Dinosaurs

And Their

Creator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Central Highlands Congregation of God

 

 

 

Who Created the Dinosaurs?

Some Christian groups teach that the dinosaurs were created by Satan.  Supporters of this idea claim that dinosaurs are ugly and violent, which in their mind proves that they were Satan’s handwork.

Is this idea supported by the Bible?  Does the Bible reveal who created the dinosaurs?  Are all dinosaurs ugly and violent?

Indeed the Bible does tell us who created the dinosaurs:

 

In the beginning the Word existed, and that Word existed with God, and that Word was Himself God.

This One existed in the beginning with God.

Everything was in His hand, and not even one of the things that exist would exist without Him.1

The Life was in Him, and the Light is the lives of the children of men.    John 1:1 to 4

 

There are two things we must note in this quote from John:  First, all things were made through Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God.Not just most things, but all things.  Secondly, we learn that Life was in Him.  If He (Jesus) did not have life within Himself, He could not have shared this life with His creatures.  The following quote expands on this:

 

“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,”

John 5:26 (also read John 5:21)

 

A thorough study of the scriptures will reveal that only Jehovah God, who is Jesus’ Father, and Jesus (known as Jeshua the Messiah in the Aramaic New Covenant) himself have life in themselves at this time (ie- they have eternal life within them.  This is detailed in our articles Jeshua the Messiah-is He the Son of God or Part of a Trinity? and Everlasting Life is God’s Gift).

 

To make sure that we have taken in this concept, God emphasises it again in Colossians:

 

He is the Image of the unseen God and the Firstborn of all creation.  By Him everything was created which is in heaven and on the earth, everything seen and everything unseen, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  Everything has been created by His hand and for Him.2

And He is the One before all, and all things exist through Him.    Colossians 1:15-17

 

Is God a liar?  Did He make all things through Jeshua or not?  Is there another source of life apart from God?  Can you really believe that Satan is another source of life, a creator?  Teaching that Satan made the dinosaurs and brought them to life elevates him to the status of God.3  This is exactly what Satan wants (See Isaiah 14:12-15).  God has condemned Satan’s arrogance, telling us to worship Him alone (Matthew 4:10).  The only thing that Satan created was lying (John 8:44).

 

And were the dinosaurs ugly?  The Creator of the dinosaurs was very proud of these creatures.  He speaks of His most powerful land dwelling creature in this passage:

 

“Now look at the behemoth4 (a sauropod?), which I made along with you; he eats grass like an ox.  See now, his strength is in his loins, and his power is in the muscles of his abdomen.

He moves his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like channels of bronze, his ribs like bars of iron.

He is the first of the ways of God; his Maker brings near His sword. Surely the mountains yield food for him, and all the beasts of the field play there.

He lies under the shady trees, in a covering of reeds. And the marsh covers him, and the shady trees with their shadows; the willows by the river surround him. Indeed the flood may oppress, yet he does not run away; he is confident, even if the Jordan gushes into his mouth.

Shall anyone take him in his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?     Job 40:15 to 24

 

Some Bible commentaries suggest that the behemoth is an elephant.  This is not possibleelephants have very small tails.  But a sauropod such as the supersaurus or titanosaur fits the above description quite well.  Indeed the supersaurus, with a total length of 35 meters (115 ft), has a tail which is truly comparable to the trunk of a cedar tree and has a massively strong skeleton.  The mode of life most palaeontologists suggest for the sauropods fit perfectly with the above description of the behemoth.  And one more point:  In verse 15 God says that He created the behemoth at virtually the same time as man.—God leaves no gaps and no time for evolution, as reading Genesis 1 will confirm.

 

God then goes on to talk about His most powerful aquatic creature:

 

“Can you draw out Leviathan (a Pliosaur?) with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?  Can you put a reed rope through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a thorn?  Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak soft words to you?  Will he cut a covenant with you?  Will you take him as a slave forever?

Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you tether him for your maidens?  Will your companions bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants?

Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears?  Put your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again!  Indeed, his hope of overcoming him is false; will he not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?  No one is so fierce that he stirs him up.

Who then is able to stand against Me?  Who has preceded Me, that I should repay him?  Everything under the whole heavens is Mine.

“I will not keep silent about his limbs, or the matter of his mighty power, or of his graceful frame.  Who can take off the surface of his skin?  Who can enter with his double bridle?

Who can open the doors of his face?  All around his teeth is terror!  His interlocked scales are his pride, shut up tightly with a seal; one with one is so close that no wind can come between them; they are joined one to another, they clasp each other and cannot be parted.

His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of dawn.  Out of his mouth go burning torches; sparks of fire shoot out.  Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth, as from a boiling pot heated by reeds. His soul kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.

Strength abides in his neck, and dancing before him are those frozen from fear.  The folds of his flesh cleave together firmly on him.  He cannot be shaken.  His heart is cast as hard as stone, cast even as hard as the lower millstone.  When he arises, the mighty are afraid; because of the crashings they miss their way.

Though the sword overtakes him, it will not hold firm; nor does spear, dart, or javelin.  He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.  A son of a bow (an arrow) cannot make him flee; stones from a sling are turned into stubble by him.  Clubs are counted as straw; he laughs at those shaking javelins.

