Six Thousand Years
The world is the theatre of the most wonderful Divine operations. This world as we know and understand it has been in existence for about 6000 years. From the time Adam and Eve sinned, then expelled from the Garden of Eden, until this day, 6000 year have past.
How long was Adam alone in the garden before Eve, I don't know. How long was Adam and Eve in the garden before they sinned, I don't know. How long were they in the garden before God tossed them out, I don't know. But from the time they were cast out, time as we know it began, thus approximately 6000 years.
The Greeks were fond of speculating upon the origin of all things. Aristotle thought the world, in its organized form, was eternal; and that the Supreme Being put it in motion.
Anaxagoras, followed by Socrates and Plato, believed in a supreme mind who organized the world out of matter which always existed; yet held to an animating principle in matter which propelled and regulated the organized system.
Epicurus the father of Atheism, traced the beautiful order of the earth and all its inhabitants and productions to a accidental coming together of atoms (i.e the origin of today's theory of evolution). No one in Greece or Rome ever acknowledged a Creator of the world.
The old heathen nations, ignorant of their origin, were fond of ascribing to themselves vast ages. The Babylonians and Egyptians boasted of their astronomical observations and counted their dynasties through thirty and forty thousand years. The Chinese and Hindus make similar claims.
Some drill and bore the solid earth, and from the strata = (layers) there, they extract a register = (written account) by which they learn that He = (God) who made it and revealed its date to Moses was mistaken in its' age.
"Ex buguki buguk fut" = "from nothing, nothing comes." This is a maxim which leads us up to an infinite intelligence; God, the maker of all things.
From the Bible however, unlike pagan myths, philosophies and theories, there is a plain, simple, and concise account of creation; bearing the stamp of truth, and giving the mind a just and elevated view of God.
Without excluding the idea that angels, principalities and powers, may have been created ages before our world, it presents to us the Almighty, producing and bringing to perfection in a great and wonderful majesty and goodness, the heavens and the earth, in six days.
At the close of His work, God instituted the Sabbath. Six days he had labored, but the seventh day he rested from all his work, blessed it, and sanctified it.
If one may ask, why did the Almighty not perform this vast work instantaneously? The answer is, that in His infinite wisdom, God chose a method of operation which gave to the angelic host and to man, a clear and beautiful view of his great work and also ushered in the holy Sabbath with the deepest of honor, respect and glory.
Atheists reject the idea that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit existed eternally alone and mock the idea that the work of creation had begun only some six thousand years ago.
2 Peter 3:8, "With the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Men of science gain no knowledge of God's eternity without studying the Bible. In studying science, one can only go back to the most distant assignable period which is distinguished only by physical evidence and appearance, stemming from our natural senses, and limited thinking.
Humans dissect the earth, attempting to explain that which is of God, and God alone. Only by faith, faith in what God has written, can we ever truly understand the truth concerning the origins of Creation. This starts with the creation account found in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.
The work of creation gloriously and magnificently unfolds the sovereignty of God. He created all worlds and all life, because it seemed good in His sight. As they are now, so all life was then.
The creation is evidence of the Divinity of Christ Jesus,
John 1:3, "All things were made by Him (Jesus;) and without Him was not any thing made that was made."
Col.1:16, "For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him."
Gen.1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being of one mind, one goal, one purpose, created the world with a purpose worthy of them alone. The world was designed as the theatre for their stupendous love and mercy. Ironically this theatre would be the place where Jesus would humble Himself to the death of the cross, redeem His church, then prepare it for glory.
Any and all other accounts of pagan beginnings are absurd, and childish, they are not to be believed for one moment by any rational mind.
Ps.104:24, "O LORD! how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all."
Thank you,
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com