ARE DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE?
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Are dinosaurs in the Bible? Were they killed by Noah's flood? How long did humans live before and after it?
a) There are three specific places where dinosaurs may be mentioned in the Bible. Two of these passages are in the book of Job. The first is Job 40:14 - 24 which concerns the creature called Behemoth. The second reference is in Job 41 (the whole chapter) where it speaks of Leviathan. Many Biblical scholars feel that these references are talking about the hippopotamus and the crocodile, respectively. Other scholars of a more scientific mind suggest that they are talking about dinosaurs. The third reference is in Genesis 1:21 where it states that God created "great sea creatures." This may refer to large whales or very large marine creatures. The situation with these three references is not clear and either side may be correct.
b) The fossil record indicates that organisms existing thousands of years ago (before Noah's flood) grew large. Examples of these are, of course, dinosaurs, giant cave bears, giant sloths, giant dire wolves, etc. From a biological point of view many reptiles also have the unusual proclivity of getting larger as they age.
c) Dinosaurs are simply large reptiles that have lived a long time. These reptiles existed before the flood and to a lesser extent after the flood. The record in the Bible and in fossils indicate that the present planetary ecosystem is incapable of producing and supporting large bodied reptiles and mammals.
d) The Bible states that not only would mankind be destroyed but also the earth was to be wrecked (Genesis 6:13). Apparently, before the flood destroyed the antediluvian ecosystem, the earth could produce large bodied long living reptiles which we have called dinosaurs (the word means fearful or monstrous lizards).
e) Regarding your second question, the scriptures indicate that humans lived a long time in the world before and immediately after the flood. Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5), Noah live 950 years (Genesis 9:29) and many other long life spans are indicated in Genesis. Note especially the genealogies in Genesis 4 and 5. Life spans declined after the flood.
f) The average life span before the flood (ten generations) was 857 years. After the flood, however, the average life span (for the ten generations from Shem to Abraham) was less than half of what it was before the deluge!
The End ...
1. Are dinosaurs in the Bible? Were they killed by Noah's flood? How long did humans live before and after it?a) There are three specific places where dinosaurs may be mentioned in the Bible. Two of these passages are in the book of Job. The first is Job 40:14 - 24 which concerns the creature called Behemoth. The second reference is in Job 41 (the whole chapter) where it speaks of Leviathan. Many Biblical scholars feel that these references are talking about the hippopotamus and the crocodile, respectively. Other scholars of a more scientific mind suggest that they are talking about dinosaurs. The third reference is in Genesis 1:21 where it states that God created "great sea creatures." This may refer to large whales or very large marine creatures. The situation with these three references is not clear and either side may be correct.
b) The fossil record indicates that organisms existing thousands of years ago (before Noah's flood) grew large. Examples of these are, of course, dinosaurs, giant cave bears, giant sloths, giant dire wolves, etc. From a biological point of view many reptiles also have the unusual proclivity of getting larger as they age.
c) Dinosaurs are simply large reptiles that have lived a long time. These reptiles existed before the flood and to a lesser extent after the flood. The record in the Bible and in fossils indicate that the present planetary ecosystem is incapable of producing and supporting large bodied reptiles and mammals.
d) The Bible states that not only would mankind be destroyed but also the earth was to be wrecked (Genesis 6:13). Apparently, before the flood destroyed the antediluvian ecosystem, the earth could produce large bodied long living reptiles which we have called dinosaurs (the word means fearful or monstrous lizards).
e) Regarding your second question, the scriptures indicate that humans lived a long time in the world before and immediately after the flood. Adam lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5), Noah live 950 years (Genesis 9:29) and many other long life spans are indicated in Genesis. Note especially the genealogies in Genesis 4 and 5. Life spans declined after the flood.
f) The average life span before the flood (ten generations) was 857 years. After the flood, however, the average life span (for the ten generations from Shem to Abraham) was less than half of what it was before the deluge!
Comments
Post a Comment