When was Noah’s flood?
Genesis 6—9 records the events of Noah’s flood, also called the Great Flood. If the genealogy provided in Genesis 5 is intended to be comprehensive, we can determine the dates of various events by simply adding up the time spans between fathers and sons, given in Genesis 5: Adam to Seth — 130 years Seth…
How long were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?
Genesis chapters 1—2 give us the details of God’s creation of the world, including humanity. Adam and Eve were the first human beings, from whom every other human being descends. God formed Adam from the dust and breathed His own life into the man (Genesis 2:7). God fashioned Eve out of Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:22).…
What does creation ex nihilo mean?
Ex nihilo is Latin for “from nothing.” The term creation ex nihilo refers to God creating everything from nothing. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Prior to that moment, there was nothing. God didn’t make the universe from preexisting building blocks. He started from scratch. The Bible never expressly…
How can God be good if He drowned babies in Noah’s flood?
Scripture often presents us with uncomfortable events. Some, like the flood, involve incidents we naturally find gut-wrenching, such as infants and children drowning along with adults. Other examples include Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Korah’s rebellion. It’s important to realize that the Bible does not shy away…
What is the meaning of the tree of life?
The tree of life, mentioned in the books of Genesis and Revelation, is a life-giving tree created to enhance and perpetually sustain the physical life of humanity. The tree was planted by God in the Garden of Eden: “The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to…
Why were there two trees in the Garden of Eden?
God intentionally placed two trees in the Garden of Eden because He valued Adam and Eve’s free will. As His precious, created beings who were made distinctly in His own image, Adam and Eve possessed the ability to choose. For context, let’s take a look at the story behind these trees and the fall of…
Would the discovery of Noah’s Ark be important?
There have been numerous claimed discoveries of Noah’s ark in recent years. The discoveries have been in various locations, ranging from Mount Ararat in Turkey, to a mountain range in Iran, to an entirely different location on Mount Ararat (with a visitors’ center). It is not the purpose of this article to evaluate whether or…
Why does the Bible describe the moon as a light?
There are several places in Scripture where the moon is described as a “light,” even though, as we know, the moon does not produce any light of its own. Genesis 1:16 describes the creation of the sun and moon this way: “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser…
Is the Adam and Eve story to be understood literally?
Let us assume for a moment that the Adam and Eve story is not to be understood literally. What would be the result? Would Christianity remain essentially the same with a non-literal understanding of the story of Adam and Eve? No. In fact, it would have serious implications for virtually every tenet and doctrine of…
How did Noah fit all the animals on the Ark?
How did Noah fit all of those animals on the ark? Was the ark big enough to fit “two of every kind… of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind,” and seven of some kinds? What about food? There had…