Beyond the Cosmos: What Recent Discoveries in Astrophysics Reveal About the Glory and Love of God

by Hugh Ross

Scientific discoveries point to the existence of at least eleven dimensions. This award-winning book explains what these extra dimensions reveal about God and the incarnation, atonement, free will, and predestination.

Genres: Science, Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality, Philosophy

265 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Astrophysicist Hugh Ross is founder, senior scholar, and former president of Reasons to Believe (RTB).

He earned a degree in physics from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Toronto. He continued his research on quasars and galaxies as a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. In 1986, Ross launched RTB to research, develop, and communicate the harmonious relationship between science and Christianity.

Ross has authored or coauthored numerous books, including Rescuing Inerrancy, Designed to the Core, and The Creator and the Cosmos. He has also presented his testable creation model in countless interviews, peer-reviewed articles, videos, and podcasts, as well as at hundreds of speaking engagements at venues around the world.

Reviews

[David Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third time I've read this book // it is on my top 25 list of books to read.

Manny Christians are afraid of science; as if science may destroy their faith – wrong! True science does nothing but validate truth, and since the Christian faith is true, books like “Beyond the Cosmos” are faith builders and helps the Christian to “give an answer” (I Peter 3:15).

Don’t settle for thinking "outside the box", read Ross’ book and think outside the Universe!

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is WORTH
Bible is great book "Day-Age Genesis Interpretation"

(Day)

DAY 1

1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

1:2 And 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.

Most people read the Genesis creation account without using the scientific method and, therefore, make assumptions that are not supported by the text. For example, the first rule of the scientific method is to establish the initial conditions, or the frame of reference. Genesis 1:2 clearly states that the frame of reference is "the surface of the waters" of the earth. Most people have made the mistake of assuming the frame of reference of Genesis 1 is heaven or somewhere above the earth.

What does the text specifically say? The heavens (universe, solar system, sun, earth, etc.) were already created before the first "day" (Genesis 1:1, ~14 x 109 years ago). Science tells us that the entire planet was covered in a global sea soon after its creation (3). In other verses, the Bible says that the earth is controlled by the heavens, refuting geocentrism (4). In Genesis 1:2, God was "hovering or brooding" over the seas of the newly formed earth (4.4-3.8 x 109 years ago, 5). We know from science this is where the first unicellular life forms first appeared (6). The Hebrew word, rachaph, translated as "hovering or brooding" is used only twice in the Old Testament. The second reference is to an eagle caring for its young (7). Therefore, it seems likely that the use of the word rachaph in Genesis 1:2 may be referring to God creating the first life forms in the sea.

DAY 1

1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

1:4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

1:5 And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Both science and the Bible (8) have told us that at the earth's creation, it was covered with a dense layer of clouds and gases which would have made it dark at its surface. Genesis 1:2 says, "darkness was over the surface of the deep." Next, God removed much of the cloud cover, when He stated, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3) This was the light of the Sun (already created) which now "separated light from darkness" (Genesis 1:4). It is very clear from the text that the sun had already been created and the earth was rotating on its axis, since there was light (day) and darkness (night) (Genesis 1:5).

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DAY 2

1:6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
1:7 And God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
1:8 And God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
1:9 Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
1:10 And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:6-10 describe the initiation of a stable water cycle (9) and formation of continents (10) through tectonic activity (~2.7 x 109 years ago) (11).

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DAY 3

1:11 Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth"; and it was so.
1:12 And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
1:13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Plant life was created on the third day (Genesis 1:11-13, ~1.0 x 109 years ago). These verses are probably the strongest argument for the day-age interpretation. The verse says quite clearly that the earth sprouted (or brought forth) vegetation and fruit trees bearing fruit. The English word translated "vegetation" on the third day comes from the Hebrew word deshe', which refers to small plants, such as grasses and herbs. The other word, ‛eśeb, translated "plants" is even more generic, referring to any kind of green plant. So, the "day" encompasses the time from the formation of the first plants until the formation of the angiosperms. The process described is clearly similar to what we see today. Fruit trees take years to bear fruit, testifying that the third "day" could not possibly be just 24 hours long, as claimed by young earth creationists. Recent scientific evidence shows that plant life began on the land ~1 billion years ago (12)

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DAY 4

1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
1:15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth ";and it was so.
1:16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
1:17 And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
1:18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
1:19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Next the translucent cloud layer was removed so that the sun, moon and stars shown through. Notice the unusual construction in Genesis 1:14 which states, "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;'" "Let there be" is an unusual way to describe de novo creation (see also verse 1:3). I believe that at this point God removed the translucent cloud cover from the planet to allow the stars, moon, and Sun to be seen from the surface of the earth (the frame of reference of all Genesis 1). The text then reiterates what God had already done in Genesis 1:1 regarding the creation of the sun, moon, and stars. The time frame describes events over days, seasons, and years - obviously more than 24 hours long.

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DAY 5

1:20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
1:21 And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
1:22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
1:23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

Birds (13) (~70 x 106 years ago), whales (14) (~50 x 106 years ago) and sea mammals ("swarms of living creatures," where "creatures" is the Hebrew word nephesh, referring to soulish animals - those that can form relationships with humans) were created on the "fifth" day (Genesis 1:20-21), which would correspond to the end of the Cretaceous period/beginning of the Tertiary.
The fifth day describes a period of time longer than 24 hours as swarms of living creatures are multiplying in the sea.

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1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.


