What Happened To The Dinosaurs?
Major Christian Views Explained
Dinosaurs are some of the most fascinating creatures to have ever lived. But if God created everything, where do dinosaurs fit into the Bible?
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Did dinosaurs live alongside humans? Were they on Noah's Ark? Or did they become extinct millions of years before people existed?
Christians have different perspectives on these questions, particularly when it comes to the age of the earth and how the creation account in Genesis should be interpreted.
First: Does the Bible Mention Dinosaurs?
Not by that name!
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The word "dinosaur" wasn't coined until 1842, when scientist Richard Owen introduced the term to describe a group of ancient reptiles.
However, the Bible does describe some remarkable creatures,
including Behemoth in Job 40:15–24 and Leviathan in Job 41.
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Some Christians believe these descriptions could refer to dinosaurs or other prehistoric reptiles. Others interpret them as descriptions of familiar animals, such as the hippopotamus and crocodile, or as poetic portrayals of powerful creatures.
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Because Scripture doesn't specifically identify these animals as dinosaurs, Christians have different interpretations of what they were.
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So, where do dinosaurs fit into the story of creation?
View 1: Young Earth Creation
Dinosaurs and Humans Lived Together!
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Young-earth creationists believe God created the world in six literal, 24-hour days, as described in Genesis 1.
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According to this interpretation, the earth is thousands rather than billions of years old.
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Since Genesis 1:24–25 describes God creating land animals on the sixth day, young-earth creationists believe land dinosaurs were created on Day 6, the same day as Adam and Eve. This means dinosaurs and humans would have lived during the same general period of history.
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Young-earth creationists also believe that representatives of the different kinds of land dinosaurs were aboard Noah's Ark. They interpret God's instructions in Genesis 6:19–20 to bring representatives of living creatures into the ark as including dinosaurs.
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According to this view, many dinosaurs died during the worldwide flood, while those that survived aboard the ark eventually became extinct afterward. Some supporters also suggest that Behemoth, described in Job 40, may have been a dinosaur, although this interpretation is debated.
View 2: Old Earth Creation
Dinosaurs Lived Long Before Humans!
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Old-earth creationists believe God created the universe and everything in it, but they accept scientific evidence that the earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.
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Unlike young-earth creationists, they do not believe Genesis necessarily requires six consecutive, 24-hour creation days.
Some interpret the creation days as representing long periods of time, while others understand the account as presenting God's creative work without specifying a detailed scientific timeline.
According to this view, dinosaurs lived millions of years before humans appeared.
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Old-earth creationists generally accept the scientific conclusion that non-avian dinosaurs became extinct approximately 66 million years ago, long before human history began.
They also generally accept that a massive asteroid impact was a major cause of this extinction.
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For Christians who hold this view, the existence of dinosaurs millions of years ago does not contradict their belief that God is the Creator of all things.
View 3: Evolutionary Creation
God Created Through Evolutionary Processes
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Evolutionary creationists believe God is the Creator of the universe and that He brought about the diversity of life through evolutionary processes over immense periods of time.
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Like old-earth creationists, they accept that the earth is billions of years old and that dinosaurs lived millions of years before humans appeared. However, evolutionary creation specifically emphasizes that God worked through evolutionary processes as life developed and diversified.
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Christians who hold this view generally understand Genesis as teaching important truths about who created the world and why, rather than providing a modern scientific explanation of exactly how and when every living thing appeared.
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They believe that scientific discoveries about dinosaurs, fossils, and the history of life can be understood alongside their faith in God as Creator.
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According to this perspective, dinosaurs were part of the long history of life on earth, and their existence was included within God's creative work.
What Do These Views Agree On?
Different Interpretations, One Creator!
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Although these three perspectives disagree about the age of the earth and the history of dinosaurs, they share an important belief: God is the Creator.
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All three views affirm that creation ultimately comes from God, even though they disagree about the processes and timeline involved.
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Their biggest differences center around three questions:
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When did dinosaurs live?
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How do dinosaurs fit into God's creation?
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How should the creation account in Genesis be interpreted?​
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Young-earth creationists believe dinosaurs and humans lived during the same general period, while old-earth and evolutionary creationists believe dinosaurs existed millions of years before humans.
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They also differ in how they understand the creation days in Genesis and the relationship between Scripture and scientific discoveries.
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Despite these differences, all three perspectives seek to understand the natural world in light of their belief in God as Creator.
