How Do Dinosaurs Fit in With the Bible?
Some people believe dinosaurs were extinct, but others say that dinosaurs were vegetarian creatures and ate plant-based diets. Creationists claim dinosaurs lived millions of years ago and were hunted to extinction. Whatever their true origins, they were probably reptiles that lived on land.
Evolutionists claim that dinosaurs evolved over millions of years
Evolutionists claim that dinosaurs evolved over a period of millions of years. This claim contradicts the biblical account that dinosaurs walked the Earth without human interference. Despite this, biblical scholars argue that dinosaurs lived in the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago, which marked a time when climate conditions were extreme. During this time, new species were born and they began feeding on dinosaur eggs.
Evolutionists also claim that dinosaurs evolved from amphibians. But fossil evidence does not support this claim. To establish the existence of hybrid forms, scientists would have to find fossil evidence of those animals that evolved from dinosaurs. However, fossils of dinosaurs are 100% dinosaurs.
Creationists say that dinosaurs were originally vegetarians
Creationists claim that dinosaurs were originally vegetarians and did not eat meat. They base this claim on the Genesis scripture, which states that dinosaurs ate plants and lived in harmony with humans and other animals. Moreover, these animals were likely present in the Garden of Eden. Some dinosaur fossils show evidence of plant eating, and some have spikes and claws. These animals are also thought to have been armored.
According to the Bible, dinosaurs were created by God on the sixth day of creation, the same day that humans were created. That means they were vegetarians 6,000 million years ago, and did not eat meat. According to Creationists, this is consistent with the fossil evidence. Furthermore, it is backed by the Bible, which claims dinosaurs lived alongside humans during the same time period.
They were hunted to extinction
Many Christians and non-Christians are confused by how dinosaurs fit in with the Bible. It is difficult to explain the Bible’s references to dinosaurs because the Bible never uses the word “dinosaur.” Instead, the Bible uses the Hebrew word tanniyn, which is often translated as “serpent” or “dragon,” but which seems to suggest a giant reptile. The Bible mentions tanniyn nearly thirty times in the Old Testament. They were a part of Earth’s ecosystem and may have existed on both land and water.
While there are many Christians who take the biblical account of creation as literal, others interpret it poetically. In this interpretation, the biblical days of creation are actually seven periods of time, and dinosaurs could have lived millions of years before humans. The Bible does not mention dinosaurs directly, but it does mention them in a few places. For instance, in Job 40:19, God mentions the behemoth as the first work of God, and humans as the last. Therefore, many Christians believe that dinosaurs and humans were created millions of years apart.
They were probably reptiles
Many Christians disagree with the idea that dinosaurs were created by God. They argue that the biblical creation story is a poetic work, and that we should not take the details in Genesis 1 literally. After all, we do not say “the sun will rise today” if we do not mean it to be literal. Also, the days of creation are usually interpreted as longer periods of time, and this means that dinosaurs existed before God created man.
The Biblical creation story does not mention dinosaurs, although some people believe Job’s reference to dinosaurs is an accurate reading. However, we must consider the context of the Bible before we can make an intelligent interpretation. Ultimately, the Bible was written for a specific time and place, and it was for specific people in history.
They support Noah’s Flood
Some have argued that Noah brought dinosaurs on the Ark because he wanted to repopulate the world. While there are many theories about this, the Bible is clear that the ark could only hold two of each kind of animal. Also, many dinosaurs were quite small, and there is no evidence that Noah would have fit four of them on board. In fact, many dinosaurs were much smaller than a blue whale.
Another problem with the theory that dinosaurs survived the Flood is that the human fossil record does not contain any evidence of pre-flood man. As a result, YEC supporters are desperate to find some sort of smoking gun evidence that will persuade non-believers of the Biblical origins of humans.