1:25 And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

On the sixth day God created the "beasts of the earth" (in Genesis 1:25 the Hebrew word is chayyah, which is best translated as "wild animal," usually referring to carnivorous mammals (15) (the extinct families Miacidae and Viverravidae, appeared ~50 x 106 years ago or current families Canidae, Felidae, Mustelidae, and Viverridae appeared ~30 x 106 years ago ) and the cattle (the Hebrew word is behemah, from which we get the word behemoth, the artiodactyls (large grazing mammals) appeared ~15 x 106 years ago) and the rodents (mammals that "creep on the ground"). Therefore, the wild and domesticated mammals and rodents were created on the sixth day.

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DAY 6

1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

The last creation of God was mankind, who was also created at the end of the sixth day. What about humans and three million year old fossil remains of bipedal primates? I believe in a literal Adam and Eve, although I do not believe they lived millions of years ago. The Bible indicates that Adam and Eve had a relationship with God (Genesis 2-3) and the text says that unique among all the animals, humans are endowed with a spirit (Hebrew, ruach, Greek, pneuma), by which they are able to communicate with and love God. Scientists have found no evidence of religious artifacts before about 25,000 to 50,000 years ago (16), which is the point at which I propose God created Adam and Eve. The Bible states that the covenant and laws of God have been proclaimed to a "thousand generations" (17). A biblical generation, described as being 40 years, would represent at least 40,000 years of human existence. However, since the first dozen or more generations were nearly 1,000 years, this would make humans nearly 50,000 years old, which agrees very well with dates from paleontology and molecular biology (see Descent of Mankind Theory: Disproved by Molecular Biology). Therefore, I believe that bipedal primates that existed before Adam and Eve, were just part of the animal kingdom, and were not endowed with the characteristics that make humans distinct from animals.

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Does Science Agree With the Bible?


The Bible’s answer

Yes, for although the Bible is not a science textbook, it is accurate when it mentions matters of science. Consider some examples showing that science and the Bible agree and that the Bible contains scientific facts that differed greatly from the beliefs of many people living at the time it was written.

The universe had a beginning. (Genesis 1:1) In contrast, many ancient myths describe the universe, not as being created, but as being organized from existing chaos. The Babylonians believed that the gods that gave birth to the universe came from two oceans. Other legends say that the universe came from a giant egg.

The universe is governed day-to-day by rational natural laws, not by the whims of deities. (Job 38:33; Jeremiah 33:25) Myths from around the world teach that humans are helpless before the unpredictable and sometimes merciless acts of the gods.

The earth is suspended in empty space. (Job 26:7) Many ancient peoples believed that the world was a flat disk supported by a giant or an animal, such as a buffalo or a turtle.

Rivers and springs are fed by water that has evaporated from the oceans and other sources and then has fallen back to earth as rain, snow, or hail. (Job 36:27, 28; Ecclesiastes 1:7; Isaiah 55:10; Amos 9:6) The ancient Greeks thought that rivers were fed by underground ocean water, and this idea persisted into the 18th century.

The mountains rise and fall, and today’s mountains were once under the ocean. (Psalm 104:6, 8) In contrast, several myths say that the mountains were created in their current form by the gods.

Sanitary practices protect health. The Law given to the nation of Israel included regulations for washing after touching a dead body, quarantining those with infectious disease, and disposing of human waste safely. (Leviticus 11:28; 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 23:13) By contrast, one of the Egyptian remedies in use when these commands were given called for applying to an open wound a mixture that included human excrement.

Are there scientific errors in the Bible?

A reasonable examination of the Bible shows the answer to be no. Here are some common misconceptions about the scientific accuracy of the Bible:

Myth: The Bible says that the universe was created in six 24-hour days.

Fact: According to the Bible, God created the universe in the indefinite past. (Genesis 1:1) Also, the days of creation described in chapter 1 of Genesis were epochs whose length is not specified. In fact, the entire period during which earth and heaven were made is also called a “day.”—Genesis 2:4.

Myth: The Bible says that vegetation was created before the sun existed to support photosynthesis.—Genesis 1:11, 16.

Fact: The Bible shows that the sun, one of the stars that make up “the heavens,” was created before vegetation. (Genesis 1:1) Diffused light from the sun reached the earth’s surface during the first “day,” or epoch, of creation. As the atmosphere cleared, by the third “day” of creation, the light was strong enough to support photosynthesis. (Genesis 1:3-5, 12, 13) Only later did the sun become distinctly visible from the surface of the earth.—Genesis 1:16.

Myth: The Bible says that the sun revolves around the earth.

Fact: Ecclesiastes 1:5 says: “The sun rises, and the sun sets; then it hurries back to the place where it rises again.” However, this statement merely describes the apparent motion of the sun as viewed from the earth. Even today, a person can use the words “sunrise” and “sunset,” yet he knows that the earth revolves around the sun.

Myth: The Bible says that the earth is flat.

Fact: The Bible uses the phrase “the ends of the earth” to mean “the most distant part of the earth”; this does not imply that the earth is flat or that it has an edge. (Acts 1:8; footnote) Likewise, the expression “the four corners of the earth” is a figure of speech referring to the entire surface of the earth; today a person might use the four points of the compass as a similar metaphor.—Isaiah 11:12; Luke 13:29.

Myth: The Bible says that the circumference of a circle is exactly three times its diameter, but the correct value is pi (π), or about 3.1416.

