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Is there any evidence for the Bible's view of a young earth?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.

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Mini ainsley chalmers Supporter Medical Research Scientist, devoted family man.
I am a PhD medical research scientist with 50 years lab experience and about 100 international publications.. I became a christian in my 40th year in 1977 and initially was a theistic evolutionist ie believed in Jesus Christ as well as long ages and biological evolution or Darwinism. 

In the last 10-15 years of probing the bible and science have come to realize that evolution cannot happen ie to go from a microbe to mouse to monkey to man as it goes against the 2nd law of thermodynamics which states everything is degrading. With mouse to man you go from 3 million to 3 billion base pair coding. Biology just doesn't work this way by adding genetic information. I feel sure that if Darwin had known the structure,function and code of DNA he would never have written his book on the origin of species. The bible genealogies indicate the earth is about 6,500 years old and this ties in with scientific observations. The fossil record confirms a huge worldwide flood and there are no intermediate life forms have been found which one would expect from evolution. 

So I, like hundreds of other PhDs around the globe, believe in a young earth. This is foundational to my belief in sin and redemption/salvation through the death of Christ for my sins. Also, years of probing the bible has made me conclude that it contains the absolute truth.

February 26 2014 18 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
There is a profusion of evidence for the Bible's view of a young earth. However, the old-earth perspective has held a monopoly in the public schools, in the major academic centers, and in the popul...

July 01 2013 6 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Stringio Vin Smith Supporter Concert Pianist. Piano Tuner. Talk Show Host. Novelist.
...I see no clash between a scientific view that the Earth is structurally 4.5 billion years old and the fact that God's creation of life as we know it--as detailed in the Genesis account--was something like six to seven thousand years ago. 

Modern scientific methods tell us the rest of the planetary system we live in is basically without life. However the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, for example, might be another story. From the university of California Santa Cruz, a news report states: "...according to planetary scientist Francis Nimmo, evidence from recent NASA missions suggests that conditions necessary for life may exist on the icy satellites of Saturn and Jupiter." 

That Directed Forces exist within the geological record seems quite evident. Directed by God--of course. God's present purpose for Mars, as an example, might well be quite similar to his purpose for allowing this planet to be in the State of Readiness it was in before Adam and Eve. 

So, while scientific thinkers and religious leaders grapple with desperate attempts to prove one theory over another--young Earth versus Old Earth; fossil record against the Genesis Begats; scientific measurements compared to an obvious Biblical/Historical timeline--everyone seems to overlook the opening two sentences of the Bible. A description that evokes the empty planets in our own solar system--and very likely, many of the exoplanets that have so far been discovered. 

What does the description of Genesis 1:1-2 tell me? That the Earth was in existence when God--who always was and always will be--decided to create mankind, six to seven thousand years ago. That He had created the solar system perhaps 4.5 billion years ago according to scientific measurements. This belief holds for the likelihood that the Earth has undergone periodic and purposeful destruction's--such as the asteroid of sixty-five million years ago. That is a good place to begin an Earth timeline. 

To not think this way is to really bollix up our universal view. Those who deny that God exists--fools! (Psalm 14:1). Those who adamantly deny the fossil and geological record? Well, they are not using their intellect.

Simply go to Genesis 1: (1) In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. (2) And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

All of this tells me that the Earth as a core structure is as old as scientific measurements tell us. And the creation of mankind in Eden, and the subsequent recorded history as detailed in the Bible is correct to the letter.

Simple. End of argument.

December 27 2013 5 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Stringio Collins Otonna Supporter
God just finished creating Adam, and in walked a scientist
"Hey scientist, meet Adam
How old you think he is?"

The scientist looked at Adam and said
" lord by my scientific analysis of human growth, this man is about 42 years old"
"Wrong!" Responded father God
"He is all of ten minutes old"
" no way" said the scientist
" he is five foot 2 inches, weighs 190 pounds and is fully developed, by my scientic analysis he can't possibly be less than 40 years old!" Exclaimed the scientist
"We'll I am sorry to put aside your science but I made him ten minutes ago" 

Father God confirmed to him.......

