____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ June 27, 1999 ____________________________________________________ Age of the Earth: Are There Biblical Parameters? by Mark Mayberry Introduction Those who would attempt to harmonize the Bible and the theory of modern evolution must fit 15 billion years into the book of Genesis. They also must stretch the Genesis genealogies to accommodate an old earth demanded by evolutionists. Proponents of this viewpoint would argue that the Mid-eastern concept of time is vastly different from our western mindset. In fact, when attending a "Lord I Believe Seminar" back in 1996, I remember Rod Summers forcefully arguing this very point. Yet, it is false to say the Jews had no rational concept of time. People in Biblical times were at least as intelligent as modern man, and therefore, had the ability to comprehend time in a meaningful way. From the beginning, man has been governed by time: God said, ``Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years'' (Gen. 1:14). Therefore, as we reflect upon the issue of the age of the earth, let us examine various Scriptures that clearly indicate that the Jews could tell time. What About All Those Special Days, Weeks, Months & Years? Could the Jews tell time? The Mosaic law contains numerous and specific time references. The Israelites were commanded to ``remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.'' They observed monthly and yearly feasts at specific times. The day of Atonement was celebrated on the 10th day of the seventh month. The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day of the same month. The Feast of Purim was celebrated on the 14th and 15th day of Adar. The Feast of Tabernacles was observed on the 15th day of the seventh month. The Feast of Weeks was celebrated early in the third month on the 50th day after the offering of the barley sheaf at the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They celebrated the new moon. They also observed the Sabbatical year. They celebrated the Jubilee every 50th year after seven cycles of seven years, when specific instructions about property and slavery took effect. In view of these many examples, it is absurd to allege that the Jews had no logical, rational, or sensible understanding of time! When Is A Day Not A Day? Could the Jews tell time? The same Moses who wrote the first 11 chapters of Genesis also wrote binding regulations regarding days, months, seasons and years. How can we say that all the time references in Genesis 1-11 are somehow different than those found in the rest of the Pentateuch? Those who argue for an old earth must contend that the seven days of creation are something other than seven literal, successive twenty-four hour days. But if their position is true, at what point did Moses switch gears from a symbolic to a literal usage of the term? It is manifestly evident that Moses understood that God created the world in six literal, successive twenty-four hour days (Exo. 20:8-11; Exo. 31:14-17). This position is bolstered by Moses' use of the phrase ``the evening and the morning were the first...second...third...fourth...fifth... and sixth day'' (Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23,31). Exo. 20:8-11: ``Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; {in it} you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy" (NAU). Exo. 31:14-17: ``Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased {from labor}, and was refreshed'' (NAU). Gen. 1:5, "God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (NAU). Gen. 1:8, "God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day" (NAU). Gen. 1:13, "There was evening and there was morning, a third day" (NAU). Gen. 1:19, "There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day" (NAU). Gen. 1:23, "There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day" (NAU). Gen. 1:31, "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day" (NAU). What About the Chronologies Of The Hebrew Kings? Could the Jews tell time? Some might try to defend a loose understanding of time by saying, ``What about the chronologies of the Hebrew Kings?'' Admittedly, the Jews had a somewhat different way of reckoning chronologies than we do. However, there was method to their madness. Furthermore, the Oriental and Occidental approaches toward time are not so alien to one another that cross-cultural understanding is impossible. While they appear confusing at first, it is possible, with careful study, for us to harmonize the books of Kings and Chronicles. One key to arranging a consistent chronology of the Hebrew kings is to realize that a part of a year was often counted as a whole year. We also must factor in the practice of co-regencies. A king would often begin his reign while his predecessor was still alive, governing with him for several years before he died. For more information on this subject, see E. R. Thiele's "A Chronology of the Hebrew Kings" (1977) and "The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings" (1983). In summary, please consider the statement found in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary: ``But even after recognizing all these dating problems, the Bible student can rest assured that the ancient Near Eastern scribes worked with great care and precision in passing on the Old Testament. They furnish the patient modern interpreter with information needed to gain a reliable picture of Old Testament history.