October 2004
For
many ages, through many generations, attempts were made to find out he
age of the earth. Based on the apparent difference between the Biblical
account and the conclusion of science, many biblical scholars tried to
determine the time when creation took place.
Even
though E. G. White did not attempt to calculate the age of the earth
in the way others like Ussher did, some of her statements indicate her
knowledge of the age of the earth. In various writings she indicate her
knowledge of the age of the earth. In various writings she indicate
different approximate ages for the earth.
Her
statements could be divided into three groups. First, that the
earth is exactly 6,000 years old. Second, that the earth is about
6,000 years old, and third that the age of the earth is over
6,000 years.
In
order to understand the meaning of her writings two things should be
taken into consideration. First, these statements were taken from
the passages where she did not discuss the age of the earth but rather
she was talking about God’s patience toward sinners, glorifying His
grace toward humans for such a long period of time.
Second,
she lived and operated at the time when ideas of evolution were known,
widely applauded, and accepted by many secular minds and even by many
theologians. In opposition to them she made clear, by these statements
her belief in six day creation and relatively young age of the earth,
compared to billions of years suggested by evolutionists.
Her
writings should be read with the same care as we exercise when we are
reading the Scripture.
One
must take into consideration the time, place, circumstances, to whom she
was writing, what position she was arguing against, and what issue she
was addressing. The intentions of her writings and the theological
position from which she wrote must be considered for better
understanding of what she was trying to argue.
By: Dr. Helena Gregor,
Professor of Gift of Prophecy,
Northern Caribbean University.
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