An article on the internet, "Biblical Proof on Why Evelution is a Total Fake," expresses a lot of the concerns about geology findings. The facts of science and geology completely support Biblical Creation and disprove the myth of evolution? It also alludes to the planting of the Missing Link by PiltMan. Many people have noticed science does support the Holy Bible frequently. Who can say the geological record is not tainted?
Several religions argue and even go to war over religion, debating who is the most right. In the Holy Land there are still many feuds on Haram Al-Sharif. To Jewish people it is revered as the location of the temple built on Mount Shechem, where Moses' grave was found by Joshua and the Israelis upon approaching the leaders of the land who told them of an old man wanting to burry Moses there. Herod had decorated the Temple in ivory and gold. The latter of which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. Now it has an Arabic Mosque on top of the hill considered a holy place of God. Both the Arabic and Jewish religions start with Abraham who had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born to Abraham's wife, Hagar, leading to Islam. Isaac was born to Abraham's wife, Sarah, leading to Judaism.
The similarities between the two religions are clear, since they come from the same family in former Palestine. The Old Testament, called "Tanakh" by the Jewish people, has the same account as Genesis. It was not complete until 90 AD, in Janin. The first five books, called the Torah containing Genesis was the bible to Judah in 400 BC. It is also suspected theTorah, with the first five books of the Holy Bible, has been in use since 1280 BC, the time of Moses. At this time the Torah or Book of Laws was placed in the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments, after Moses went into the wilderness and left the Tribes of Israel, so they could settle in the land.
The Tanakh has been standardized though it was communicated through several generations before it was written and preserved. There are few differences between the Jewish translated version and the English translated Holy Scripture in use at present time. The days referred to are the length of God's days. With this in mind, how long is a day for God? If you look at geology and events in Genesis, they take place in the same order, but over longer periods of time.
There have been several reasons for why someone would want to plant scientific evidence. It would be easier in a controlled event to go along with already dictated philosophy. The theory of the Bible starting in 4,400 BC would be a great example. This would support Noah's Ark and the lives of ancestors depicted in Genesis. Instead, scientists have found planetary creation began 4500 million years ago.The parallels are lacking; therefore, it appears scientists have made conclusions after testing and analyzing samples according to different events, without the thought of biblical texts in mind. If you were going to plant evidence why not date it for the expected time and place? The first and second days of Genesis are direct reflections of geological findings. The third, fourth and fifth days vary from the scientific form. As for the sixth and seventh day there is little explanation for why anyone would plant evidence to compare geological and standard religious views.
During Precambrian Time there are three cycles Hadean, Archaean and Proterozoic. Later, in the Phanerozoic Eon, the majority of modern life forms begin. The Hadean Era begins at about 4,500 to 3,800 million years ago. During Hadean time, the Solar System was forming within a large cloud of gas and dust around the sun called an accretion disc. Sometime during the first 800 million or so years of its history, the surface of the Earth changed from liquid to solid. In Genesis this is the time that the Earth was unformed and void. God said, Let there be light? There was evening and morning, a first day?. The parallel between the geological findings and Genesis is clear. They depict the same story.
The Archeaan Era begins at 3,800 to 2,500 billion years ago. In this Era the atmosphere was very different from what we breathe today. At that time, it was likely a reducing atmosphere of methane, ammonia, and other gases which would be toxic to most life on our planet today. Also, during this time, the Earth's crust cooled enough that rocks and continental plates began to form? The Genesis accounts of the second day states, And God said, let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water? So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse Sky? And there was evening, and there was morning - the second day?. Once again when compared, it contains the same account with varying time-lines.
Then the Proterozoic Period began 2,500 to 544 million years ago. It has three sub-divisions: Paleoproterozoic (2,500 to 1,600 million years ago), Mesoproterozoic (1,600 to 900 million years ago) and Neoproterozoic (900 to 544 million years ago). Stable continents first appeared and began to accrete, a long process taking about a billion years during the Paleoproterozoic Era. The first abundant fossils of living organisms, mostly bacteria and archeans also appeared at this time. At 1,800 million years ago, eukaryotic cells appear after the first evidence of oxygen build-up in the atmosphere. This was in the middle of the Mesoproterozoic Era, a 15% rise in oxygen making the accretion disc less visible, so the Sun and Moon could be seen by land. It also stimulated growth of the first soft-bodied animals. These include multi-cellular algae. Toward the end of the Proterozoic, the first animals came in to existence.
