Was the world created 6,028 years ago today?
That's a question that will drive fans of Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking up the wall.
I don't know that it was. I don't think anyone but God knows the actual day of creation.
But one of the greatest biblical and historical scholars of the 17th century, Archbishop James Ussher, meticulously calculated all the data he could find about the day of creation, and that's what he came up with in his famous "Annals of the World," a great companion to your reading of the Bible.
I'm not sure it matters all that much which day the world was created, though it would certainly be fascinating to know. If it turns out to be true, Earth Day should definitely be moved from April 22 and reconsidered altogether.
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But the age of the world is something everyone should consider.
Do you believe the world is hundreds of millions or even billions of years old as evolutionists do?
Or do you believe the Earth is much younger, in line with the biblical genealogies beginning with Adam and Eve?
People get annoyed with me when I raise this issue. They say, "Farah, why don't you stick with politics, instead of science and religion?" They say I jeopardize my credibility in reporting the news and the pressing issues of the day.
When I did a regular daily talk-radio show years ago, my producer would beg me not to go there, because, as he believed then, evolution was a matter of scientific proof, not a theory. (After listening to me talk about this topic day in and day out, he finally came around.)
Why do I think it matters how old the Earth is?
There are two reasons:
- I take the Bible literally – and seriously. And the Bible strongly affirms a date in the neighborhood of 6,000 years, at least for the age of man, who was created on the sixth day, according to Genesis. If that's not true, it calls into question the rest of the Bible's accuracy.
- Atheists like Dawkins and Hawking are every bit as dogmatic about their theories of the age of the Earth as I am. They know they need lots of time to give their fairy tales about life spontaneously generating any credibility at all. Godless miracles require time, you know, lots of time.
How does Hawking suggest everything in the physical world was created from nothing?
He says the law of gravity made it inevitable that the universe would create itself. That strikes me as a leap of faith, especially because he doesn't and can't explain who authored the law of gravity.
One thing we know for sure: Science can never prove the age of the Earth. Because science requires a methodology of observation and empirical testing that could never be done on an event that occurred thousands of years ago, millions of years ago or billions of years ago. God can, however, prove the age of the Earth because He was there. And someday, when He returns to judge His creation, He might just do that.
Until then, we have the detailed historical record He left us with in written form – the Bible.
I know what some of you are thinking: "Farah, what about the dinosaurs that were tens of millions of years old? How do you explain that?" Quite simply, I don't believe it. Throughout man's history, in every culture, we have stories, pictures and sculptures depicting dragons and leviathans and sea serpents. Are we to believe these were all concocted in man's imagination? Even the Bible references such observations. If behemoths like the one described in chapter 40 of the Book of Job somehow threatened the Bible account of history, I don't think it would be there.
But here's the bottom line: Is it crazier for me to believe the world is around 6,000 years old than it is to accept as scientific fact that it is actually millions or billions of years old?
Where's the proof? Either way.
I like what the Apostle Paul had to say in Romans 1:20-25: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
Amen, indeed.
See the WND Superstore's collection of books and videos on evolution and creationism.
I also like what Peter had to say in 2 Peter 3:3-8: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Have you ever considered the fact that there is no reliable history of man before 6,000 years ago?
Why would that be?
I know there are ancient myths that suggest man is older than 6,000 years. But there is no reliable human history.
What could explain that?
The Bible explains it. Man can't. He can only speculate, imagine, fantasize and proselytize.
I don't spend a lot of time trying to persuade people the world is only 6,000 years old. It's not the most important concept. It's far more important to acknowledge what is obvious, as Paul suggested – that only God could create the universe and the world in which we live. Creation wasn't always here. Every scientist, including Dawkins and Hawking, agrees with that fact now.
So who made it? Or what made it?
I believe in gravity as much as Hawking. But it makes no sense that gravity, which requires mass to exert its effects, is responsible for all of creation and, ultimately, the author of all life.
It strikes me as a convenient fable – the kind that allows us to avoid responsibility for our behavior and accountability for our sin.
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