And another sign was seen in heaven: a great, fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven crowns. His tail dragged down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when her child was born he might eat it up. Rev. 12:3, 4.
The psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Ps. 19:1, NIV). One of the best definitions of "glory" is a representation of character. The psalmist tells us that the universe displays God's character in the things that He has made.
But the author of Revelation tells a slightly different story. Satan has done his best to obliterate the image of God that the Creator embossed into His creation. Sin has marred and defiled the earth, and it reflects God's glory in only the dimmest fashion. So it should not surprise us that the findings of honest science on this earth might not totally agree with the Scripture record. The evidence has been tampered with.
But shouldn't the condition of the wider universe be a different matter? After all, one would expect the ravages of sin to be located primarily on earth. Would not the wider universe remain unspoiled with clear traces of God's hand? Another psalmist begs to differ: "The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but your remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded" (Ps. 102:25, 26, NIV).
Science bears out that the "perfection" of the universe is, at best, a very different one from what we might expect. Craters pock the moon, spots cover the surface of he sun, and planetary satellites have powerful volcanoes that alter their landscapes in destructive fashion.
Stars appear to go through life cycles in which they form, burn through a massive amount of fuel, explode, and then dwindle down to cold, lifeless spheres. Black holes suck in or destroy everything that passes near. Galaxies collide and cast debris here and there. It would seem that even in the heavens we find traces not only of God's hand, but also of the tail of the dragon, the old serpent, Satan.
The safest course for the people of God is to stay close to His Word. The evidence of our eyes and ears can deceive us, The words of Scripture, on the other hand, guided by the illumination of the Spirit, give a picture of God that corrects the misconceptions inevitable in a universe marred by sin.
Lord, I purpose to seek You in all I do today. I want to be open to Your leading in research and experience, but help me to correct that understanding through Your Word.
The psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Ps. 19:1, NIV). One of the best definitions of "glory" is a representation of character. The psalmist tells us that the universe displays God's character in the things that He has made.
But the author of Revelation tells a slightly different story. Satan has done his best to obliterate the image of God that the Creator embossed into His creation. Sin has marred and defiled the earth, and it reflects God's glory in only the dimmest fashion. So it should not surprise us that the findings of honest science on this earth might not totally agree with the Scripture record. The evidence has been tampered with.
But shouldn't the condition of the wider universe be a different matter? After all, one would expect the ravages of sin to be located primarily on earth. Would not the wider universe remain unspoiled with clear traces of God's hand? Another psalmist begs to differ: "The heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but your remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded" (Ps. 102:25, 26, NIV).
Science bears out that the "perfection" of the universe is, at best, a very different one from what we might expect. Craters pock the moon, spots cover the surface of he sun, and planetary satellites have powerful volcanoes that alter their landscapes in destructive fashion.
Stars appear to go through life cycles in which they form, burn through a massive amount of fuel, explode, and then dwindle down to cold, lifeless spheres. Black holes suck in or destroy everything that passes near. Galaxies collide and cast debris here and there. It would seem that even in the heavens we find traces not only of God's hand, but also of the tail of the dragon, the old serpent, Satan.
The safest course for the people of God is to stay close to His Word. The evidence of our eyes and ears can deceive us, The words of Scripture, on the other hand, guided by the illumination of the Spirit, give a picture of God that corrects the misconceptions inevitable in a universe marred by sin.
Lord, I purpose to seek You in all I do today. I want to be open to Your leading in research and experience, but help me to correct that understanding through Your Word.
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