The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Latest Scientific Discoveries Reveal God

by Hugh Ross

Few of us can venture outside on a clear, dark night without pausing for a silent, reflective gaze at the stars. For countless centuries, people have felt a sense of wonder about the heavens. How did our universe come into being? Has it always been here? Is our existence the result of chance or of supernatural design? Is God “out there”? If so, what is God like?

Whether you are skeptical of God’s existence or seeking scientific support for your faith, The Creator and the Cosmos will enable you to see how the heavens do declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1).

Astronomer Hugh Ross explains recent scientific measurements of the universe that clearly point to its purposeful origin and development. An abundance of references to published research findings allows you to explore the evidence for yourself.

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

344 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

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

[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

[Ben B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, along with Ross's Creation Date Controversy, really freed my thinking about the book of Genesis. I had been taught all my life to read the book one way, and Ross pointed out that there are other, perfectly legitimate ways to read the text. It is important to read the text for what it is, to take it seriously, and to allow it to shape our thinking rather than allowing our preconceptions to shape our understanding of the text. But at the same time, it is important to read and understand the text in the context of our own scientific knowledge, which is so different from the prescientific outlook of its Iron Age authors. An excellent study guide, very well written, seriously thought through.

[Taveri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re Page 205 note > The Lost Galaxy > Galaxy NCG 4535 looks pretty symmetrical > https://phys.org/news/2021-01-image-h...


I am neither a Creationist nor an Evolutionist; having to choose between the two of them is like having to decide if a rainbow is black or white.  They are both two dimensional "solutions" in a multi-dimensional problem.  They are not even in the same plane.  One has the number of creators as zero; the other as one.  They both like that way as they then establish their arguments as an either or propisition.  They don't want to admit there are more options than there are colours in the rainbow.  Thus Ross wants to show that number of creators can't be zero (hence it is one) yet doesn't address that there might be multiple creators and different creators through time.  Even if he could show there is just one Creator he has to demonstrate that it is a benovalent one and that one is the one in bible.  He does make some references to scriptures but i wonder if you could not find alternate verse pointing elsewhere.  I did learn more physics and astronomy and about the uniqueness of our galaxy and solar system (the latter i was mostly aware of) which i will summarize below [my comments noted in square brackets].

P29 the Big Bang is not a big bang but a carefully planned and controlled release of matter, energy, space and time.

P38 dark matter refers to both ordinary dark matter and exotic dark matter [difference not explained]

There are a number of chapters on debates over types of universes

P43 stable stars and stable orbits only possible in a big bang universe

P46 the effect of dark energy is to make two massive bodies appear to repel one another; the futher apart they are - the more they will repel [couldn't there have been previous universes and as matter from this one reaches closer to that one(s) then at accelerates due to gravity attraction {thus no need to have dark energy as an explanation}]

 Chapter 5 deals with formulae showing dark energy is real

P60 for about twenty seconds, when the universe was four minutes old, it reached the right temperature for nuclear fusion to occur.  During that time protons and neutrons fused together to form heavier elements.  Nearly one-fourth of the universe's original hydrogen converted to Helium (and tiny bits of lithium, beryllium and boron).  All other elements were produced much later.

P61 whatever deuterium and lithium that exist today were produced in that four minutes.

P64 galaxies are so tightly packed (elsewhere) that their mutual gravity results in ripping spiral arms apart

P72 about 92% of the universe's original number of atoms were hydrogen and 8% helium

There are three different generations of stars, each with unique properties.  The more massive the star the faster it burns and explodes > they make the second generation stars (that comprise most of the universe).  Third gen. stars come from the ashes of exploding second gen. stars

P73 about 1-4% composition of third gen. stars is comprised of elements heavier than lithium.  Life is only possible around a third gen. star

P76 new science reveals not only that a god exists but exactly what kind of God created the universe [the author lost me here - kind of like saying since Shakespeare wrote in English and the New York Times is in English it must be the same author]

There is a chapter about Kant, Darwin and Einstein followed by a chapter about the Steady State universe (and if it existed then no need for a God creation)

P119/120 Gravity waves were detected when black holes (36 + 29 times the sun's mass) merged (Sept 14/15) to form a new black hole 62 timet the sun's mass (meaning three times the sun's mass was converted into gravitational waves in a fifth of a second).

