The existence of dinosaurs and the Bible – do they contradict one another? Many secularists would say they do. But what do the facts point to? Let’s take a look at the facts and see if we can settle this matter.
First, we must understand that most who reject the authority of the Bible, especially those who believe in the pseudo-scientific theory of evolution, are coming at this question with preconceived notions and obvious biases. They have already determined in their minds that the Bible is false, so before they even consider the facts, they have determined that the Bible is wrong. So, the question is not, “What really happened to the dinosaurs?” …or, “Did dinosaurs live with people?” The question is, “How can we discredit the Bible to make more believe Darwinian-evolution?”
This must always be considered from the very beginning.
Why isn’t the word “dinosaur” in the Bible?
It is true that the word “dinosaur” is not used anywhere in the Bible. That is because the word “dinosaur” was not coined until 1841 when Dr. Richard Owen came up with the word, which means “terrible lizard.”
There are many ancient accounts and legends of large, reptile-like beasts in existence from around the world. You will find that there are many very old history books in existence in some libraries that describe, in detail, dragons and their dwelling with humans. These writings and legends describe beasts that would fit the description of what we now know to be, and describe as, “dinosaurs.” The English word for these beasts has traditionally been “dragon.”
There are also many cave paintings, carvings and sculptures in existence that not only predate the finding of dinosaur fossils, but go back hundreds, possibly even thousands of years from the discovery of dinosaur fossils. For example, the image to the right was found in a Cambodian temple that dates many hundreds of years before the discovery of dinosaurs in the fossil record.
So, were dinosaurs in the Bible?
The answer is, Yes, of course. A few Bible verses about dinosaurs (a.k.a., “dragons”) are:
Isaiah 27:1 “… and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”
Jeremiah 51:34 “… he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates …”
Psalms 74:13 “… thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.”
Isaiah 30:6 “… the viper and fiery flying serpent …”
Job 40:15-24 “Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.”
Job 41:19-21 “Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.”
Job’s account of “behemoth” seems to be the first word to be used to describe a specific type of dinosaur in the Bible and as you can see, there are many other accounts of “dragons.”
So, are dinosaurs mentioned in the bible? You can very clearly see from the above mentioned verses that they are.
What Happened to Dinosaurs?
Another common question is “Were dinosaurs on the ark?” and the answer is, probably. The flood occurred approximately 2,348 BC and it was responsible for the fossil record. Most of the dinosaurs were killed by the flood. Some were on board the ark (click the following link if you’re wondering how all of the animals fit in the ark) and could have gone extinct, or nearly extinct, shortly after, due to the drastically new environment that the global flood created. Many other animal kinds have gone extinct since then as well, due to the sin curse mankind has brought upon the world.
However, we are not 100% sure that all dinosaur kinds have gone completely extinct! We are finding new animal, insect and plant kinds in remote locations of the world all the time.
If the dinosaurs on the ark did survive after the flood and multiply, the rest may have been killed off in the ice age, which occurred after the flood and as a result of the flood.
Christians and dinosaurs
So how should Christians deal with the question of dinosaurs? We should deal with questions about dinosaurs in the same way we deal with any other question, first by taking the Bible at face value and then, secondary to that, with solid, observable scientific facts, which you will find supports the Bible, and love!
The Bible is God’s Word. He has preserved it over the ages and we need not fear any new discovery. Not only has there yet to be a discovery that disproves the Bible, most of them have reaffirmed and solidified the legitimacy and reliability of the Bible.
Click the following link for further information about the reliability of the Bible.
