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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Part IV)

Job 40:15-19

15) "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.

16) What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly!

17) His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

18) His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron.

19) He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

QUESTION - DID DINOSAURS REALLY EXIST?

This morning, our topic is not the typical subject matter that we tackle during worship services, but since I have received several questions on this, it is proper that we address it. As we begin, allow me first to make a disclaimer that everyone needs to keep in mind. I am not a scientist and I don't want to pretend to be one. I am a Bible teacher, and so this will not largely be a scientific study, but a study of the Scripture, a study of theology.  Likewise, I believe it is important for all of us to understand that the Bible is not a Science textbook; but whenever it touches on something scientific it is always accurate.  Therefore, if there is a contradiction between Science and the Bible, as believers we are safer depending on the Bible. 

            Regarding the existence of dinosaurs, it would be a great mistake for anyone to suggest that they never existed. The presence of fossilized dinosaurs in major museums in the world provides strong evidence that they really exist.  By the way, fossils are the remains or traces of an organism from prehistoric times (older than 4000 BC). Fossils are usually formed when an organism is covered by sediments that then harden into sandstone, slate, mudstone or flint. Later, we will see that with regards to dinosaurs, most of the fossilization happened because of the great flood during Noah's time.

            Probably, there are more critical questions that we need to confront about dinosaurs aside from its existence. Allow me to highlight some of them and respond to them in order to help all of us become more prepared in case some seekers will raise these issues between dinosaurs and the Bible. I would not be surprised if at one time or another you have encountered some of these questions already.

I           DOES THE BIBLE MENTION ABOUT DINOSAURS?

            The word "Dinosaurs" is never found in the Bible for the simple reason that the word was never coined until 1841.  Sir Richard Owen, a famous British anatomist, after viewing the first dinosaur bones (Iguanodon and Megalosaurus), realized they represented a unique group of reptiles that had not yet been classified. He used the term "dinosaur" meaning "terrible lizard" (Cox, Savage, and Gardiner, The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, p. 92).         

            Since, the King James Version of the Bible was translated in 1611, about 230 years earlier; it is understandable why it is not found. Of course, there are also many animals which are not mentioned in the Bible, but it does not mean, they do not exist.

            Although, the word dinosaur does not appear in the Bible, many Bible scholars consider the mention of "behemoth" as reference to dinosaurs by Job. Unfortunately, in the New Living Translation, the word "behemoth" is translated hippopotamus.  

            However, there is nothing in the Scriptures that suggest the image of a hippopotamus in Job.  The actual descriptions obviously do not apply to any animals known today. The most reasonable explanation is that it refers to an extinct animal. Perhaps, then behemoth is a land dinosaur.

            In reading God's description of behemoth, one can clearly visualize a giant brontosaur - he feeds on grass like an ox . . . strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar (cedars in Lebanon are huge trees). Finally, He ranks first among the works of God (Thus the greatest animal God ever made). Clearly, these descriptions don't fit a hippopotamus.

II         DID THE DINOSAURS CO-EXIST WITH MEN?

            Secondly, another common question is did dinosaurs co-exist with men? Generally, you will find people objecting to the idea that dinosaurs and men being contemporaries. But this is solely because the theory of evolution declares that dinosaurs existed 65 million years before man. However, there is a large body of evidence commonly ignored that show dinosaurs co-existing with men. Besides the fact that the book of Job, which is considered the earliest book of the Bible described dinosaurs to us meaning it was existing during his time, here are two evidences that prove evolutionists are wrong in their theory:

• A. In Rhodesia paintings on cave walls by bushmen known to have left the caves in 1500 B.C. include paintings of brontosaurs. According to their nature of art, cavemen only painted from what they could actually see. Thus, they would have had to see a brontosaur in order to paint one.
• B. Evidence of these large reptiles has been found since the flood. Dinosaur footprints have been located in the same strata with human footprints in Glen Rose, Texas.

What is also significant in establishing this is the implication of the reliability of the Bible. The controversy between evolutionists and creationists can be traced in the belief that dinosaurs evolved from some ancient reptile 200 million years ago, and that they became extinct 65-70 million years before men. Creationists believe in the account of Genesis that all creation including dinosaurs and men were part of the 6 day creation.

Genesis 1:24-25

24) And 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." And it was so.

25) God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

            Again, the belief in the creation account is foundational and has an impact to the rest of the Bible. If we accept the evolutionists' teaching on dinosaurs, then we must reject the creationists' account of the Bible. Then, if the Bible is wrong here, then it is not reliable in all matters of faith.  But as the Bible declares:

Romans 3:4

4) Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."

Only God's Word will stand forever!

III        WHERE DID THE DINOSAURS GO?     

            There are many theories concerning the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Evolutionists have come up with some explanations which are harder to believe. For example, the extinction was cause by a six-mile-wide meteorite which struck the earth. Supposedly, this collision threw three billion tons of dust into the air, blocking out the sun for several years and causing most plants to die, and so the dinosaurs died for lack of food.

            However the problem with this theory is that scientists have not found a six-mile-wide crater where the supposed meteorite struck the earth, and if it did and what they say did happen, then why did other forms of life survive? No one knows for sure, and God did not talk about this in Scriptures.

            Many creationists believe that the dinosaurs extinction may be tied to the compelling evidence which indicate that the pre-flood world was much different than the post-flood world. They say that before the flood there was a great canopy around the earth so that the climate was like a big greenhouse. They look at Genesis 1: 6-8 describing the canopy.

Genesis 1:6-8

6) And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."

7) So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.

8) God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day.

            So the big canopy was made of water and looked like a bubble around the earth. The canopy protected the earth from harmful shortwave radiation. Also it protected the earth from extreme weather.  When God decided to remove this canopy during the time of Noah, the great flood radically changed the conditions of the earth causing the extinction of dinosaurs. Evidently, even the life span of man has been affected:

Genesis 5:1-8 (Notice the life span of men before the flood)

1) This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

2) He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man."

3) When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.

4) After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

5) Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.

6) When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.

7) And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters.

8) Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.

Genesis 11:10-19 (Notice the life span after the flood)  

10)     This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

11) And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12) When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.

13) And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

14) When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15) And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16) When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17) And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18) When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.

19) And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

            As we conclude this message, I believe in a way, this lesson about the dinosaurs, can remind all of us concerning the devastating effects of sin in life. Indirectly, sin has contributed in the extinction of the dinosaurs, one of the awesome creations of God. If the flood never happened we could still be enjoying looking at dinosaurs today. And probably whenever we see one, we can exclaim in praises to God for being so great that He is able to create dinosaurs. Truly sin has a way of covering the beauty and majesty of God demonstrated in His creation.  I believe evolution can lead into the same tragic result. I hope we won't be lead astray.