Fact: The measurements of “the Sea of cast metal” given at 1 Kings 7:23 and 2 Chronicles 4:2 indicate that it had a diameter of 10 cubits and that “it took a measuring line 30 cubits long to encircle it.” These dimensions might have been merely the nearest round numbers. It is also possible that the circumference and diameter represented inner and outer measurements of the basin respectively.

http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/....

Fulfilled Prophecy
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/mag...

Big Bang—The Bible Taught It First!

Dr. Hugh Ross

While it is true that they were the first (1965) to detect the radiation left over from the creation event,1 they were not the first scientists to recognize that the universe expanded from an extremely hot and compact state. In 1946 George Gamow calculated that nothing less than the universe expanding from a near infinitely hot condition could account for the present abundance of elements.2 In 1929 observations made by Edwin Hubble established that the velocities of galaxies result from a general expansion of the universe.3 Beginning in 1925 Abbé Georges Lemaître, who was both an astrophysicist and a Jesuit priest, was the first scientist to promote a big bang creation event.4

The first direct scientific evidence for a big bang universe dates back to 1916. That is when Albert Einstein noted that his field equations of general relativity predicted an expanding universe.5 Unwilling to accept the cosmic beginning implied by such expansion, Einstein altered his theory to conform with the common wisdom of his day, namely an eternally existing universe.6

All these scientists, however, were upstaged by 2500 years and more by Job, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other Bible authors. The Bible’s prophets and apostles stated explicitly and repeatedly the two most fundamental properties of the big bang, a transcendent cosmic beginning a finite time period ago and a universe undergoing a general, continual expansion. In Isaiah 42:5 both properties were declared, “This is what the Lord says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out.”

The Hebrew verb translated “created” in Isaiah 42:5 is bara’ which has as its primary definition “bringing into existence something new, something that did not exist before.”7 The proclamation that God created (bara’) the entirety of the heavens is stated seven times in the Old Testament. (Genesis 1:1; 2:3; 2:4; Psalm 148:5; Isaiah 40:26; 42:5; 45:18). This principle of transcendent creation is made more explicit by passages like Hebrews 11:3 which states that the universe that we humans can measure and detect was made out of that which we cannot measure or detect. Also, Isaiah 45:5-22; John 1:3; and Colossians 1:15-17 stipulate that God alone is the agent for the universe’s existence. Biblical claims that God predated the universe and was actively involved in causing certain effects before the existence of the universe is not only found in Colossians 1 but also in Proverbs 8:22-31; John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; and 1 Peter 1:20.

The characteristic of the universe stated more frequently than any other in the Bible is its being “stretched out.” Five different Bible authors pen such a statement in eleven different verses: Job 9:8; Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; 48:13; 51:13; Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15; and Zechariah 12:1. Job 37:18 appears to be a twelfth verse. However, the word used for “heavens” or “skies” is shehaqîm which refers to the clouds of fine particles (of water or dust) that are located in Earth’s atmosphere,8 not the shamayim, the heavens of the astronomical universe.9 Three of the eleven verses, Job 9:8; Isaiah 44:24; and 45:12 make the point that God alone was responsible for the cosmic stretching.

What is particularly interesting about the eleven verses is that different Hebrew verb forms are used to describe the cosmic stretching. Seven verses, Job 9:8; Psalm 104:2; Isaiah 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 51:13; and Zechariah 12:1 employ the Qal active participle form of the verb natah. This form literally means “the stretcher out of them” (the heavens) and implies continual or ongoing stretching. Four verses, Isaiah 45:12; 48:13; and Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15 use the Qal perfect form. This form literally means that the stretching of the heavens was completed or finished some time ago.

That the Bible really does claim that the stretching out of the heavens is both “finished” and “ongoing” is made all the more evident in Isaiah 40:22. There we find two different verbs used in two different forms. In the first of the final two parallel poetic lines, “stretches out” is the verb natah in the Qal active participle form. In the second (final) line the verb “spreads them out” (NASB, NIV, NKJV) is mathah (used only this one time in the Old Testament) in the waw consecutive plus Qal imperfect form, so that literally we might translate it “and he has spread them out

[Sean Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a heavy book (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but despite claims that it intends to be aims to be understood by the average reader, some of the mathematical concepts set out in this book required a good grasp on undergraduate level mathematics.

I found it amusing that the first chapter spoke about how we cannot seek to describe the complexities of God and then the rest of the book preceded to try to do just that.

The book did raise some interesting thoughts and I’m curious to think more deeply about this topic. However I didn’t enjoy the writing style, nor the way the author presented many of his ideas as undisputed facts, nor the way the author seemed to treat theology as some kind of scientific endeavour.

I enjoyed the food for thought this book fed me but it wasn’t overly enjoyable.