P124 Genesis 1:1 and Hebrews 11:3 quoted as proof that God created the universe (heaven and earth)

P128 more verse noted: John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17, and Hebrews 7:3 (would have no beginning, no end)

Chapter 12 takes on Stephen Hawking 

P137  astronomers calculated there is about 200kg of Earth soil on every sq km of the moon and ~200 grams of earth soil on every sq km of Mars; and with there being 100 quadrillion microbes in every ton of earth soil ther should be evidence for the remains of life elsewhere in the solar system

P160 Darwin's three truths: 1) tremendous variation exists; 2) variations can be inherited; 3) organisms are involved in intense competition.  Add in 4) new variations are generated through mutations and 5) there can be lateral movement of a small part of one's genetic material to another organism

P163 geologic eras do not provide even remotely sufficient time for living organisms to change by natural processes [my argument exactly, plus if they were generating all these varations there would be an enormous amount of "debitage" cluttering the world.]

P164 if no humans existed species would go extinct at one per year - with us around extinction ranges from one a day to five an hour (and none new showing up)

The author ascerts there is a reversal of direction of biological evolution.  Before humanity's appearance life was becoming progressively complex and diverse (during God's days of creation) and less complex and diverse (now that God is in his seventh day {of rest}).

P165 shoots down Gould's panda thumb being poor design (adding biologists are in a poor position to judge the quality of the Creator's work)[why did God need a multitude of hominids before settling on Homo Sapien sapiens?]

Chapter 15 is about a "Just right universe"  Hundreds of examples may be found at reasons.org/finetuning

P174 others have wondered why God would wait billions of years to make life.  Part of the answer is that God chose to obey laws and constants of physics so heavy elements could fuse in nuclear furnaces to make life chemistry possible [so God has limitations?]

P201 our galaxy (MWG) resides in a cluster with no giant galaxies (to rip it apart).  The Andromeda Galaxy is far enough away to pose no threat.  About a 100 dwarf galaxies accompany the MWG to act at shephards to funnel smaller dwarf galaxies into the core of MWG to maintain its highly symettrical, unwarped and hardly disturbed spiral structure through the past ten billion years

The Andomeda Galaxy will merge in five billion years [that will upset the apple cart]

P202  Only 6% of non-dwarf galaxies are spirals.  The other 94% are ellipticals or irregulars.  In elliptical star formations cease before interstellar medium becomes enriched with heavy elements.  Irregular galaxies have active nuclei that spew out life-destroying radiation

Galaxies belong to either red or blue population.  Blue have young stars that are hot; old stars are cooler and classified as Red.  The MWG does not fit into either and is a Green.  [I hadn't heard of this before.] Star formation has subsided but not stopped.  MWG contains both blue and yellow stars plus a few reds.  Green galaxies are rare.

P203 advanced life can exist in the MWG is that the spiral arms are stable, well separated, free of warps and bends & relatively free of spurs and feathers.

P204 life is only possible with a solar system near the co-rotation radius (same rate the spiral arm rotates)

P205 no other galaxy [none] has the symettry of the MWG.  Life is possible because of our solar system's position between two galaxy arms.

P206 in that position we get a clear view of the heavens > thus the capacity to discover and dwell on the splendour of the universe

[seems a lot of limitations on what the Creator can do and when]

P207+ on how our star is just the right size and Earth is just the right distance and tilt from the sun

P208 luminosity just right

Only Arsenic, Boron and Silicon (besides Carbon) can form complex molecules but the first two are rare and poisonous and Silicon can only hold together about a hundred amino acids.

P210 if Jupiter were any closer or more massive then its gravity would disturb Earth's orbit.

