Astronomy and the Bible

299 Pages·2009·15.67 MB·English

by  Reed, Lucas Albert

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ASTRONOMY
BIBLE
and
the
THE EMPIRE OF CREATION SEEN IN
THE DUAL LIGHT OF SCIENCE AND
THE WORD
7
LUCAS A. REED, M. S.
"Teachmeyourmood,Opatientstars.
Whoclimbeachnighttheancientsky.
Leavingonspacenoshade,noscars.
Notraceofage,nofeartodie."
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSN.,
Mountain View, Cal.
KansasCity,Mo. Portland,Ore. Brookfield,111.
St.Paul,Minn. Cristobal,CanalZone
Calgary,Alberta,Canada
Copyright 1919, by
Pacific Press Publishing Association
;
Preface
The writer of the following pages, throughout his
active life, has been a close student of nature, and the
starry universe all about us has had its full share of
his attention. He has gathered a fine assemblage of
most entertaining facts and the reader, whether a be-
;
liever in the Bible or not, will be interested in observing
that the astronomy of the Bible is far in advance of the
time in which it was written, for only after some of the
latest research with telescope, spectroscope, and camera,
have seemingly obscure and meaningless passages of
the Bible been understood.
Dr. Reed has been a popular writer for magazines,
as well as of books and one of his major themes has
;
been the astronomy of the Bible. The popularity of his
astronomy magazine articles, and the urgent demand
that many of them be printed over and over again, has
led to the preparation of this book.
Vibrant in the pages that follow is the sentiment of
the inspired poet that "the heavens declare the glory
of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night
showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language
their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through
all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun." Ps.
19:1-4.
The invisible God, whose glory is too bright for sin-
ful, weakened mortal eye, may be clearly seen through
7
8 PREFACE
the things He has made; for the apostle is bold to de-
clare that "that which is known of God is manifest in
them; for God manifested it unto them. For the in-
visible things of Him since the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being perceived through the things
that are made, even His everlasting power and divin-
ity." Rom. 1 : 19, 20.
The universe is not a mere jumble of suns and
worlds, a freak of chance operating blindly through the
undirected laws of nature neither are some of the suns
;
and worlds about us "young" and growing toward the
strength of manhood life and power, while others arc
"old" and waxing to decay; but the omnipotent hand
of God is behind all of His works, and His infinite in-
telligence is directing every star and world and all of
the forces of nature in earth and sea and sky.
The marshaling of the facts and of the scriptures
which show that God is intelligently, actively, and lov-
ingly at work through all of the operations of nature,
will be found a constant delight, inspiration, and satis-
faction to the reader. God so loves us that He seeks
to touch us through many avenues. H He is not able
to appeal to us through His written Word, He thea
appeals through the forces of nature. He speaks to us
by means of sun and moon and all the retinue of celes-
tial orbs, so that He may lead us to touch and to know
His invisible presence through His visible creation.
One cannot fail to be impressed with the truth and
the dependableness of the infinite Creator as he beholds
His handiwork in the numberless stars and the orderly
movement of all the stellar worlds. The joys and the
PREFACE 9
soul rest that come through actually knowing God and
being in touch with Him by a living experience are
beyond our powers to describe, but nevertheless we
may know them and find perfect rest under the ever
pervading shadow of the Almighty.
That those who do know God may have their ap-
preciation of Him intensified, and that those who do
not know Him may be introduced to Him through the
pages that follow, is the earnest wish of
The Publishers.
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
I Astronomy and the Bible - - 17
II Astronomy and Faith - - 24
III Science and the Bible - - - 31
IV The Atmospheric Heavens - 41
V The Power of Gravitation - - 53
VI The Transfer of Energy - - 63
VII The Center of the Universe - 75
VIII The Earth in Space - - 81
IX The Impress of Light - - - 87
X Celestial Magnitudes - - 105
XI The Infinitude of Space - - 122
XII As THE Moon _ . - - 127
XIII Stars Innumerable - - - 133
XIV The Fixed Stars _ _ _ 143
XV The Bands of Orion - - - 159
XVI Arcturus with His Sons - - 170
XVII The Gospel of Despair - - - 177
XVIII Difference in Glory - - - 186
XIX The Vastness of His Power - - 200
XX
His Definite Foreknowledge - 207
XXI The Clock of the Universe - - 215
XXII God's Dwelling Place, Where? - 223
XXIII The Open Space in Orion - - 236
XXIV Rolled Together as a Scroll - 258