OLDE EARTH and other associated theories on the origins of man and the nature of the world.

As a thinking Christian, I find the theories of an olde earth more favorable than those of a young earth. Thus, I would see the creation account in Genesis 1 as a figuratively rather than a literally. The order of the account is correct, but a "day" was clearly much longer than a 24 hour period. The Earth is thought to be over 4 Billion years old.

The Garden of Eden was a special place on Earth where God provided man a safe and furnished environment. It was never intended to be man's eternal home in bliss. Glory in the heavenly places and the presence of God was man's ultimate destination, had he not sinned (the same places that are restored to us in Christ). Eden was only a place where man lived during his probationary period before God, so that he could be tested.

Even before man sinned, the whole world was not as in Eden. The world outside of Eden was pretty much just as it is today in nature. Carnivorous animals ate other animals, and nature took its course. Yes, death existed in nature before man sinned. No where in God's curse on Adam for sin (Genesis 3:17-19) does God say that he is introducing death to all of the world because of his sin, nor is there mention of a significant change in zoological anatomy to introduce carnivores to the animal kingdom at that time. Furthermore, the fossil records support this. Nature is as it has been from its creation.

Death was introduced to man, however, because of his sin. Spiritual death was immediate in a separation from fellowship with God, but physical death was not so immediate. It was not that physical changes occurred in man after his sin to bring on physical death (albeit up to 900 years later! Though some DNA changes may have occurred to give man a sin nature that is passed down to all progeny). Man died physically because he was barred from the Tree of Life. Everything in this universe and reality decays as described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and that applied before man's sin. The Tree of Life had been God's provision to thwart that effect on man, however. Eternal life would have been effected by man's regular (vs. one-time?) consumption of the fruits of the Tree of Life. Since we were barred from it, our bodies, like all of the rest of nature in this universe, wind down like a spring. So, before sin, there was nothing in the human body that inherently would cause it to live forever.

What of other hominids whose fossil bones have been dug up numerously (Neanderthals and others)? They are hominids, but they are not humans = sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Man is distinguished from these other hominids by his ability for relationship with God (as opposed to other hominids' inability for same, as are all other animals).

The Flood. One theory says that it was local (though massive) to the Middle East, effectively killing all humans (except Noah, et.al.), since humans at that time had not spread out across the world as God had told them, but had remained congregated together in cities there in the Mesopatamian region. Thus, with a regional flood, there would be no need for two of every animal on earth to come to the ark -- only those who would be affected in the area. And the archeology does confirm a large flood in the Mesopatamian area, but not all over the world.

The missing river of Eden. The Pishon River (Genesis 2:11) was one of four rivers of Eden and the one no longer localized. The other three rivers -- Euphrates, Tigris, and Ulai -- are known and thought to be those noted in Genesis 2. Satellite imagery has noted a river bed under the sands of Saudi Arabia that runs eastward from the mountains that border the Red Sea in the west of that country (in the area of Mecca and Medina) to the top end of the Persian Gulf where the other three rivers end. A good candidate for the River Pishon.

Associated sources:
A Biblical Case for an Old Earth, David Snoke, Baker Books, ISBN#0801066190.
Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross, Baker books, ISBN#0801013046.

Interesting info that I read notes that in the scriptures, anytime there was (or will be) a resurrection into an immortal body, there was an earthquake there. This is seen in Jesus' resurrection as well as those of the people of God who were resurrected that same day (after Jesus) as recorded in Matthew 27:53. Also, the two witnesses' resurrection in Revelation 11:11-13 precedes an earthquake. It is thought that a nuclear reaction/explosion occurs in the dead body, but this does not cause a catastrophic event for the surrounding area as a nuclear bomb would because a body is made of more inert elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, rather than unstable elements like uranium and plutonium as used in bombs. Nevertheless, the more intert explosion does shake the earth.
In conjunction, it is thought that the "tribulation" period in Revelation (as we think of it) does not start until the opening of the Sixth Seal -- that with the great earthquake across the world. The prior five seals are seen as having been occuring over the earth since Jesus ascended to rule at the Father's "right hand." It pictures Christ's rule and control over things for the past 2000 years in spite of all the bad things in the world of oppressive rulers, war, death, plague, and economic oppression. So, according to this theory, what kicks off the great earthquake of the Sixth Seal of Revelation? You guessed it! The resurrection of all of the dead in Christ from Adam to the present day, and the transformation of the alive in Christ at that time -- all into immortal bodies! Can you imagine the severity of earthquakes that would cause all across the globe? Would probably also kick off other quakes at natural fault lines and eruptions from natural weak places in the earth's crust such as volcanoes and etc.
Also noted was that the scriptures say that it is the resurrection and transformation into immortal bodies that occurs in the "twinkling of an eye" (instantaneously) not the rapture. The rapture, being caught up into the air to meet Jesus at his return, occurs less rapidly. So, there could be a small period of time between a beliver's transformation into an immortal body and his being caught up into the air to meet the Lord. During that time, apparently all hell will be breaking loose on the earth, but that won't hurt a transformed believer who can no longer die or be injured! Until Jesus comes to get him, he can hang out and watch. If he's from around here, he'll probably say: "Ain't Skeert!"

