Oh, Dem Bones!

A few days ago, before leaving on vacation, I read an interesting article about the discovery of human fossils in Morocco. Scientists claim these bones are about 300,00 years old and I think they might have preferred they stay buried. Aside from the evolutionary bent of the article and the claim humans are this old, was the claim that this discovery, “rewrites the story of mankind’s origins and suggests that our species evolved in multiple locations across the African continent.” As Bible believers, we are thankful we do need not rewrite the story of human origins every time somebody digs up a bone. Our story has been the same since creation!

            I was fascinated by the dilemma this poses for evolutionary scientists which they somehow failed to acknowledge with their discovery. There is a glaring problem in their hypothesis. These fossils are supposedly dated to more than 150,000 years before the previous oldest ones discovered. Secondly, they are in a different place, and there are in fact multiple sites where these types of fossils were found. Formerly, scientists said homo sapiens evolved in one place—what they termed “the proverbial Garden of Eden.”

            The thing that puzzles me is that evolution of the species depends on genetic mutations. A mutation is an anomaly. In an article on genetic mutations from Cal Berkeley, this statement is made: “Mutations are essential to evolution; they are the raw material of genetic variations. Without mutation, evolution could not occur.”

            Now, in my ignorance, my question is how do the exact same genetic mutations occur in populations of apes scattered over multiple areas? How does the same anomaly occur in various places and times separated by thousands of years? How did humans in every place develop to be the same species? I would expect to see three eyes on some that evolved independently of the others!

            I am by no stretch a geneticist, a biologist, an anthropologist, and certainly not an evolutionist. Apparently, I am just a dumb old Bible believer who interprets the evidence in a way that keeps pointing back to the Bible’s narrative. My interpretation does not change each time somebody digs up a bone. I remember reading how scientists dated bones of Neanderthals (?) to be prehistoric only to find out later they were a hoax. How can they date bones to 200,000 years ago to find out they were recent and stained to look old? Carbon dating was supposed to fix this, but revisions in carbon dating are not uncommon.

            One reason for their willful blindness is that their predetermined narrative must be fulfilled. Do we believe fake news is a recent phenomenon? No, I believe it has been in our public schools for about 75 years. I still remember a book I ordered for school in the 3rd grade that explained the age of dinosaurs. My dad wrote scriptures and arguments on almost every page. He was good at spotting fake news!

            Every time a scientist digs up a new bone (sic), rather an old bone, his narrative changes. It seems he discovers much except the futility of disputing the Bible’s narrative. He seeks to verify his latest hypothesis (Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. – 2 Timothy 3:7). It is interesting archaeologists discovered this problem long ago. They have never disproved the Scriptures—but not for lack of trying. Evolutionary science is yet to learn it is useless to dispute Moses. 

            All of this reminds me of what God said to Job: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth?”The answer for the evolutionist: still uncreated and thinking, how many steps from a slug to a bug?

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war…And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11, 16)

 This may well be the most magnificent passage in all of scripture. Since the awful day of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, the world has been waiting for the entrance of creation’s gracious King. He visited us before under different circumstances and for a different purpose. He did not appear as the royal King; He did not project the fierceness of a mighty warrior; He did not come with fire in His eyes to bring vengeance upon His enemies. He came as a humble, meek servant with compassion in His heart. He came to seek and save that which is lost. He came for helpless sinners doomed to suffer the wrath of Almighty God for their crimes against Him. He came to take away the guilt of sin for all that believe by satisfying the divine justice of God.

The first advent of Christ was for you and me that trust Him. He came to give us salvation. He had to come in the humiliation of human flesh in order to do it. So, He appeared the first time as Hebrews says to “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” He was the pure innocent Lamb slain for the vile and guilty. The Second Advent is also for us. The writer of Hebrews adds to the first statement: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)

The second time Christ comes it will not be as the sin bearer, but nonetheless it is also to bring us salvation. In this sense, salvation means our final deliverance from this sin cursed world. The Second Coming is for believers as Christ enacts His plan to rid the world of all opposition and bring us the blessedness of the new heaven and new earth. But, there is also a sense that the Second Coming is for unbelievers. They humiliated Him the first time. They despised Him and turned their backs on Him. They beat Him without mercy and then nailed Him to a rugged cross. The second time He comes He will not permit this. All will be forced to give Him the honor and glory He deserves. At the end of the 19th chapter, He destroys so many unbelievers that the fowls feast to the full upon their bodies as if it was carrion.

Revelation 19 is very unlike Luke chapter 2. There is no stable; there is no manger; there are no swaddling clothes of peasants. There is no lowly humility. This time He comes as a mighty warrior to conquer the world, to make it His kingdom, and to force His enemies to submit to His rule. This is the side of Jesus most never hear about. And yet, you must understand the wrath of God before you will ever understand the love of God. Do not take your ease because you think you are not guilty. Do not comfort yourself in the erroneous hope that God will never punish the guilty. Revelation 19 is as true as Luke 2. The KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS is coming. Are you ready? Repent of your sins, trust Jesus to save you from them, and you shall be!

Pastor V. Mark Smith