Can we know the age of the earth from just the Bible? (And why does that matter?)

Some people argue that we can’t know the age of the earth from the Bible because there’s no verse that says “earth is x number of years old.” But actually, the Bible gives us something better than that: a “birth certificate” and detailed chronological history that we can use to establish an age for the earth and dates for significant events throughout early history (e.g., the global flood of Noah’s day).

You see, Genesis 1 is clear that God created everything in six, literal, 24-hour days (Exodus 20:11 confirms this). That means the universe was six days old when Adam was created. We then have detailed genealogies in Genesis 5 and 10 that don’t merely provide the names of the fathers from Adam to Abraham but also their ages when they had their sons. This means anyone can easily add up the time that elapsed from Adam to Abraham (about 2,000 years). Since the Bible gives us the details to figure out that Abraham lived about 2,000 years before Christ, and we know Christ walked on this earth 2,000 years before us, we can determine that there’s been about 6,000 years of history.

But does it really matter if the earth is 6,000 years old or millions of years old? Well, let me ask you this: “If you started with the Bible alone, without considering any outside influences whatsoever, could you ever come up with millions or billions of years of history for the earth and universe?” The answer, of course, is no! The millions of years come from outside Scripture, from interpretations of the past made by fallible people. When we accept those ages, we are really adding man’s word into God’s Word! We’re making man, not God, the ultimate authority.

Answers in Genesis is primarily known as a young earth creation ministry, helping Christian believe, defend, and proclaim the truth of Scripture and answering the skeptical objections to a straightforward reading of Genesis (we have many articles on our website, AnswersinGenesis.org, that give scientific answers, expose the scientific problems with millions of years and evolution, and expose how compromise on this issue effects our Christian worldview). But our core message is not “young-earth” creationism as such; our emphasis is on biblical authority. Believing in and defending a 6,000-year-old earth is a consequence of accepting the authority of the Word of God as an infallible revelation from our omniscient Creator.

It’s all about authority—will we start with Word of the all-knowing, perfect Creator God or the interpretations of fallible, sinful human beings? As you teach the next generation, I encourage you to do so with an emphasis on the authority of Scripture in all areas…from the very first verse.

Ken Ham is the Founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis, the ministry behind the Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, Answers Bible Curriculum for churches, and the best-selling Answers VBS.

Avery Foley is a writer and speaker for Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter. She and her husband are homeschool parents to six young children and the producers of Building Blocks, a chronological walk through the Bible for kids on Answers.tv.