The instruments cannot measure what 
Comes from unseen but they can give a measure that would be right if the earth actually did not come out of God's powerful spoken words, so like the scientist above they could be contextually right but wrong in real fact

Like a man who bought a ten year old car and his little son asked him

"Daddy how old is this car
Is it new"?
"No it's ten years old" answered the dad
"No daddy you only bought it one day ago so its new" the boy replied

"Ok" son, "as you understand"
This is the kind of squabble we have trying to date what God has done by divine utterance by earthly means

God made the world in biblical time
But if you put earthly means of measurement they would magnify to the age it would be if God did not create them biblically

February 27 2014 3 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Stringio Adam Johns Supporter
Not sure if someone has already mentioned it, but I've also been taught when God created man and woman (and everything else living for that matter) He created them in their fully mature form. Adam wasn't a new born baby, he was probably 20-30 years old when he was made - BUT, Adam appeared to be 20 or 30 years old...

Using simple logic, we can conclude that although the earth might look like it is old, or took a long time to develop, there is no reason it can't be young, just as male and female and animals were only 1 day old on their respective days of creation.

February 27 2014 2 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Open uri20150816 3767 1tn9rak mark wilkinson Supporter retired school teacher and missionary
The Bible is evidence that the world is young, created in six normal 24 hour days. It is God's infallible Word to us. He tells us in Genesis 1 and Exodus 20:11 that he did it this way. Genesis is His eye-witness account of creation from nothing within a week. This is all the evidence a Christian ought to need and it was sufficient for most of the years since it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

However there is also plenty of scientific evidence to support the fact that the earth is young, being thousands not millions of years old.

One of the strongest arguments in favour of a young earth is that of the radioactive isotope of carbon, Carbon 14 (C14). C14 is absorbed by living things from the atmosphere. After death (of a plant or animal) it is no longer absorbed. It begins to decay. After about 5000 years the original amount of C14 in a body has reduced to half of what it was. After another 5000 years is is reduced by half as much again. If you go on this way there should be no C14 left to measure by 100,000 years. Therefore there ought not to be any detectable C14 in things that supposedly died millions of years ago. However, C14 can be traced in dinosaur bones (said by paleontologists to have died out 65 million years ago) supporting the fact that these were alive alongside humans a few thousand years ago - and described in the book of Job chapters 40 and 41 (the word 'dinosaur' wasn't invented until 1841, so we don't find it used for behemoth and leviathan in Job). C14 can also be found in coal and even in diamonds which are also claimed by secular science to be many millions of years old. It also shows that diamonds were formed from organic material which was once alive at the surface of the earth! 

Dinosaur bones have also been found to contain protein material - collagens, DNA, even blood cells. This should not be so according to secular science. It is an embarrassment to them, even though the discoveries have been made by unbelievers. Dr Mary Schweizer is a pioneer researcher in this realm.

Rock crystals contain radioactive minerals which are surrounded by rings of colour called radiohalos. Polonium-210 radiohalos indicate that Jurassic, Triassic and Eocene formations were deposited within months of each other, not hundreds of millions of years apart.

Other scientific evidences for our earth being young include:
- the existence of comets (they ought to disintegrate quickly)
- the slow rotation speed of galaxies (they speed up over time)
- not enough mud on the sea floor
- not enough salt (sodium) in the sea
- the rapid decay of earth's magnetic field
- the small amount of helium in the earth's atmosphere (there should be a lot more)
- many evidences of rapid geological formations, not slow and tranquil deposition - such as strata that are tightly bent, latest theories concerning granite formation, fossil graveyards, widespread rapid lava flows, injected sandstone into upper layers while it was unsolidified, etc
- weathering and erosion ought to have removed the continents by now if they really were millions of years old
- petrified wood takes place rapidly
- purity of chalk beds suggests these were formed rapidly before colonies of plants and fish could develop in the supposed shallow seas in which chalk is believed by geologists to have formed.
- not enough Stone Age skeletons
- agriculture is too recent (if there were humans around for 100,000 years why did they only discover settled farming comparatively recently?)
- history is too short (written records only go back 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, yet we are told to believe people have been around for 20 times longer than that).
- symbiotic relationships of certain flowers and insects (they can't have evolved separately, but must have been created together, within days as the Bible tells us in Genesis 1.

