THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

 

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
God’s Breath Publications

 

The revelation of God in Holy Scripture cannot contradict the revelation of God in Nature!

 

 In order to discuss the origin of the universe one must cover the various theories which have been promoted as to how the universe came into existence.

 

The current scientific theory for the explanation of how the universe came to be is that of the “Big Bang.” Below is a history of the development of this theory.

 

The theory itself was originally formalized by Belgian Catholic priest, theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physics Georges Lemaitre. Hubble’s Law of the expansion of the universe provided foundational support for the theory.

 

In medieval philosophy, there was much debate over whether the universe had a finite or infinite past. The philosophy of Aristotle held that the universe had an infinite past, which caused problems for medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophers who were unable to reconcile the Aristotelian conception of the eternal with the Abrahamic view of creation. As a result, a variety of logical arguments for the universe having a finite past were developed by John Philoponus, Al-Kindi, Saadia Gaon, Al-Ghazali and Immanuel Kant, among others.

 

The first actual pursuit of describing and explaining in as much detail as possible the “Big Bang” originated in 1914. Vesto Melvin Slipher was an American astronomer who performed the first measurements of radial velocities for galaxies. He was the first to discover that distant galaxies are redshifted, thus providing the first empirical basis for the expansion of the universe. He was also the first to relate these redshifts to velocity. Basically he discovered that galaxies were moving away from the earth. This was proved due to a shift in the color of light from the stars observed in the galaxies. Parts of the galaxies moving closer to the earth had their lights shifted to the blue spectrum of light and those moving away had their lights shifted towards the red spectrum. These studies used the spectrograph to analyze the composition of light emitted from stars to determine what sort of elements were in the stars.

 

In 1916, a scientist by the name of Dr. Sittert proposed the theory of the expanding universe.

 

The basic theory is that the energy from the Big Bang drove the universe’s early expansion. Since then, gravity and dark energy have engaged in a cosmic tug of war. Gravity pulls galaxies closer together; dark energy pushes them apart. Whether the universe is expanding or contracting depends on which force dominates, gravity or dark energy.

 

During the years of 1925 to 1030, Dr. Hubble and Dr. Humanson found that galaxies were moving away from our galaxy at speed proportional to their distances from us.

 

In 1946, Dr. Gamow proposed a hot big bang theory and predicted the existence of background radiation.

 

In 1965, Dr. Penzias and Dr. Wilson discovered the 4° Kelvin background radiation present in the universe which is proposed to be the residual heat and light left over after the big bang. This is similar to the heat generated by coals of a campfire.

 

In 1974, Dr. Sandage reported that galaxies were moving away from each other at decreasing rates.

What actually is the “Big Bang” Theory?

 

The basic idea of the Big Bang is that at some time in the far distant past there was a primordial (existing at or from the beginning of time) fireball which was extremely dense and compact. It exploded and out of this explosion came all the universe as we know it today. The after effects of the explosion are that the universe is expanding in all directions.

 

There are different scientific theories as to what will be the final outcome of the universe as we know it. There are models as to how this big bang created the universe and where it is headed.

 

Most of the current theories on the Big Bang rely on the basic theory of the expanding universe and that it will continue to expand forever.

 

OSCILLATION: This is called the “Big Bounce” theory. It states that every 100 Billion years the universe collapses upon itself only to be re-created. This is popularized by Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov. The problem with this theory is even if the universe did have enough mass so gravity could cause a collapse, it would be more of a “Big Crunch” than a “Big Bounce.”

 

STEADY STATE: The “Steady State” theory states that the universe is expanding, but new matter is created to fill the space as it expands. There is no observable evidence to support this theory though.

 

INFLATIONARY: There was a “Big Bang,” but there was in the early stages of this creation of the universe a phase shift in matter and physics so that the normal scientific laws we know today were not in effect. After this initial phase shift, the normal laws came into effect. There is some evidence for this and it would also support the theory of a “Young Earth” with an appearance of age. Many scientists who are Disciples of Christ support this theory.

