The purpose of the lights in the sky?

[AV1611VET]

Hi I was wondering what you meant.... do you mean things like the Virgo stars being related to the Virgin birth, etc?

My favorite example is Gemini.

The Greeks considered Gemini to be twins, but the Hebrews knew it as one person.

Gemini points to Jesus Christ as either King of Kings / Lord of Lords, or as the Suffering Servant / Reigning Monarch.

 

[Halbhh]

Genesis 1:14-16

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
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That is what Adam and Eve might have used the stars for. God doesn't talk about what stars could be used for in a more sophisticated society - such as being able to navigate enormous oceans. Many stars also have their own planets which humans might start colonizing one day...

BTW
How Many Stars Are There in the Sky?

There are only about 5,000 stars visible to the naked, average, human eye​

Though there are hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy alone...

Genesis 15:5

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”​

It seems God is talking about the number of stars that people believe are there rather than the trillions of stars that are actually there....

About the headline question, the purpose of the lights in the sky -- Consider:

God could have made the sky above just a uniform gray.

(would we have liked that? I think we each one of us say 'no')

A gray sky with no sun, moon or stars would be less beautiful, less awe inspiring, less suggestive of the awesome wonder God is capable of....

But they are practical also: to help us notice the passing days.

We are mortal, and we need to remember:

Only a little time....

We need to notice time slipping past.

 

[JohnClay]

About the headline question, the purpose of the lights in the sky -- Consider:

God could have made the sky above just a uniform gray.

(would we have liked that? I think we each one of us say 'no')

A gray sky with no sun, moon or stars would be less beautiful, less awe inspiring, less suggestive of the awesome wonder God is capable of....

But they are practical also: to help us notice the passing days.

We are mortal, and we need to remember:

Only a little time....

We need to notice time slipping past.

Note if there was nothing in the sky it would seem clear that the world centers around the Earth. But having countless Sun-like stars and habitable Earth-sized planets makes the Earth less special (to atheistic astronomers).

 

[Halbhh]

Note if there was nothing in the sky it would seem clear that the world centers around the Earth. But having countless Sun-like stars and habitable Earth-sized planets makes the Earth less special (to atheistic astronomers).

The stars are ours. They are for all of us.

About faith though, I'm reminded of Paul's wording in Romans chapter 1.

Also, I'm reminded of how some in the towns and places where Christ did miracles still did not believe(!).... Some won't believe even miracles done to people they know where they cannot deny something surprising has happened....

 

[AV1611VET]

Note if there was nothing in the sky it would seem clear that the world centers around the Earth. But having countless Sun-like stars and habitable Earth-sized planets makes the Earth less special (to atheistic astronomers).

Atheistic astronomers need to realize that God created the earth first, then created the universe around it.

The earth may not be geocentric, but it is most certainly geoprominent.

 

[JohnClay]

Atheistic astronomers need to realize that God created the earth first, then created the universe around it.

The earth may not be geocentric, but it is most certainly geoprominent.

On day 1 there was the day and the night. I assume that means that the light was stationary and the earth revolved on its axis - or the light source orbited the earth.... Then on day 4 the earth was orbiting the Sun.... was it originally orbiting the spot where the Sun was or did the earth start its orbit on day 4?

 

[AV1611VET]

On day 1 there was the day and the night. I assume that means that the light was stationary and the earth revolved on its axis - or the light source orbited the earth.... Then on day 4 the earth was orbiting the Sun.... was it originally orbiting the spot where the Sun was or did the earth start its orbit on day 4?

The earth doesn't need to orbit anything for a day to occur -- just rotate.

Since God is light, He must have been stationary, shining on the earth as it rotated.

 

[Halbhh]

On day 1 there was the day and the night. I assume that means that the light was stationary and the earth revolved on its axis - or the light source orbited the earth.... Then on day 4 the earth was orbiting the Sun.... was it originally orbiting the spot where the Sun was or did the earth start its orbit on day 4?

As you'll find, people invented theories to answer this question.

It's not important to believe such a theory though. The real basis of faith is to listen to the Word of Christ:

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

-- to listen to the gospel!

Zero people will be saved by believing in Creationism theory C2 instead of Creationism theory B1.

Only those, only, who believe on Christ Jesus will be saved.

So, every Creationist theory is just a side topic (an unimportant thing). All 10 or 20 of those theories.

If you talk to people in your own church, and show them you are really listening and not being judgmental, then they will tell you which of those 10-20 theories they personally think. And you'll find in your own church a whole range of theories.

 

[JohnClay]

The earth doesn't need to orbit anything for a day to occur -- just rotate.

Since God is light, He must have been stationary, shining on the earth as it rotated.

Thanks and what about the other question....

"Then on day 4 the earth was orbiting the Sun.... was it originally orbiting the spot where the Sun was or did the earth start its orbit on day 4?"​

 

[AV1611VET]

Thanks and what about the other question....

"Then on day 4 the earth was orbiting the Sun.... was it originally orbiting the spot where the Sun was or did the earth start its orbit on day 4?"​

Personally? I believe that was the day the earth started its journey around the sun.

 

[Lion IRC]

To ask what the purpose is suggests that they were placed there by some intelligent entity that had a purpose in mind for them. This is an unsupported premise, and must be shown if this discussion is to be anything more than a hypothetical.