``(1) What About ``The Sign Of Jonah''? Could the Jews tell time? Some might argue, ``The sign of Jonah proves that the Jews had a different way of looking at time than do we.'' Well, ``Yes'' and ``No.'' Jesus said, ``for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth'' (Mat. 12:40). How long was Jesus in the tomb? Was it 72 hours or some lesser period of time? Our Lord hung on the cross from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, i.e., from 12 to 3 p.m. (Mat. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44; John 19:14-18). Shortly thereafter, Jesus breathed his last, and yielded up his spirit. Then his lifeless body was removed from the cross and hastily buried, because the beginning of the Sabbath drew near (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31). According to Jewish reckoning, the old day ended and a new day began at sunset, or 6 p.m. At the most, Jesus was in the tomb only 2-3 hours on Friday. His body lay entombed a full 24 hours on Saturday, and no more than 11-12 hours on Sunday. Therefore, he could have been in the grave a maximum of 39 total hours. Yet, this is consistent with the Lord's statement regarding the sign of Jonah. Part of a day was reckoned as a whole day by the Hebrews. Jesus was in the tomb on part of Friday, all of Saturday and part of Sunday. Therefore, according to Jewish reckoning, he was in the tomb ``three days and three nights.'' While Jesus was not in the tomb for 72 hours, he was in the tomb for approximately 3 days. There is some looseness in the phrase ``three days and three nights,'' but not unlimited elasticity. We are not at liberty to say he was in the tomb for three weeks, three months, three years, or three millennium! While I don't believe that it is truly significant, a rhetorical point could be made that the phrase ``three days and three nights'' refers to a shorter time-frame than what is actually specified! Thus the sign of Jonah gives no comfort to those who would lengthen the days of Genesis Chapter One into geologic ages! -------------- 1. Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Herbert Lockyer, Sr. (Seattle, WA: BibleSoft & Nashville: TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), s.v. "Chronology, Old Testament." -- via Watchman (slightly edited) concluded next week ___________________________________________ A Christian Prays! Do You? by Robert F. Turner A Christian prays--and prays--and prays. But many church members scarcely know the meaning of the word once they leave the church building and the stilted ``audience conscious'' phrases that pass for prayer there. ``Pray without ceasing'' (1 Thes. 5:17) makes no apparent impression. It is a tragedy that God is considered so inaccessible. To many, He is far away--locked in an inner office with an alert guard of clergymen, forms and format to protect Him from the ``ordinary'' caller. The idea is wholly foreign to the truth. ``Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly'' (Matt. 6:6). Thus Jesus describes the close intimate relation that exists between the petitioner and his Creator. This does not negate public prayer (the contrast is with hypocritical showoffs); in fact this touches the vitals of all acceptable prayer. When intimate communion with God is missing, public prayer becomes a farce. Prayer is a Christian's privilege, made real and earnest--meaningful--because a Christian (and only a Christian) truly appreciates such characteristics of God as the following: God is near! He is ``not far from every one of us; for in Him we live, and move, and have our being'' (Acts 17:27-28). A Christian lives close to God. His Maker is ever-present, all-about, ready to be contacted upon a moment's notice. This nearness comforts the Christian--``in the valley of the shadow...thou art with me.'' God cares! The Christian casts all his cares upon God, ``for He careth for you'' (1 Pet. 5:7). Our Father is concerned--His interest is genuine. He who takes note of the sparrow's fall, watches over all His children. God hears! His eyes ``are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers'' (1 Pet. 3:12). ``All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do'' (Heb. 4:13b). And hearing, he understands our frailties--``the feeling of our infirmities'' (Heb. 4:15-16) so we may come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy. And God gives! ``Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you'' (Matt. 7:7-f). Ask! Seek! Knock! These are imperatives in the Greek present tense. They say, ``Ask'' and keep on asking; ``seek'' and continue to seek; ``knock'' again and again. The thought is akin to Matt. 6:33--``seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'' A Christian believes that God is near, that God cares, that God hears, and that God gives. He is conscious of his dependence upon God and leans upon Him without hesitation. So he prays--when he awakes--as he goes to work--when he partakes of God's rich blessings--when he feels the weight of sorrow and cares--as he lays him down to sleep. A Christian prays--and what about you?? -- Via Plain Talk ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________