“Then the Lord saw that
the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...The Lord said, "I will
blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals
to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made
them” (Gen. 6:5, 7).
For the past few months
we have talked about how dinosaurs coexisted with mankind. This can be proven
by considering the historical, archaeological, and Biblical evidences. Yet what
happened to the dinosaurs?
The answer can be found in the fossils. As you
may know, “Fossil formation requires a sudden burial. When an animal dies, it
usually gets eaten or decays until there is nothing left. To form a fossil,
unique conditions are required to preserve the animal and replace it with
minerals, etc.
While evolutionists
once claimed that the fossil record was formed slowly as animals died and were
gradually covered by sediment, they have recently acknowledged that it must
involve catastrophic processes (D. Ager, The New Catastrophism). Now,
evolutionists say the fossil record formed quickly as animals were quickly
engulfed in sediment, in spurts interspersed by millions of years” (Ken Ham, https://answersin
genesis.org/dinosaurs/when-did-dinosaurs-live/what-really-happened-to-the-dinosaurs/#fn_2).
We’ve examined what the
evolutionists say, but what does the Word of God teach? To answer this, we need to look at a
world-wide event that started in Genesis chapter 6. As noted in the opening passage, there was a
time when everywhere God looked He saw evil in every man’s heart. And since God is loving and just, He had to
carry out justice on account of how immoral and wicked mankind had become. In
the process, God destroyed much of the animal kingdom. The justice that God
carried out on this wicked and immoral world was a global flood.
Evolutionists
reject the idea of a global flood since it would require the supposed
evolutionary process to begin again. However, there are several evidences which
point to this historical event. First, there are billions of creatures which
are fossilized all over the world. Fossilization requires quick burial,
something rarely occurring today. And to
see fossils like this around the world, not just in areas highly prone to
mudslides, volcanoes, etc.
The second piece of
evidence for a global flood is fossils of sea creatures found high above sea
level which can be observed on every continent. For example, most of the rock
layers in the walls of the Grand Canyon contain marine fossils including at the
rim of the canyon which is between 7,000-8,000 feet above sea level (R. L.
Hopkins & K.L. Thompson, Kaibab Formation, p. 196-211). Also marine
gastropods have been found near the highest point in the world of the Himalayas
(J.P. Davidson, W.E. Reed, & P.M. Davis, “The Rise & Fall of Mountain
Ranges,” in Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, p. 242–247).
There is only one possible explanation: the ocean waters at some time in the
past flooded the continents,
reaching above even the highest mountain.
The third piece of
evidence for a global flood looks at flood legends which “abound on every
inhabited continent. The number of legends has been reported as high as five
hundred. Their similarities to Genesis indicate a common source. For example,
legends from Assyrio-Babylonia, Asia Minor, China, India, Persia, and the
Cherokee people of the United States tell of birds being sent out, often even
specifying a dove and/or a raven. Several of them tell of a favored family, and
in the vast majority, the flood was global. These and other similarities point
to a very real, historical event” (AIG, Flood Legends From Around the World,
https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/flood-legends/resource-preview-flood-legends-around-world/).
And the forth piece of
evidence for a global flood is the Biblical record. Genesis chapters 6-9 give
the details of the flood, how long it lasted, and why it took place. The New
Testament writings also affirm the global flood taking place. Jesus affirmed
that it took place. “In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and
weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and
destroyed them all” (Luke 17:27 NLT). And so did the Apostle Peter (1 Pet.
3:20; 2 Pet. 3:5-6).
Thus, when one
considers the requirements of creating a fossil —rapid burial and a
catastrophic event, the global flood may have been one of the reasons many of
the dinosaurs to become extinct. Before the flood, dinosaurs freely roamed the
earth. But due to man’s wickedness, God sent a global flood that destroyed all
life that was not inside the ark. During the flood, many were buried in
sediment that later hardened, thus giving us the fossils scientists now study.
Next month we will
consider other factors, but for now, let us consider the lesson which the
fossils testify about from their grave. Mankind, with the exception of those
who were on the ark, experienced God’s justice on account of their immorality,
and much of creation suffered through this judgment, namely many of the
dinosaurs. One day, God’s justice will once again and finally be carried out on
those who are not faithful followers of Christ, yet then it will not be by the
waters of a flood but rather by fire (2 Peter 3:7). It is my prayer that you
would be found safe in Christ on that day similar to how Noah was safe in the
ark when the flood came.
In His service,
Matt
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