-------------------
The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
--------------------
September 18, 2011
--------------------
Contents:
1) Considering the Heavens -- and the Infinity of Space (Tom
Edwards)
2) News & Notes
--------------------
-1-
Considering the Heavens -- and the Infinity of Space
by Tom Edwards
Last week, we considered time and eternity. We are very
familiar with time here on earth. We often need to get things
done, be at certain places, or carry out other activities based on a
time schedule; and sometimes we even run out of time. To help
us, we keep our watches and clocks constantly ticking and set
correctly. We view time as being linear and also know that one
of these days will actually be when we come to the end of our time
on earth. For we will then have gone "the way of all the
earth," as Joshua refers to the commonality of death (Josh. 23:14),
and will, therefore, have no more need for any timepiece.
But though our lives are intertwined with time, God is not limited
nor governed by it. For He dwells in eternity, which is
separate from time, and is the Creator and Master of our time (Gen.
1:14). It is also because of His great love for us that
the Lord had reached into our time -- and continues to do so -- to
carry out His will according to His "schedule" (cf. Gen. 6:3; 18:14;
21:2; Exod. 9:5; Josh. 10:12-14; 2 Kings 20:5,6; Jer. 25:11,12; Gal.
4:4; Rom. 5:6).
We are not only subject to time while here on earth, but are also
limited to distance -- and compared to infinity, our longest
journeys could be diagramed as less than one small step. For
even with modern spacecraft, how far can man really go to explore
the universe? Though we have come a long way in modern
technology and space research (that has helped in so many other
fields, too), it almost seems unreal that prior to Edwin Hubble's
discovery in the early 1920's, man's concept of the universe was
that it was filled with just one galaxy -- our Milky Way.
Hubble, however, observed that there were many galaxies beyond our
own -- about 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe!
So his finding changed man's concept toward our vast cosmos.
But just in thinking of our Milky Way Galaxy, it is said to be
100,000 light years wide. How, therefore, could man -- even in
the most advanced, futuristic spacecraft that could go the speed of
light -- traverse all of that in one lifetime? For even if he
could spend 75 years traveling at that speed, he would cover but a
small fraction of the distance. If instead, however, a robot
was used that needed to be recharged every 75 years, it would have
to be recharged 1,334 times to make that journey across our galaxy,
traveling at the speed of light. But could even the best of
robots last for 100,000 years?
Just as God, however, is not limited by time, neither is He limited
by great distances. Think for instance of the great space that
surrounds us. Is it not infinite? Or would there be a
large wall of some sort that borders it all, with a sign that says,
"Caution: You have reached the end of space"? Even if there
were such a wall (which I certainly would doubt), how could there
not be more on the other side of it -- and even if that "more" were
just empty space?
An intriguing thought that occurred to me one night in the very
early 1970's pertained to where the center of space is. Have
you ever thought about that? We can talk about the sun as
being the center of our solar system, and there is also a center of
the Milky Way Galaxy. That's because these specific areas are
finite with dimensions. But where is the center of infinite
space? We would have to say, logically speaking, that there is
not just one center; but, rather, an infinite number of
centers. For example, here on earth, infinity goes out in all
directions. But if we were on a planet 100 trillion light
years away, it would also have the same infinity going out from it
in all directions. This can be liken to an imaginary road,
endless in both directions. Regardless of where you would
stand on that road, you would always be in the center of its
length. So no matter how far you would go one way or the
other, you would always have the same distance of infinity on both
sides to still travel. For infinity has no edge nor border
that you can move closer to -- even if you tried for an
eternity!
I found that thought new and amazing that every entity in the
universe, when considered individually and in relation to the
infinite space around it, would be in the center of that
infinity. I wondered, too, if there might be a lesson in that
of equality. That not just one would have the distinction of
being in the center of it all, but everything would.
Thinking of eternity and infinity truly does go beyond our ordinary,
everyday thinking. Though we understand what these terms
mean, they are beyond our human experience. For how can we
really imagine something that had no beginning, but just always was
and always will be? Or to imagine space that goes on without
end throughout infinity? Is that not more than we can really
conceive? For instance, if we would try to imagine what it would be
like to go on and on and on through space with no end, our
imagination will stop before we can complete what an infinity would
be like -- and the same with eternity. We just can't really
imagine it. So our concepts of eternity and infinity are very
incomplete. Isn't that something? We can imagine many of
the most bizarre and impossible things, but we cannot fully imagine
eternity and infinity. Yet, they both exist.
I remember when I was very young that, after hearing of
1,000,000, I thought I would never have a need of using a number
that big in all my life. But as I got older, that number
became very common, as well as numbers in the billions and even
trillions. So right now we know of our limited time, but one
day we will truly be familiar -- on a very personal level -- with
eternity.