 

Unexplained Questions in Science About the Formation of the Solar System

 

Problems with the Condensation of the Sun and Planets

 

The nebula (a distinct body of interstellar clouds) would have diffused before it would have condensed. Particles of proto-planets would have to have been the size of the moon before they would have been attracted to one another through gravitational forces to form planets. In this collision of particles, what would have caused them to “stick” together in this eddy to form larger planets? This theory demands millions of years of vortices to cause the planets to form, but there is no proof that it could have remained intact for 100 or even 10 years. Another question is what would keep the whole solar system eddy from condensing into one large mass? The sun has 99.86% of the mass of the sun and planets, why didn’t the .14% if the mass of the planets in our solar system just spiral into the sun?

 

There is no explanation why the sun has lost 99.9999999% of its angular momentum.

 

There is no explanation why the planets of the solar system possess 98% of the angular momentum of the solar system.

 

There are planets which eccentric and inclined orbits. All nine planets move in the same direction. All have nearly circular orbits. They are almost all on the same plane. The exceptions are Mercury; the smallest and closest and Pluto; the outermost. Each of these has the most eccentric and inclined orbits.

 

There is no explanation of the retrograde rotation of Uranus and Venus. They rotate in the opposite directions.

 

Six of the nine planets have moons or satellites or moons:

 

            Earth has 1 moon.

            Mars has 2 moons.

            Jupiter has 12 moons.

            Saturn has 9 moons.

            Uranus has 5 moons.

            Neptune has 2 moons.

 

Some of these satellites or moons have retrograde rotation.

 

     The outer 4 of Jupiter’s moons rotate in a retrograde fashion.

     The outer moon of Saturn rotates in a retrograde fashion.

      All of Uranus’ moons rotate in a retrograde fashion.

     The inner moon of Neptune rotates in retrograde fashion.

 

There is a problem with the distribution of angular momentum in the satellite systems.

 

There is a problem with the origin and composition of the Earth’s moon. It is related to the earth in many ways and is actually considered a sister planet, more than a “true” moon. It is a third less dense than the earth and is receding from the earth at a rate of 5 inches a year.

 

Astronomers have at least three if not more theories as to how the moon formed.

 

The Fission Theory: Some scientists believe the Moon originated from the earth, coming out of the Pacific Ocean Basin. The problem with this theory is that the rotation of the earth is too slow to cause this to take place.

 

The Capture Theory: Other scientists believe that the Moon was traveling through space and was captured by the Earth’s gravitational pull. But there is a problem with this in that there would need to have an extended atmosphere of the Earth for this to take place.

 

The Giant Impact Theory: Still other scientists believe that the early Earth was hit by a small planet or asteroid and the debris material coalesced into what became the moon. Again, there is a problem with this theory in that there is no known relative sizes of how such a small planet or asteroid would need to be which would allow this to happen.

 

Moving on to other planets and how they were formed.

 

There is a problem with the heavier elements being present in the smaller planets in greater concentration than is found in the Sun or the Universe as a whole.

 

Most heavy elements are very rare all over the universe and only account for 1% of the Sun’s composition. A heavy element is an element with an atomic number greater than 92. The first heavy element is neptunium (Np), which has an atomic number of 93.

 

Therefore, material torn from the Sun would not be suitable for formation of planets as we know them currently.

 

Cosmically speaking, Earth is made of the wrong stuff. Our planet Earth is a cosmic collector of items.

 

Creation of the Universe According to the Bible

 

Genesis 1:1, 3, 14-19 give us accounts of the creation of the Universe, Solar System, Light and Stars.

 

“1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

 

6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 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. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

 

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. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 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. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

 

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; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 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. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”

 

Scripture verses referring to God as Creator of all things are as follows:

 

Exodus 20:11, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

 

Exodus 31:17, “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

 

Psalm 33:6-9, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

 

Nehemiah 9:6, “You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.”

 

Isaiah 40:28, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.”

