How Old Does the Earth Look?

Isaiah 46:9b-10a
I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done…

I have often been asked this question. “If the Earth is only 6,000 years, why does it look as if it is millions of years old?” Other people have suggested that the Earth could look as if it is millions of years old, because God could have chosen to make it look old. However, I am going to suggest a different answer to this question.

To do so, I need you to think about the nature of questions. The question “why does the Earth look as if it is millions of years old” contains a false assumption. The assumption is that it does indeed look millions of years old. But how old does something look, if it is millions of years old? Since the Bible tells us that the Earth is only thousands of years old, there are no million-year-old objects against which to measure such an appearance. Therefore, well-meaning creationists, who suggest that God has incorporated an appearance of age in creation, have conceded the very point that is at issue.

Of course, the Earth does indeed look very old. It looks about 6,000 years old, and it cannot look older, because there has been no time for it to appear older. It is important to interpret our observations from the facts of our biblical presupposition, not the other way around.

Prayer:
We praise You, O God, and declare that there is none like You, the Ancient of Days. Amen.

Notes:
Photo: Wikimedia. (CC by 3.0)