Dinosaurs

Were there really dinosaurs on earth? If so, when and how is this compatible with the Genesis account of creation?

These are frequently asked questions, and important ones, since opposing viewpoints thrive and conflicting worldviews rest on differing assumptions.

DINOSAURS? YES.

While we can’t absolutely rule out the idea that dinosaur fossils were created by God and aren’t evidence of extinct creatures, we consider it most probable that various dinosaurs did indeed exist. And we’re well aware that some Christians are reluctant to accept this evidence because they think it conflicts with biblical revelation.

We are less certain what these extinct creatures really looked like. Dinosaur fossils usually consist of fragments. Even if scientists find nearly complete skeletons, they still must guess what the animal originally looked like. Questions abound: Were they sluggish or swift, cold-blooded or warm-blooded? Were they fat or slim, hairy or feathered? Reconstructing dinosaurs from fossil remnants involves much guesswork and yields frequent disagreement among scholars. Answers are elusive, and speculation is widespread despite occasional knowledge of significant skeletal structures.

PREHISTORIC? NO.

Working with evolutionary assumptions, many claim this animal group existed between 230 million and 65 million years ago, with individual species of dinosaurs continually evolving and going extinct. The bony fossils don’t establish that timetable; these conclusions stem from evolutionary preconceptions coupled with dating methods that reflect an evolutionary bias. When presented as “scientifically proven,” however, this timetable intimidates Christians.

Relying on Bible information, we believe dinosaurs were created on day five and/or day six of creation (Genesis 1:20-25). Precisely when and why they became extinct is not revealed. Despite hundreds of dinosaur “names” in use today, there may well have been relatively few “kinds” of dinosaurs taken on Noah’s ark. If they were still living at the time of the great flood, each kind was represented on board the vessel.

How long they existed after the flood we don’t know. An examination of ancient literature from varying geographical areas reveals compelling evidence that “dragons” were real animals comparable to modern reconstructions of dinosaurs. Biblical descriptions of certain creatures may well be references to now extinct dinosaurs (Job 40:15-21 and Job 41, for example). Losing species to extinction (currently estimated at more than 27,000 species per year) seems to be a long-standing phenomenon on earth since the fall.

COMPATIBLE WITH SCRIPTURE? YES.

The main debate over dinosaurs isn’t about the fossil evidence itself but flows from different assumptions about time and history. Those assumptions are coupled with limitations of evidence and of human ability to know details in the history of God’s creation. It’s really about the most trustworthy source of information. Is it God’s incomplete yet adequate account of earth’s history? Or man’s incomplete, changing, and inadequate theories drawn from limited and ambiguous discoveries bolstered by evolutionary presuppositions? The Christian approach is to walk by faith. The reality of dinosaurs is fully compatible with Scripture and Christian conviction.

Whenever we revisit this topic, vital truths come to mind. The praiseworthy power of God coupled with his love of diversity in his creation is highlighted. The devastating impact of sin, contributing to the extinction of dinosaurs and so many other animals and plants, merits sober reflection. When striving to grasp details of earth’s early history with our limitations, we can appreciate the wisdom of this sentiment: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Ultimately we praise God for revealing his remedy for sin and his key to releasing all creatures from sin’s consequences: the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.