Does the Bible tell us the age of the universe?

what does the bible say?

While the Bible does not directly tell us the age of the universe, the Bible repeatedly confirms the fact that God created the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1; Job 38:4; Isaiah 48:13; John 1:1-3; Revelation 4:11). There are two biblical perspectives today of the age of the universe: young earth and old earth. Young earth creationists read the Genesis account literally and derive an age of the universe of about 6,000 years, based on the genealogies in the Old Testament. On the other hand, old earth creationists interpret the biblical text differently, allowing for longer ages in Genesis 1. By incorporating astronomical observations, they arrive at a much older age for the universe, commonly agreeing with the 13.7 billion year age estimate from science. When science and faith seem not to agree, we should trust the Bible while waiting for more detail to come to light. For the ancient Hebrews reading Genesis, the fact of creation by God was more important than when it occurred. The same priority also applies to us, today.

from the old testament

Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This is the key verse to the whole Bible. It establishes the fact that God exists and that He created the material universe out of nothing. Creation marks the beginning of time, but Genesis 1:1 does not tell us how much time elapsed in the days of creation.Genesis 1:2-31 gives the account of the order of creation of the earth during the six days of the creation. The word "day" in Hebrew (yom) often, but not always, means a 24-hour day. The six days of Genesis 1 are numbered, and they have evenings and mornings. Therefore, according to context, "day" is essentially a 24-hour day. However, some interpreters view these "days" as longer periods. This text tells us about the miracle of how God created the earth and life, but it does not tell us when it happened.An estimate of when Adam lived can be based on genealogies in the Old Testament, including the historical accounts of people in Genesis 1-11. Adding up the life spans in the genealogies places Adam at about 4,000 BC, or 6,000 years ago, which is the view of young earth creationists. However, this doesn't go back to the first part of creation, and there is still the question of the length of the creation days. There could also be gaps in the recorded genealogies.In Job 38:4 God asks Job where he was when God laid the foundation of the earth. Job had no reply, and the questions God asked reminded Job that there were many things he did not know. There are still many things today that we do not know.Psalm 33:9 says that when God spoke, the world began!Psalm 19:1 indicates that observations from nature tell us something about how God created; these are subject to debate and interpretation.Again, Isaiah 42:5 tells us the fact that God created the heavens, the earth, and life, but it does not tell us when creation happened. Psalm 19:1, Isaiah 40:26, Isaiah 45:18, and Nehemiah 9:6 also confirm that God created the universe.

from the new testament

John 1:1-3 establishes that Jesus, called the Word, is also God. Not only was Jesus with God before the beginning of creation, but all things were made through Jesus. See also Colossians 1:16-17. These verses again emphasize the fact of creation but do not indicate when creation happened.By looking at the general revelation of creation, humans can know some things about God, such as His eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20). Seeing beauty and design in nature points to the God of the Bible.Acts 17:24 and Hebrews 11:3 reveal that God created the universe.Revelation 4:11 assures us that creation came into existence because it was God's will. Certainly, creation does not exist by accident. By an act of His will God spoke everything into existence, including the laws of nature that scientists use to explore and understand our world.

implications for today

The verses above from Genesis to Revelation confirm the fact that God created the universe, the earth and life. Yet nowhere in the Bible do we find direct statements about the age of the universe. While a literal reading of the text leads to an age of roughly 6,000 years, the Bible doesn’t seek to determine the age of the earth. The questions remaining regarding the genealogies and potential gaps of time in creation leave some Christians taking a different interpretation of the age of the earth. One can embrace an old-age perspective and still accept the historicity of Genesis, including a real Adam and Eve. Allowing for an old earth does not imply acceptance of atheism or rejection of the Bible.. When science and faith appear to be in conflict, leaving us unsure what to believe, we should trust the Bible and wait for further light on the details. So while the time of creation in Scripture is uncertain, the fact of creation is without question present and necessary.

Cultural perspectives about time are also a factor. The ancient Hebrews understood time in relation to God’s interaction with humanity and the natural world. Time was measured from significant events, such as sabbaths, harvests and agricultural cycles. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 time is explicitly described as cyclical, with a repeating pattern of seasons and events. Yet Genesis also introduces words for the linear view of time that we use today, such as forever, everlasting, beginning, and end. In the ancient Hebrew perspective, time is not solely linear or cyclical, but rather a complex interplay between these two understandings. The ancient Hebrews did not have a fixed concept of the universe’s age, which is one reason we don't find the age declared in Genesis. The text would have been read as a testament to God’s power, wisdom, and love, rather than as a source of scientific information about the origin of the universe.

Got Questions Ministries, the organization that oversees CompellingTruth.org, takes a young earth position, preferring to interpret literal 24-hour days in Genesis 1. At the same time, have no serious disagreements with the idea that the earth and the universe might be significantly older than 6,000 years. A universe older than 6,000 years does not cause significant biblical or theological problems. The age of the universe is not an issue over which Christians ought to suffer doubt or discord. Instead, we should seek unity in the truth that God created the heavens and the earth.