"YOU CAN NOT see my face, because no man can see me and yet live," Jehovah warned Moses (Exodus 33:20). In view of the fragility of human nature, men would never resist seeing directly the glory of God. Nevertheless, the apostle John had a spectacular vision in which he contemplated Jehovah sitting on his glorious throne (Revelation [Revelation] 4: 1-3).
Unlike human beings, those who do see the face of Jehovah are the faithful spiritual creatures, among whom are the "twenty-four elders" of John's heavenly vision, representing the 144,000 (Revelation 4: 4; 14: 1). -3). How do they react to the glory of God? According to Revelation 4:11 they declare: "Worthy are you, Jehovah, our God Himself, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created."
* Why does faith in God lack scientific rigor? b) What is sometimes hidden behind the fact of denying the existence of God?
Do we feel moved to glorify God? The vast majority of humanity does not, and there are those who deny its existence. For example, an astronomer wrote: "Was it God who intervened and who made the cosmos so providentially for our benefit? [...] An attractive idea, but unfortunately I consider it illusory. [...] God is not the explanation. "
Scientific research has its limitations: it must be based on observation and study, otherwise it would be pure theory or speculation. Since "God is a Spirit", scientific methods of scrutiny can not be applied (John 4:24). Therefore, it is arrogant to reject faith in God arguing that it lacks scientific rigor. Sir Vincent Wigglesworth, of the University of Cambridge, commented that the scientific method is "a religious approach". In what sense? "It is based on the unquestionable faith that natural phenomena conform to the 'laws of nature,'" he added. So is not one type of faith substituted for another when the existence of God is denied? Sometimes, disbelief is the product of the deliberate rejection of reality. "The wicked one, according to his arrogance, does not do research; all his ideas are: 'There is no God' ", wrote the psalmist (Psalm 10: 4).
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Faith in God is not blind; it is supported by abundant proofs of His existence (Hebrews 11: 1). Astronomer Allan Sandage said: "I think it is very unlikely that so much order and concert [in the universe] would emerge from chaos. There must be a principle of order. God is a mystery to me, but it is the explanation of the miracle of existence, the why of things ". The apostle Paul told the Christians of Rome that "the invisible qualities of [God] are clearly seen from the creation of the world on, because they are perceived by the things made, even their everlasting power and Divinity, so that they [the unbelievers] are inexcusable "(Romans 1:20). From "the creation of the world" (particularly since the creation of human beings with capacity to perceive the existence of God) it has become clear that there is a Creator of immense power, a God who deserves adoration. Those who do not recognize His glory are, therefore, inexcusable. Well, what data does the creation bring?
* The universe declares the glory of God
Psalm 19: 1 responds thus to the previous question: "The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and from the work of his hands the expansion is informing. " David considered that the stars and planets that projected their splendor through "expansion," or atmosphere, were irrefutable proof of the existence of a glorious God. He adds: "Day after day brings out speech bubbling, and one night after another night manifests knowledge" (Psalm 19: 2). Day after day and night after night, the heavens attest to the wisdom and creative power of God, as if the expressions of praise 'came out bubbling' from the heavens.
However, discernment is needed to hear these expressions. "There is no speech, and there are no words; no voice is heard from them. "But even so, the silent witness of the heavens is blunt. "Throughout the earth the line has gone out to measure them, and to the extremity of the productive land their expressions." (Psalm 19: 3, 4) It is as if the heavens had spread 'measuring cords' to make sure may his mute testimony reach every corner of the planet.
What are some impressive facts about the Sun?
Next, David describes another marvel of creation: "In them [the visible heavens] he has set up a tent for the sun, and this is like a bridegroom when he leaves his bridal chamber; He takes pleasure, as a powerful man does, in running on a path. From an extremity of the heavens it is the exit of this, and its finished circuit reaches until the other extremities of them; and there is nothing to hide from its heat "(Psalm 19: 4-6).
The Sun is among the medium-sized stars; nevertheless, it is an exceptional star that makes the planets that revolve around him seem small. A reference work says that its mass amounts to "2,000 quadrillion tons", this is 99.9% of the mass of our solar system. Its gravitational force allows the Earth's orbit to be maintained at a constant distance of 150 million kilometers. Although only one billionth of solar energy reaches our planet, it is enough to sustain life.
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David could see at a glance several thousand stars in the sky. However, according to recent research, the number of stars visible with modern telescopes amounts to 70,000 trillion (a 7 followed by twenty-two zeros). Jehovah indicated that there were an infinity of stars when he compared their quantity to "the grains of sand that are on the seashore" (Genesis 22:17).
12 For years, astronomers observed what has been described as "small luminous regions of nebulous and ill-defined appearance". It was assumed that these "spiral nebulae" were objects belonging to our galaxy, the Milky Way. In 1924 it was discovered that the nearest nebula, Andromeda, was actually a galaxy about 2,000,000 light-years away. At present it is estimated that there are billions of galaxies, each of which contains millions and millions of stars. Yet, Jehovah "is counting the number of the stars; to all the flame by their names "(Psalm 147: 4).
* What's surprising about the constellations? How is the scientific lack of knowledge about "the statutes of the heavens"?
Jehovah asked Job: "Can you bind the bonds of the Kimรก constellation firmly, or can you untie the very strings of the constellation Kesil?" (Job 38:31). A constellation is a set of stars that represent a certain figure. In spite of the enormous distances that separate the stars, from the terrestrial perspective their relative positions seem fixed in the firmament. Thanks to the accuracy of their positions, they are "very useful for navigation, for the orientation of astronauts in spacecraft and to identify other stars" (The Encyclopedia Americana). However, nobody fully understands "the ligatures" that hold the constellations together. That's right, scientists have not yet answered the question posed in Job 38:33: "Have you come to know the statutes of heaven?"
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* Science is unable to answer another of the questions asked to Job: "Where, then, is the path by which the light is distributed?" (Job 38:24). One writer cataloged this question as an "extremely modern scientific question". On the other hand, certain Greek philosophers believed that light emanated from the human eye. In more recent times, two hypotheses about the nature of light were proposed: corpuscular theory and wave theory. Currently, the scientific community believes that light behaves in both ways: as a small particle, or corpuscle, and as a wave. However, the nature of light and how it is "distributed" is still not fully understood.
* When we meditate on all of this, we can not help but feel like the psalmist David, who said: "When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man to do? keep in mind, and the son of earthling man to take care of him? "(Psalm 8: 3, 4).
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