Therefore, just as through one man [Adam], sin entered the world,
and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men [all people],
because all sinned… (Romans 5:12)
In Part 1, I raised the prospect of whether radiometric dating, a popular, scientific fossil dating technique, might yield substantially erroneous results if two ‘ifs’ occurred:
1. if/IF the continents were formed during the global flood; and
2. If/IF fossils from the flood might have been exposed, to varying degrees, directly and indirectly, to molten lava. (See Part 1 for two AI responses to my molten lava query.)
Following is a response I received from a creation scientist whom I was blessed to meet years ago in Tucson, AZ:
Hi J!,
I agree that the dynamics of the Global Flood are a conundrum for modern science, largely due to their erroneous starting presupposition.
2 Peter 3:3-6 foretold, and I will paraphrase, that last days non-believers would claim processes observed today are uniform with past processes, as they deny God made the heavens mature, and as they deny the global deluge. Secular geologists adherence to, and fulfillment of, this last days prophecy, reveals The Bible is God's inspired Word, and is why they cannot correctly interpret our planet's geology.
Russ Miller, Creation, Evolution and Science Ministries
(Note my core query about molten lava was not addressed.)
Romans 5:12 may be a favorite Scripture of creation scientists in their admirable efforts to prove the Bible-based ‘young Earth’ perspective. This contradicts conclusions of secular scientists that the Earth is billions of years old. The real age of the Earth will only be settled when Jesus Christ, The Lord God, returns here for His long-promised Millennial Reign. Until then, both sides of this issue remain solidly within the realm, not of science, but ‘belief-based religion’. Here’s why…
On one hand, secular science uses various fossil and rock dating techniques to support their ‘religious belief’, a principle one of which is radiometric dating, including carbon 14 dating. Applying these and other techniques, they conclude the bones they analyze must be of animals who died at least several millions ago. Yet secular science likely fails to take into consideration whether Earth’s molten lava might have been seriously disturbed as The Lord catalyzed the global flood by opening the fountains of the deep, and if so, how that might have impacted the fossils they date. (See Part 1)
On the other hand, creation scientists embrace Romans 5:12 as the basis for their ‘religious belief’ that there could not have been any death on Earth millions of years ago, because Apostle Paul asserts that death only entered the world after Adam sinned. I firmly believe what Paul wrote. Yet I perceived creation scientists might not be correctly interpreting Paul’s strategic meaning.
Paul and Moses were likely the most deeply strategic thinkers among all writers in The Bible. The Lord uniquely chose them for the highly complex, spiritual, intellectually demanding tasks of birthing/shaping two of His ‘church-types’ – the ancient nation of Israel, and the worldwide, Grace/faith-based church of today. (Click here to see my comparisons of these two Bible GIANTS. Imagine their assignments during The Millennial Reign!!!)
The Lord led me to asked 2 AI sources whether there are significant differences between the Earth and world. Their responses identified several differences that are not typically captured in dictionaries. (See their responses at the end of this post.)
Creation scientists assert there could not have been any kind of death on Earth prior to Adam’s sin, because death (presumably any/all kinds) ONLY entered the world AFTER Adam sinned. If so, that is clearly an obviously errant assertion. Here’s why.
satan is the personification of sin, which is disobedience that results in spiritual separation from God, i.e., spiritual death. For us humans, The Bible reveals there are THREE kinds of death:
1. Spiritual death, as we are all born in sin, separated from God,
2. Temporary physical death because of our sin, 1
3. Eternal second death, IMMORTALLY ALIVE in the brimstone-lit lake of fire (the second death). 2
When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately died spiritually, and in sin, their physical deaths were assured. They died centuries later.
Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:11-19 provide accounts of Lucifer’s sin, and by inference, those of his angel cohorts whom he corrupted. 3 They all were all cast out of Heaven, streaked like lightning across the universe (Luke 10:17-18), and were cast down to Earth’s ground. (Ezekiel 28:17). We don’t know when that happened relative to the creation of man, nor the physical impact, if any. But irrespective of these, it is clear that satan, the personification of sin and spiritual death, was in Eden BEFORE Eve, and later Adam, sinned. (Ezekiel 28:13) satan was the spirit who possessed the serpent who spoke to Eve.
