It is time for me to deal with some of the possible problems of an Old Earth History of Satan which maybe have not been brought up. They are things which I have considered myself. I have no problem with volunteering them.
One objection I see is the "billions of years" problem. Suppose man was no on the earth for a long long time ? This, to some, just doesn't seem right.
"Do you mean to tell us that many many times longer than man's existence from Adam there were other things going on ? That makes humanity seem less significant. How could God not be doing something with man for a million or more years ?"
Let that sink in or express it in words of your own. And then I will try to pen my thoughts on the matter.
There is the bad feeling which goes along with the idea that God was doing something with some other creatures for millions or billions of years before MAN came on the scene.
Big Time is like Big Space. The actual size of the universe we know is magnitudes larger than what, say, the apostles knew. The writer of Psalm 8 knew nothing of "island universes" - billions of galaxies. Edwin Hubble discovered that what we thought were fairly close patches of stars were distant "island universes" of galaxies each with billions of their own suns.
The knowledge of the immensity of space and matter grew exponentially in the recent past. Yet the words of the Psalmist still hold true -
"When I see Your heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is mortal man, that You remember him, Or the son of man, that you visit him ?" (Psalm 8:3,4)
In other words the Psalmist is humbled by the sheer immensity of God's creation and all the wonders in it. Why should God care about man who only occupies a tiny little corner of the whole creation ?
The human ego is dwarfed into humility by the vastness of creation. When man's knowledge of the creation increases the net effect is still the same - "What is man that You are mindful of him ?" Yet we know God loves man. Yet we know God became a man in incarnation. Regardless of the vastness or super vastness of His creation - man is vitally important to God's purpose.
What applies to an increase of awareness of big space should also apply to an increased awareness of big time.
So the universe is super larger than we knew 2,000 years ago. Man is still central to the love and purpose of His Creator no matter how dwarfed man feels.
So the universe is older than we thought it was 2,000 years ago. Likewise, man is still central and crucial to God's love and eternal purpose.
To paraphrase the Psalm, I make the point - "When I [consider the eons and eons in which the universe has existed] what is mortal man, that You remember him, And the son of man that your visit him ? "
An exponential increase in the realization of the physical size of the universe or an exponential increase in the realization of the age of the universe, neither, makes humanity less meaningful to God's love and eternal purpose.
Don't be bothered if untold ages passed between the beginning of the whole universe and economy of God with man on the earth. Neither be bothered that we only occupies a microscopic little corner of this vast vault of a universe.
Originally posted by sonshipI'm still only about halfway through this thread, jaywill. It's captured my attention though, and it seems apparently well-done, so I promise I will finish it. It's a compelling read so far. You bring up things I never thought about before. I'll get back to you on this. 🙂
Anyone still wants to cross examine me on an Old Earth History of Satan ?
Questions, counterpoints welcomed. ( I will have to concentrate on issues not yet raised ).
Originally posted by SuzianneSure, Suzianne.
I'm still only about halfway through this thread, jaywill. It's captured my attention though, and it seems apparently well-done, so I promise I will finish it. It's a compelling read so far. You bring up things I never thought about before. I'll get back to you on this. 🙂
And if I can keep my Internet bill paid up I'll respond to concerns of questions you have. It needs to be questioned. So don't go easy on me.
I put it out there, you consider, pray and make up your own mind before the Lord.
jw