Whenever I give creation science seminars, one of the most common questions that I am asked is: "Scientists who study the universe say that the universe created itself billions of years ago, but the first chapter in the book of Genesis says that God created the universe, earth, and life on earth in 6 days. Which view is the correct one? How can there be such a vast disagreement over the age of the universe between modern science and the Bible?"

That the universe is 10 to 15 billion years old has been verified by at least three independent methods from the sciences of astrophysics and cosmology. But Genesis is also unyielding in its assertion that the universe was created in a period of 4 days (Genesis 1:1-19) How can these two vastly divergent ages be reconciled without compromising the truth of the scripture or the facts of science?

Before this can be done, two very important conclusions must be established. First, a straight-forward, unbiased reading of Genesis chapter one leads to the inescapable conclusion that the days of Genesis were literal 24-hour days: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And There was EVENING and there was MORNING, the first day," obviously referring to a diurnal, 24-hour rotation of the earth.

Second, and this is very important, the rate at which time passes is NOT absolute; that is, the rate at which time passes varies from one location to another. A clock runs slightly faster on the top of a 10,000 foot mountain than a clock at sea level; a clock runs slightly faster still 10 miles above the earth's surface and even faster in space. On the other hand, clocks run slightly slower on larger, more massive objects such as the planet Jupiter, or slower still near the surface of a neutron star. This phenomenon is known as Gravitational Time Dilation and has been verified through laboratory investigation.

Clocks also run slower when they travel at high velocities relative to clocks at rest. This time differential is know as Relativistic Time Dilation and has also been verified in laboratory experiments throughout the world.

Furthermore, Biblical passages also refer to the fact that the passing of time is not absolute: "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4); "Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." (II Peter 3:8).

Therefore, with the knowledge that the rate at which time passes is not absolute UNTIL AFTER YOU PICK A PLACE TO MEASURE TIME FROM, i.e. EARTH, the 12 billion year "size of the universe" versus the 6 Earth Standard Days (EST) "contraction" for the age of the universe can be reconciled without violating the laws of the universe of the Absolute Truth of the Bible! In fact, this must be the case since there are THREE revelations of God: His creation, His word, and Jesus Christ; and God does not contradict Himself! With this information, we can harmonize these two seemingly opposing values for the age of the universe.