P211 computer simulations showed without a Jupiter sized planet where it is, Earth would be struck a thousand times more frequently by comets and comet debris [Just this past year there was an article saying the opposite: that Jupiter caused debris to be slung at the Earth]

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune orbits have integer ratio motion resonances that stablizes the solar system.

P212 the Earth-Moon system supresses resonance in Venus' and Mercury's orbits or there would be destructive chaos in the inner solar system [Doesn't Earth and Venus have an integer ratio of rotation relative to each other?]

The Moon also slowed Earth's rotation down so life could thrive through the just right size of tides.  The Moon orbits the Earth closer than any other known moon around its planet.  The ratio of the mass of the Earth to the Moon is fifty times greater than the next known such ratio.

The collision of Theia (about twice the size of Mars) at an angle of 45° at a velocity less than 12km/sec formed the Moon and blasted away nearly all of Earth's water & atmosphere; ejected light elements and injected heavy elements and transformed the interior and exterior of our planet [where did that water and Theia come from?]

Typed using EasyKeyB

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't agree with all of Ross' views of the universe, this book is a fascinating read

[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

[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

[Brett Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Desperate pleading

Ross claims science has revealed the truth of God and the Bible, but his book doesn’t read that way. Ross does a fair job of exposing people to the wonders of an esoteric branch of physics but never is he able to show science reveals God. He ends up doing the only thing such endeavors allow – simply saying so. His support? A mass of scientific reference that he hopes through association will give religion the cache of scientific credibility. His goal is to give faith - which requires no evidence - evidence. Revealing our long-standing insecurity about faith in the face of science since the Enlightenment.

Ross, in the stock story of hard skeptic (at age 15), finds through his analysis of the Bible not a single inconsistency nor contradiction. (Ross never read Thomas Paine’s, Age Of Reason. And he doesn’t wonder why Herod’s murder of the two-year olds is a crime, but God’s killing of innocent boys, girls and toddlers in Egypt as the first born is justice.) Ross argues that historical references support the Bible. But what good novel does not insert factual historical reference? Doing so doesn’t make the novel a true story. For Ross other religions are vague, but parables are obvious. As so often, probability arguments are employed to blind the ignorant, with nothing whatsoever to do with anything other than finding avenues through which to hoodwink statistical novices. Ross makes mileage over hyperbolic remarks from scientists, historians and newsmen to dramatize their discovery or sell papers, all making positive reference to God. Like a witness, these carry weight for Ross. But while witnesses count for something in religion and a court of law, they count for nothing in science. (Ross claims to be a scientist.) If they did, science would declare abundant proof of particularly congenial aliens zipping about earth in their UFOs.

As Ross describes recent (though outdated) cosmological progress to laymen, he ties scientific results separate from religion to religion, usually capping each chapter with a reminder. Astronomers have verified the Big Bang, “concluding God is the power and intelligence behind it all.” Yes, and almost never. But, so what if they did? Would a scientist claiming God does not exist, prove it by saying so? Then why does a scientist’s claim that God does exist matter? This repetitious reminder that what we’re doing here is providing evidence for God rings of theological pleadings at the funeral, trying to assuage our grief with authority that our loved ones really, absolutely, truly, “trust me,” still live and so will we (compassionate as that is).

For all of Ross’s apparent good intensions (hopefully he’s not simply cashing in on religious readers), faith does not require the sanction of science. Trying to force science into granting such approval is not only an embarrassing failure but reduces the importance of faith residing in a wholly different arena however Ross and others may wish otherwise.

[Jeremiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the number one book on a lay level that demonstrates strongly that Big Bang cosmology, both with it's attending origin of the universe and design features, most strongly comports with a theistic framework and particulary with Christian theism. Ross has filled this book with cutting edge astrophysics and has loaded this with tight arguments which the atheist is a fool to brush off without dealing with them seriously. Dr. Ross has the most encyclopedic mind I've ever learned from on this topic, so he knows this landscape.
I should add that though this is for laypeople I would bet that most people would only have the patience for about 40% of the book, because it isn't the easiest read; it will stretch your thinking and challenge you to some hard material.
My only complaint is that I don't agree with the new edtion of the chapter which aruges that parts of Big Bang cosmology can be inferred from scripture. I think that makes Ross' overall, very good, argument weaker. I just don't like those type of arguments unless there is a broader wealth of scripture to back it up.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some interesting astronomical/geological information in here about how the Earth as a planet is so well-tuned to support life as we know it.

As far as the religious aspect of it goes, most of his arguments for God's existence were based on: a)the premise of the seemingly deliberate appearance of design in Earth's position in space and time as well as in its life forms, and b)the fact that the Big Bang cannot have come from nothing, thus there must be a God. Some points were interesting (he explains himself better than I'm currently doing) but I'm not sure that his arguments are persuasive or compelling enough to convince non-believers of the presence of God.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly excellent. His case for Big Bang Cosmology seems strong. I understand there is some pushback in the scientific community, but I lack the competence to see who is right or not.

[Luke Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sheer mass and precision of scientific evidence for God as the Creator and Designer of our universe is absolutely mind-boggling. For anyone who is or has been skeptical of the claims that God exists or that "the heavens declare the glory of God" need to set aside the time to read "The Creator and the Cosmos." I cannot recommend this book enough. My full chapter-by-chapter review is available here:

https://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2018...

I will close this shorter version of the review with a powerful quote from the concluding chapter:

"The way has been made, it has been made clear, and it has been proven by the resurrection of Jesus Christ—a testable fact of history. But knowing the way and knowing God are not one and the same thing. The crucial difference lies in our moving beyond acceptance of facts to acceptance of him. Acceptance of his life in exchange for ours, of his death in exchange for ours, of his goodness in exchange for ours, of his authority in exchange for ours, even of his faithfulness in exchange for ours—this will be our step toward him. The Bible assures us that if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us."

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the fourteenth chapter of this book and discovered that it was an amazing source to understanding the characteristics of the laws of physics. From nuclear forces to gravity, dark energy, and the mass of protons, all things given lay impossible odds to existence of not just life but anything at all. This is the best description of the laws of physics I've ever read. From there, I continued to read into the rest of this awe inspiring science book that gave me many pauses. I came away spell bound. Ross teaches us that the deeper you go into realizing the very fundamentals of science, the more you get to know the characteristics of God, rather than the more you know God, the less credibiity you give science. As an astrophysicisist, Ross comes to terms with the very core of existence and in scientific light, he defines God through that. Magic gives way to reason. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a great book for Christians who are looking for ways in which to integrate scientific discovery, cosmology, and their faith. It offers a plausable way for the faithful to accept science, too. Dr. Ross challenges the common notion that to believe in science is to be a sceptic, or athiest. However, I look for physics books that tell me it is ok to believe in God, not Christian lit that tells me it is ok to believe in science. I do not enjoy scientific books that sketch detailed constructs so that the data will fit the theory. Dr. Ross confuses knowing with believing. I prefer books that leave me with possibility rather than custom theological theories. On the upside, the language is clear and very accessible, unfortunately that made, for me, the bias all the more difficult to ignore. I did not complete this book.

[Lynette Cowper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling reading, meshing science and the Bible.

[James Hold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a Doubting Thomas. I'm not from Missouri but still I like somebody to show evidence that something is true rather than simply take their word for it. It's not something I'm especially proud of, especially when it comes to religion. There are those to whom you can say, 'There is a God and He loves you,' and the hearer will blindly accept it, 'Wow, that's cool. So what's for supper?' With me, it's always been, 'Can you prove it?' I've gotten better over the years to where 4 out of 7 days I'm a total believer. That still leaves 3 days out of the week where I feel it's all nonsense. My hope is that I don't die on one of those 3 days and cut myself off from the promise of an afterlife.

