Previous Questions and Answers
Dinosaurs?
Could you please explain to me where
"Dinosaurs" came from? I have been reading the Book of Genesis but I do not see
or understand their place in biblical scripture. Since I do not believe in evolution and I
don't think Noah took two of every dinosaur on the ark, what's the logical explanation? My
father says Genesis 6:4 says "There were giants in the earth in those days" is
referring to Dinosaurs. I disagree because I think it is talking about the men of Anak.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. God Bless You.
If
your dad is like me, there were no Christian schools around, until I got into Senior High
School. Then, we heard of one, but it was quite a distance away from our home. So I grew
up in the public school system, with all of the false teaching of evolution. Psalm 14:1 is
true, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Our country is indeed
in serious trouble. The public school system teaches atheism, and the penal system teaches
idolatry (programs like AA teach alcoholics to trust in a “higher power,” like
the table in the room, or the tree outdoors — or whatever the person desires). It is
a sad day in a nation when it is against the law to use money to teach a belief in the
true and living God, but okay to use tax-payers money to teach that God did not create the
world, and okay to use their money to teach that a table or tree has the power to deliver
you from addictions (read that “sin”). John 8:34 says, “Jesus answered
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of
sin.” John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be
free indeed.” So while the majority think that they are very wise, and scorn
Christians, they are indeed slaves to their sin. John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh
not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly.”
I was recently in the hospital with a patient who was awaiting surgery in the pre-op room. One of the nurses had a TV on, and was listening to some type of game show. They were asking questions based on surveys. One of the questions was where the contestants had to guess what percentage of children knew the name of Adam’s wife. I did not catch the age bracket of the surveyed group, but only 77% knew that it was Eve. So almost a quarter of the children walking around have never heard the foundational story of the first husband and wife where it all started. This certainly does not mean that all 77% go to church, because many of them probably do not. It is just that they are enlightened enough to have heard someone make a reference to Adam and Eve. But is shows us why we are having a harder time seeing Americans saved. Psalms 11:3 says, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
So, possibly like your dad, I grew up being taught evolution at school, but creation at church. That was an easy choice for me to make in regard to which one was the truth — creation. I knew that the earth was not millions of years old, so I just rejected the total idea of dinosaurs (because the evolutionists said the dinosaurs lived millions of years ago). I had heard that the big skeletons in museums were mostly plaster models, so I just figured that the whole dinosaur thing was a big scam. It was not until later that I started hearing men like Duane Gish from the Institute for Creation Research, and Kent Hovind from Creation Evangelism. It was then that I began to understand that there were big creatures that lived upon earth (and some still do), but that most of them have been killed off by man because they were so fierce and dangerous. Those creatures were mentioned in the Bible, but not by the name “dinosaur.”
The large Noah Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 does not contain the word “dinosaur.” The Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary says that the word originated in 1841. Charles Darwin was born in February of 1809, and he died in April of 1882. So you can see that the word “dinosaur” was coined in the middle of his life. It was the combination of the Greek words “deinos” = “terrifying,” and “sauros” = “lizard.” The above dictionary defines the word as “any of a group (Dinosauria) of extinct often very large chiefly terrestrial carnivorous or herbivorous reptiles of the Mesozoic era; any of various large extinct reptiles.” You will notice that the dictionary defines dinosaurs as being reptiles. The same dictionary defines “reptiles” as, “an animal that crawls or moves on its belly (as a snake) or on small short legs (as a lizard); any of a class (Reptilia) of air-breathing vertebrates that include the alligators and crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinct related forms (as dinosaurs).” Reptiles keep growing until they die, so that explains the size of dinosaurs. Reptiles are also common around water, being animals that can often stay under the water for some time. This explains why some very large dinosaur-like creatures have been sighted around bodies of water — even in our day (the Loch Ness monster is a good example of one). Similar “monster” or “dinosaur” sightings exist around the globe in areas of very deep water or remote places. So we know why the Bible does not use the word dinosaur, because the KJV was translated in 1611, and the word was not even coined until 1841.
The Bible gives various names to these large reptiles. One name is “behemoth.” Job 40:15-24 says, “15 Behold now BEHEMOTH, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. 19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. 20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. 21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. 22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares”.
Another name the Bible uses for these large reptiles is “leviathan.” Job 41:1-10 says, “1 Canst thou draw out LEVIATHAN with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? 2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? 4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? 7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? 8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?” Psalms 74:13-14 says, “13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. 14 Thou brakest the heads of LEVIATHAN in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.” Psalms 104:24-26 says, “24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. 25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. 26 There go the ships: there is that LEVIATHAN, whom thou hast made to play therein.” Isaiah 27:1 says, “In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish LEVIATHAN the piercing serpent, even LEVIATHAN that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
Another word used for these large reptiles is “dragon.” Notice a couple of the previous verses. Psalms 74:13-14 says, “13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the DRAGONS in the waters. 14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.” Isaiah 27:1 says, “In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the DRAGON that is in the sea.” Psalms 91:11-13 says, “11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the DRAGON shalt thou trample under feet.” Isaiah 51:9-10 says, “9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the DRAGON? 10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?” Jeremiah 51:34 says, “Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a DRAGON, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.”
There are many references to “dragon” in the Book of Revelation — a name used there to describe Satan. Revelation 12:3-5 says, “3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a GREAT RED DRAGON, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the DRAGON stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” Revelation 12:7-9 says, “7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the DRAGON; and the DRAGON fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the GREAT DRAGON was cast out, that old SERPENT, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:15-17 says, “15 And the SERPENT cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the DRAGON cast out of his mouth. 17 And the DRAGON was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 13:1-4 says, “1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the DRAGON gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the DRAGON which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 20:1-3 says, “1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the DRAGON, that old SERPENT, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
China has much to do with the dragon, even declaring the year 2,000 as dedicated to him. Interestingly, they dedicated the year 2001 to the snake. Some Christians thought that the year 2,000 was going to be the time of the Lord’s return — evidently the dragon thought that it might be his time to take control, even hoping for the next year to be the serpent’s, but such was not the case. The timing is all in God’s hands, and no one knows the day nor the hour of Jesus’ return. It is no accident that China worships the dragon, and is so fervent in its persecution of Christians and churches. “In China, emperors think that they are real dragons and the sons of heaven. They sleep on dragon beds, sit on thrones called the Dragon Seat, and their ceremonial dress is known as dragon robes.”(www.bullseyetattoos.com). Dragon tattoos are among the most popular right now, with both men and women receiving them.
It is interesting that God should give the name dragon as one of the descriptive names of Satan. It pictures one of the most fierce creatures of all time. Leviathan is further described in Job 41:13-34, “13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? 14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. 16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. 17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. 20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. 21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. 23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. 24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. 25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. 26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. 27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. 31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. 33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. 34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”
The people in this world who scoff at the Bible, and believe in evolution, and think that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago are simply ignorant, and need to be educated in the truth. Their word, dinosaurs, was not even coined until 1841, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. The biblical words are leviathan, behemoth, and dragon. These very large reptiles lived right along with man, and were gradually brought to near extinction. Some are still alive in secluded areas, and are sometimes still spotted by man. And if people are afraid of them, they better start thinking about the day when they have to answer to the One that made those fierce creatures — God. If they cannot stand before these creatures, how will they ever stand before Almighty God? They better humble their proud hearts right now, and repent of their wicked, vile, sins, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Job 41:9-10 says, “Leviathan ...shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?”
