Biblical Doctrines Pt. 4 Revelation: God Revealed Through Preservation

In our last post, we learned about how God is revealed through His providential care. 

In this post, we will learn how God is revealed through the preservation of all things. The universe functions with regularity and predictability that defies evolutionary views. 

The doctrine of revelation shows us how God preserves all life and the systemic order that we see in the universe around us. 

It all belongs to God because He created it all. 

Colossians 1:16,17  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

This text shows that Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe and that He made all things visible and invisible. He is the Creator of all things that had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity. 

Creation therefore, is the work of Christ who is unoriginated, infinite, unlimited, and eternal. Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, and therefore He must be, according to the plain construction of the apostle’s words, truly and properly, God.

Visible things are those things that we can see, measure, and comprehend with our senses. Invisible things would be the laws with which He governs and regulates His creation and the unseen spiritual realm. 

A spiritual realm exists which cannot be comprehended with our physical senses. This unseen realm is where Satan and his fallen angels afflict us and where they oppose all that God is doing. 

Paul speaks about it in Ephesians 6, when discussing our need to put on the whole armor of God. There are unseen thrones, powers, and dominions where spiritual warfare takes place. 

God has already revealed where this will end in the book of Revelation. 

We also see that whatsoever was created was created for Jesus Christ that He was the sole end of His own work. He created all things according to the good pleasure of His will.

In addition, we see that Jesus Christ is eternal, existing with the Godhead prior to creation.

Finally, we see that Jesus Christ is the preserver and governor of all things, for by him all things consist. Christ Jesus is before all creation which means He is preeminent. 

The phrase "by Him all things consist" contains a clue about how God is revealed through preservation. It means that Christ ordered all creation, placing all of its parts and pieces together according to His pleasure and will.

Every effect depends upon its cause, and cannot exist without it. Creation  is an effect of the power and skill of the Creator, and can only exist and be preserved by a continuance of that energy that first gave it being. 

Jesus Christ, as the Preserver, is as necessary to the continuance of all things, as He was to its original production. But this preserving or continuing power is here ascribed to Christ.  

All the universe is maintained in its present state. The Son of God is the Preserver, as well as the Creator of all things (See Isaiah 41:4; Revelation 22:13, Romans 11:36).  

Genesis 1:14-17 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide 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 firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16) And 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.  17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,    (See also Job 26:13-14)  

This text from Genesis shows how God put in place the preservation of all creation. He established 24 hours for each day, with daylight and night. He set the sun, moon and stars in place to help regulate life on earth. 

The author or Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-3). 

Here are examples of the invisible things of creation that clearly reveal the preservation and conservation of God to us. 

Gravity is 10³⁹  power times weaker than force of electrical-magnetism.

If this ratio was weakened to 10³³ power, all stars would be substantially smaller and would burn out quickly. No life would be able to exist as we know it. 

The nuclear weak force is 10²⁸ power stronger than gravity. If any change were made to this ratio, then electrons could not stick to protons and all hydrogen in the universe would turn to helium. Therefore, there would be no water and no life as we know it.

If the nuclear strong force was reduced by 2%  then there would be no atoms and no life. If the nuclear strong force was reduced by 5% then we would have no stars and life as we know it could not exist. 

 Carbon is a key element in fats, DNA, and the molecular chains that form life. If there was any change to ratio of the strong nuclear force which would impact electromagnetism, then there would be no carbon and no life.

If God created all things with more power and speed than the known rates of acceleration, there would be less gravity and all matter would have accelerated far too fast for any stars and planets to form. Thus, no life as we know it. 

If God created the universe with any less speed, then gravity would be much stronger, such that the universe would have collapsed on itself, There would be no life as we know it. 

• If the earth was 2% closer to the sun it would be too hot and life could not exist.

• If the earth was 2% farther away from sun, it would be too cold and life could not exist as we know it.

• If the earth was any larger or smaller, then it could not support life as we know it. 

• If the  earth’s crust was any thinner or thicker, it could not support life as we know it. 

• If any change in ratio of oxygen to nitrogen---no life

• If the earth does not rotate on its axis like it does now, then the surface winds would reach 1100 mph, and life as we know it would not exist. 

• If the earth's rotation was 10% slower, then the days would be ten times longer and sun would scorch the earth while the longer nights would freeze out vegetation.

• If the moon was only 50,000 miles away from earth, then the ocean tides would cover all land, and life as we know it would not exist. 

Jesus Christ preserves all creation by His Word!

Hebrews 1:1-3  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

John 1:1-4  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2)  The same was in the beginning with God. 3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

John's prologue to his gospel introduces Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God. This is an official title of the Son of God. He is the Word. He existed before the time, space, and matter continuous with the Father and Spirit, in the Godhead. 

Jesus declared that He alone is the way, the truth and the life. He is the giver and sustainer of all life (John 14:6). 

Christ is God and He made all things, just as we have read in this post. He is the source of all life, whether plant or animal and He is the source of all the energy that powers the universe. 

The same life that Christ initially gave to all living things continues on to this very moment. This speaks volumes about the omnipotence of the Godhead. 

Thus, the doctrine of Revelation reveals God through His preservation and conservation of all creation. 

I hope that seeing God revealed through His preservation and conservation of creation, is encouraging to your faith.

 

Bob