Hugh Ross is an astronomer. He is also a believer. He didn't just blindly accept a belief in God; he came about it through a reasoned study of both the Bible and science and by doing so found Reasons To Believe that what both say are true.

He bases his belief on the Big Bang Theory. For him it offers convincing evidence of a well-thought-out event brought about by an intelligent designer. Much of it is over my head, but he makes a strong argument, especially when presenting example after example of how fine-tuned things are for it all to have come about. The universe, our solar system, Earth, and life upon it all hinge on so many factors being just right. A tiny fraction or degree of anything being too much one way or the other would make things impossible for any of it to exist. He presents over a hundred examples of this. One or two randomly happening might be possible, but for all of them to fall into place in just the right sequence is a tad hard to swallow.

Better yet, Ross shows how those speculations you often hear about 'If only one in a billion stars had a planet capable of supporting life, then we are left with the possibility of blah-blah-blah...' He tells how that speculation is far too optimistic. I'd like to think there may be life elsewhere, but Ross shows the chances are so remote as to be of no concern for us.

Oh, and the nicest thing is that Ross doesn't preach. He lays out the facts, supported by science, and lets them speak for themselves. He replies to critics in a calm and reasoned manner and fittingly shows where their arguments are inaccurate. All in all, he comes across as a nice man.

This is a very good book, and it greatly strengthened my faith. Now, instead of experiencing 3 atheistic days a week, I've succeeded in cutting it down to 2. Hopefully, if I keep working at it, I can become a full-time believer. In which case it wouldn't matter which particular day I kick the bucket.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking..Hugh Ross Ph.D. writes about our universe and origins of life. He uses physics( very simplified for the non scientific reader )to consider what it takes to support life or even start up a life form. The discussion and references to many other scientists opinions makes for a interesting read. The more science the reader can recall from school, the easier going in this book. The reader is presented with many exciting ideas reflecting the relationship of God, humankind, our Earth home and the whole of the universes.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the fact that this was written in 1993, it's still the best introduction a Christian can read on the topic of cosmology, the beginning of the universe, and recent, astronomical exploration and discovery; I don't know of a better one. Ross includes enough detailed information for the reader to be able to converse intelligently on nearly all the topics that touch modern cosmology, including the discovery of variations in the cosmic background radiation and why it matters, the details of various anthropic constants, and even a pretty good beginning discussion of the various versions of the Big Bang. Don't worry, he takes his time and explains what all those things are. Because the book is old, it contains nothing on the multiverse or quantum fluxes. You can read Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" to get the balancing, secular view of the same set of topics, but Ross' book is more accessible.

[Jared Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get the impression that Ross is an astrophysicist first and a Christian second, but at least he is a Christian. He is also the author that first made me question the young Earth model of creation. This book is kind of a precursor to Beyond the Cosmos and sets the stage for delving deeper into the extra-demensionality of the universe and how the being of God fits in such a model as the Creator.

[Joel Wilbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been some time since I have read this book but remember it fondly. It really helped me to join my scientific mind with my Christian heart.

It was because if this book that I came to the understanding that radio carbon dating fossilized bones is flawed. Once the mineralization of the bone happens very little, if any, if the original bone calcium remains. Therefore, what is being carbon dated is the sedimentary minerals, which indeed are far older than the original bone.

[Stephanie Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

God Unveiled in Our Universe

An amazing, eye opening technical read of the creation of the universe and the absolute fine tuning from God, our Creator, to give us the Earth we live in today. Although some of the technical information, e.g., quantum physics references, were difficult to grasp, Prof. Ross conveys this the best he can in more layman terms and provides wonderful analogies. It has bolstered my knowledge and deepened my faith and belief in our Christian God.

[Matt Van de creek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read if you want to learn more about how science and God come together to reveal his great design!

[Rickey Tarpley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book has broght me closer toy Creator

Very well written. Hugh Ross explains how we see God in the heavens by science and it's recent discovers of God's existence.

[Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR; A thought-provoking book by Hugh Ross, who uses science and the faith to argue that the Bible aligns with modern scientific discoveries made thousands of years later. (I have a small ammount of experience with Christian and Scientific liturature and no one - in my experience - comes even close to toucing the the degree of schoolarship and Biblical knowledge Hugh Ross investigates this subject with) While some of his views, such as rejecting universal common ancestry and a literal Genesis, conflict with mainstream scientific evidence, these objections do not diminish the impact or the relevance of this book for me.


A great book. The author - Hugh Ross - grew up in an atheist family and was extremely bright. In high school, he developed questions about religion and decided to read the religious texts of all major world religions. He studied the Buddhist holy scriptures, Hindu holy scriptures, the Quran, and the Bible. After his study, he concluded that the Bible not only offered the most detailed creation account but was also the only one aligning with modern science thousands of years before those discoveries were made. For example, the Bible describes the Earth starting off as a watery world, that plants and sea creatures existed before land animals, and that humans came after land animals.

The author believes in adaptation but not full Darwinian evolution. He argues that God created life with adaptation as a unique survival mechanism but created humans individually. He also believes the time periods in Genesis and Luke are literal but misinterpreted to suggest the Earth is only 6,000 years old. He explains that the Hebrew word "begot" doesn’t necessarily mean direct parentage but simply implies someone was a descendant. Based on this, he argues that the time between Adam and Eve and Jesus spans hundreds of thousands of years, with many generations not mentioned in biblical genealogies.

It is worth noting - while I agreed wholeheartely with the book and it greatly streangthened my faith - there are areas where his views conflict with mainstream scientific evidence. For example, his rejection of universal common ancestry (LUCA) doesn’t align with the genetic evidence and fossil record evidence supporting that all life shares a common ancestor. Additionally, his interpretation of Genesis assumes a literal sequence of events, but the idea the Earth formed before the Sun and stars contradicts what astrophysics and cosmology show about the formation of the universe. These realities do not diminish the impact or the relevance of this book for me.

All in all, I really liked this book. It was thought-provoking, and the author has a unique way of blending science and faith that keeps you engaged. I barely ate or slept after I read the first few chapters because I couldn’t get enough! I would recommend it to any Christian—whether you are a young earth creationist, a Ken Ham subscriber, or an old earth creationist.

[Randall O. Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

"1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge." Psalm 19:1-2

When one truly studies the details of creation and the miracle of our own existence, it is incredible that we can talk about anything else! At no other time in human history has this been more apparent. Contrary to the secular talking points of popular media, scientific study, after study, after study, after study........ testifies to the design of the universe, galaxies, our solar system, planet earth, and all of life - whether in cosmology or biology.

Years ago, I was blown away after reading the Second Edition of The Creator and the Cosmos. It is one of the key, seminal non-Biblical texts that took me from a worldview nearly approaching agnosticism to that of a committed believer in Jesus Christ with a passion for science and Christian apologetics. This Fourth Edition is chock full of the latest (as of 2018) scientific findings showing the avalanche of evidence over the past two decades confirming the mind-blowing, inconceivable, exquisite fine tuning of the cosmos for intelligent life on Planet Earth - a remote, "lonely", blue planet where God's Son, Jesus Christ, came to die for the sins of his ultimate creation - HUMANS! This is what the whole story of creation is about - God and humans reconciled through faith in Jesus Christ for a future eternity beyond anything we can possibly comprehend.

I recommend this book to the believer and skeptic alike who is even remotely interested in science. May you read, believe and worship!