3/10

[James Hold · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. If you're new to Dr Ross' writing, this is NOT the place to start. Ross does an excellent job reconciling scientific Big Bang theory with the Genesis creation story. And most of his books are entertaining and informative in that respect. Here Ross steps a bit out of his league. The first half is fine, explaining string theory and its 11 dimensions and telling how God operates in those 11 dimensions. It is why he can do things that we in our 4 dimensions cannot understand. Had Ross been content to leave it at that I would have given the book 5 stars. Instead, he decides to explain those very things we cannot fathom. It turns from a science book (where he excels) into a religious tract (where his explanations are no better or worse than anyone else's).
I like Dr Ross, and he comes across as a nice man. However, I disagree with some of his interpretations. Some of these quibbles are minor; a few raise my hackles. I particularly disagree with his assertion that animals have no place in the afterlife. (Ross is not alone in this; I've never read a single 'religious' writer who allows dogs or cats into heaven.) I can't understand why that is. Nor can I understand why people are so fatheaded as to think Heaven is for them alone.
I once wrote a story 'Ralph & Seiko' (which appears in my book PURRFECT PARABLES) where I speculate on this issue. It comes down to this: Mankind sinned against God, animals didn't. Mankind needed saving, animals did not. So why should people think they deserve something animals don't. If there is no reward for animals, then God is not the loving Being everyone claims he is, to punish the blameless and reward the unworthy. We are told that God loves ALL his creation; to me that includes everything from dinosaurs to doodlebugs. And I can't recall the last time I read about a doodlebug murdering anyone or causing a war.
All this is not to put down Dr Ross. His other books are fine. I just feel here he stepped into an area he has no business stepping into. Read his other books, and even read the first half of this one. And if you agree with everything he says in the second part, well, that's your right also.

[Russ Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you want to love God with all your mind (Luke 10:27). Share this book with your kids aged 19-34 if you want them to know that there is no contradiction between the discoveries of science and belief in the God of the Bible. "The heavens (continue to) declare the glory of God."

[Diogenes the Dog · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a book applying scientific concepts that laypersons (myself included) cannot understand to vexing theological concepts, which results in *possible* explanations, according to very smart people. I’ll have to take their word for it.

[Patrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some thought provoking concepts in this book. Two that specificially stuck out in my mind were the examples of how it is possible for Jesus to appear out of nowhere in the locked room the disciples were in after his resurrection and how it is possible for God to listen to and answer each and every prayer simultaneously (I found this one particularly interesting because I've heard people argue that this is one reason why the idea of God is illogical. One cannot possibly hear millions of prayers all at the same TIME!).

Too often we try to limit God according to our own understanding. As far as that goes, we are limited to only understanding according to the universe we live in. Ross points out that we live in only 4 dimensions, and the universe is comprised of at least 11. A lot of concepts and ideas are extremely foreign to us because we have a hard time thinking conceptually outside of the universe we live in. So, consequently, the idea that God can hear every individual pray simultaneously is absurd. Or the idea of a Jesus appearing out of nowhere seems just as absurd. But, if we reflect on the idea that God controls not just the 4 dimensions we live in but all the dimensions of the universe (however many that may be) that things that seem illogical or impossible to us are not illogical or impossible to Him who has the power over ALL that he has created.

If we limit God's ability to what we can understand about the universe we live then then things like listening to every prayer that is being prayed to him at the same times seems impossible. However, if as Ross points out in this book, God is not limited to our 4 dimensional universe and therefore that which to us seems impossible becomes possible with God.

There are many other theological concepts that are expounded on in this book. Ross discusses many concepts that are difficult to understand from the trinity to the redemptive sacrifice of Christ and many more.

[Sherry Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does God answer so many prayers at once? Why is there evil and suffering in this world? How does God know our thoughts? These are some of the questions Dr. Ross attempts to explain in Beyond the Cosmos. His answers are based on the notion that God has extra-dimensional capacities. Dr. Ross does a good job in explaining how this could be, in scientific terms. He also simplifies the concept by using a "screen people" analogy. We are like two-dimensional people on a computer screen, in a two-dimensional reality. As such, we cannot comprehend a three dimensional reality, and would be unable to perceive a three dimensional being if it was hovering one inch above us. Dr. Ross provides a lot of geometric illustrations to help readers visualize his points. These are all very helpful.

Christian readers who accept the Bible as the word of God and accept the events recorded as ones that actually happened, will appreciate the affirmation of their faith. Others may find the concepts interesting, but not entirely convincing. Some of the ideas regarding heaven and hell, and the new world described in the book of Revelation may seem downright absurd and even offensive (a suggestion was made that based on his writing, Albert Schweitzer might be in hell).

Personally, I feel that Dr. Ross's book, The Creator and the Cosmos, is better. The scientific information in that book provides better argument for the existence of an intelligent creator that makes sense even to those who are non-believers. This book is okay for Christian readers who are interested in exploring the mysteries of God.

[Patrick]

This is an odd book. I appreciate that Hugh Ross accepts a large amount of scientific thought in general about the universe. It was the first book I remember reading by an evangelical who argued that the Big Bang was real, and the universe really is billions of years old. I'll have to say I'm in debt to Hugh Ross for opening my eyes about some of these things. However, this book also suggests some rather weird theological ideas, in my opinion. Dr. Ross apparently believes you should use the scientific method to get a better understanding about God and the Bible, as if they were regular physical things that behaved like matter and energy do. In my opinion this is taking the role of "science" too far, and in the process he comes to some theological conclusions that I just think are a little bit off. This sort of general weirdness pervades a lot of Ross's writings, but it does more so in this one than probably any other.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an apologetic suggestion of biblical matters that need explanation and understanding. As Ph.D. Hugh Ross says, our intellectual and technological advances have raised new questions and doubts about many things such as our origin. Thus, making a good use of new scientific discoveries to illuminate hidden notions of the Bible is not an to act to blame or judged by God.

Having said that, Hugh Ross is using the recent discovery of ten-dimenson universe to demonstrate answers for questions such as:
1) How can my choices be totally "free" if God is in control of all things at all times and knows the end from the beginning?
2) How can God hear my words and thoughts while listening to billions of others around the world at excactly the same moment?
3) How can God be all-powerful and all-loving and yet allow so much suffering and evil?