His undersides are like sharp potsherds; he spreads sharp-pointed marks in the mire.  He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.  He leaves a shining wake behind him; one would think the deep was gray-headed.  There is nothing on earth like him; one made without fear.  He beholds every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride.”    Job 41:1 to 34

 

Some commentaries claim that this creature is a crocodile.  But this suggestion is a poor fit: crocodiles have been routinely killed by humans for thousands of years, having neither the size nor strength of this creature.  Psalm 104:25 and 26 reveal that leviathan can live in the open sea.  Even salt-water crocodiles spend most of their time in estuaries or on land.  They do not venture out into the open seas. Nor can crocodiles ‘breath’ fire.  The description of the creature’s size and mode of living fits more closely with that of a pliosaur.  The largest pliosaurs found so far are over 20 meters long and are actually aquatic reptiles rather than dinosaurs as commonly believed.  If we can confirm that some species of pliosaur are capable of breathing fire we will be confident that Leviathan is indeed a pliosaur.  It is also quite possible that Leviathan is a totally different creature that is unknown to us today.  As we will see below, there is evidence that dinosaurs, previously known as dragons, coexisted with mankind.  Isaiah 27 even indicates that at least one leviathan is still prowling in our seas.

 

Do you still think all dinosaurs are ugly?  God clearly does not think that the ‘dinosaurs’ He describes in Job are ugly.  In the case of leviathan, Jehovah says he has a graceful frame, and this is despite his enormous size.  As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Most people think warthogs and cane toads are ugly.  But does this mean that they have been created by Satan?  Obviously, as shown above, they were also created by God.  God’s creativity is not restricted by our ideas of beauty.  The fascination that the larger dinosaurs hold for many people suggests that they see majestic power rather than ugliness in them.

 

And were they all violent?  Many dinosaurs are now believed to be vegetarians, such as the brachiosaur.  Yes, some dinosaurs were huge and potentially dangerous.  Polar bears are large and known to be deadly.  And how about all the other large carnivores?  Are they all made by Satan too?  No!  We have shown you that the Bible teaches that these creatures were all made by God.  These animals only became carnivores after Adam and Eve fell from God’s grace and the entire earth was placed under a curse (Genesis chapters 3 and 9, Romans 5:12).

 

The good news is that Jehovah God has promised to not only one day restore the universe to its original beauty, but to exceed even that glory (Isaiah 65:25, Revelation 21:1-4).  God, through the death and resurrection of His only true son Jeshua, makes it possible for us to be part of His coming everlasting kingdom (Romans 3:9 to 26, Romans 8:18 to 39).

 

 

 

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Appendix: Dragon Word Studies

Dragons

Dragons are mentioned in numerous places in the King James Version of the Bible. In the Hebrew scriptures dragon is translated from  תַּנִּינִם  tanniyn,  which is used 28 times.  The Online Bible defines tanniyn as meaning “dragon, serpent or sea monster”.  The usage of tanniyn shows that it is a generic term for a range of reptile-like creatures, both marine (Gen 1:21) and land-based (Isaiah 34:13), both large (Gen 1:21) and small (Exodus 7:10).  In Exodus 7, serpent (נָחָשׁ nachash, vs 15) and dragon (tanniyn, vs 9) are used interchangeably.  Tanniyn can also be used to represent Satan, via his servant Pharaoh, as shown in Ezekiel 29:3.

 

Dragon is also used in the New Covenant but in a much narrower context, as it is used only in Revelation and refers to Satan each time it is used.  In the Greek manuscripts dragon is translated from δράκων (drakon). It is used 13 times.  The Online Bible defines drakon as “a dragon, a great serpent, a name for Satan”.  In the Aramaic New Covenant dragon is translated from תַּנׅינׇא taneen, with the same meanings as the Hebrew.

 

Dragons are worshipped in many pagan (demonic) religions and are becoming a widespread and popular image in our own once-Christian society.  This must please Satan.

 

Behemoth

Behemoth is used once in the Bible, at Job 40:15.  The Hebrew is בְהֵמוֹת bᵉhemowth.  The Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon says this:

 

1) perhaps an extinct dinosaur

1a) a Diplodocus or Brachiosaurus, exact meaning unknown.

++++ Some translate as elephant or hippopotamus but from the description in Job 40:15-24, this is patently absurd.

 

Leviathan

Leviathan is a specific creature of the “dragon” kind (Isaiah 27:1). In Hebrew it is לִוְיָתָן, livyathan.  This time the Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon says:

 

1) leviathan, sea monster, dragon

1a) large aquatic animal

1b) perhaps the extinct dinosaur, plesiosaurus, exact meaning unknown

++++ Some think this to be a crocodile but from the description in Job 41:1-34 this is patently absurd. It appears to be a large fire breathing animal of some sort. Just as the bombardier beetle has an explosion producing mechanism, so the great sea dragon may have an explosive producing mechanism to enable it to be a real fire breathing dragon.

