Did Animals Eat Meat Before The Fall?

Answer: Thank you for the question Roman.

That’s how Genesis 1:30 reads, but there’s more to the story, and what’s not written is even more interesting. Let’s be clear, we are never told meat was forbidden. Also, Genesis 1:30 lays out what land animals and fowl can consume, but we are never told what fish and bats can consume.

So does that mean creatures of the water and bats cannot eat?

Of course not.

It’s important to remember, Scripture does not explain every detail and facet of life. When we read the Bible, we need to read what is written, but also understand what it means indirectly. That’s one of the ways to ensure we have the truth.

As you alluded to, there is a notion that death did not exist until after the fall of Adam. We will learn, that’s completely untrue.

Let’s get started.

What Did Carnivores Eat Before Adam Sinned?

Turn your Bible with me to,

Genesis 1:30
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

When God said that, He was simply providing a general guideline, not some hard rule.

Yet, I can already hear some people, but it says “every beast” and “every fowl”. That it does. God also told mankind in Genesis 1:29 they could eat “every herb bearing seed” and “every tree”. However, there are plenty of herbs and trees that produce poisonous leaves and fruit.

So again, God did not literally mean “every”. It was just a general guideline.

In fact, I personally believe God was only referring to herd animals like cattle, buffalo, elk, horses, and so on. Those animals certainly do eat herbs of the field.

God spells out a lot of things in Scripture, but not everything. For that, He expects us to use our own mind and eyes, and what do we see? We see that; tigers, lions, bears, and sharks all have sharp teeth.

What for?

Eating meat.

They were designed for that very purpose.

Then we have venomous snakes, scorpions, and spiders that were designed to strike their prey so they can consume it. God created them this way from the beginning in order to consume flesh. Just as he created bacteria, fungus, insects, and vultures to consume animals that have perished.

It’s all a part of the circle of life.

Don’t take my word for it.

Psalms 104:21
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

I guarantee you, lions do not roar after leafs. Hey, God provides all of our food, just as Jesus explained, (Luke 12:22-24). God does this through creation, and how He set it in motion.

Proverbs 23:32
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Why does a snake bite?

To kill its prey in order to eat it.

I would urge you to look up the diet of animals. You will find, animals like tigers cannot survive on herbs. While tigers can eat berries and green herbs, they will not sustain a tiger for long. Tigers need a diet full of protein and fat to keep them healthy, ie: prey.

Did Death Exist Before The Fall Of Adam?

Unfortunately, young earth creationists believe death did not exist before the fall of Adam.

You have to remember, they believe the entire universe is only 6,000 years old. So they fit all of world history into that tiny window, and introduce evolution. Personally, I believe the earth is extremely old.

The fact of the matter is, death has always existed in this fallen world.

The Bible even tells us this, though indirectly.

Let’s see what God told mankind.

Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

The fact that man needed to eat, clearly tells us, there was death before Adam’s fall.

How?

If you don’t eat, you will perish. So death existed before the fall of Adam. The Bible doesn’t explicitly state it, but it’s plainly obvious.

In fact, God told the animals and mankind,

“…Be fruitful, and multiply… multiply in the earth…”

Genesis 1:22, 28

The animals were created male and female in order to reproduce. Without death in the world, animals and mankind would overpopulate the earth and die due to starvation. So we know death has always existed in this world.

Not to mention, the fossil record includes carnivorous animals that existed far before Adam.

With that said, let’s see what else God told mankind.

Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

From the very beginning, mankind was to “subdue” and have “dominion” over the earth and it’s creatures. In fact, “subdue” means,

• Tread down
• Conquer
• Subjugate
• Bring into bondage
• Bring into subjection

While “dominion” means the same, but also to “prevail against”.

How exactly do you “conquer” and “prevail” against a fish?

By killing it and eating it.

Did Everything Change After The Fall Of Adam?

For the sake of being complete, young earth creationists will say everything changed after the fall of Adam. Essentially, they believe God changed all of the animals and the entire ecosystem from its original condition, into what it is today, (see: The Ark Encounter).

However, the Bible never said that, did it?

The entire notion is absolutely absurd. As we learned, death has been in the world since creation. Clearly evident through the fact that animals and mankind need to eat and are able to reproduce. Without food we perish, and without death we would overpopulate the earth.

So remember, if one is to believe that tigers did not eat meat before the fall of Adam. Then, that means they believe God changed all life on earth, the entire ecosystem, without mentioning a word about it in Scripture.

That in of itself, would cause massive confusion if true, and even lead to our unbelief. God does not set traps for us to fall into. He wants us all to be saved, (Eze 18:23, 2 Pet 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4).

Conclusion

You always want to remember, the Bible does not detail every facet of life or historical event.

In Genesis 4, we are told that Cain and Abel brought an offering to God. However, God never said to bring an offering, so why did they? Apparently, God did ask them too, that information simply never made its way down to us.

In fact, all throughout the Old Testament, God required animal sacrifice to atone for sin. The Levite priests would then eat the animals they sacrificed to God. That’s probably what Abel was going to do with his sheep. So did things really change that much from Abel to Moses?

I don’t think so.

Instead, it seems to be right inline.

Unfortunately, some Christians in their zeal for God turn the Bible into a work of fiction. They turn Scripture into a stumbling block for the weak in faith, (Romans 14:13). In fact, due to so many different doctrines in the world today, we find more and more unbelief.

Never let someone steal your faith due to their interpretation of Scripture.

Let me close by saying…

When we study, don’t just prove what we believe or think is true, prove why it may not be true. That’s how we keep ourselves honest, and ensure we have the truth.