction I will look at the 'Scientific' Answer as well as the Biblical Answer to this question.
The 'Scientific' Answer:
a. An Old Earth
According to modern day scientists the age of the earth is about 4.55 Billion Years (~14 Billion for the Universe). This is based upon radiometric dating, the Big Bang theory, evolution, and other scientific testing. The following is an excerpt from Paul S. Braterman in an article entitled ‘How Science Figured Out the Age of the Earth’:
“It was not until 1926, when (under the influence of Arthur Holmes, whose name recurs throughout this story) the National Academy of Sciences adopted the radiometric timescale, that we can regard the controversy as finally resolved. Critical to this resolution were improved methods of dating, which incorporated advances in mass spectrometry, sampling and laser heating. The resulting knowledge has led to the current understanding that the earth is 4.55 billion years old.”
-Paul S. Braterman (Oct 20, 2013). How Science Figured Out the Age of the Earth. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-science-figured-out-the-age-of-the-earth/
That's a really old earth!
(An Old Earth)
Photo via Dave Reneke, from How Old is the Earth.
b. The Big Bang Theory
So we know that most scientists believe the earth is billions of years old. But how did it all begin?
Modern scientists have observed that the universe is ever expanding. Thus, observing this expansion most scientists believe that the universe (which includes the earth) had an origination point. The most popular theory around this origin is commonly referred to as the Big Bang theory.
(The Big Bang Theory)
Photo via Widewallz, from Widewallz.com
The Big Bang theory states that ~14 Billion years ago the universe was in an extremely hot and dense state that began to rapidly expand. In other words, a long time ago the whole universe was extremely small and dense (perhaps the size of a pea) when a sudden explosion (big bang) occurred that caused the universe to rapidly expand to what it is today.
There are many famous and intelligent scientists that believe this theory such as Dr. Stephen Hawking who has many lectures on The Origin of the Universe. (You can google it)
The Biblical Answer:
a. A Young Earth
The Bible does not explicitly give us the exact age of the earth. However, by using the multiple genealogies and accurate historical accounts found in the Bible we can deduce that the age of the earth is somewhere around 6000 years. The following is an excerpt from an article entitled ‘How old is the earth?’ by Bodie Hodge:
"Adam was created on day 6, so there were five days before him. If we add up the dates from Adam to Abraham, we get about 2,000 years, using the Masoretic Hebrew text of Genesis 5 and 11. Whether Christian or secular, most scholars would agree that Abraham lived about 2,000 B.C. (4,000 years ago).
So a simple calculation is:
5 days
+ ~2,000 years
+ ~4,000 years
-------------------
~6,000 years"
-Bodie Hodge, (May 30, 2007) in 'How old is the earth?'
b. A Six Day Creation
Genesis 1 and 2 tells us that the whole universe was created in six days. In Genesis 2:1-3 we read how God rested on the seventh day after all the universe was made.
Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (KJV)
Here is a table summarizing the creation week:
The
Creation Week
|
|
Day 1 (Gen. 1:3-5)
|
Heavens,
earth, light and darkness
|
Day 2 (Gen. 1:6-8)
|
Atmosphere
|
Day 3 (Gen. 1:9-13)
|
Dry land,
seas, vegetation
|
Day 4 (Gen. 1:14-19)
|
Sun, moon,
stars
|
Day 5 (Gen. 1:20-23)
|
Creatures
in water, birds in air
|
Day 6 (Gen. 1:24-31)
|
Creatures
on land, man and woman
|
Day 7 (Gen. 2:1-3)
|
Day of
Rest
|
c. An Eternal Creator
Finally, the Bible also gives an answer to how it all began.
The Bible tells us that God was there at the ‘beginning’ of time. Thus God was there before 'time' began, implying God is eternal.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (KJV)
This is further indicated multiple times in scripture when God is referred to as ‘everlasting to everlasting’ or from ‘age to age’.
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (KJV)
God is also referred to as the all powerful creator implying that He created and designed the whole universe.
Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (KJV)
Thus, the Bible's answer is that God is the force that created all things, rather than a self-imposed Big Bang.
(God the Creator)
Photo via Chris Scholten, from www.behance.net
Conclusion:
So it is clear that these two answers are completely different. Which one do you believe?
I challenge you to take a side, and to explore these answers more deeply. This is not something we should be ignorant of, because the implications of the answer clue us in to exactly why and how we got here.
The next few blog posts will delve deeper into this discussion between the 'Scientific' Answer and the Biblical Answer to the age of the Earth. In the next blog post we will look at a comparison of the two sides, and I will attempt to explain why these two answers just cannot mix.
Sincerely,
Jacob Springer
A Young Christian
