WHERE DID DINOSAURS COME FROM?
WHERE DID DINOSAURS COME FROM?
GENESIS 1:31 – God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Many children have asked this question, and how have we answered them? Dinosaurs have been discovered by paleontologists, and the eras in which they inhabited the Earth have been studied. Today, evidence of their existence is displayed in major museums around the world. This is an undeniable fact. Yet, many Christians do not believe in the existence of dinosaurs and consequently ignore the issue. But if Christians refuse to believe, is there any evidence to support that disbelief? Or do we simply engage in empty arguments with non-believers? As children of the Light, is it appropriate for us to act this way—arguing with others without evidence to support our position?
The Bible does not explicitly mention dinosaurs; it only briefly refers to sea monsters (Job 26:12; Psalm 74:13, 148:7; Isaiah 51:9). However, with a little reflection, we can find the answer to this issue even though God’s Word does not specifically mention dinosaurs. Let us consider the following questions to find answers within the Bible:
– Since God is the Creator of all things, is there anything—or any creature—that came into existence on its own?
– The Bible certainly does not mention God creating computers, but did they come into existence by themselves? If a computer is invented by humans, can it be said to have been created by God?
– Where, then, do human intellect and ability come from? Do individuals create these themselves, or are they the result of God’s creation?
– Similarly, God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils only once (Genesis 2:7), and that breath of life became Adam’s soul. Humans today all possess a soul (Mark 8:36–37); so, is the human soul created by Adam, or is it bestowed by God through that single act of breathing the breath of life (1 Corinthians 15:45)? If it is not bestowed by God, could Adam himself create a soul for another person?
– The Bible states that everything God created is good (Genesis 1:31). For whom, then, is this goodness intended—for God Himself or for humanity?
– Were dinosaurs beneficial to humanity?
– God commanded humanity to rule over all the creatures He created on Earth (Genesis 1:26, 28); yet, could humans actually rule over dinosaurs? This question does not refer to humans in the 20th and 21st centuries—armed with atomic and nuclear weapons—but rather to humanity from the time of Adam up until the advent of modern science.
– If dinosaurs still existed when humanity was created, could Adam and his descendants have survived being hunted by them?
– Would God command humans to have dominion over all created things, yet create dinosaurs that humans could not control? Does God ever say one thing but do another?
– Did God create dinosaurs, only to later realize it was a mistake, wipe them out, and then create humanity?
– God is all-wise and omniscient; would He ever undertake an act of creation without prior planning?
– Who, then, created the dinosaurs—whose remains are now preserved in museums?
As you ask yourselves these questions while studying the Bible, you will discover the mysterious nature of God’s Word. Even regarding matters not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, we can find answers to all of life’s issues—both spiritual and physical. Above all, the most important aspect of studying God’s Word is grasping the eternal truths contained within the Scriptures.