[Chandler Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book and Christian approach to astrophysics. Hugh Ross provides a Christian defense of the Big Bang theory and advances an argument for the fine tuning of the cosmos. However, I am not too sure about the intended audience of this book. It seems that Ross desires to write an apologetics text for the lay Christian so that one can have solid reasons for the faith and know how to defend the faith in conversations with skeptics. Yet, many of his apologetical arguments consist of dense or hard to remember astrophysical data that only careful study and constant referencing will allow one to remember. There are two helpful appendices at the end that list out the key arguments for fine tuning, but Ross’s strategy in the book almost seems like overwhelming the reader with date that they won’t initially comprehend. I was also bothered at times by his use of the biblical text as he makes the overblown claim that the Bible teaches the Big Bang theory millennia before the theory was discovered by humans. This irked me due to the significant difference between the cosmology of the biblical authors and our modern cosmology. I am certainly persuaded by the Big Bang theory, but I do not believe that the Scriptures and its poetic language about cosmology are exactly a scientific textbook. Lastly, there are many points in the book where Ross points the readers to his other books if they are interested in learning more about a topic. This made certain sections feel incomplete, and made the book seem like an advertisement for Reasons to Believe. It is a fun work for any Christian interested in astrophysics and apologetics, but these are the reasons I gave it 3 stars.

[Ezechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books making the case for a creator from a Christian perspective are plentiful, but many of them are based on obsolete science or are plagued by the author's insuficient understanding of the science. Not this one. This guy really knows what he's talking about, and his arguments are clear and poignant.
I only have 2 things against the book. First, it repeats itself too many times - an artifact of so many revisions no doubt, and revisions are absolutely necessary in a field that changes so rapidly as cosmology. But at one point one needs to re-write the whole chapter, not add and repeat. Second, it insists the Biblical model for the cosmos includes the continuing expansion of the space-time. It really doesn't, and the fact that the author insists so much on that idea in the first few pages almost made me put the book down. I'm glad I didn't.
Because once one gets past the awkward attempts to read science into the Bible, this remains one of the best books arguing for intelligent design from a cosmological point of view. I highly recommend it.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Ross is one of the few writing in the field of Cosmology, Christian or not, who will take both the Bible and science seriously. While I might not fully agree with his day-age interpretation of Genesis, I cannot argue that he takes scripture seriously and doesn't just hand-wave it away in the name of scientific evidence. He also doesn't go the most common YEC route in taking one quote from one fringe scientist out of context and then ignore the mountain of research and writings in the scientific field simply by saying they are anti-Christian and have an agenda of hiding the truth.

This should be a five star book. But it was intended for a lay audience but seems to be written at a level more like an undergrad intro subject textbook. I loved the discussion questions and used them as a moment to pause and reflect on each chapter, but again, they feel more like a reading comprehension quiz set of questions than some questions a church small group or reading club would want to explore.

[Bill Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally the Truth about the Origins of the Universe,Our Solar System, 🌎and Man!

Having been a Christian for 56 years the natural world always seemed to be in opposition to the Bible! Now I see that the natural world is in fact in agreement with the Bible. The real fact is that most scientists and teachers fail to teach the real truths, they stubbornly hold on and teach unproven facts as truth hoping that someone will find prove that what they teach is reality!
Dr.Ross supplies convincing evidence for the truth of the Bible and a Creator God! His books will be placed next to my Bible ,to be used with the Bible to prove His existence to my unveiling friends. Can't wait to read more of his books.

[Ronald Sisel]

Incredible book for anyone interested in cosmology and astronomy. The fine tuning in the laws of physics, allowing the order and complexity evident in the Cosmos, makes a strong case for a great mind behind it all. Also, the elements resulting from the fusion process in supernova explosions necessary for life to exist speaks not only of design, but also purpose in our universe. We live in a cause/effect universe, and as Aristotle taught, formal and final causes do exist, making the proposition that God exists a powerful truth to refute. I am greatly appreciative of our author Hugh Ross for elucidating the evidence of these scientific truths.

[Robert Larsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of good scientific info spoilt by old earth progressive creationism

There are plenty of good scientific facts in this book, but it is spoilt by the author seemingly having the need to fit the biblical creation timeline in with the old earth/universe belief system that's prevalent today. God's word is God's word, and plainly teaches an approx. 6000 year history from creation to today. As the numerous articles on Creation Ministries International (creation.com) teach, there is no need for modern science to dissent from what the Bible teaches.