Daily Devotional – May 30

Paleontology

In modern-day Cambodia stands the ancient temples of Angkor, which were built in the 12th century. These temple buildings are decorated with thousands of animal images carved into the stone. Hundreds of these decorations are circular reliefs with a central animal. Many of these carved animal images are familiar - such as deer, water buffalo, monkeys, parrots, swans, and lizards. In every image, the representation is of a real creature that the artist has seen. In one of those decorative stone circles is the carving of a stegosaurus.

A stegosaurus is a dinosaur that looks like a heavily armored tank with spikes on its tail and large plates along its spine. Evolutionists say that dinosaurs became extinct over 65 million years ago. If this really were the truth, no human being could ever have seen a stegosaurus. Yet, we have seen one carved on a temple dating about 900 years ago. If school children were shown a picture of this carving, they would instantly recognize it as a stegosaurus. On page 213 of his book Angkor, Cities and Temples, Claude Jacques describes this carving as “an animal which bears a striking resemblance to a stegosaurus.” What does this mean? The relief carver had to have seen a stegosaurus. This should not surprise us for we were both made on the same day of creation week, Day 6. Dinosaurs and man did live together, and ancient man recorded it in his artwork. Dinosaurs today seem to have finally gone extinct, just like the dodo bird and the passenger pigeon, but only 900 years ago, there is evidence to support the reality that at least a few were still around.

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee….

~ Job 40:15

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.