[Cris Mcgrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read to explain the most difficult questions.

[Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

COSMOLOGY & ASTRONOMY:

1. The earth free-floats in space, affected only by gravity. While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true.

Job 26:7: He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

2. The earth is an orb or sphere. At a time when many thought the earth was flat, the Bible told us that the earth is spherical.

Isaiah 40:22: It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary's definition of CIRCLE. "In popular use, the line that comprehends the figure, the plane or surface comprehended, and the whole body or solid matter of a round substance, are denominated a circle; a ring; an orb; the earth."

3. Scripture assumes a revolving (spherical) earth. Jesus said that at His return some would be asleep at night while others would be working at day time activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring simultaneously.

Luke 17:34-36: I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

4. Black holes and dark matter anticipated. Cosmologists now speculate that over 98% of the known universe is comprised of dark matter, with dark energy and black holes. A black hole's gravitational field is so strong that nothing, not even light, escapes. Beyond the expanding universe there is no measured radiation and therefore only outer darkness exists. These theories paint a seemingly accurate description of what the Bible calls "outer darkness" or "the blackness of darkness forever."

Matthew 25:30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jude 13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

5. Incalculable number of stars. At a time when less than 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye, God stated that the stars of heaven were innumerable. Not until the 17th century did Galileo glimpse the immensity of our universe with his new telescope. Today, astronomers estimate that there are ten thousand billion trillion stars - a 1 followed by 25 zeros! Yet, as the Bible states, scientists admit this number may be woefully inadequate.

Jeremiah 33:22: As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

6. The number of stars, though vast, are finite. Although man is unable to calculate the exact number of stars, we now know their number is finite. Of course God knew this all along.

Isaiah 40:26: Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

7. The Bible compares the number of stars with the number of grains of sand on the seashore. Amazingly, gross estimates of the number of sand grains are comparable to the estimated number of stars in the universe.

Genesis 22:17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

8. The universe is expanding. Repeatedly God declares that He stretches out the heavens. During the early 20th century, most scientists (including Einstein) believed the universe was static. Others believed it should have collapsed due to gravity. Then in 1929, astronomer Edwin Hubble showed that distant galaxies were receding from the earth, and the further away they were, the faster they were moving. This discovery revolutionized the field of astronomy. Eisntein admitted his mistake, and today most astronomers agree with what the Creator told us millennia ago - the universe is expanding!

Isaiah 42:5: Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

Jeremiah 51:15: He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

Zechariah 12:1: The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

9. Each star is unique. Centuries before the advent of the telescope, the Bible declared what only God and the angels knew: each star varies in size and intensity!

1 Corinthians 15:41: There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

10. The sun goes in a circuit. Some scientists scoffed at this verse thinking that it taught geocentricity - the theory that the sun revolves around the earth. They insisted the sun was stationary. However, we now know that the sun is traveling through space at approximately 600,000 miles per hour. It is literally moving through space in a huge circuit - just as the Bible stated 3,000 years ago!

Psalm 19:6: [The sun's] going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.


PHYSICS:

1. Creation is made of atoms and particles, indiscernible to our eyes. Not until the 19th century was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.

Hebrews 11:3: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

2. Light can be divided. Sir Isaac Newton studied light and discovered that white light is made of seven colors, which can be "parted" and then recombined. Science confirmed this four centuries ago - God declared it four millennia ago!

Job 38:24: By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

3. Light travels in a path. Light is said to have a "way" [Hebrew: derek, literally a traveled path or road]. Until the 17th century it was believed that light was transmitted instantaneously. We now know that light is a form of energy that travels at 186,000 miles per second in a straight line. Indeed, there is a "way" of light.

Job 38:19: Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof.

4. The Bible says that light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. We now know that radio waves and light waves are two forms of the same thing: electromagnetic waves. Therefore, radio waves are a form of light. Today, using radio transmitters, we can send "lightnings" which indeed speak when they arrive.

Job 38:35: Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

5. The First Law of Thermodynamics established. The First Law states that the total quantity of energy and matter in the universe is a constant. One form of energy or matter may be converted into another, but the total quantity always remains the same. Therefore the creation is finished, exactly as God said way back in Genesis.

Genesis 2:1-2: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

6. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy). This law states that everything in the universe is running down, deteriorating, and constantly becoming less and less orderly. Entropy (disorder) entered when mankind rebelled against God - resulting in the curse (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-22). Historically most people believed the universe was unchangeable. Yet modern science verifies that the universe is growing "old as doth a garment'' (Hebrews 1:11). Evolution directly contradicts this, the most tested of all scientific laws.

Psalm 102:25-26: Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.

Romans 8:20-22: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.


BIOLOGY:

1. Law of Biogenesis explained. Scientists observe that life only comes from existing life. This law has never been violated under observation or experimentation (as evolution requires). Therefore, life, God's life, created all life.

Genesis 1:11, 20, 24: And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. ... And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. ... And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

2. The earth was designed for biological life. Scientists have discovered that the most fundamental characteristics of our earth and cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them were even slightly different, life as we know it couldn't exist. This is called the Anthropic Principle and it agrees with the Bible which states that God formed the earth to be inhabited.

Isaiah 45:18: For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

3. God has given us just the right amount of water to sustain life. We now recognize that if there was significantly more or less water, the earth would not support life as we know it.

