Introduction
The subject of dinosaurs is somewhat of an enigma, especially to those who ride the fence between evolution and Christianity. Maybe someday, an article about dinosaurs may be written for naturalists, but for now the focus is aimed at Christians who struggle with fitting the evolution theory into the Bible. It is for Christians who are overwhelmed by "experts" of science and evolution.
Science books, television shows, and magazines proclaim that dinosaurs existed millions of years before men came to the scene. This forces Christians to shy away from the subject of dinosaurs and lose faith in the Bible. Is the evolution theory about dinosaurs true? What does the Bible say about them? These questions can be answered without any doubt.
Were Dinosaurs Mentioned in the Bible?
Many people ask, "Why doesn't the Bible mention dinosaurs?" If one were to read all sixty-six books of the Bible, they would never find the word "dinosaur". Why? Because it was not invented until 1841, when Sir Richard Owen combined two Greek words, "deinos" (terrible) and "sauros" (lizard).[1] Finding dinosaurs in the Bible is not as hard as one thinks. The first place to look is Genesis 1:24-25, which says,
(24) Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Would dinosaurs be considered beasts of the earth? Also consider Exodus 20:11, which claims,
(11) For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Would dinosaurs be considered all that is in them (the heavens and the earth, and the sea)? If no, the objection may be that dinosaurs were created millions of years prior to men, but that would make the Bible a liar. Notice what day on which the beasts of the earth and men were created. Genesis 1:24-31 says,
(24) Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. (25) God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. (26) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (27) God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (29) Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; (30) and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. (31) God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
The Bible clearly claims that God created dinosaurs and man on the sixth day.
There is more Biblical evidence to show that men walked the earth with dinosaurs. As God was proclaiming His power over animals to Job, he ends His discourse with two amazing creatures. Job 40:15-24 says,
(15) Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; he eats grass like an ox. (16) Behold now, his strength in his loins and his power in the muscles of his belly. (17) He bends his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. (18) His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are like bars of iron. (19) He is the first of the ways of God; let his maker bring near his sword. (20) Surely the mountains bring him food, and all the beasts of the field play there. (21) Under the lotus plants he lies down, in the covert of the reeds and the marsh. (22) The lotus plants cover him with shade; the willows of the brook surround him. (23) If a river rages, he is not alarmed; he is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. (24) Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce his nose?
Some translations have a footnote, claiming this could be a hippopotamus, but a hippopotamus does not have a tail like a cedar. This is clearly something like a Brachiosaurus or Diplodocus.
The next creature to consider is in Job 41, which says,
(1) Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? (2) Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? (3) Will he make many supplications to you, or will he speak to you soft words? (4) Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? (5) Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you bind him for your maidens? (6) Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants? (7) Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears? (8) Lay your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again! (9) Behold, your expectation is false; will you be laid low even at the sight of him? (10) No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him; who then is he that can stand before Me? (11) Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. (12) I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. (13) Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? (14) Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. (15) His strong scales are his pride, shut up as with a tight seal. (16) One is so near to another that no air can come between them. (17) They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. (18) His sneezes flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. (19) Out of his mouth go burning torches; sparks of fire leap forth. (20) Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. (21) His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth. (22) In his neck lodges strength, and dismay leaps before him. (23) The folds of his flesh are joined together, firm on him and immovable. (24) His heart is as hard as a stone, even as hard as a lower millstone. (25) When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; because of the crashing they are bewildered. (26) The sword that reaches him cannot avail, nor the spear, the dart or the javelin. (27) He regards iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood. (28) The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned into stubble for him. (29) Clubs are regarded as stubble; he laughs at the rattling of the javelin. (30) His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire. (31) He makes the depths boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment. (32) Behind him he makes a wake to shine; one would think the deep to be gray-haired. (33) Nothing on earth is like him, one made without fear. (34) He looks on everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.”
The reader is forced to believe this to be some sort of sea dragon by the descriptions. Some people allege that this is a crocodile, but a thorough reading of the description shows that is absurd. Others claim that this is a mythical creature, but why would God talk about real animals in chapters 38-39 and then switch to mythical or symbolic ones? Job knew exactly what God was talking about and would have seen a behemoth and leviathan at some point or at least heard of one from others.
Evidence of Dinosaurs Outside of the Bible
Everyone can agree that dinosaurs existed based on the fossil records, but is there physical evidence that shows they roamed the earth with humans? There are ancient carvings of dinosaurs. There was a carving of what looked like a Stegosaurus found in Cambodia dating back to 1186.[2] Sauropod dinosaurs were found engraved in the Carlisle Cathedral in Carlisle, England dating back to around 1495.[3] These are just a couple of examples out of many. How did the ancients know what to draw if they never saw such things?
Conclusion
The Bible's claim that dinosaurs roamed the earth with mankind is confirmed. The evolution theory, as always, is just a theory and will always be a theory. Christians must examine the evidence for themselves and deny what cannot be proven.
Works Cited
[1] https://theconversation.com/unraveling-the-mystery-of-how-dinosaurs-get-their-names-44367#:~:text=Sir%20Richard%20Owen%20came%20up,sauros%E2%80%9D%2C%20which%20means%20lizard.
[2] Butt, Kyle & Lyons, Eric, The Dinosaur Delusion: Dismantling Evolution's Most Cherished Icon, pgs.49-62, Apologetics Press. Montgomery, AL. 2008. Print.
[3] Ibid, pgs. 63-65.
Other Resources Used
The Authentic Christian Podcast: Dinosaur's, Part One - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeT7CGi6R7k
The Authentic Christian Podcast: Dinosaur's, Part Two - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW4ASOvLqxI
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