Lastly we should be cautious about using discredited data - such as the depth of dust on the moon.

October 21 2014 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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Me Steve Nearman Supporter A sinner saved by grace. Fredericksburg, VA
If, and all should, carefully examine the scriptures, "rightly divide", you will fine a gap of unknown time between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2. Could be millions of years, we are not told what earth was like before man was created or its history. It doesn’t really matter. The scriptures deal with man and his relationship with God, not God’s history before man’s existence.

It is hard for the finite mind of mortal man to comprehend eternity, the place that God inhabits Isa. 57:15. He is not bound by time as we are 2 Pet. 3:8. Man was created shortly after God created time Gen. 1:5, our dwelling place. No mater how intelligent you may be, the concept of entirety in not comprehendible for the human mind. But God is Omniscience and Omnipresence, also not comprehendible to man. We simply do not have the capability to fully comprehend His creation. 

However we do have vivid imaginations and like to speculate based on our "intellectual knowledge and wisdom". But when we come back and examine the "facts" in the light of the ultimate source of truth, God’s Word, we, if honest, must admit our understanding often falls short and is flawed. Prov. 3:5

Isa. 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there,... So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

What the scriptures does reveal is Gods loves His creation and wants a relationship with us.

John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 

What infidels babble about is of no consequence in light of eternity. No matter what they try to prove or disprove, 2 Tim. 3:2-7 "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth". God is faithful to all mankind, reveling His truth even by the things he created. We just need to honestly observe.

Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. 

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

August 11 2014 5 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Grant Abbott Supporter Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit
There is one piece of evidence that the bible talks a lot about and I find very compelling to convince me to believe in a young earth creation. This evidence is observable everyday and we all get to personally test and experience it. What is it? DEATH!

Science and Old Earth Creationists both rely on "evolution of species" to explain how humans arrived on planet earth. But the bible says that God created humankind and it was our rebellion (sin) against the command of God not to eat the forbidden fruit that brought DEATH into our world (Gen 2:16-17. The day Adam sinned his spirit died and his body also died after 930 years. This terminal disease of sin has infected every generation of the human race. Every human is born spiritually dead and every human physically dies (with a few exceptions). Today humans are grateful to live 70 to 80 years, much less in sin ravaged parts of the world where war, poverty, famine and disease take their toll to dramatically reduce life expectancies.

Science/OEC claims that death, mutation and survival of the fittest over millions of years eventually brought humans into the world. The Bible states that human rebellion against God brought death into the world. Both theories cannot be correct as they are polar opposites.

For unbelievers death is simply a fact of life. But for Christians death is hugely important, because it necessitated God's plan of salvation to restore life and relationship with the creator God.
Through faith in Christ our spiritual life is restored so our souls will live forever with God and we will receive new bodies that will live forever at the resurrection of the dead.

I think there are some amazing statements in the bible that I would find very interesting for science to investigate. Here are some that come to mind.
1) God created the earth to support everlasting life for all his creation
2) God cursed the earth because of sin
3) Jesus will repair the earth to enable it to support all creation including resurrected believers and mortal believers for a thousand years
4) Jesus will create a new Heaven and Earth for all of God's creation to exist without the presence of sin and evil for all of eternity.

God has a rich reward waiting for every believing scientist who takes their stand for the truth of the bible. As the body of Christ lets be faithful to pray for every Christian investigating what God has created - for courage, boldness, knowledge and wisdom - to discover truth that will strengthen our faith in the midst of an unbelieving world.

March 23 2017 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Michael Davenport Supporter
The problem is the opposite. There is no evidence for an old earth. The assumptions built into the various "scientific calculations" fall apart when actually scrutinized. Libby understood that C14 and C12 would be at equilibrium within a very short time and yet they were not yet. The earth's magnetism is declining at such a rate that it proves the earth is very young. Things like this are ignored because, and only because, so many want to deny God and the fact of creation.