Isaiah 40:12: Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

4. Our bodies are made from the dust of the ground. Scientists have discovered that the human body is comprised of some 28 base and trace elements - all of which are found in the earth.

Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

5. Life begins at fertilization. God declares that He knew us before we were born. The Biblical penalty for murdering an unborn child was death (Exodus 21:22-23). Today, it is an irrefutable biological fact that the fertilized egg is truly an entire human being. Nothing will be added to the first cell except nutrition and oxygen.

Psalm 139:15: "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6. God fashions and knits us together in the womb. Science was ignorant concerning embryonic development until recently. Yet thousands of years ago, the Bible accurately described God making us an intricate unity' in the womb.

Job 10:8-12: "Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit."

7. The seed of a plant contains its life. As stated in the Book of Genesis, we now recognize that inside the humble seed is life itself. Within the seed is a tiny factory of amazing complexity. No scientist can build a synthetic seed and no seed is simple!

Genesis 1:11-12: "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

8. A seed must die to produce new life. In John 12:24 is remarkable confirmation of two of the fundamental concepts in biology: 1) Cells arise only from existing cells. 2) A grain must die to produce more grain. The fallen seed is surrounded by supporting cells from the old body. These supporting cells "give their lives" to provide nourishment to the inner kernel. Once planted, this inner kernel germinates resulting in much grain.

John 12:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

1 Corinthians 15:36-38: "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
www.jw.org

[NASIR · Rating 5 out of 5]

COSMOLOGY & ASTRONOMY:

1. The earth in space, affected only by gravity. While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true.

Job 26:7: He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and Suspending the earth upon nothing.

2. The earth is an orb or sphere. At a time when many thought the earth was flat, the Bible told us that the earth is spherical.

Isaiah 40:22: It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary's definition of CIRCLE. "In popular use, the line that comprehends the figure, the plane or surface comprehended, and the whole body or solid matter of a round substance, are denominated a circle; a ring; an orb; the earth."

3. Scripture assumes a revolving (spherical) earth. Jesus said that at His return some would be asleep at night while others would be working at day time activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring simultaneously.

Luke 17:34-36: I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

4. Black holes and dark matter anticipated. Cosmologists now speculate that over 98% of the known universe is comprised of dark matter, with dark energy and black holes. A black hole's gravitational field is so strong that nothing, not even light, escapes. Beyond the expanding universe there is no measured radiation and therefore only outer darkness exists. These theories paint a seemingly accurate description of what the Bible calls "outer darkness" or "the blackness of darkness forever."

Matthew 25:30: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jude 13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

5. Incalculable number of stars. At a time when less than 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye, God stated that the stars of heaven were innumerable. Not until the 17th century did Galileo glimpse the immensity of our universe with his new telescope. Today, astronomers estimate that there are ten thousand billion trillion stars - a 1 followed by 25 zeros! Yet, as the Bible states, scientists admit this number may be woefully inadequate.

Jeremiah 33:22: As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

6. The number of stars, though vast, are finite. Although man is unable to calculate the exact number of stars, we now know their number is finite. Of course God knew this all along.

Isaiah 40:26: Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

7. The Bible compares the number of stars with the number of grains of sand on the seashore. Amazingly, gross estimates of the number of sand grains are comparable to the estimated number of stars in the universe.

Genesis 22:17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

8. The universe is expanding. Repeatedly God declares that He stretches out the heavens. During the early 20th century, most scientists (including Einstein) believed the universe was static. Others believed it should have collapsed due to gravity. Then in 1929, astronomer Edwin Hubble showed that distant galaxies were receding from the earth, and the further away they were, the faster they were moving. This discovery revolutionized the field of astronomy. Eisntein admitted his mistake, and today most astronomers agree with what the Creator told us millennia ago - the universe is expanding!

Isaiah 42:5: Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.

Jeremiah 51:15: He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

Zechariah 12:1: The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

9. Each star is unique. Centuries before the advent of the telescope, the Bible declared what only God and the angels knew: each star varies in size and intensity!

1 Corinthians 15:41: There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

10. The sun goes in a circuit. Some scientists scoffed at this verse thinking that it taught geocentricity - the theory that the sun revolves around the earth. They insisted the sun was stationary. However, we now know that the sun is traveling through space at approximately 600,000 miles per hour. It is literally moving through space in a huge circuit - just as the Bible stated 3,000 years ago!

Psalm 19:6: [The sun's] going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.


PHYSICS:

1. Creation is made of atoms and particles, indiscernible to our eyes. Not until the 19th century was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.

Hebrews 11:3: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

2. Light can be divided. Sir Isaac Newton studied light and discovered that white light is made of seven colors, which can be "parted" and then recombined. Science confirmed this four centuries ago - God declared it four millennia ago!

Job 38:24: By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

3. Light travels in a path. Light is said to have a "way" [Hebrew: derek, literally a traveled path or road]. Until the 17th century it was believed that light was transmitted instantaneously. We now know that light is a form of energy that travels at 186,000 miles per second in a straight line. Indeed, there is a "way" of light.

Job 38:19: Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof.

4. The Bible says that light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. We now know that radio waves and light waves are two forms of the same thing: electromagnetic waves. Therefore, radio waves are a form of light. Today, using radio transmitters, we can send "lightnings" which indeed speak when they arrive.

Job 38:35: Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

5. The First Law of Thermodynamics established. The First Law states that the total quantity of energy and matter in the universe is a constant. One form of energy or matter may be converted into another, but the total quantity always remains the same. Therefore the creation is finished, exactly as God said way back in Genesis.