[information from Earthquake Resurrection by David W. Lowe]

I've been intrigued by info I've read about the Israelites. The Jews are the descendants of the Tribe of Judah (for the most part), but there were 11 other tribes (really, 12 other tribes). Most of these tribes made up the nation of Israel, the northern kingdom, that was opposed to Judah, the southern kingdom, after the death of King Solomon. This northern kingdom left the worship of Yaweh, God of their forefathers, and thus eventually were exiled to Assyria in the 700's B.C., and they never returned to the Holy Land. This area to which they were exiled in Assyria, around present day Iran and Iraq, became the Parthian Empire, and these exiles became fully assimilated citizens of it. Later, the Sassanid Persians overthrew the Parthian Empire in 224 A.D., and many of the Parthians were exiled from there. The Sassanids came from the east; the Roman Empire, Parthia's arch-enemy lay to the west; and vast deserts lay to the south. Thus, the majority of exiles moved north through the Caucasus Mountains (noted similarity to the Caucasian race) and into Europe. Note that also around this time, the Roman histories note the influx to their empire of "barbarians" from their north and east, the Goths, who eventually assimilated into the Roman Empire and peopled post-Roman Europe.
The historical summary noted is sweeping and generalized in nature, and there were certainly exceptions, but there seems to be good indication that large segments of people of Israelite descent finally settled in Europe! This is not to say that all of the Goths who migrated into Europe were pure Israelites, nor that all people of Europe since that time are of pure Israelite descent. But it is to say that there is and probably has been a good portion of Israelite "stock" (or genes, if you will) in the European population for the past two millennia.

The idea that man is made in the image of God is one that has been debated for centuries regarding its specific meaning. I might suggest that one meaning (and there may well be several) may be that man (Adam) was made in the image of the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. Man is the way he is (with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head, for example) because that is the way the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ was in eternity "past." So, when Jesus became a man at his incarnation, taking on this flesh and human nature, he was remaining in his own form and pattern, not copying Adam's (Man's) pattern. It is man who is the copy of Christ, not Christ as the copy of man.

I've continued to be intrigued with the theory of a pre-Biblical history on earth. This idea says that Lucifer was in charge of the planet and over saw the advanced civilizations of that time. Eventually, he lead the inhabitants of the earth (whose spirits are now demons) and some of the angels (who are now fallen angels) in rebellion against God. Universal and cataclysmic destruction was the result on the earth, leaving it "formless and empty" and in darkness (Genesis 1:2). The Genesis account, then, would really be a re-creation of that on the earth. Geology does give testimony to several cataclysms in the history of the earth. This might explain why Lucifer has such a beef against Man. God made man to replace him as regent of the earth! It also doesn't help that man is made in the image of God and that God loves man so immensely. Lucifer does not like God very much, so to attack man is to attack God's image and the love of God's heart.

Elfdawg wrote a lengthy treatise last nite after the intro piece that got lost into cyber space before it was published, as also was the first edition of this here paragraph here itself...... I am reminded that blogging is not necessarily so easy. You do all this work and the @#&+ cyber-bast comes and eats it up! I'd love to kick his beehinee! Nonetheless, the thoughts must go on! The ole'dawg has sat and mused a while and licked his wounds and hopefully has learned a new trick.....shorter treatises so's to lessen the risk of loss against the cyber-bast! Hopefully, that'll do the trick!

Well, ole Elfdawg was resurrected in said 2007 A.D. only to take a RipVanWinkle-type nap for a couple a'years. I takes a while ta git th' cobwebs outta the ole head, ya'know.... Hey, it's not like I can spin straw into gold like olde Rumpelstilskin, ya'know. I guess ya get what'cha pay for.....and in this little enterprise, you haven't invested a whole lot! Nuff sed about that! But, I guess one could consider this a warm-up lap for future blogging (possibly), but that is only an intent, not a promise. It's kinda like the box of chocolates thing with our hero Forrest.

OMNIUMGATHERUM

Guess you were wondering what that means and why I added it to the very title of this blog. HA! I thought you'd never ask!

According to The American Heritage Dictionary (3rd Edition), "Omniumgatherum" means "a miscellaneous collection; hodgepodge." It's of Latin origin.

Ole Elfdawg figured that it appropriately described what is most likely to be posted within this blog.

And, in addition, you know the olde saying:

"Latin is dead. As dead as it can be. First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me!"

Furthermore, I figured that "OM NI" different thoughts, I'd "GATHER'EM" here !

This post represents a resurrection of said blog of said elfdawg. The former posts of this blog were erased some year or two ago when said elfdawg was having a bad night. He didn't really care, and, in truth, has not lost any sleep about it either since that time. The blog's former manifestation held various and eclectic ideas that ran from Timbucktu to The Man in the Moon, and they really only served as open wounds that divers crows would come occasionally and pick-and-peck on, devouring a little flesh here and a little flesh there, giving said elfdawg cause to go home and lick his wounds at night and try to get ready for the next day.... Said elfdawg learned that maybe it ain't too good an idea just to throw your genius ideas out there for the crows to nibble on...! Such ideas are happy enough to just flow around in yer own head!

Well, anyway, this blogger resurrection is the result of the encouragement of one solitary person who gave positive feedback on this enterprise some months ago. I guess the input had to soak and stew in the cranial juices for a while before it developed into willful deed. So, here's to you, P.W. ! Your interest has rendered this blog active! Elfdawg sez, "Yea, Ye if thee hast the interest of a mustard seed, thou shalt see ye olde blog arise from the dead!"