On the other hand, Jesus, God in the flesh, confirmed Moses wrote the initial books of the Bible and their accuracy as He even taught from them. Moses wrote God created the earth, and all in it, in six days...not aeons. ("And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day," and so on.)

So then, Jesus asked His disciples one question that every person must answer. "Who do you say I am?" Once we get that correct, everything else falls into place.

March 06 2020 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Shantkumar S. Kunjam Supporter An Indian, Mennonite Church, Pastor, Administrator, Bishop,
I would like to answer this question not as a scientist but as Christian Bible believer.

We believe that God is the creator of all things. Just reason: When God made the universe how the newly created universe might have looked? We know that God made Adam and Eve as adult persons. If God can make adult persons, could not He have made billions of years old universe instantly?

Else where I have argued that Genesis one days are not of 24 hours day. They were much longer than just our twenty four hours. In Gen. 2:17 God said, "for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.". But we know that Adam lived 930 years (Gen. 5:5). That means, the day in which Adam ate the fruit that day is longer than 930 years. Moreover consider another thing. In Hebrews 7:4-10. According to this verse it can be deduced that Abraham was still living in his posterity even after his personal death. From this argument we can say that Adam had personally died at the age of 930 years, but he is still living in his posterity even today. His complete death will take place only at the close of the thousand years' rule of Christ on earth.

On the sixth day of the creation, humans were created. But on the sixth day the land creatures were also created. For the argument sake, if the land creatures were made on the first half of the sixth day then the humans were created on the second half of the sixth day. Human history can be divided into three sections. The biblical history is of four thousand years, the one thousand years of Christ's rule at the close of human history, and in between is our history of, say, two thousand years. So total human history is of seven thousand years. This way the second half of sixth day is of seven thousand years, which means the length of sixth day is of fourteen thousand years. That way we can calculate that total creation time of six days is of 84,000 years. In this calculation we need to add the gap time between vs. 1 and 3 of Genesis one (if there is any gap time there). Also we will need to add the night time (if there is any) of those six creation days.

As per the above calculation from Gen. 1:3 to the close of the human history is of at least 84,000 years.

I will very much appreciate comments from my fellow believers.

February 27 2014 5 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Mikek2005 Michael Kouroupis Supporter
I think there are only 2 main points that can be gleaned from the Biblical account of a 6 day Creation (and the fall) from Genesis.

And that is: The order of creation took place in 6 discrete periods (or ‘days’ if you will), and that the fall of man(kind) introduced death.

On the first point, then we learned from Einstein that time is flexible based on the one known attribute of speed. Dare we say there may be more? As that’s the case, then the fabric of time is inconsequential/meaningless to the age of the earth as it compares to later creation days. The earth can be b’s (billions) or m’s or t’s years old, but all we can say for biblically-sure is that it occurred earlier than the creation of life.

On the 2nd point, then we have the fall of man, where death entered the whole universe. Of course this ‘fall’ happened in the Garden of Eden, with defined boundaries and I’m presuming was on this terrestrial earth and not on some other planetary terrestrial realm. Then we have (whatever) amount of time for God to eject Adam & Eve out of the Garden of Eden. They entered a fallen world of possible unequal time-elapse. Would God have had Adam & Eve on another planet and sent them through time & space to this earth, then again distance travel fetters intrinsically with the passage of time.

I’m a big advocate for not presuming what we think Genesis says when we’re using our own temporal perspective. We need to trust what God actually has said through the Holy Scriptures, without adding to it.

March 28 2017 2 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Nils 1 Nils Jansma Supporter Missionary in San Diego California
“Romans 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” One of the reasons this is a disputable matter is because of time itself. Since the Bible clearly states that God’s time is different from our time, there appears to be plausible arguments for both a Young Earth (YE) and Old Earth (OE) view. (2 Peter 3:8) I have read that a YE interpretation of the text says that in this context Peter was using an exaggeration metaphor and didn’t really mean that God’s day was a literal thousand years long. The irony of this metaphor view is that since Einstein, the statement can be literally correct. Because God is “outside” of time and space, one day of His time could equal the entire history of the earth whether Young or Old. (Isaiah 46:9-10) So, I accept Peter’s statement as being an inspired expression by God stating a hidden truth. With that said, I will proceed to answering the question at hand.

