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![]() What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?
Are dinosaurs real?Those who have collected dinosaur remains in the Midwest plains of Canada and the United States or in the Colorado Plateau region have no lingering doubt concerning their reality. Thousands of specimens have been found and excavated, thereby debunking the first theory mentioned. However, simply because we acknowledge the existence of dinosaurs does not mean we must accept that it took millions of years for their appearance/disappearance. The second theory comes from those who see the dinosaur bones, but feel there is no direct Biblical supporting evidence for their creation. Theory number three, is one that is rather plausible and even supported in the Bible. Did God create dinosaurs?Would God have created dinosaurs? Why is there no mention of dinosaurs in the Bible, especially the creation account? In Creation, there are many creatures that were not mentioned by name that do exist. When thinking of dinosaurs, most first thoughts are of gargantuan, ferocious lizards. It makes it hard to believe that God would create something so monstrous for the Garden of Eden. Actually, the fossil remains indicate that they were indeed a highly diversified group, ranging in size from that of a rabbit to tremendous beasts 20 feet high, 85 feet long, and weighing up to 50 tons. It appears that some were relatively light-footed and had bipedal locomotion, while others were quadrupedal and moved about in a slow and cumbersome manner. Some were carnivores and others herbivores. Certain types were well suited for aquatic habitat while others remained on land. However, most dinosaurs were relatively the size of humans. Not only that, something to be considered is that humans at the time of Adam up until Noah lived hundreds of years. Adam died at 930 years, Methuselah died at 969, Noah lived 950 years. With such longevity, isn't it only logical to believe that mankind grew larger and taller? True, it might not be the size of a 20-foot dinosaur, but perhaps proportional to how one experiences the grandiose size of a blue whale compared to the modern average human. What about the large ferocious teeth? How would a "T-Rex" fit into the picture of paradise? If one can imagine a lion in heaven eating grass like a cow, perhaps a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Garden of Eden is no longer a stretch of the imagination. Isaiah 11:6-7 shares this picture of heaven: “ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, Are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?There has been much discussion on the topic specifically involving verses in Job 40-41. Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible. Scholars, in studying Job's longevity (he lived up to 140 years), descriptions of his wealth and household, believe he was most likely alive after the time of Noah, but before the time of Abraham. Behemoth: Job 40Job 40:15-24 speaks of a "behemoth." No one is really sure what it is, but read its description. 15 “Look now at the behemoth,which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox. The way the "behemoth" is described, doesn't it almost sound like a dinosaur? Perhaps one of the sauropods? Some will argue these verses are referring to the hippopotamus or elephant. However, they run into the problem of explaining verse 17, since the tails of both animals are...well, far from looking like a cedar tree (let alone moving like one). Their tails more resemble switches. Leviathan: Job 41In Job 41:1-2,7,12-32, the "Leviathan" is another creature described that has been hard to find a modern equivalent. 1“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Some have translated the Leviathan to be a "crocodile," because of the large number currently present in the region. However, the crocodile pales in comparison to the description given to the Leviathan. Do crocodiles really raise themselves? Aren't the underbellies of crocodiles smooth rather than "sharp potsherds?" Does the crocodile really move fast enough and graceful enough to leave a "shining wake"? The Leviathan is also mentioned in the following verses: Psalms 74:14, 104:25-26, Isaiah 27:1. Why are dinosaurs not alive today?The sudden extinction of the dinosaurs, as shown by the geological record, is a mystery that evolutionary paleontologists have considerable difficulty explaining. What happened to wipe out the dinosaurs so quickly? A change of temperature? A change in the plants? Blasts of heat from a meteor? Mammals eating dinosaur eggs? A change in oxygen concentration? Overspecialization? Senility? All these have been offered as explanations by evolutionary scientists. The dominant theory at present is that a large object from space hit Earth and blasted up so much dust that the sun was obscured for months. Plants and animals died. However there are problems with this theory. If this happened, why was the extinction selective? Why did some plants and animals, including some more fragile than dinosaurs, not become extinct? Were dinosaurs on the ark?From a biblical perspective, the most likely explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs is the worldwide Flood described in Genesis 6 and 7. Soon after the flood mankind began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. There was a class of very large animals which perished at the flood. God knew that the strength of man would decrease, and these mammoth animals could not be controlled by feeble man. Dinosaurs and the BibleIronically enough, by trusting the Bible, Christians have no need to "explain away" dinosaurs and do mental gymnastics to try and disprove their existence. The Bible even leaves the door open for Christians to discover dinosaurs alive today. Should a dinosaur exist today and ever be discovered roaming around deep in some jungle, it would not really affect our understanding of the Bible or our faith. On the other hand, evolutionists would have to restructure their entire system of thought if a dinosaur appeared alive on today's scene. |
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