Just as God has power over time, He also does over infinite
space. The psalmist says in Psalm 139:7-12: "Where can I go
from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I
ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold,
You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in
the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And
Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, 'Surely the
darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be
night,' Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is
as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to
You." This is also an amazing thing. That even if
man could soar billions of light years through endless space, God
would still know not only where that person was, but also what was
going on in that person's mind, as David also mentions in the
previous verses of Psalm 139: "O LORD, You have searched me and
known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You
understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying
down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even
before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it
all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your
hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too
high, I cannot attain to it" (vv. 1-6).
Because our universe is so vast, and we here on earth seem so small
in contrast to it, that indicates to some folks that there must not
be a God. For they have mistakenly reasoned that "if there
were a God, why would we be made so insignificantly small?" As
if we are nothing but a speck, in this vast universe, that no
Supreme Being could possibly even be concerned about. But what does
size have to do with it? Actually, we are many millions of
times larger than microscopic organisms. Even compared to the
average size of vertebrate species (which would be the size of a
typical cat), man is much bigger. But suppose God did
make everything larger. Let's say that everything that exists
in the physical realm -- whether something God created or made by
man -- was enlarged 100 trillion times. Who would notice the
difference? There would be no difference, relatively
speaking. For the same proportional ratios would still
exist. What we are twice the size of now, we would still be
twice the size of then. So everything would appear the same,
as if no change in size even took place. But think of this,
too. Isn't it much more of a marvel to live in a universe that
is so vast and incredibly larger than us that it causes us to
reflect on just how truly great, how extremely powerful, and how far
superior our Creator must be? It is as if the whole universe
metaphorically expresses the greatness of God; and it has been said
that where we are situated in the universe, in our galaxy, in our
solar system, and on our planet Earth is one of the best places
possible from which we can observe the universe around us -- as if
the Lord does want us to take notice and consider it. Is that
a coincidence? Solomon writes, "Consider the work of the
Lord..." (Eccl. 7:13). Notice the fault Isaiah writes
about God's people who "do not pay attention to the deeds of the
Lord, nor do they consider the work of His hands" (Isa. 5:12).
Observing the celestial bodies certainly made a powerful impression
upon David concerning God's superiority over man. David writes
in Psalm 8:3,4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your
fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is
man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care
for him?" David was amazed -- but not unbelieving -- at
how someone as great as God, as seen in His demonstration of
creating the heavens, could truly be concerned for mankind.
The magnitude of the universe causes us to think on the greatness of
God and, at the same time, helps us to humble ourselves by realizing
how small, fragile, and dependent we are upon the Lord, in
comparison.
The largest star known to man, which also happens to be the
brightest, is VY Canis Majoris. It is 4,900 light years from
earth and has a diameter of 1.7 billion miles. It is a
hypergiant star. So its diameter is not just 100 times wider
than the earth's, nor 1,000 times, nor 10,000 times; nor even
100,000 times; but it is more than 214,000 times wider than our
earth's diameter. But even the size of that enormous star
seems like hardly a speck when compared to infinity!
Yes, the vastness of God's universe is most impressive. It is
said that the observable diameter of it is 93 billion light
years. Man, down through time, must have often gazed and long
wondered at all the many stars in the sky that could be seen with
just the naked eye. Whatever power could bring all of that
into existence is truly an omnipotent power; and we are told in the
very first verse of the Bible of that power, who happens to also be
more than merely a power; but a Being, as well, and a most Supreme
Being at that -- far above any other. Genesis 1:1 states, "In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." We also
see in the Bible of all the Godhead being involved in this great
work of creation -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
For God said, "...'Let Us make man in Our image, according to our
likeness...'" (Gen. 1:26). John 1:3 declares that "All things
came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into
being that has come into being." If you also read John
1:1-3,14, you'll see that verse 3 is referring to Jesus Christ as
the One who did this creating of all things. Corresponding to
that, Hebrews 1:2 says that God the Father "made the world" through
Jesus, which is also rendered as "worlds" and "universe," in some
other versions. Paul also speaks of this by saying, "For by
Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth,
visible and invisible..." (Col. 1:16). Concerning the Holy
Spirit's involvement, Psalm 104:30 states, "You send forth Your
Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the
ground." During the time of the great creation, the Spirit is
seen as being a part of that in Genesis 1:2. For after we read
that "...God created the heavens and the earth," this verse then
states, "The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the
surface of the waters." So that was before God had even made
light.
How can the vastness of the universe be overlooked? There is a
greatness about it that boggles our mind. It indicates God's
wisdom, His power, His eternal nature, and His omnipresence.
For in thinking of the stars, the Lord not only created them, but
also placed each one of them where He wanted it to be and gave a
name to each one as well (Gen. 1:16,17; Isa. 40:26).
