The ongoing debate regarding the age of the earth continues to be a heated one in Christian society. Numerous Christians believe that the earth is 6000 years based on the information provided in the Bible. While the Bible may not appear to give a clear figure in terms of how old the earth actually is, it does provide a historical account. There is no fixed age given by the Bible, but the chronology of events gives an indication of how old or young the earth could be.
Simple calculations from when Adam was created according to the Book of Genesis make it possible to estimate what the age of the earth is. Adding up the period during which Adam and Abraham lived from the days of creation to 2000 B.C results in 6000 years. More than 30 chronologists, including the critically acclaimed James Uusher, have established a similar period within which the Biblical events took place. Determining whether the earth is millions of years old or thousands of years old is based on one’s belief and school of thought.
Some scholars have opted for the scientific or geological view that the earth is much older than the Bible projects it to be. Christians regard the Bible as a vivid and reliable account of what happened in the past, as well as the time frame within which events occurred. Humanity has existed since creation took place and this means that the age gap between the earth and humanity is a mere 5 days.
Calculations begin with the date when God rested after creating the world to present times, and this amounts to 6000 years. This essentially means that the earth is much younger than scientists believe it is. Establishing how old the earth is requires knowledge regarding how long man has been in existence. While this may seem to be a daunting task, it is actually feasible.
Since Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago, the next step would be to determine the period of time between Jesus’ and Abraham’s presence on earth. The number given for this period is 2000 years. The last figure that needs to be determined is the years that bridge between Adam and Abraham. This period spans 2000 years, which brings the grand total to 6000 years. Various factors are put into consideration, and these include things like the number of generations. Biblical teachings clearly show that the earth is young.
