Scriptural Insights from Biblical Overlooks, Pt. 3
Study Guide, August 13, 2023
Pastor Clay Olsen
If we were to say, “___________ (Blank) are man’s best friends”, most people would say, “Dogs are man’s best friends.” There are lots of great pets, but dogs are really special. Well, how about if we were to say, “___________ (Blank) are also Christian’s best friends” what would you say then? How about this: “Dinosaurs are also Christian’s best friends.”
But really, Ken Hamm refers to Dinosaurs as “Missionary lizards!” That’s great, because when it comes to the topic of ‘Dinosaurs’, this is one of the clearest distinctions between the world’s humanistic view of the world and Christian’s Biblical view of this world. And so we thought that this is one scenic overlook we really needed to pull over, and take a long look, and ponder it all, as we continue our tour of Scriptural Insights from Biblical Overlooks. Plus, who doesn’t love ‘Dinosaurs’?
Now, remember something we pointed out in our last study: Man is not the judge of the Bible – The Bible is the judge of Man. The Bible is also God’s revelation to mankind of His creative works as well as His redemptive works. The last book of the Bible is called ‘Revelation’, but in fact, the entire Bible is God’s revelation of God’s works, God’s will, and God’s eternal plan for His created world. So the real issue whenever we come to any conflict in any area such as Science or Education or Religion, and such, is always the same issue that caused the Fall of Man in the first place: Man’s rebellion against the Word of God, and against God’s sole authority as the Creator.
Think about it: Everything in life centers on each person’s relationship with the Creator and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ is like will determine everything else about their life, from their beliefs about morality, to their positions in politics, to their ideas about education, and even to their opinions about science, as well as everything else in this world. For example: Charles Darwin did not begin his adoption of evolution based on his scientific observations, oh no, Darwin based his scientific theories based upon his rejection of Jesus Christ as Personal Creator and only Redeemer of mankind. Therefore, since he rejected Christ and His revelation of Creation and history and science from the Biblical accounts, he then turned to attempting to explain everything in nature without any need or any purpose for a guiding intelligence. He thus claimed that either the account of creation in Genesis was right or his theories were right…and in his rebellion against the God of Genesis and all Creation, he chose himself. In his own words he wrote: “I had gradually come to see that the Old Testament from its manifestly false history of the world, with the Tower of Babel, the rainbow as a sign, etc., etc., and from its attributing to God the feelings of a revengeful tyrant, was no more to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindoos [sic], or the beliefs of any barbarian.”1 You can almost hear his rebellious heart through his written words.
Again, mark it down: A person’s beliefs, opinions, positions, and habits and such, never start with whatever issue of life it may be, from morality to medicine to education to politics to science and on and on…no, everything they believe and do about each one of these arenas of life will flow directly from what their relationship with the Creator and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ is like. Are they living in a humble and committed relationship to Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, having been Born Again through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, or are they still living in rebellion against the authority of Christ over their life and in neglect or rejection of His salvation and His truths as revealed in the inspired Words of God?
And the point that follows that is, if they are still living in rebellion to Christ’s salvation for their souls, then they will also, by default, live and think according to the deception of the Deceiver of their souls and the Father of lies. They will unknowingly be both deceived in their thinking and prone to believe the devil’s lies…his lies about everything in life. And all of this fallout is described in what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 1:18-25- “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” NLT
So don’t ever be intimidated by the numbers of the naysayers or by the loudness of the mockers…they are only more clearly revealing that they are those foolish ones that God has been warning us about. It has always been a strange irony, as seen in those who rejected Jesus at the Cross, the more people reject Jesus Christ as their Savior, the louder and angrier they become toward everyone else who loves Jesus and His Words. But I always love how God comforted Ezekiel in facing the rebellious people around him. God said to him: Ezek 3:7-9- “But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to Me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.” NLT God will enable us to be stubborn in a godly way!