“Is there any evidence for the Bible's view of a young earth?” This is a very interesting question but, in my opinion, it is misdirected. Just “any evidence” for a Young Earth perspective doesn’t prove anything with regard to the age of the earth. It only proves that some things are young, which is not really a point of dispute. I use the word dispute because, as I have indicated, I place this question in the category of “disputable matters” as discussed by the Apostle Paul at Romans 14:1. It, in my opinion, is not a salvation issue.

The real question should be, “Is there any evidence of an Old Earth perspective?” The reason this is important is because all you have to do is produce one old earth fact to disprove the entire idea of a young earth hypothesis. I submit as proof the continental drift hypothesis (plate tectonics).

From a Biblical perspective, we know that originally there was only one continent. (Genesis 1:9-10) So, why are the continents where they are now? The YE explanation is that Noah’s Flood caused the seven continents of the world to separate and move thousands of miles to their present locations. Such a concept is geologically fantastic. Continents moving that rapidly would have produced enough heat-energy to have evaporated the oceans. One should realize that in this country alone, it was a collision with North Africa that laid the foundation rocks for the State of Florida and caused the creation of the Appalachian Mountain range. Africa is almost 4,000 miles from the US.

The Himalayan mountain range, which includes 5.5 mile high Mt. Everest, was actually caused by a collision between the sub-continent of India and the Eurasian Plate. It happened much later in time than the North American/Africa collision. If these collisions all occurred recently at the same time, not only would the oceans have evaporated, but the Himalayan Mountains would have been turned into gravel. Rocks can deform or bend with age due to tectonic forces, but if the bending occurs too rapidly, massive amounts of heat are generated and the rock literally explodes before it can melt.

Since there is no rational explanation for how the continents got to where they are from where they were when God formed them, it should be obvious that the earth is older than 6 to 12 thousand years. For these slow collision processes to have occurred, the continents would have to move about 1 inch per year. However, it is to be noted that during separation they may speed up and move about as fast as your fingernails grow or as much as 4 inches per year. Current mapping techniques based upon geodetic satellite measurements confirm such movements are taking place. For them to move a thousand miles in one year takes a speed of about 600 feet per hour. 

So, who am I to believe? A Bible student who interprets the word “day” as being 24 hours long before the sun was even made, or a modern day geodetic satellite which confirms the rate of continental movement to be about 60,000 years per mile?

May 09 2017 20 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Mini robert hough Supporter
Your question starts with a false premise in my opinion, by saying that the Bible DOES have a young earth view. The Bible that I read (KJV) neither describes nor intimates a "young earth" view. 

The "gap", in time, between Genisis 1:1 and 1:2 has ample room for all the "ages" you could possibly imagine. There are multiple places, in Scripture which reference earlier "ages". 

As a matter of fact, a "young earth view" (6-7000 years) would contradict a lot of what Scripture has to say.

April 14 2021 4 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Data Scotty Searan Supporter I am a associate minister.
My opinion is that the earth is older than 6,000 years.

God created the world as stated in Genesis 1:1-2:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (KJV)

My opinion is that there was a time difference between verse 1 & 2.

I feel that the earth before Adam was destroyed by a flood also. I also feel that the pre-adamite earth was inhabited by Lucifer, and it was on the pre-adamite earth that he made his habitation and started the war with God. That is why the water is mention in verse 1. 

Satan was cast down out of heaven according to Isaiah 14:12-17:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

I would also state that Adam in Genesis 1:28 was to commanded by God to REPLENISH the earth:

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth".

The definition to Replenish is "fill (something) up again. Restore (a stock or supply of something) to the former level or condition.

The same command was given to Noah in Genesis 9:1 "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth".

So it appears that some kind of society was here before Adam was created because he was told to replenish. 

No one can really say proof positive what society was here, but there was one and it was destroyed completely by a flood which leads me to believe that in the previous society there was not a righteous man. The people were more wicked than in Noah's time.

December 01 2014 7 responses Vote Up Share Report


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