• Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Old or Young Earth?

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Please show where I said or implied any such thing.

In my initial post I clearly stated, "I believe the earth is older than the young earth creationists claim, and younger than the old earth claims."

So how old do you think the earth is?


God bless.
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
The only variable we have is that we do not know how long Adam was alive prior to the Fall.

The fall could not have taken place prior to day 8 as at the end of day 6 God said it was all very good. And He sanctified day 7 so the fall could not have occurred on that day.

Cain and Able were old enough to work the fields, herd the cattle, and offer sacrifices to God so let's assign an arbitrary age of 20 to them. As Seth was born when Adam was 130 (with the assumption there were other children born after Abel and before Seth - let's not rehash "where did Cain get his wife" but it seems obvious she was nearer than 100 years to his age) so subtracting the 20 years of the age of Cain we get year 110. Therefore the fall had to occur earlier than year c109 (110 minus the 9 months gestation period for Seth).

So, the fall occurred somewhere between day 9 and year 109.
 

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
The fall could not have taken place prior to day 8 as at the end of day 6 God said it was all very good. And He sanctified day 7 so the fall could not have occurred on that day.

Cain and Able were old enough to work the fields, herd the cattle, and offer sacrifices to God so let's assign an arbitrary age of 20 to them. As Seth was born when Adam was 130 (with the assumption there were other children born after Abel and before Seth - let's not rehash "where did Cain get his wife" but it seems obvious she was nearer than 100 years to his age) so subtracting the 20 years of the age of Cain we get year 110. Therefore the fall had to occur earlier than year c109 (110 minus the 9 months gestation period for Seth).

So, the fall occurred somewhere between day 9 and year 109.

That's in regards to the Fall, but that does not indicate how long Adam was in the Garden prior to that. There is no record of children until after the Fall. Hence that would fit into the general timeline we have. How long the Garden was inhabited remains a variable, which again, is doubtful to add an extensive period to the earth (but still requires humility in that we just don't know).

And have to get going, but would like to know if you are a Theistic Evolutionist or not.


God bless.
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
If we go by the years given...no. While I have only done a quick run through of the lifespans given, and would have to recheck, it looks like he died about 3 years before Abraham. I will recalculate later to see if I have made a mistake.

Why would that be an issue anyway?
Because if the genealogy is closed Seth lived 14 years after Abraham's death.
Why would Shem outliving Abraham, or them being contemporary make any difference?
Because the closed chronology of Genesis 11 would assign only 300 years to the entire list.

Genesis 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
Are you a Theistic Evolutionist?
No. Are you?
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
So how old do you think the earth is?
I don't know. I doubt it is younger than around 10,000 years and equally doubt it is older than around 25,000 years. But its actual age could vary significantly in either direction.
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
That's in regards to the Fall, but that does not indicate how long Adam was in the Garden prior to that.
Yes, it does. He could not have been in the Garden prior to the fall for less than 2 days (day 8 minus day 6) or longer than 109 years (for the reasons previously explained).
 

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Originally Posted by Darrell C View Post
If we go by the years given...no. While I have only done a quick run through of the lifespans given, and would have to recheck, it looks like he died about 3 years before Abraham. I will recalculate later to see if I have made a mistake.

Why would that be an issue anyway?

Because if the genealogy is closed Seth lived 14 years after Abraham's death.

Nothing unusual in that. According to my calculations Adam died 126 years before Noah was born, Lamech died 5 years before the Flood, and Methuselah died the year of the Flood.


Quote:
Why would Shem outliving Abraham, or them being contemporary make any difference?

Because the closed chronology of Genesis 11 would assign only 300 years to the entire list.

No, it wouldn't. Not that this would make any difference or be a reason to dismiss the Chronology is not very close, and this if we consider the genealogies being incomplete.


Genesis 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
So beginning with Shem we see a 600 year period of history.

Not 300.


Quote:
Are you a Theistic Evolutionist?

No. Are you?

No, just wanted to make sure, because that would change the tenor of the discussion. The implication of Theistic Evolution and the impact that has on the current discussion opens the discussion to a much broader arena.

