“God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:21

The atmosphere of the earth was now pure enough to permit life in breathing animals. Much of the carbon that was in the water and the air was absorbed into the chalky organisms of the sea. These eventually became beds of limestone. The huge forests sunk deep into the earth to form coal beds and this, too, took large amounts of carbon from the air, enabling animals to breathe.

The waters swarmed with fish and sea creatures. Reptiles and animals living partly in the water and partly on land belong to this period of time.

The King James translation of Genesis 1:21 reads: “God created great whales,” but the Hebrew words should be translated, “God created great monsters.” That is a good description of the dinosaurs. “Every winged fowl” includes flying reptiles—some of whose wings measured twenty-five feet across—as well as birds.

We marvel at God’s wisdom and power when scientists tell us that cereals and grasses which would be needed for food began to grow just before these animals were created. This is one of the many facts that show God is a perfect timekeeper. When we learn that bees, wasps, and other insects were used to spread the seeds of the food plants, we are thrilled with God’s planning. How could these animals have lived without the proper food?

Modern plants need strong sunlight as well as moisture to grow and develop. We can see that God in his great wisdom waited for the cloudy, swampy, humid conditions of the previous creative days to pass and for the sun to shine onto the earth. Then he began creating plants with their sparkling colors and delightful perfumes.

How completely God prepared the earth for us! How lovingly he considered all our needs! “Great is our Lord and mighty in power . . . he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” Psalm 147:5, 8, 9

God created great monsters (dinosaurs) during the fifth epoch (day).

Link to supplemental lesson worksheet: www.blessedbible.com/linked/a2z-lesson-6.pdf