Question:
I don’t think that the Old Testament should be taken literally. I believe when it says “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died,” that Adam lived a real long life, maybe not exactly 935 years, but a good long life. Most of what I understand about the Old Testament is that the stories were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Sometimes bits and pieces were left out and sometimes things were added to the story.
Are you saying that the earth is only 6,000 years old, when scientist have claimed the earth to be older? Also, are you saying that man and dinosaur lived together at the same time? This is very interesting, because I have never heard anybody claim this. So, do you believe that the world was created in seven days by God? I believe that the world was created by God, but over millions of years.
Answer:
The Bible is to be taken literally, unless it clearly tells you that it is giving symbolism in some form, and then it will tell you what the symbolism means. Such a place is in Revelation 1:12-16 says, “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” We are told in that same passage that the candlesticks and the stars just represent some things. Notice down in verse 20 it says, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The SEVEN STARS ARE THE ANGELS of the seven churches: and THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS which thou sawest ARE THE SEVEN CHURCHES.” If the Bible is using figurative language, then it will tell us. If it was any other way, then we would not know what God was really saying.
John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: THY WORD IS TRUTH.” If those people in Genesis 5 did not live to the exact ages that the Bible clearly says, then God lied on their “death certificates.” Notice that it gives precise ages, not all “rounded off” numbers.
Psalm 12:6,7 says, “The words of the LORD are PURE WORDS : as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, THOU SHALT PRESERVE THEM FROM THIS GENERATION FOR EVER.” God gave His Word as the purest silver, and He promised to keep it that pure for every generation. If it was any other way, then man count not rightly be held accountable to obey God, because man would have no way of knowing what God really said.
The creation week is a literal week, because God gave specific numbers, “the first day,” “the second day,” etc. That is backed up by Psalm 33:6,9, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For HE SPAKE, AND IT WAS DONE; HE COMMANDED, AND IT STOOD FAST.” The Bible does not allow for any extra “thousands” or “millions” or “billions” of years. God simply spoke the word, and the things He was creating stood fast before Him. I do hope that you will order Dr. Kent Hovind’s tapes on this subject at “http://www.drdino.com”. You will be amazed at how impossible it would be — from a scientific view — for the earth to be any older than the Bible says it is; from the size of the sun, to the amount of dust on the moon, etc.
Yes, man and dinosaurs did live together upon the earth at the same time (and still are). There is a place in Texas (you will see it in Dr. Hovind’s videos) where there are footprints of man and footprints of dinosaurs crossing over each other in the mud of the river, and were preserved.
Proverbs 19:20,21 says, “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”