The Age of Methuselah

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Adam, Methuselah and The Three Stages of the Universe – A Recap

May 18, 2005

Dear Compatriots:

THE AGE OF METHUSELAH

The motivation for these current discussions were serious arguments about the (im)possibility of Adam, Methuselah, etc. living up to 900+ years as stated in the Bible in Genesis (see

Not any  more. I am convinced that they were the same 24-hour/365-dat years as today, but that genetic, nutritional, accidental and environmental factors made them live longer then than now, and that Prof. Finch’s calculation of 1,300 years as maximum human years in the absence of genetic deficiencies is compelling.

It is not even a matter of faith, even though there is a matter of trust in the authenticity of the Bible as the true Word of God.

THE AGE OF THE UNIVERSE

Now what about the Age of the Universe, into which our discussions “evolved” – no pun intended ? Is it thousands of years old or billions of years ?

Well, we must make a distinction between the Age of the Universe; the Age of the Earth; and the Age of Adam and his Children. From scientific cosmological measurements and Biblical records, it would appear that a
Big Bang was created (by God) and its immediate effects felt over an initial 8 billion-year period; 4 billion years later, the Sky was formed (by God); 2 billion years later, Land, Seas and Vegetation were formed on Earth (by God), 1 billion year later, the Heavenly Lights (including the Sun and Moon) were formed (by God), 500 million years later creatures of the Sea and Sky were formed (by God); and 250 million years later, creatures that could walk on land – including the unique creature Man in Adam – were formed (by God).

Remove “(by God)”, and replace by “by evolution” or “spontaneously” or “don’t know how” and you would get a non-Christian, an agnostic or a Rational Scientist entry.

The stages are set out more clearly below:
 

See:

http://www.nigerianmuse.com/projects/Christianity/?u=Schroeder_Age_of_Universe.htm

Schroeder:  Age of the Universe (January 2005)

Pre-Solar Stage 1: From “Let there be Light” (“The Big Bang”) to the
The Third Day in Genesis

Day 1: Let there be light…..8 billion years-period ?
Day 2: The Sky…………….4 billion years later?
Day 3: 3a. Land and Seas } ..2 billion years later?
3b. Vegetation }

Pre-Adamic Stage 2: From the Creation of the Sun on Day Four to the
Creation of Adam on Sixth Day in Genesis

Day 4: Heavenly Lights, including Sun, Moon …1 billion years later ?
Day 5: Creatures of the Sea and Sky……….0.5 billion years later?
Day 6: 6a. Creatures of the Land…………}
6b. Man (“Adam”) before the Fall…..}0.25 billion years later?
6c. Man after the Fall……………}

Total for Days 1 to Day 6…………………….15.75 billion years?

(Post-)Adamic Stage 3: From Day 6c onwards……..5,700+ Earth years

- Adam & Eve and their descendants become aware of TIME because they are no longer allowed to live “forever” because of the Fall. They start counting their days on Earth ! (Adam dies at age 930 years, Methuselah at 969 years, Noah at 950 years, Abraham at 175 years etc.)

Note that Earth is app. 5700 years and counting in human calendar years (based on Sun/Moon/Earth movements). However from Day 1 to Day 6 was as much as 15.75 Billions of Years (roughly in agreement with
modern cosmology: latest figure 13.7 billion years), with some fossils of sea-, sky- and land-based creatures being billions of years old to prove it. Some of the land-based creatures may look VERY MUCH like human beings – no telling how many molds God made before arriving at Adam – and yet Adam still messed up !

And the day we discover the fossils of Adam and/or Eve, they would also be of the order of a billion years old !

CONCLUSION

Science and Religion do NOT conflict, only human beings do. Where they DISAGREE is what Caused the Big Bang, and whether Order (the Sky, Land, creatures and Man) could spontaneously (without God) emanate out of Chaos.

That is ONLY where FAITH comes in. For this Christian and strict 2nd-Law Thermodynamicist, the Answer is “No”. For the Agnostic, the non-Christian, and/or the Rational Scientist, the answer is “Yes” or “Don’t Know.”

And that is okay – “for now we know in part….”

I have to move on now, but even my own understanding about these matters has been deepened tremendously, and my FAITH strengthened.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart – as I move on.

Bolaji Aluko
Truly Thankful