What a description of the culture in which we live…hard-hearted and stubborn in their ungodliness. Friends, you need to personally hold onto this promise for yourself: Even though, the whole lot of so many people in our society are hard-hearted and stubborn, God has made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are, again, in a godly sense. God has made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So do not be afraid of them or fear the angry looks of those who mock God’s Word and ridicule God’s people…for remember, we are living in times and in the midst of those who are living in rebellion against God, which is the most foolish thing anyone to do in life!
Now, back to our friends, the Dinosaurs! Why won’t the masses of this world believe what God has revealed about all the creatures of this world that He created? Why does the world keep claiming that the world of Dinosaurs is all a mystery when everything the Bible reveals about Dinosaurs is simply history? Not only are Dinosaurs part of Biblical history, they are also part of the simultaneous history of Mankind, since accounts of their lives are carved and painted and recorded in the histories of the various cultures of people across the world and throughout the centuries of Man’s history. And we have some amazing examples of this for a later time.
But again, remember, even Paleontology is like Politics, it’s not first about the evidence of education or science, it is first about the condition of the souls of those in charge of the narrative. Many are not willing to believe that all the evidence of science points to a great Creator because they are not willing to bow in repentance to a great Savior! Remember, just like with Darwin, even science is not first about the Intellect, it’s first about the Will. If a person is unwilling to repent before the Person of God, then he or she will not be willing to receive the truths about this world that God created. Mark it down: Those who are unwilling to repent of their sin will be incapable of discerning what is true and what is false…foolishness is what will be wisdom to them, and wisdom will seem as foolishness to them. If their soul is in conflict with the Creator, then their mind will be in conflict with His creation. And one clear example of the foolishness of their own minds over the wisdom of God’s Words is seen in what the foolish unbelievers have done with our friends, the Dinosaurs.
Consider these statements from a well know Creation Researcher and Teacher: “Biblical creationists believe that man and dinosaurs lived at the same time because God said that He created man and land animals on day six. There is historical evidence of dinosaurs and man living together, such as the petroglyph in Natural Bridges, Utah, legends and stories of dragons in Europe, and the dragon motif in China. And one striking artifact in Asia is the bas-relief picture of a dinosaur in the ruins of Angkor outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Dr. Mary Schweitzer and her team caught the world’s attention with a Science paper in 2005 that described intact blood vessels and red blood cells in a T. rex bone. But in fact, secular scientists have been reporting soft tissue in dinosaurs for decades in sometimes seldom-read technical literature.
In Genesis 6:19–20, the Bible says that two of every sort of land vertebrate (seven or seven pairs of the “clean” animals) were brought by God to the ark. Therefore, dinosaurs (land vertebrates) were represented on the ark.”
This research goes on to say: “Then, though technically not a dinosaur but rather a marine reptile that may have also been able to come up onto land (Job 41:25 and 30), Leviathan can correctly be called a “dragon” which includes terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial creatures. And, although there are about 668 names of dinosaurs, there are perhaps only 55 different “kinds” of dinosaurs. Furthermore, not all dinosaurs were huge like the Brachiosaurus, and even those dinosaurs on the ark were probably young adults.”
The account goes on to say: “Ancient historians and writers clearly believed creatures like dragons were real. They describe seeing them first-hand—often in the context of other types of animals that still live today. Some historians even describe the fiery flying serpents as real creatures in regions near where Moses and Isaiah were and point out the winged nature of these flying serpents. Such things are a great confirmation of the biblical text. Plus, Genesis is clear that God didn’t make birds from pre-existing dinosaurs. In fact, dinosaurs (land animals made on day six) came after winged creatures made on day five, according to the Bible.
Then, after Noah’s flood, around 4,300 years ago, the remnant of the land animals, including dinosaurs, came off the ark and lived in the present world, along with people. Because of sin, the judgments of the curse in Eden and the flood of Noah’s day have greatly changed earth over the past 6,000 years. Post-flood climatic change, lack of food, disease, and man’s activities caused many types of animals to become extinct. (Many) dinosaurs, like many other creatures, died out.
