Question: I’m having doubts about my faith and just discovered your books. I’m currently reading your book Creation and Evolution 101 and am finding the book to be informative, but I didn’t find any reference dinosaurs and how they relate to God and creation. Please explain to me what the Bible says about dinosaurs.
Answer: You’re right that we don’t specifically talk about dinosaurs in that book, but here’s our take on it.
There is no question that dinosaurs existed. The question is how they fit into the biblical story of creation. Young-earth creationists usually argue that the big amphibious creatures (the Bible term “leviathan” may describe these animals) were created on Day Five, and the dinosaurs themselves were created on Day Six–the same day as Adam and Eve. Under this view, the dinosaurs were probably wiped out by the Great Flood, which would have changed the earth’s climate radically enough to prevent them from surviving.
Old-earth creationists would support the view that dinosaurs existed long before Adam and Eve were created, and were probably extinct by that time.
Both young-earth and old-earth creationists date the creation of Adam and Eve at approximately the same time–10,000 to 25,000 years ago. Interestingly, many modern anthropologists agree with this timetable for the appearance of man as we now know him. A number of them also locate that appearance in the Middle East, close to the traditional location of the Garden of Eden.
When my son was young, he wanted to be a Paleontologist. (What young boy doesn’t?) My brother got him a very good book on the subject of dinosaurs and the bible. It is:
Dinosaurs by Design written by Duane T. Gish, Ph. D.
Here is what the back cover says “Everyone wants to know about dinosaurs! Dinosaurs by Design takes you into the exciting world of dinosaurs to find out what they were really like. Discover how fossils are formed, dug up, and assembled for museums. Travel with the dinosaurs as they board Noah’s ark and then enter the strange new world after the Flood. Find out what happened to the dinosaurs and if there are any alive today. Join us on an exciting adventure to learn more about these magnificent creatures that God designed and created.”
I hope this helps you with your questions about God and dinosaurs.
Go to see the Creation Museum, or visit their website - www.answersingenesis.org It has answered a lot of questions for me.
As a Christian doctor (who has taken too many science classes), i would recommend you investigate the scientific arguements of the earth being created by God about 10 billion years ago. Bruce and Stan echo some very compelling positions about the word \”yom\” (day: Hebrew). You can find further scientific and Biblical support of this position at www.reasons.org.
Finally, i appreciate how B&S have reasoned that dinosaurs (may have ) existed before the Genesis record, because they do not directly impact the relationship of God redeeming mankind from sin.
From a lot of my research, I actually think man (as in Adam and Eve, Noah, everyone) and dinosaurs co-existed. I think there is an arguement for some dinosaurs actually being on the decline now, and not fully “extinct”. The term “dinosaur” didn’t come about until well after the bible. In bible days, an enormous lizard would probably have been refered to as a “dragon”. Check it out. Throughout the bible, there are numerous references to leviathans, and dragons. I have always felt these were actually what we today call dinosaurs. Now, probably not every species of dinosaurs. But I do believe dinosaurs/dragons and man co-existed. Technically, an aligator, crocodile, turtle, as well as sharks, could be viewed as “pre-historic”. Remember, to define something is actually to “limit” it. I believe dinosaurs fit right into God’s plan. The ironic thing is that athiests use evolution and dinosaurs in particular as a “smoking gun” to disprove God. I believe nothing could be further from the truth, and have always wondered why the church hasn’t used the ample evidence of dinosaurs existence AT THE SAME TIME AS MAN more. Kids love dinosaurs. They should be utilized more to pull kids into faith. As they say, “that’s how it happened”.