Below are some comments as I ponder & react to the OLD EARTH THEORY (I believe in the young earth/6000+ yrs) with thoughts about what the food chain (which involves constant 'death') could have been at Creation, a GREAT puzzlement to me. Know too that I think a belief in an Old Earth (millions of yrs) is damaging to the believer as the theory encourages belief in evolution (which gravitates to atheism).
The first thing that died after the fall of man was the slain animal killed by God (1st time blood was spilled/perhaps a lamb......who knows!) to cover Adam and Eve. Before sin, blood wasn't shed.
Mosquitoes suck our blood for the oxygen (40% (?) less oxygen than before the fall/flood, etc); and before the fall, WHO knows how they behaved......perhaps buzzing/singing to humans. Bees make honey, sting if bothered; but who knows what ELSE they could have been made for that has not yet been observed?.....honey and much more!?
In the Millennium a child will play at the hole of an asp (poisonous snake); but to play with snakes could involve them crawling comfortably (as a massage) all over a person (could be fun).....or hanging from trees in beautiful designs. Anti-venom material is an example of how the toxic substance of the killer snake is a healing material as well.
I actually think that our fallen, sinful mind (even though we are saved) CANNOT even PICTURE PERFECTION.
Every thought that comes out the human mind, believe it or not, is sin and selfishness; but thankfully our INTENT to accept the blood of Christ and our INTENT to follow the Lord is honored by God and we are COVERED by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!......a greater privilege than we realize! But WE are not perfect and do NOT understand perfection.
After the fall, thorns grew on the rose bushes and on the cactuses; animals changed their behavior for survival's sake.
At Creation, everything was meant to last forever and we cannot even begin to picture such a system. There was no decay and everything stayed new and eternal. The fall of man into sin changed the way EVERYTHING worked.
At Creation the plants were given for food; but the food was digested differently (without bacteria to break down the food) because JESUS ate food AFTER the resurrection and he didn't have blood anymore! (strange digestive system in His new body......the same body WE will have some day!). EVERYTHING was different at Creation and the curse upon this earth is MUCH MORE HORRIFIC than we can fathom. We are surrounded and immersed in death and decay (mentally and physically) but our sinful human minds are fooled and call much of creation beauty and loveliness; but it is SO FAR below what it once was.
When you look at a peacock with spread feathers, you are looking at a gorgeous bird that is in the process of dying in the next 15 or 20 years.....i.e. you're looking at death; but our minds, deceived in our fallen state, don't register that fact. Instead we are determined (in our rebellion) to call these things LIFE!
Humans know very well (in their innermost spirit) that they are guilty of the curse brought upon nature and they feel it, trying constantly to mask the truth with thoughts of beauty, life and eternity because that's what was LOST at the fall and we know who did it (ME!). We yearn for perfection because we are made in God's image, meant to be PERFECT but presently in a horrible state. To tell the truth, our spirits yearn for all that's beautiful and eternal because we know what was lost; but the Devil is so tremendously clever that we think WE KNOW BEAUTY & LIFE!......NO we don't! The most beautiful thing on this entire earth was the mangled, blood-dripped, swollen, gut-protruding body of Jesus on the cross. Until we realize what He had to do to lift earth's horrendous curse, we will continue to think we understand perfection. Only 'eating' His Word (Bible), praying and putting forth daily effort to show Him how much we love Him (by obedience) will bring us nearer to this wisdom......and even then we only 'TOUCH' upon a mere, slight image of perfection (maybe!).
You do know that a fish that has been caught will wiggle violently because it is dying. Today's youth/culture....etc is DYING.....wiggling like crazy!
The Bible also says that "It hasn't even ENTERED the MIND the things that God has prepared for those who love Him." What hasn't entered the mind???? The PERFECTION that exists in Heaven!; and earth was perfect at Creation; and if we cannot understand the perfection of Heaven, why do we think we can understand what a perfect earth used to be?....including how the food chain functioned (if there was such a thing) and whether there was ruin & rot as plants were consumed. The bodies of the eaters worked differently.
As we feed upon the Word of God......the supernatural power in the words, the letters, in between the letters AND the Holy Sprit's application of the words upon our mind and body (MIRACULOUS, LIFE-CHANGING WORDS)......we begin to get an idea of the wretched creatures we are, and the astounding beauty of the Savior outshines all
else that we think is beautiful......J.H.