(Therefore,) As Christians, we can use dinosaurs as ‘missionary lizards.’ We can take what is popular with the culture and show how God’s Word explains it better. For example, soft tissue, like blood vessels and red blood cells, has been found in dinosaur bones. This soft tissue couldn’t last millions of years. The fossils confirm a young earth. We can use dinosaurs to help people trust the history of the Bible and also trust in the message of Jesus Christ that is also found in God’s Word.”2
Now, some hearing this may have been surprised by the writer’s ‘matter of fact’ use of the word ‘Dragon’, maybe thinking something like ‘But Dragons’ are just mythological, aren’t they?’ Ahh…and here’s where you gotta love the King James Version Bible. Why do we say that? Because the King James Version is a classic example of just how willing the translators were to let the Bible declare to the world what the writers of the Bible had both witnessed and were inspired by God to reveal to the world. Case in point: The word ‘dragon’ is found in the King James Version 37 times! The translators, very matter of factly, translated the Hebrew word ‘tannyin’ and the Greek word ‘drakon’ into the word ‘dragon’. Why would they do that? Because the people of day and those of previous generations were quite familiar with a wide variety of animals that were all categorized by the word ‘dragon’. And these animals could include both marine or land animals…sometimes simply referred to as serpents…of different reptilian forms.
And one might ask, “Well, if they were using the word ‘dragon’ or dragons’ to refer to ‘Dinosaurs’, whey didn’t they just use that word? Very good question! And the really surprising answer is…because before 1841 there was no such word as ‘Dinosaur’! That word did not exist before 1841, when it was coined by the curator of the British Museum, Sir Richard Owen. And the word meant ‘Terrible lizard’, which was kind of odd since ‘Dinosaurs’ included a lot more than ‘lizard’ type animals, just like ‘Dragons’ included a lot more than just the typical ones from movies that people normally think of. Remember, the King James Version was translated in 1611. At that time and for thousands of years before 1841 people called these remarkable animals that we now refer to as ‘Dinosaurs’…. ‘Dragons’!
And even many other Bible translations did the same thing, as the Geneva Bible, the Wycliffe Bible and many others. Plus, remember, the purpose of these translations was to communicate the Bible to people in words that they were most familiar with in their everyday lives. When they read the word ‘dragon’ in the Wycliffe Bible or the King James Version, they would think: “Oh yeah, all those different kinds of reptilian type animals throughout history, of which most have become extinct. Everybody knows about those!” Remember: This was long before the evolutionary deception and cover-up began around the world…long before the hyper-critical Bible attacks on the Scriptures began in the Universities and in Apostate churches, which have now infected the minds of many in our world today.
One last look over the edge today: When we come to one of the earliest Books of the Bible, Job, we find one of the most fascinating creatures referred to, that again, the people of that time in history knew all too well about. And the thing is, it is described in the narration by God Himself, when He is speaking to Job about His creation. Check it out: Job 41:1-3- “Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw?Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike? Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity?” 12-15- “I want to emphasize Leviathan’s limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form. Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor? Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible! Its scales are like rows of shields tightly sealed together.” 18-21- “When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn. Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out. Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes. Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth.” NLT
The response of many people today about this historical creature would be like: “What? That’s just mythology and fiction, isn’t it…just like most of the Bible?” But what would Job’s response be? Job’s response was more like: “Yes, everyone knows about Leviathan, and all Your words are true.” And then Job even went on to repent of all his words that were in conflict with God and His words.
Realize that it is the world that is backwards, calling truths – ‘myths’, and calling myths – ‘truths’. And why not, since they also call evil – ‘good’, and they call good – ‘evil’?! But dinosaurs are not a mystery from some age before the evolution of mankind…not at all…they are simply part of man’s history and just some of the remarkable creatures created by our awesome God. Yes, some have become extinct, for now, but God’s eternal family will see them again in the great coming redemption of God’s original creation that Paul talks about in Romans 8!
So, how would you like a friendly dinosaur pet to go along with your dog? Build your understanding of reality from God’s wisdom, not from man’s foolishness! And realize this: Nothing compares with the truths and the wonders and the joys of God’s Word and God’s world anyway!
- Russell Grigg, How Darwin rejected the doctrines of Christianity, Creation.com.
- Ken Hamm, answersingenesis.org/dinosaurs