In the debate over the origins of our planet, the question of age is often dismissed with the attitude of "mind over matter"—if you don't mind, it doesn't matter. However, for those who look to the Word of God, the age of the Earth is a foundational issue that speaks to the very character of our Creator and the authority of His revelation. When we examine the world through the lens of Scripture, we find a planet that is not billions of years old, but one that is young, vibrant, and clearly designed.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

The Biblical Account

To understand the biblical perspective on the age of the earth, we must start with the record provided by the Creator Himself. The book of Genesis describes a creation completed in six literal, 24-hour days, each defined by an evening and a morning. This was not a process of eons, but a series of divine commands that brought the universe into existence in a state of maturity. By tracing the detailed chronogenealogies found in Genesis, which record the ages of the patriarchs from Adam to Noah, and continuing through the historical records of the kings of Israel to the birth of Christ, we find a timeline that spans approximately 6,000 years. This lineage is not merely a list of names, but a precise historical clock that connects every human being back to the first man and woman.

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

The Fossil Record: A Story of Stasis

One of the most powerful arguments for a young Earth is the presence of "living fossils." Creatures like cockroaches, turtles, and the coelacanth are found in the fossil record and are identical to their living counterparts today. Evolutionists claim these fossils are hundreds of millions of years old, yet they show no signs of evolution. If evolution were the driving force of life, why do we see perfect stasis over supposedly vast eons of time? The simpler explanation is that they have only been around for a few thousand years, reproducing "after their kind" just as God commanded.

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” (Genesis 1:24)

Information: The Language of Life

The discovery of DNA has revealed that life is built upon a complex, coded language. Scientific law dictates that information always originates from an intelligent source. Evolution suggests that mindless, random processes could produce this intricate code, but we observe the opposite: genetic information is constantly being lost or "shuffled," never gained. This is clearly seen in dog breeding; you can go from a wolf to a poodle by losing genetic information, but you can never breed a poodle back into a wolf. Information comes from an Informer.

The Global Flood and the Ark

The Bible describes a catastrophic global flood that reshaped the Earth's surface about 4,500 years ago. While critics mock the idea of Noah's Ark, the dimensions given in Genesis describe a massive, stable barge capable of carrying the "kinds" necessary to repopulate the Earth. This event provides a far better explanation for the vast fossil graveyards and geological layers we see today than millions of years of slow accumulation.

“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark.” (Genesis 8:1)

The Capacity of the Ark: Engineering for Survival

One of the most common skeptical questions is how Noah could have fit all the animals on a single vessel. To answer this, we must look at the biblical dimensions: the Ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Using a standard cubit, this creates a vessel with a volume of approximately 1.5 million cubic feet—the equivalent capacity of 522 standard railroad stock cars. Noah was not commanded to take every species (such as every breed of dog), but rather two of every kind. Biological research suggests that as few as 2,000 to 7,000 animals would be needed to represent the original created kinds. Furthermore, Noah likely took young, smaller representatives rather than fully grown adults to save space and ensure a longer reproductive life after the Flood.

Modern maritime engineering confirms the feasibility of such a feat. Today, specialized "livestock carriers" are used to transport animals across the globe. For example, some of the world's largest livestock vessels can carry upwards of 75,000 sheep or 20,000 cattle at one time. If man-made ships can navigate the oceans with tens of thousands of animals using modern ventilation and stacking systems, it is entirely reasonable that the Architect of the Universe could design a vessel perfectly suited to preserve life.

“And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.” (Genesis 6:19)

“With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Dinosaurs and Men

Despite modern claims that dinosaurs went extinct 60 million years ago, historical and biblical evidence suggests they lived alongside man. From the "behemoth" described in Job with a tail like a cedar tree to cave paintings and "dragon" legends found globally, the testimony of the past points to a shared history. The "great beasts" were created on the same day as Adam, and many likely survived the flood on the Ark, only to face a much harsher environment afterward.

“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox... He moveth his tail like a cedar.” (Job 40:15-17)

A World That Points to its Maker

From the decaying magnetic field of the Earth to the young age of our rivers and the rapid growth of human population, the physical evidence points toward a young creation. If man had been around for 100,000 years, the population should be trillions, and we should have hundreds of thousands of years of written history. Instead, history "starts" abruptly only a few thousand years ago—exactly as the Bible describes.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)

The Heart of the Matter

Ultimately, the battle between creation and evolution is a battle for the Gospel. If the Earth is millions of years old, then death and suffering existed long before man, and the "very good" creation God described was actually a graveyard. But the Bible teaches that death is an enemy that entered the world because of man's sin. Jesus Christ, the Creator of the stars, came to this Earth to conquer that enemy and offer us eternal life.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The evidence for a young Earth is not just a scientific curiosity; it is a call to trust the Word of the One who was there in the beginning. We are not accidents of time and chance; we are the purposeful creation of a loving God.

*Summary based on Dr. Jobe Martin's “Evolution of a Creationist: Part IV: How Young is Earth" drafted with help of Google Gemini