But perhaps one of the most compelling Scriptural statements is found in Psalm 102:25-27, which is quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12: “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like agarment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” (NIV).
The obvious conclusion is that God transcends everything, not being subject to anything in His creation, including time. Numerous statements of Scripture adeptly and succinctly simplify this issue for us. Jesus explains in John 8:58, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (NIV). Or, in Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (NIV). These statements contrast our temporal understanding with God’s eternal (non-temporal) nature. In another clear statement, He says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” -Revelation 22:13 (NIV).
As pointed out in the previous President’s Corner, Albert Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity, scientifically support the understanding that time is part of the fabric of space-time––time is not a transcendent concept. Moreover, quantum mechanics also predicts this same fabric. According to Fiona Macdonald1 , quantum mechanics predicts that:
… a vacuum isn't empty at all. It's actually filled with quantum energy and particles that blink in and out of existence for a fleeting moment …
None of this high-level physics contradicts the Scriptural testimony. In fact, as we have seen, the Bible has long ago “predicted” what physicists have only recently concluded. Of course the Bible has not provided detailed theory, but it has described mass-energy and space-time long before anybody even knew what physics was!
So what’s on the far side of the bridge; what have we found while crossing the bridge, as described in recent President’s Corner articles? Perhaps the most important discovery is that of the nature of physical reality. From the Scriptural side, physical reality has been created and is sustained by the power of the Word of God. From the viewpoint of modern physics, physical reality looks a lot like one would expect were the Scriptural testimony true (and it is): a highly organized intelligently designed latticework constructed of a variety of forces, and containing energies of magnitudes beyond our comprehension, none of which can be traced back to a naturalistic origin without violating fundamental conservation laws of physics.
But something else has become clear that is truly astounding. Even after myriad experiments, and after having probed deeply into the make up of mass-energy and space-time, God has not been found in His creation! For those willing to see it, the evidence of God’s creative and sustaining work is overwhelming, but God Himself has not been found. This is a confirmed prediction of Scripture: that God is Holy, not part of and not subject to His creation. He has power over even time itself, because the entire creation is subject to Him, and time is part of His creation.
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1 Fiona McDonald: https://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-say-they-ve-managed-to-manipulate-pure-nothingness excerpting and summarizing an article that appeared in Nature volume 541, pages 376–379
(2017)