 

John 1:3, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

 

2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

 

Colossians 1:16-17, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

 

Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

 

Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

 

THERE ARE AT LEAST 14 THEORIES (depending on how you might wish to classify them) AS TO THE INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS CREATION DAYS

 

Theory 1: 24 HOUR DAYS

 

Earth was created before the 6 Days. The rest of the Universe was made on Day 4. An alternate light source was used for the first 3 Days. This would be one’s first impression.

 

Earth was created on Day 1, an alternate light source used for the first 3 days. The Sun, Moon and Stars were created on Day 4. This is the most literal Interpretation.

 

Both the Earth and Stars were created on Day 1, but the Sun and Stars remain dark until Day 4.

 

The Earth is created on Day 1. The Sun, Moon and Stars are created at the “Let there be light” command, but were not visible until Day 4.

 

The Stars and Earth are created on Day 1, but light is only visible when God says; “Let there be light.” Clouds disperse on Day 4.

 

Everything is made before Day 1. each Day develops these raw materials until all are complete “if” they are “Very Good.”

 

This theory permits the Big Bang Theory. It says there was an indefinite time period before Day, therefore there were geologic time periods before Day 1.

 

The Gap Theory: There were previous creations and cataclysms before Day 1. This also would permit the Big Bang Theory.

 

Theory 2: AGE-DAY Theories

 

The Days of Creation are “Ages” in a series. The 6 Days are interpreted figuratively as 6 Epochs (an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development).

 

The Days are Ages that overlap. Due to the association of some of the Days, it is proposed that some of these Days overlapped in the creation process.

 

Theory 3: NON-CONSECUTIVE LITERAL DAYS.

 

Pictorial Day Theory. The writer of Genesis had 6 Days of revelation which correspond to 6 Epochs of Creation. Creation is thus pictured as occurring in 6 Days.

 

Divine commands followed by fulfillments of those commands. God issued orders on 6 Days which were then carried out over LONG periods of time. God’s command “Let there be…” not             necessarily instantaneous  or concurrent with His words.

 

Nonconsecutive divine command days. Time spans occur between the Days. Similar to the above except there are time spans between the commands and the long periods following the             commands.

 

Days initiate commands. Each Day goes with the command following. The fulfillment of the command entails ages which may overlap.

 

BASICALLY THESE THEORIES CAN BE BROKEN DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING

 

FIAT CREATIONISM: Young Earth 10-20,000 years old. Literal 24-hour 6 Days of creation. There is an appearance of age to the earth. “Catastrophism”

 

GAP THEORY: There is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This gap contains geologic time. Due to Satan’s fall, creation was judged and left formless and void. Genesis 1:2 describes a “re-creation” of the world.

 

CONCORDISM (A view that seeks a harmony of the geological record and the days of Genesis interpreted as long periods of time briefly summarizing geological history.)

 

1. Moderate Concordism: (Progressive Creationism), The Days of Genesis are viewed as figurative indeterminate time periods or possibly pictorial-revelationary Days. “Long Creative Periods”

 

2. Strict Concordism (Day-Age Theory) The Days of Genesis are “Eras” of the Geologic Timetable.

 

3.Theistic Evolution: God is the creative force behind natural processes. The Bible is a figurative religious parable of how the Universe came about.

 

THE GENESIS ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE (GENESIS 1:1, 3-5, 14-19)

 

“In the Beginning,…” Beginning signifies the beginning of “Time” itself and not just a particular period of time within Eternity. Tied to its use is often the idea of “Blessing.” Therefore this creation of the Universe and all things in it has associated with it a blessing.

 

“God Created,” He created means God created (God is always the subject of this word). It does not say He created “out of something, although in some uses it can. The word for God here is the second most frequent noun in the Old Testament. It is simply the ordinary word for “God: the plural form, but singular in meaning. It also implies that God is the sovereign Creator of the whole Universe, not just Israel’s personal God. The God in Genesis is one who acts and speaks. His reality is seen in His acts. He is not an entity who can be conceived of apart from His “works.”