Im pretty sure God has specifically indicated that He did so for a deliberate purpose.

I'm an atheist, so my personal beliefs about God don't provide an answer...

ad arguendo
Arguendo - Wikipedia

 

[Bradskii]

I swear this is true. But a few years back, in a forum now sadly mia, there was a discussion about a young earth. And a young guy was presented with evidence that the billions of stars we could see were billions of light years away. I asked him why he thought God had put them there if the world was only 6,000 years old. And in all seriousness, he said:

'So we'd have something to look at through our telescopes'.

 

[Bradskii]

The stars are ours. They are for all of us.

And all the worlds are yours. Except Europa. Attempt no landing there.

Points for the reference. No Google allowed.

 

[Lion IRC]

One of my earliest favourite scifi books - Robert A. Heinlein, Farmer in the Sky.
My favourites are CS Lewis'

 

[Halbhh]

And all the worlds are yours. Except Europa. Attempt no landing there.

Points for the reference. No Google allowed.

Out of curiosity yesterday evening I noticed and watched a short trailer for a series titled 'Tribes of Europa' (long having been a science fiction fan in youth, I was curious). It looked pretty dark in the trailer, and as I'd already long had my fill of daily worldly tribalism and cruelty and general malfeasance...I wasn't really wanting to see more.

But it would have been cool if it had been more a hard sci-fi thing involving the moon Europa.

 

[jayem]

Atheistic astronomers need to realize that God created the earth first, then created the universe around it.

The earth may not be geocentric, but it is most certainly geoprominent.

But something is strange. According to Genesis, God spent 4 of the 6 days of creation on our planet. And he pronounces his work good. But then he has the Earth orbit a nondescript star positioned on the inner side of an arm 27,000 ly from the center of an ordinary spiral galaxy. Imagine an artist who spent 6 months painting 50 canvases for an exhibition. He does 49 of the works in a month. And then he spends 4 months on one single canvas. When he’s finished, he’s satisfied the work is good. Maybe it’s his masterpiece. Wouldn’t you expect that the painting which took the most time and effort would have the most prominent position right in the center of the gallery, where it would be seen and admired by all viewers? It doesn’t make sense that the artist would hang it in a back room. Do you see my point?

 

[Lion IRC]

Atheistic astronomers need to realize that God created the earth first, then created the universe around it.

The earth may not be geocentric, but it is most certainly geoprominent.

Yes. And it gets even worse for them.

Atheistic astrophysicists actually admit that no matter which direction we look outwards from Earth into the depths of the universe, everything looks the same - equidistant. There is no near edge or boundary in one direction ('north') and a more distant edge of the universe if we look 'south'.

We aren't some distant, insignificant planet in a remote 'corner' of the universe. For all intents and purposes we are effectively at the apparent centre.

 

[Kylie]

And all the worlds are yours. Except Europa. Attempt no landing there.

Points for the reference. No Google allowed.

I see what you did there.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

But something is strange. According to Genesis, God spent 4 of the 6 days of creation on our planet. And he pronounces his work good. But then he has the Earth orbit a nondescript star positioned on the inner side of an arm 27,000 ly from the center of an ordinary spiral galaxy. Imagine an artist who spent 6 months painting 50 canvases for an exhibition. He does 49 of the works in a month. And then he spends 4 months on one single canvas. When he’s finished, he’s satisfied the work is good. Maybe it’s his masterpiece. Wouldn’t you expect that the painting which took the most time and effort would have the most prominent position right in the center of the gallery, where it would be seen and admired by all viewers? It doesn’t make sense that the artist would hang it in a back room. Do you see my point?

You miss the point, by assuming the universe a gallery. For whom is it being displayed? Art is not necessarily for public display either, think of for instance Raphael's school of Athens that was for the Pope's private study (that later became public as a court on account of it, perhaps). A great work in a backroom. Or the Parthenon marbles or the Bassae frieze, so placed that no one could have seen them. In the mediaeval period the assumption was that we were suburban to creation, the maleable area below the moon, in CS Lewis' phrase the mediaevals saw us as suburban to most of creation. We also don't know that it would be the most effort - finishing touches to something takes a lot of time sometimes, although the Herculean effort was making it in the first place - like carving tombs into solid rock and then decorating it for 20 years. Besides, time has no meaning to something beyond time.

 

[JohnClay]

Yes. And it gets even worse for them.

Atheistic astrophysicists actually admit that no matter which direction we look outwards from Earth into the depths of the universe, everything looks the same - equidistant. There is no near edge or boundary in one direction ('north') and a more distant edge of the universe if we look 'south'.

We aren't some distant, insignificant planet in a remote 'corner' of the universe. For all intents and purposes we are effectively at the apparent centre.

Where Is the Edge of the Universe?

“The universe is flat like an [endless] sheet of paper,” says Mather. “According to this, you could continue infinitely far in any direction and the universe would be just the same, more or less.” You’d never come to an edge of this flat universe; you’d only find more and more galaxies.
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I believe that only our "observable" universe is simulated. The rest is moving away at faster than the speed of light because space can expand at that speed. So I don't think the theoretical infinite amount of space exists. I had thought that space is a hypersphere that curves back on itself. It wouldn't have a center or edge...

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