 

Some translations of Psalm 74:14 suggest that God kills Leviathan and feeds his flesh to His starving people living in the desert.  One example is the NKJV:

 

You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

 

As Leviathan is reptilian, it is an unclean animal, so this seems to be a very unlikely translation.  Leviathan also appears to be a marine creature and the people were in a desert, making it even more implausible.  Examining this verse shows that “him” has been added to the verse.  A much better translation is “You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces.  You gave food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.”

 

Placing this verse in its context shows that it details events that occurred during the Exodus from Egypt, suggesting that the heads of Leviathan in this passage may really have been the Egyptian rulers.  Indeed, the Aramaic Targums replace “the heads of Leviathan” with “the strong ones of Pharaoh”, supporting this alternative view of the passage.  The Targum manuscript is reinforced by Ezekiel 29:3-5 where Pharaoh is described as an aquatic serpent.  The sequence shown in Psalm 74 also fits the Exodus: Pharaoh’s army is destroyed in the sea, the Israelites begin to receive manna (Exo 16) and then are given water (Exo 17).

 

The above understanding that Leviathan can also be a symbol for God’s enemies also fits with Isaiah 27, where we are told that God will destroy Leviathan in the Day of the Lord:

 

For behold, Jehovah comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.

In that day Jehovah with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea.    Isaiah 26:21 and 27:1

 

Isaiah reveals that Leviathan is both a serpent and a dragon.  Psalm 74:13 confirms that Leviathan is a dragon.

 

The “heads of Leviathan” may indeed be an early model or type for the three heads of the satanic system which Jeshua will conquer when He returns to rule (Revelation 16:3; 19:20 to 20:3).  The link between Satan and serpents, dragons and Leviathan (Rev 12:9) probably all go back to the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man.  At that time a serpent (Satan) deceived Eve into rebellion against God and thus initiated the massive corruption of God’s Creation which still affects us today (Genesis 3:1 to 19).

 

 

 

Central Highlands Congregation of God

© 2001, 2006, 2020

Revised 25th of November

 

Published by

Central Highlands Christian Publications

PO Box 236, Creswick, Vic, 3363  Australia

Email info@chcpublications.net

Web Page: https://chcpublications.net/

 

 

The Central Highlands Congregation of God translation of the Bible is used throughout this article.  We believe our version is an accurate and readable translation of the Scriptures.

 

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The Holy Bible - CHCoG Version - This translation from the original Hebrew and Aramaic is accurate and readable, giving you a clear understanding of how the New and Old Covenants are interlocked and God’s message to you.

Everlasting Life is God’s Gift - Does the Bible teach that you have everlasting life?  If not, how can you receive God’s gift of immortality as His child?

Books of Moses - Fact or Fiction Series - Are the miracles recorded in Genesis and Exodus our true history?  Do the facts support Special Creation or the Big Bang & Evolution scenarios?  What about the Flood, Babel and the Exodus?

Spirit, Soul and Body - What does the Bible teach about the nature of human beings?  Do we have a soul?  What is our spirit?  What happens when we die?

Eastern Meditation and Jeshua the Messiah - Recounts the experiences of a CHCoG member who became a Christian while practising Eastern Meditation.

Animals in the Bible- What does the Bible teach?  Does God love His animals, and how should we treat them? Are they intelligent, relational beings?

The Ten Commandments - What are God’s Ten Commandments? How do they guide us in our relationships with God, our family and our neighbours?  Shows how obedience to Jehovah’s Instructions would result in true civilization.

The Gift of Salvation - Charles Chiniquy, a famous priest in the Catholic Church for 25 years, recounts his experiences that led him to God’s Gift of Salvation.

What is God’s Name? - How can we know what God’s Name is and how to Pronounce it?  Does the Bible teach us to use God’s Name?

God’s Calendar and the Sign of Jonah - Shows how God’s Calendar reveals that Jeshua truly kept the Sign of Jonah, His ultimate proof that He is the Messiah.

The Sabbath in Scripture - Has God’s Seventh-day Sabbath been ‘done away with’?  What does the Sabbath mean, and does God want us to keep it?

Sex, God and Families - Article exposing the dangers of sexual immorality and outlining the benefits of following God’s sexual principles.

The Daystar’s Fall and the Age of the EarthDoes the Bible teach the Daystar (Satan) ruled the world before Creation Week, when Adam was formed?

Free to Obey GodGod’s Son Jeshua sets us free!  But what does he set us free from, and how does He expect us to live our new life?

Jeshua the Messiah: Is He the Son of God or Part of a Trinity? - Explores the relationships between God the Father, our Lord Jeshua, the Holy Spirit and us.

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Calculated Biblical Calendar - Calculates dates of Annual Holy Days, Crucifixion, Flood, Creation: allows you to test the new moon visibility locally.

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Endnotes

 

 

1 Gen 1:26, Col 1:15-17, Mic 5:2, Pro 8:4-36

2 Gen 1:1-2:4 & Joh 1:1-3.  Notice that our Earth was created for Jeshua, not just for us.  We will rule under His authority (Rev 5:10 & 20:4).

3 Our article The Daystar’s Fall and the Age of the Earth examine these topics in more detail.

4 See the Appendix for Biblical Dragon Word Studies.