The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum How old is the universe

J_Edwards said:

Taking the 565 (the year that the temple was destroyed) and adding 3,418 years would mean that creation occurred 4004 BC. This would make the earth app. 6,010 years.
However, we need to account for “some” genealogies that existed, but that there is no record of … (some "sons" are actually grandsons. In Exodus 6:16-20, we find only four generations listed between Levi and Moses, etc.). Thus, an estimate of app. 10,000 years is noted to insure we have a correct span of time.

It is also important to note that in some respects God created the earth mature. He did not create seeds and then plant them. He created mature plants that produced seeds to reproduce other plants like itself. He did the same with all of life on the earth including animals and insects. There was a Garden (mature) for Adam to care for, birds were flying, fish were swimming, and Adam seemed to be created of a particular age – able to think, name the animals, communicate, understand, like the opposite sex, and walk with God, etc. Thus, even if some “materials” in the universe are ever proven to appear to be “older” that 6000-10,000 years old, they still do not disprove that creation was not within the last 6-10,000 years, as God created things with an apparent mature age. Some would call this deceptive, but I think of it as more stylistic, and after all, God told us he created stuff mature. He even tells us in part why, for He says, “For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe …” (1 Cor. 1:19-21; 3:19; Job 5:13).