Many today, in speaking of the universe, refer to it as a "closed
system." What they mean by this is that the universe does not
fill all infinity. Rather it is just the area where all the
billions of galaxies are. They say you will never reach the
end of it because of the curvature of space (in which even light is
bent), as Einstein spoke of. That if you were to go in a
straight line long enough, you would eventually arrive where you
started. This, of course, would be similar to a pilot who is
maintaining a steady and level course at a constant height above the
earth. Though his instruments and senses indicate that he is
going in a straight, level course, while maintaining a consistent
altitude, he is actually going in a large circle that would have him
orbiting the earth, if it would be possible for him to have enough
fuel to do so.
But taking the curvature of space into consideration, why not chart
the course to be a "true" straight line that would go beyond the
"closed system" (instead of continually encircling it) and travel
throughout infinity? Surely there is more beyond this "closed
system."
Speaking of the "closed system," while disregarding all the infinite
space around it, reminds me of those who would tell us that the
universe began about 13.75 billion years ago with a "Big Bang" --
but then want to ignore the "time" to be accounted for, prior to
that. What happened before the creation and time? God
was in eternity, having always been and always to be. As we
saw in Genesis 1:1, God created the heavens and the earth "in the
beginning," which would be the beginning of the universe and time,
and not the beginning of God; for He has always been. The
creation itself also indicates to us that God is eternal, according
to Romans 1:19,20: "because that which is known about God is evident
within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through
what has been made, so that they are without excuse." In other
words, since it is obvious that the universe had a beginning, rather
than being eternal, there was a need for some great first cause to
bring it into existence -- and a first cause which had to have
always been or else nothing would have ever become. That first
cause is the Almighty God. So though some folks do not believe
in a God who can keep living forever, they need to realize that the
creation shows that God already is forever. For it required
something eternal to bring non-eternal things into existence.
We need to distinguish our realm of time as that which is set apart
from God's realm of eternity, rather than trying to mix the two
together in some kind of time-line. But we can be thankful
unto God for sending His Son into our realm of time and for all the
ways that God continues to deal with us in the physical and
spiritual realm, that we might one day make it to His eternal realm
of glory -- if we will submit to His gospel plan of salvation.
In closing, let it also be said that perhaps "space" is not the best
or correct word to be used in expressing that which extends beyond
what we can know through astronomy; but the point is, even if there
be something else way on out there, would there not still always be
a continuation of endlessness (of whatever) in all directions?
How great our God is! He truly knows the answers to all our
questions, about eternity, about infinity, about anything. As
impressive as the universe is, its Creator is even more so.
The Lord had no trouble in creating the heavens, forming the
galaxies, placing it all in such a wide expanse that man, even
traveling at the speed of light, could cover only a small fraction
of it in a lifetime. How great heaven will be, however, where
we will never run out of time to enjoy it. May we, therefore,
humbly and faithfully give ourselves to the good Lord Jesus Christ
by our faith and obedience to the gospel, that we may be in His good
keeping -- now and forevermore!
--------------------
-2-
News & Notes
Update on Helen Bott (my
sister): I received some sad news today (9/20) about my
sister's condition. She is now at stage 4 with her cancer and,
according to her doctor's prognosis, is terminal with just one or
two more weeks to live. Helen's son Tommy, who is serving as the
power of attorney for her, doesn't want his mother to know how
critically ill she is. He has told the doctors and nurses
that. He is now contacting family members to let them know of
his mother's condition. For my brethren in Christ, please
continue to keep Helen in prayer. For it's not over till it's
over, and nothing is too hard for God. Are we to stop praying
for a person who is said to be terminal? If it be God's will
to heal Helen, He can do that! So don't think it is time to
stop praying. After his firstborn infant by Bathsheba became
fatally ill, David prayed for several days -- and he didn't stop
until the child died. I believe that if it is God's
will, then it doesn't make any difference if it is just a bad cold
or a critical case of stage 4 cancer, spread throughout the
body. God can heal if it is His will. I've been praying
that God will heal Helen because that is what I want; but it will
also have to be whether it is God's will or not.
Let us also be praying for the following people:
R.J. Evans, who began his treatment September 13
for a slow-developing prostate cancer, caught in its early
stage. The procedure is known as "seeding," and they placed 88
radiation seeds throughout the prostate. Both his doctors
thought that this would eliminate his cancer in about two
months. I talked with R.J. last night (9/21). He's
feeling good and can't even tell that he is under treatment.
His wife, Jackie, has expressed appreciation for the thoughts and
prayers of others.
Bill Holt, who had an
endoscopy performed on his pancreas September 12, underwent surgery
Monday (9/19). He is doing well.
Cheryl Crews,
who continues to be having health problems, not feeling well, and
undergoing treatment.
Congratulations to Sam and Ashley
Walters in the birth of their first child, Silas Jackson! Ashley is
the daughter of Ken and Becky Robertson.
--------------------
The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in
Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
--------------------
Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)