Since satan and his cohorts were apparently already on Earth in order to be in Eden to tempt Eve, ergo both sin AND spiritual death must have been on/in Earth BEFORE Eve, then Adam, sinned. Devils’ sins in Heaven preceded man’s sin, and their presence on Earth signified spiritual death on Earth before man’s sin, Eve’s sin did not/could not corrupt the whole ‘world of humanity’, because she did not ‘carry the seed’ of humanity. Adam carried that seed. Ergo, HIS sin was the sin that corrupted the whole of humanity, and ushered into our ‘world’ (on the planet) each of the 3 deaths outlined in The Bible.
Conclusion: There are BIG differences between ‘sin and spiritual death in/on the Earth’ vs. ‘sin and all kinds of death in the world of humanity’. I intuit creation scientists may not strategically distinguish between these two, clearly different concepts, and therefore embrace a rather narrow interpretation of Romans 5:12. We have no indications of what spiritual death in the Earth, before Adam, might have inferred. But we can reasonably believe it was nothing good. Not wanting spiritual death to persist there, Heaven cast it out! Yet that is exactly what all things on Earth is subject to, until Christ threw humans His salvation lifeline. Unfortunately, most of us are too blind to see it, believe it, and by faith, embrace it.
Paul knew full well that spiritual death was in the Earth before Adam’s sin. Ergo, a qualified understanding of Romans 5:12, will recognize he was referring, not to planet Earth, per se, but to the ‘world of humanity’ that our planet hosts. They are clearly not the same.
Here are AI responses to my query: Are there significant differences between the words, ‘Earth’ and ‘world’?
Google’s Gemini:
The terms "Earth" and "the world" can often be used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings: Earth Refers specifically to the planet itself, including its physical components like land, water, and atmosphere. Scientific discussions about geology, geography, and ecology typically use ‘Earth’ - the third planet from the sun in our solar system. ‘World’ often refers to human experiences, societies, and ecosystems within the planet, encompassing cultural, social, and political aspects of life. ‘World’ can be used in a philosophical or metaphorical sense, such as ‘the world of ideas’ or ‘he world we live in’. In summary, while ‘Earth’ focuses on the physical planet, ‘world’ incorporates human experiences and cultures.
ChatGPT:
The terms, ‘earth’ and ‘world’, have distinct meanings, particularly when viewed strategically or Biblically:
1. ‘Earth’ refers primarily to the physical planet - the land, water, atmosphere, and everything related to its material existence. Strategically, ‘Earth’ can represent the created realm, with an emphasis on its geography, resources, and natural systems. In The Bible, ‘Earth’ is often used to describe the literal, tangible creation that God made in Genesis.
2. ‘World’ often carries a broader, more abstract meaning. While it can refer to the Earth's inhabitants, it frequently denotes the social, cultural, political, and spiritual systems that shape human life. The ‘world’ is more aligned with human affairs, ideologies, and even moral dynamics. Biblically, it is sometimes used in opposition to God’s kingdom (e.g., 1 John 2:15-17 speaks of the ‘world’ as something to be wary of, referring to worldly desires and systems).
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1 NB: For the one-third of angels who rebelled against Jesus, point #2 does not apply, including the subset those who ‘left their proper domain’, became men, married women, and thus, corrupted human DNA, per Genesis 6 and Jude 6. (See: Humans’ DNA Hacked (Poem))
2 The notion, ‘once dead, forever dead’, is a flat-out devilish lie that countless people believe(d). They will be SHOCKED when:
(a) they realize their eternal spirit and soul remain CONSCIOUS in physical death, and (b) they are later resurrected in an IMMORTAL body, raptured to be judged by Jesus (possibly on the new, eternal Earth), then cast FOREVER ALIVE into the brimstone-lit lake of fire (possibly also on that new Earth)! The Bible iteratively confirms these points.
3 These references are ‘embedded prophecies’ that explain the origins of Lucifer, who became satan after leading a massive, failed coup d’état in Heaven. Embedding these verses within broader prophecies about ancient evil king, suggests the spirit of satan was possessing those kings, in the same manner satan’s spirit possessed the serpent in a conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
NB: In Ezekiel 38, The Lord proclaims He is against Gog. While many people believe Gog is/will be a man who will control Russia at that time, I believe Gog is a chief demon spirit who will possess the leader of Russia. Note how this demon shows up over a thousand years later in Revelation 20, to inspire the final rebellion against everything Godly.
Ponder this: Might Gog be the spirit who is inspiring the current leader of Russia??