Genesis 2:1-2: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

6. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy). This law states that everything in the universe is running down, deteriorating, and constantly becoming less and less orderly. Entropy (disorder) entered when mankind rebelled against God - resulting in the curse (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20-22). Historically most people believed the universe was unchangeable. Yet modern science verifies that the universe is growing "old as doth a garment'' (Hebrews 1:11). Evolution directly contradicts this, the most tested of all scientific laws.

Psalm 102:25-26: Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.

Romans 8:20-22: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.


BIOLOGY:

1. Law of Biogenesis explained. Scientists observe that life only comes from existing life. This law has never been violated under observation or experimentation (as evolution requires). Therefore, life, God's life, created all life.

Genesis 1:11, 20, 24: And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. ... And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. ... And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

2. The earth was designed for biological life. Scientists have discovered that the most fundamental characteristics of our earth and cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them were even slightly different, life as we know it couldn't exist. This is called the Anthropic Principle and it agrees with the Bible which states that God formed the earth to be inhabited.

Isaiah 45:18: For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

3. God has given us just the right amount of water to sustain life. We now recognize that if there was significantly more or less water, the earth would not support life as we know it.

Isaiah 40:12: Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

4. Our bodies are made from the dust of the ground. Scientists have discovered that the human body is comprised of some 28 base and trace elements - all of which are found in the earth.

Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

5. Life begins at fertilization. God declares that He knew us before we were born. The Biblical penalty for murdering an unborn child was death (Exodus 21:22-23). Today, it is an irrefutable biological fact that the fertilized egg is truly an entire human being. Nothing will be added to the first cell except nutrition and oxygen.

Psalm 139:15: "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6. God fashions and knits us together in the womb. Science was ignorant concerning embryonic development until recently. Yet thousands of years ago, the Bible accurately described God making us an intricate unity' in the womb.

Job 10:8-12: "Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit."

7. The seed of a plant contains its life. As stated in the Book of Genesis, we now recognize that inside the humble seed is life itself. Within the seed is a tiny factory of amazing complexity. No scientist can build a synthetic seed and no seed is simple!

Genesis 1:11-12: "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

8. A seed must die to produce new life. In John 12:24 is remarkable confirmation of two of the fundamental concepts in biology: 1) Cells arise only from existing cells. 2) A grain must die to produce more grain. The fallen seed is surrounded by supporting cells from the old body. These supporting cells "give their lives" to provide nourishment to the inner kernel. Once planted, this inner kernel germinates resulting in much grain.

John 12:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

1 Corinthians 15:36-38: "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
www.jw.org

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelves for a long time now - one of those books that gets gifted to you and ends up in your backlog.

The book starts out by describing string theory, and the proposed existence of extra dimensions of reality that we don't get to experience normally, but can infer from how the math works out. The author then takes this idea and uses it as a framing device for thinking about God, how various miracles played out, and how we interact with God. This framing device is innocent enough on its own anecdotally, but it grows kind of wearisome with how much it's used. Which kind of leads to my main complaint about this book.

The book, at times, feels like a "Calculus of God" book. Like it's trying to understand exactly how powerful he is, exactly how he interacts with our history and our lives. How, exactly, does he hear all our prayers at once? It must be MULTIDIMENSIONAL POWER. How does God perform miracles? MULTIDIMENSIONAL POWER! I really got tired of the author describing God as an X-Man with the powers of the string-theory dimensions.

There was one beautiful moment though, in the chapter where the author is describing the redemption and trying to grasp the price Jesus paid for us, his kind of mathy description of that was beautiful and stunning.

Ultimately though, I did not find myself spiritually refreshed or wiser for having read this book. It started out as some interesting speculation, and ended up in a chapter on why angels don't have sex and nobody has sex in heaven and if you ask those kind of questions you must abuse sex.

If I was a non-Christian and read this book, I'd think we were wacky. I can't recommend it for anyone unless you particularly enjoy the intersectionality of theoretical physics and speculative theology, and even from that angle it's not particularly fulfilling.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate Hugh Ross' ministry and his writing. In this book, he looks at the concept of additional dimensions (more than the 4 that we live in and interact with) and applies that concept to our understanding of God. If there are truly additional dimensions, and if God is the creator and sustainer of all dimensions, could this insight help us gain a deeper understanding of who God is and how He has worked throughout history?

Ross tackles this in a relatively easy-to-grasp form. I say, "relatively," because if someone has no prior exposure to the concept of additional dimensions, it may be a bit harder to follow his lines of argument. But overall, Ross made his case quite clearly.

I disagree with some of Ross' conclusions, but I must also admit that he has a much better understanding of this than I do. This book was thought-provoking and interesting. Any Christian who wants to see how science, even higher-level physics, can proclaim the glory of God should read this book.

[Victor Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Hugh Ross book and I loved it. "Beyond the Cosmos" seamlessly combines my inner science nerd and inner Bible nerd. The book starts off heavy with scientific concepts and some complexity (string theory, extra-dimensionality, thermodynamics, etc). I found myself having to re-read certain parts just to get a clear understanding. (I also ended up checking out some other resources online that really helped. Check out "Big Think") Once the concepts are established Ross walks you through certain biblical principles, showing you how a superior being outside our 4 dimensional perspective could accomplish some of the most argued about events and concepts in the Bible. This is not a "Prove there is a God-anti science book". This book is for science lovers. Christians and nonChristians alike.