 

“Heavens and Earth,” This phrase is used to define the Universe in its totality.

 

In the opening chapter of Genesis the first 3-5 verses record the First Ten Words of Creation. They contain the 7 “standard formula words” that comprise the description of each stage of creation. It actually is the only occasion where all seven elements are present in a simple sequence.

 

1. Announcement: “GOD SAID” This formula occurs 10 times in this chapter. It is a Divine Word Command that brings into existence what it expresses.

 

2. Command: “LET THERE BE” The divine fiat itself. Light is the first of the Creator’s works. This is a succinct account of the Creation of Light. A more detailed account of those aspects of light which affect mankind are elaborated later in verses 14-19.

 

3. Fulfillment: “IT WAS SO” This emphasized the TOTAL FULFILLMENT of the DIVINE WORD.

 

4. Execution: “LIGHT” The separating of LIGHT from DARKNESS. The Hebrews did not necessarily associate daylight with the Sun. many times during dusk and dawn, when the Sun was below the horizon, it was still considered day. When light is separated from the darkness, in verse 14 of Genesis chapter 1, a demarcation is made though.

 

5. Approval: “God saw the LIGHT and said it was “GOOD.”” God admires His creative act. Light is denoted as good here, not darkness. Light is often metaphorically used for life, salvation, the commands and of God Himself. “Good” draws attention to the quality of God’s creation. It is related closely to the “mind” and “opinion” of God.

 

6. Subsequent Word: “God called” Creation is coupled with naming. In the Old Testament, to name something is to assert sovereignty over it. The peculiar thing here is that the sun and Moon are not specifically named. After other creations, it is stated God calls His creation certain names. Here it is omitted, possibly to avoid association of the Sun and Moon with worship of them as false gods, as many mid-eastern religions do.

 

7. Day number: There is little doubt that the “Day” mentioned in Genesis is a 24-hour period.

 

In Genesis 1:14-19, a more detailed account is described of the creation of light, specifically the Sun, Moon and Stars.

 

The Sun, Moon and Stars are creations of God. They are not gods themselves, which goes against many religions in the middle east. Here in Genesis the usual Hebrew names for the Sun and Moon are not given. This might have been so that they would not be associated with “gods” believed in by other religions. The Sun, Moon and Stars are given only the job of lighting the Earth and ruling the day and night. Finally, the Stars which are widely worshipped and looked to for guidance are only briefly mentioned.

 

The main elements of functions of “lights” are as follows. The structure of this account is common in Hebrew Prose.

 

1. To divide the Day from the Night. (Genesis 1:14a)

 

2. For signs, for fixed times, for days and years. (Genesis 1:14b)

 

3. To give light on the earth. (Genesis 1:15)

 

4. To rule the day. (Genesis 1:16a)

 

5. To rule the night. (Genesis 1:16b)

 

6. To give light on the earth. (Genesis 1:17)

 

7. To rule the Day and Night. (Genesis 1:18a)

 

8. To divide the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:18b)

 

9. “Let them be for lights.” (Genesis 1:15) This is mentioned to emphasize the function of the light created.

 

I wish to quote a portion of the Word Biblical Commentary on Genesis chapter 15 at this point. this commentary on Genesis was written by Gordon J. Wenham.

 

“The Bible-verse-science debate has, most regrettably, sidetracked readers of Genesis 1. Instead of reading the chapter as a triumphant affirmation of the power and wisdom of God and the wonder of His creation, we have been too often bogged down in attempting to squeeze Scripture into the mold of the latest scientific hypothesis or distorting scientific facts to fit a particular interpretation. When allowed to speak for itself, Genesis 1 looks beyond such minutiae. Its proclamation of the God of grace and power who undergirds the world and gives it purpose justifies the scientific approach to nature. Genesis 1, by further affirming the unique status of man, his place in the divine program, and God’s care for him, gives a hope to mankind that atheistic philosophies can never legitimately supply.”