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Originally posted by CHA0S
The bible says the Earth is around 6000 to 10,000 years old.
Beginning with the archeological landmark event of the fall of Jerusalem (which has now been corrected to 588 B.C., instead of 586-587 B.C.) and counting backwards the prophesied number of years between this event and the division of Solomon's kingdom (390 yrs. + 40 yrs., according to Ezekiel 4:4-7), brings us to 1018 B.C.
From the end of Solomon's 40-year reign to the start of the Temple in the 4th year of his reign takes us back another 37 years to 1055 B.C.
From the start of Solomon's Temple "in the 480th year" (1 Kings 6:1) back to the Exodus from Egypt (hence 479 years previous) brings us to near 1534 B.C.
From the Exodus out of Egypt to Abraham's entering Canaan from Haran was exactly 430 years to the day (Gen 12:10/ Exodus 12:40/ Gal 3:17), thus around 1964 B.C.
Since Abraham entered Canaan at age 75 (Gen 12:4), he was born approximately 2039 B.C.
From Abraham's birth to Noah's grandson (Shem's son), Arpachshad's birth, 2 years after the Flood started, was 290 years (Gen 11:11-26), this places the onset of the Flood at around 2331 B.C. [definitely 4,300-4,400 years ago].
The genealogy of Genesis 5:3-32 precludes any gaps due to its tight chronological structure and gives us 1,656 years between Creation and the Flood, thus bringing Creation Week back to near 3987 B.C. or approximately 4000 B.C.
Therefore, the biblical age of the Earth (using Scripture itself as a guide) is 6,000 years !!
Most Christians have heard the argument that the word “day” in Genesis does not mean a literal 24 hour type day, but rather that the “days” represent 6 great ages of time. This is often referred to as the day-age theory. Many people have wondered whether this argument is valid. It is true, after all, that the Hebrew word for day (yom) can have several different meanings, depending upon its context. However, it is our opinion that when all the facts are gathered, it is abundantly clear that God communicated with precision that all creation took place during the time period of six, normal, 24-hour type days.
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The Hebrew word for day (yom) can have several different meanings. The meaning is always clear when read in context.
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The first reference to “day” in the creation account is in the context of a 24 hour cycle of light and dark, “And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (NASV, see Genesis One).
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When the word “day” is used with a number, such as day one, day two, etc., it always refers to a literal, 24 hour type day. This is true 100% of the time. This holds true all 359 times that “day” is used with an ordinal modifier (number) outside of Genesis chapter 1.
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There is no Biblical indication that “day” is used differently in the beginning chapter of Genesis than it is throughout the rest of the book, or the rest of the Old Testament.
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The “days” in Genesis 1 are always specifically used in connection with the words “evening and morning.” This phrase is used with “day” 38 times in the Old Testament, not counting Genesis chapter 1. Each time, without exception, the phrase refers to a normal 24 hour type day. It is also important to note that this phrase is never used in the Old Testament in a manner which is obviously metaphoric.
Originally posted by imd12c4funn
Originally posted by CHA0S
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
...
But hold on..."In the beginning"...so was it the beginning or not? Was it the creation of the heavens and the Earth or not? Get your story straight...and you can't say it shouldn't be taken literally...either everything in the bible is absolute truth, or we can't trust any of it.
...
What about star light?If we were to assume that the Bible was God's perfect revelation, but that the light from the stars was deceiving us, how could we trust such a God's written revelation? For if God's physical evidence is deceptive, could not the written evidence also be deceptive?
So...what say you Christians?
It is simple.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Right?
But if you continue through the 2nd and 3rd verse;
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Source
And that explains that.
When God commanded there be light, there was light.
What's so flawed now?
And we go back to square one..."In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." It wasn't just the start of mankind...HE CREATED EARTH, IN THE BEGINNING, AS WELL AS THE HEAVENS, WHICH HE ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE SKIES. He did it in 6 days, and from my previous post, you can see your argument about the word "day" is now seriously flawed...
that's not the age of the earth. that's the beginning of the human dispensation. there's a difference.
Not at all...if such a God did exist...it's quite possible he could achieve such a thing...I'm merely stating the Earth is a lot older than 10,000 years...and the bible contradicts that...
Oh, I see what you are saying. You are saying that there is no way it could have been created in 6-7 days (depending on how you look at it).
Originally posted by CHA0S
reply to post by undo
And we go back to square one..."In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." It wasn't just the start of mankind...HE CREATED EARTH, IN THE BEGINNING, AS WELL AS THE HEAVENS, WHICH HE ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE SKIES. He did it in 6 days, and from my previous post, you can see your argument about the word "day" is now seriously flawed...
that's not the age of the earth. that's the beginning of the human dispensation. there's a difference.
[edit on 21/10/09 by CHA0S]
Originally posted by Vipassana
good point, but using logic to argue against illogical people generally does not work. Christians will generally dodge the argument and avoid the evidence all together.
One glitch perhaps though is that science has not separated the observer from the observed. Can we know for sure that the Universe is as old as science suggests without observing it?