How old is the world? Is the scientific way correct? In science, the world is around 40 billion years old. How old is the world in the Bible?<\/p>\n\t
Dating in the Bible is a bit difficult because, for the span of time that the Bible covers, a universal calendar was not in use. Time was measured relative to local events, such as how long the current king was in power. This also led to rounding of dates since it would be rare for major events, such as the king’s crowning, to occur precisely at the beginning of a calendar year. Therefore, when working backward, you can be off plus or minus a year times the number of events you had to use to go backward. For example, if you went back to a point in time using the length of the reigns of five kings, you could be off by plus or minus five years.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the Bible contains several summaries of eras that help to keep overall periods roughly accurate. For example, we know the length of time the Israelites were in Egypt was 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41). We also know the time from the Exodus to the building of the temple was 480 years (I Kings 6:1).<\/p>\n
Using the records given in the Scriptures, scholars have estimated that the world is roughly 6,000 years old.<\/p>\n
Now, that is not the estimate we are told the scientific community accepts. Currently, popular scientists think the world is 4.5 billion years old, though that age constantly changes. When I was in high school, it was only 3.5 billion years old, a change of a billion years — and I haven’t lived nearly that long!<\/p>\n
Many people do not realize that there are thousands of ways to measure the age of the earth. The ones popularly touted are only those few that give very long answers. The vast majority of measurements give ages in the 10,000-year range!<\/p>\n
For example, scientists have noted that the Earth’s magnetic field is losing strength. Measurements over the last hundred years tell us the current rate of decay. If we assume the decay is constant (a big assumption that cannot be proven), then the earth’s maximum age, given the field’s current strength, is 8,700 years.<\/p>\n
Another example is the saltiness of our oceans. River water entering the oceans brings in minerals, but the evaporation of the water from the ocean leaves these minerals behind. Measuring just the sodium content of the ocean, using numerous methods for input and output of water and sodium, and assuming we started with pure water (a huge assumption), the amount of salt currently found in the ocean yields a maximum age of 62 million years — far less than the 4.5 billion years currently favored.<\/p>\n
Before the moon was explored, there were concerns about the depth of meteoric dust on the moon’s surface. Space is full of dust and falls on the moon and the earth as we travel through space. If the world and the moon were billions of years old, one would expect a layer of dust over 150 feet, but when we got to the moon, the dust only measured to be about an inch deep. Given the measured influx of dust currently, that would account for a few thousand years.<\/p>\n
We could continue to list various other methods, such as the build-up of carbon-14, which would indicate that the world has a maximum age of 30,000 years, but what we should address is why these ages vary so much. The answer is simple: we weren’t there! We are taking measurements made in the last one to two hundred years and then projecting them backward to come up with an estimated age. However, to make the projection, we must make assumptions about the rate at which the process continues, the starting values, and whether the current contents might have been altered. Since we weren’t there, we have no idea if our assumptions are right or wrong! Actually, we can easily show that many of the assumptions are wrong. That is why the dates are published as the maximum possible value. This means we select the assumptions that give a long age, even though we know this cannot be possible.<\/p>\n
The measurements giving the largest answers are popularly cited because the theory of evolution needs long periods of time even to be remotely credible. Even the current values are not large enough to do this, hence the continued search for larger values. Science has not proven the age of the earth because such proof is impossible. What it has produced is a series of estimates based on assumed conditions. The best it can give is the extreme outer limits, but it cannot give the actual date. So when a report is cited that the age of a rock is 4.5 billion years, it should be read that the age of the rock is at most 4.5 billion years — it could be less, it could be a lot<\/em>\u00a0less.<\/p>\n The Bible claims to be a record of events in the world recorded for us by the Holy Spirit. In other words, if we accept that God created the world, then the Bible claims to be God’s record of some of His involvement in that world. If we accept that the Bible is God’s written message, then we are faced with the fact that God indicates that the world is well less than 10,000 years old. Does this match what we know in science? For the most part, it does. Every dating method’s assumptions can be adjusted to give smaller ages. I know of only a few methods that give some possible difficulties, but again, those difficulties arise from the base assumptions that are made.<\/p>\n Here is where faith comes into play. We have evidence of a wide range of possible earth ages. We could believe in evolution and always grab the largest dates, or we could believe in God and select the dates that come closest to matching the Scriptures. Either way, it comes down to belief-where we place our trust. Faith is the demonstration of your prejudice.<\/p>\n “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen<\/i>” (Hebrews 11:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: How old is the world? Is the scientific way correct? In science, the world is around 40 billion years old. How old is the world in the Bible? Answer: Dating in the Bible is a bit difficult because, for the span of time that the Bible covers, a universal calendar was not in use.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[302,80,474],"class_list":["post-2015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-creation","tag-evolution","tag-science"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62752,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-old-is-the-world-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":0},"title":"How Old Is the World? (Sermon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 38:1-11 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The assumption that our world is billions of years old appears everywhere in our culture. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is so prevalent that few stop and question whether it is true. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But as God pointed out to Job, man wasn\u2019t there at the beginning (Job\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9161,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-did-adam-eve-and-the-bible-come-into-existence\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":1},"title":"When did Adam, Eve, and the Bible come into existence?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 29, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My girlfriend and I were discussing things in the Bible, and we were wondering when did Adam and Eve come into existence, and when did the Bible come into existence? We were just wondering. I have heard this question asked before in other people's conversations and didn't get a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60302,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-was-the-church-established\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":2},"title":"When was the church established?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have a question about what year the church was established. Some are saying AD 30 but when I was converted into the church what I was taught is that the church started in Jerusalem in AD 33. Were we wrong as a church on the AD 33\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16272,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-it-matter\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":3},"title":"Does It Matter?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Genesis 1 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The teaching of evolution has made significant inroads in the beliefs of common man \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In 1999 Gallup found \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a047% believed in a recent, special creation \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a040% believed in a God-directed form of evolution \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a09% believe a strictly natural-caused evolution \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41699,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-the-world-be-6000-years-old-when-there-are-empires-and-dynasties-that-are-older\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":4},"title":"How can the world be 6,000 years old when there are empires and dynasties that are older?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First of all, I wanted to thank you for all your help. Your site has definitely helped me get closer to God. Now, onto the question: When atheists look at the timeline it goes back billions of years or whatever, and it seems like everything falls into place over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8331,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-was-the-great-flood\/","url_meta":{"origin":2015,"position":5},"title":"When was the great flood?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 31, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm finding so many conflicting dates on when the Great Flood took place and how far after that Sargon came into power. Do you have any insight on this for me? Answer: I'm not surprised that you are having difficulty. 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