Is the World 6,000 Years Old?

A quick disclaimer: I'm tossing around some theories in this blog that are not rock solid in my theology. In my personal belief system, and in this particular blog, there are some things I've metaphorically written in pen, and some things in pencil, so they can be erased and modified as I grow, but onto the question...

Am I one of those Christians that think the world is just 6,000 years old?  

Quick Answer: Ummm.... NO. 

Longer Answer: Keep Reading...

I know that both critics and skeptics of Christianity point to this often as a valid argument against Christianity, as it commonly disputes the fossil record findings of science that date back into the millions of years. Also, some Christians do actually believe that the world is 6,000 years old and will argue their points that Carbon Dating methods are not accurate enough to determine the age of fossil findings. Actually, from what I've found in the bible is evidence that seems to be in harmony with science. In other words, the bible can speak for itself, that is, if we want to hear it.

The bible never makes the claim that the earth is 6,000 years old. What it actually records though is from Adam to the present day is an approximate 6,000 year span of time, according to what most bible scholars claim. The bible (just as science) actually gives us indications that the world itself is much older than this. 

Genesis 1:1-2 says,  

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

 In the original Hebrew text of this scripture, the word "was" (haw-yaw) means "To become" so we can actually read this as if the "earth to become void" instead of was in past tense as our English language has it written. So, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and it "to become" or as we would say "became" void. Verse 2 gives us another clue as it says the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. We know from how the creation account was described in Genesis that God caused dry land to appear in the water on the third day. This doesn't mean that there was not a surface of land beneath the waters however, for the bible doesn't say that God created the land, but it reads as God commanding, " let the dry land appear," which could mean that God simply made the waters recede to reveal it. 

In Psalm 104, we see valuable some insights as the God of all creation is praised. We see that at the Lord's rebuke the waters "hastened away." This verse is commonly thought of as referring to the flood of Noah's time, but as we read about it, the waters took a long time to recede before Noah and his family could inhabit the land again. The Psalm 104 account indicates that the recession of the waters was something that occurred quickly. When we also look at the appearance of dry land happening on the third day as it is described in the creation account found in Genesis, chapter one, it is evident that the flood being described in Psalm 104 is not the Noahic Flood, but one prior to this. Verse 2, of Genesis 1, also supports this theory as it says, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." It is only obvious from scripture then that the earth was void of inhabitants because it was in a flooded state, and since the sun was created later, there was not marine life either, as we see also later God created the marine life on the fifth day after the sun, moon, and stars were created on the forth day. 

Also found in Genesis 1, is is peculiar statement in verse 28.  We read here that "God tells Adam to go and replenish the earth." This choice of wording with "replenish" would be an indication that some kind of habitation had to exist prior to Adam. While studying this I found that one scholar had laid it out into 3 ages, and I found this interesting. He concluded that the first "Heaven & earth age" was when Satan tried to over throw God. This age was destroyed, and it appears from what we know in Psalm 104, the earth was completely flooded. The "Second Age" began with Adam, and we are currently living within it. The "Third Age" will begin when Satan is thrown into the lake of fire and heaven and earth is renewed. 

This theory (and I do stress this is a theory), might be backed up by 2 Corinthians 12:2 where Paul is describing a Third Heaven, 

2 Corinthians 12:2 says,

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

In Revelation 21:1 John writes, 

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

 Since the theory is that the "First Age" was when Satan tried to over throw God, and this age was destroyed, it makes since to closely examine the fall of Lucifer (Satan). 

Isaiah 14:12-15 says,

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.

I'd like to point out 2 things in this passage above. It speaks of Lucifer's fall. We know he was already there in the Garden of Eden prior to Adam and Eve, and in Chapter 3 he speaks to Eve as a serpent. The second thing I'll bring attention to is one of the charges that was made against him. In verse 12 we see, "You who weakened the nations!" My question is if we are looking at Lucifer, who was cast down to earth, then he weakened the nations, and all of these things occured before Adam, then this must e speaking of a Pre-Adamic habitation of the earth. ...Or as the theory above would call it, "The First Age."

This also provides us more insight into understanding Ezekial 28, where God declares a proclamation against the King of Tyre. The first ten verse seem to describe a man, but then verses 11 through 19 seem to be speaking of Lucifer himself. It would seem that this king was influenced by Lucifer (called Satan). We also see that he influenced Adam and Eve, and we also know he tempted many in the bible to sin and still tempts us today. If there were a Pre-Adamic habitation on the earth, is it really a stretch to believe that these inhabitants may have pledged their allegiances to Satan and God judged them for it? Satan did after all fall with a third of the angels following after him. Again, these are just theories. 

So does the Bible and Science conflict? The answer is, "NO." Science is simply man's study of God's creation, and one looks at it closer, the bible and science exist in harmony. The earth is simply MUCH older than 6,000 years. Judging from the fossil records there was an evident occupation of earth that existed prior to Adam's creation (the Second Age). 

It is important that we don't shut out the voice of science as Christians sometimes do. When a scientific fact seems to indicate something contrary to our faith, this should prompt us to look deeper into the bible for an understanding of God and His creation, not to hang our faith up.