At the end of the Proterozoic Era is the Vendian Era (from 650 to 544 million years ago). During this time macroscopic fossils of soft-bodied organisms can be found in a few localities around the world, confirming Darwin's expectations. This brings to light the scientific measure for findings geological evidence reflects the order of events, as they occur in Genesis. Since in the Vendian Era fossils were found of soft-bodies organisms, it is safe to assume that they were already in existence before 650 million years ago. Then later the Phanerozoic Era from 544 to present furthers the study of each separate species. This is the era known for dinosaurs and the first mammals on dry land. Most remarkably is the build up of oxygen at 1,800 million years ago. This marks the beginning of the fourth day.
What of the third, fourth and fifth days of Genesis? It seems that this conflicts with the account however, on the first day, the days where created. Except, it is not until the fourth day the Sun and Moon can be seen, giving a time separation for what people know and judge time by. This satisfies the scientific account of how the Earth was formed. Days passed under an accretion disk for millions of years before the Sun and Moon could be seen. Also, there were already forms of life on the planet when oxygen built-up in the air giving way to the newer life forms later.
Quoting Genesis directly, you can decide.
On the third day God says, Let the land produce vegetation: Seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds? On the fourth day God says, Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times- the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the Earth? On the fifth day God said, Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock. Creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.
Events occur in the same order, though the periods are classified differently, so the time line does not match exactly, but the events are in the same order.
The next question would be, if there were seven days, then how would this fit into the account of Genesis? What if God really told ancient people of his plan? What if, in fact, we are in the middle of the sixth day?
God said, let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth? And God saw that this was good. And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth? And God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them, 'Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all living things that creep on the earth.'
What happens to the seventh day? Only five days have occurred and the sixth day where Adam and Eve are created is still going on today. Modern humans show up only 100,000 years before the present. If this time table is relative to the account in Genesis then a day in Genesis is between 800 million to 900 million years long, so the modern human is still under going the creation process to the full stature intended. The seventh day has not happened yet.
Since it is hard to tell when the divisions of days occur, though the changes in days appear to occur between 800 and 900 millions years, let us review the information. About 15 billion years ago, the universe bursts into existence in the Big Bang, which gives birth to space, time and all the matter and energy the universe will ever hold. It was not until the Hadean Era that the Solar System began to form. The Hadean Era began 4,500 to 3,800 million years ago. Oxygen levels in the Archaean had been less than 1% of present levels in the atmosphere. This lasted for about 800 million years. Then 1,800 million years ago, during the Proterozoic Era, oxygen levels were greater than 15% of present levels and rising. With the discovery of human life at 100,000 years if you take 1,800 million years and subtract 100,000 years and divide it by two (for the two estimated days) it equals 899,950,000 years. Then times it by five (for the total five days) and receive 4,499,750,000 years or 4500 million years. It is the same time the Hadean Era began.
Formula for the two days when the Earth, Sun and Moon are formed:
800 + 1000,000,000 = 1,800,000,000: 1,800,000,000 ÷ 2 = 899,950,000
Reverse checking the equation to when the Hadean Era began:
899,950,000 × 5 = 4,499,750,000; approximately 4,500 million years ago
The results of the equation rest between the established ranges of 3,800 to 4,500 million years.
The mathematics around events holds true to each other when compared. With this information then, each day is about 900 million years long. It can also be estimated that God does not rest for almost another 900 million years. Actually if you were to find the time of when day becomes night, nighttime occurs in half the time. What happens in another 900 million years? The answer may seem forward however, to avoid fortune telling there is no way of knowing what happens next.
What does this mean to society? Maybe nothing, coincidence does happen. How can a prophet living several thousand years ago know what science is uncovering now? Moses himself was around before geology was an effective science. Could it be people really did talk to God and see God on Bethel and Mount Sinai?
Though there have been several arguments towards the vitality of science, perhaps as science changes the religious-theory adjusts to the new information. As long as people truly believe in God, a religious-scientific viewpoint exists. There is no reason to ignore science, if you know God is real, God is real. Suspicions about science are incorrect. Scientists observe without bias and motivations to sway people, yet science can support biblical accounts. As finds are presented without concern of bias to religion, it is possible interpret the information without dismissing the influence of God in day-to-day life.
Works Cited
Biblical Proof on Why Evelution [sic] is a Total Fake. 25 Feb. 2002. http://www.expage.com/biblicalproof.
Collins, Allen. Geological Time Machine. The University of California Museum of Paleontology: Berkely, 1994. 25 Feb. 2002. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html.
The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978.
Lemonick, Michael D. "How It All Ends." Time 25 June 2001: 46-48.
Rees, Matt. "The Bloody Mountain." Time 16 Oct. 2000: 70-73.
Tanakh. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985.Tullok, John H. The Old Testament Story. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.
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