I will redo my math in regards to Shem's death when I have more time, but that is an interesting point. Still not sure why you would feel him being a contemporary of Abraham would be rejected, in light of man's longer duration and the decline we see in the genealogies.

God bless.
 

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
I don't know. I doubt it is younger than around 10,000 years and equally doubt it is older than around 25,000 years. But its actual age could vary significantly in either direction.

Then in light of current, and even past "Old Earth" classification, I would classify you as a YECer, lol.


God bless.
 

Darrell C

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Originally Posted by Darrell C View Post
That's in regards to the Fall, but that does not indicate how long Adam was in the Garden prior to that.

Yes, it does. He could not have been in the Garden prior to the fall for less than 2 days (day 8 minus day 6) or longer than 109 years (for the reasons previously explained).

There is no Scriptural support for the Fall occurring two days later, and as pointed out...the children were born after the fall, which makes the timeline you present irrelevant.

Really have to get going, but enjoying the discussion.


God bless.
 

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
The earth was formed exactly 1.2 billion years ago. That is an opinion. Same as the earth was formed 6000 years ago or 4.5 billion years ago. All these numbers rest on unverifiable assumptions. We do not know!
 

revmwc

Well-Known Member
The earth was formed exactly 1.2 billion years ago. That is an opinion. Same as the earth was formed 6000 years ago or 4.5 billion years ago. All these numbers rest on unverifiable assumptions. We do not know!

What we do know is that the Jewish Calendar is based on information passed down through the years. Their calendar is from the creation of Adam to the present as they have had it passed down throughout History. We are currently in the year 5776 by their calendar. By their calendar then the earth would be 5776 years young.
 

revmwc

Well-Known Member
Yes, it does. He could not have been in the Garden prior to the fall for less than 2 days (day 8 minus day 6) or longer than 109 years (for the reasons previously explained).

If the genalogical accounts in Genesis are off it is not by much. Since the Jews based their calendea on the creation of Adam to the present and we are in the year 5776 that would make those generation reliably accurate wouldn't they?
 

percho

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Obviously my question asked at 734 AM date did not deserve an answer.

Or maybe the lack of an answer means, the negative.
 

revmwc

Well-Known Member
Please show where I said or implied any such thing.

In my initial post I clearly stated, "I believe the earth is older than the young earth creationists claim, and younger than the old earth claims."

Never said nor implied you did. Just stating that there is no way that can be accepted
 

revmwc

Well-Known Member
Obviously my question asked at 734 AM date did not deserve an answer.

Or maybe the lack of an answer means, the negative.
I get myself in enough trouble so can't answer your question without stirring the hornets nest
 

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
What we do know is that the Jewish Calendar is based on information passed down through the years. Their calendar is from the creation of Adam to the present as they have had it passed down throughout History. We are currently in the year 5776 by their calendar. By their calendar then the earth would be 5776 years young.

Exactly RevMWC! If we assume the Jewish Calendar accurately presents creation occurring in 7 24 hour days, then we have a young earth. Others assume the days of creation are indeterminate intervals, and therefore we have an old earth.

Scripture (Job 38) says we were not there and do not know. :)
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
There is no Scriptural support for the Fall occurring two days later, and as pointed out...the children were born after the fall, which makes the timeline you present irrelevant.
<sigh> If Adam's children were born after the fall, and Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old, how could Adam have spent more than 130 years in the Garden before the fall?

And as Cain and Abel were probably at least 20 when Seth was born, then Adam could not have been in the Garden prior to the fall for more than 110 years (130-20=110), subtract another year for the duration of Eve's pregnancy and you get (110-1=109). QED :)
 

TCassidy

Late-Administator Emeritus
Administrator
If the genalogical accounts in Genesis are off it is not by much. Since the Jews based their calendea on the creation of Adam to the present and we are in the year 5776 that would make those generation reliably accurate wouldn't they?
But does the Jewish calendar view the Table of Nations as a closed chronology?

And does it recognize that there was more than the 300 years between the beginning and end of the events recorded in Genesis 10?

If Ussher is correct (and I don't believe he is) the present date is 6019 After Creation. That is probably closer than the Jewish calendar, but still fails to take the open chronology into account.
 
Top