[Ian Appleby · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dangerous book. Credible, even encouraging, to Christians with little understanding of subatomic physics and cosmology, as it provides false hope that the difficult theological problems of Christianity can be solved with science. Not so.

Ross' assertions that string theory and super dimensions are settled science were both precipitate and wrong. No such consensus is held in the physics community.

Certainly, great strides have been made by theologians in understanding challenges such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, free will versus predestination, and hell. None of the best of these explanations presume such challenges have been solved; none of the representations have been described as proofs. As Ross himself points out, there are limits to human understanding.

Work of the likes of Tim Keller, John Dixon, John Piper, Packer and Stott (to name a few) are more trustworthy.

[L Gregory Lott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book to say the least. Dr. Ross makes some good arguments that there are extra-dimensions in reality. He proceeds to give evidence from astrophysics to bolster his case. And then applies that to what can be found in the Scriptures to make the case for extra-dimensions in regards to God and how He operates in the universe. Overall I found the book to be plausible and much to ponder. It is very worthwhile to read and for the most part I liked it. It is a good addition to my library.

[Danny Barulli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thought-provoking. This book allowed me to comprehend God's transcendent nature in terms of Him being possibly an extra-dimensional being. What I mean is, while we are 3-dimensional beings that live in 4-dimensional space-time. God is at least a 4 dimensional being or 5 or 6 (probably 10 if string theory is right). Also, the book is very compelling in understanding biblical doctrine in light of God's extra-dimensions.

[Earl Pestano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Mark Sequeira]

Every believer that wonders about the Sovereignty of God, Calvinism, Arminianism, God's foreknowledge, free will, time, eternity, prayer, etc. would benefit from reading this book!!! While I might not agree with everything in it,...it, along with "Flatland" by Edwin Abbott (which he extensively quotes from) helps address the concept of time and answers the ridiculous assertions about God maybe not knowing everything because we are free creatures, etc.

And while God's sovereignty isn't central to the book, it will help believers understand cause and effect, our eternal state, etc. Good stuff but very conceptual even though written for laypeople.

There is also a lecture, a free mp3 by Peter Kreeft on C.S. Lewis and eternity: http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/20_c...
that is a perfect complement to the book not that it shares the same framework as either the book or your own, but fuel for thought. Enjoy!

A good answer to Open Theology...and the Calvinist-Arminian debate as well as a framework for God being outside as well as inside time.

[Garrett Cash · Rating 2 out of 5]

The extra-dimensionality parts at the beginning were eye opening and fascinating, but the second half of the book is essentially second-rate average apologetics with some questionable conclusions made in light of the idea of the multiplicity of the dimensions God resides in. I think this would have been better as an in-depth article about extra-dimensionality without the last three quarters.
I disagreed with Ross in many of the theological conclusions he makes from the concept of extra-dimensionality, as did Dr. William Lane Craig, who brilliantly argues against the book in this article. http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDF...

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Those of us who invite God's Spirit to live in the core of our being and to express Christ through us - body, soul and spirit - become linked forever with God.”

Hugh Ross is such a great author, all of his books I've read so far I've thoroughly enjoyed. This book really raised some great questions within me and made me want to delve deeper into the faith. Ross's explanations are pretty easy to understand and I am glad for that. The points that this book was hitting were great and I enjoyed learning deeper about them. I am definitely adding some more Hugh Ross into my literately diet.

[Mont'ster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I disagree with many of Dr Ross' conclusions concerning the age of the universe, I find what he has to say about the nature of time itself to be fascinating. His reasoning from the nature of time to the nature of a Being that must necessarily operate above and outside of time is great food for thought.

If you've ever seen Dr Hugh Ross on his television show (with his buddy "translating" into normal English) you will be happily surprised - this book is actually not horribly hard to read - Dr Ross must have had a good editor on this one.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Hugh Ross book and I was not overly impressed. I believe the subject matter, namely, the extra-dimensionality of God is a helpful topic to understand. But Ross tries to fit too much into such a small book. He's far too willing to throw about the term 'proof.' Several of his conclusions are, well, too conclusive. He bases a lot of his conclusions on a one-sided interpretation of particular passages of scripture, in essence doing what Ken Ham does but in the opposite direction. Final word: interesting topic, but merely fair execution as the writing goes.

[Bryant Delafosse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Ross opens a whole new dimension of understanding of the Creator of the Universe and our relationship with Him using true logic and conceptual physics. For the first time, I've gained perspective on ideas that I've only taken on faith before. And the writer who has accomplished this feat is not a priest but a scientist. He has expanded my understanding of not just the universe, but small corners of my own soul. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

[Jared Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ross was originally an old earth advocate who has jumped onto the intelligent design (ID) movement. This book gets very technical at points and was written before he signed on with ID so you wont see much of the connection. It's easy to get lost in the science jargon and his particular method of conflating theology and science will be lost on you if you don't care one way or the other.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author claims that several unproven (as far as I know) physics concepts explain god. I particularly liked his reasoning that there's TOO MUCH evil for evolution to be true. I don't see this as at all persuasive unless you're already a believer and either know less or (maybe) more physics than me.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting reading at times, but very far fetched. It's a confusion of creationism and real science.

[Meg2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, pretty fascinating. I would recommend it even if you aren't into religion. Its fully of fascinating physics, math and astronomy. I really enjoyed it, even though it made my brain hurt.