The Universe Began to Exist Sometime in the Past

Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated, “The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion…The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen.”

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, said at the moment of this explosion, “the universe was about a hundred thousand million degrees Centigrade…and the universe was filled with light.”¹

What is the Most Reasonable Explanation?

The consensus of science is that the universe has not always existed. That it had a start nearly all seem to agree… but what caused that start?  Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter. Science can only explain down to the very split second after the vent – not before. Before the universe is an unknown to science, since there was no space, time, or matter before the initial singularity.

Most scientists are secular humanists, and materialists – believe that only natural processes, and the laws of science (cause and effect, gravity, et.) can be used to explain things. They do not allow for the “supernatural” to be an explanation. Yet people will tell you that miracles happen every day. And by the way, these same laws of physics were also put into place at the “big bang”. Consider the creation event as the biggest, grandest, first miracle.  Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com

>> Watch a video on the “Big Bang”:  https://youtu.be/wNDGgL73ihY

The video says that before the initial creation event, we can’t know what happened, and we may never know, since our tools to investigate this area “break down”.  But the video does point out that there are multiple lines of evidence for an initial singularity, “big bang” or creation event:\.

Multiple Lines of Evidence for a Singularity

• Einstein’s General Theory of Relatively – mathematical evidence that demands a beginning to the universe.  This is one of the most verified theories of science, supported by multiple lines of evidence. Space, time and light are all related. 
• Astronomical evidence – the “red shift” of stars zooming away from a central point supports the notion that the universe is expanding (at an ever increasi9ng rate), from an initial point of origin. 
• The detection of “background radiation” left over from the beginning event, detected by the COBE satellites: http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/cobe/; Also see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Background_Explorer

Yet the video suggests some other reasons for what may have started the initial event – that it could have started “naturally”, or that maybe there were “multiple universes”.  Photo by Philippe Donn on Pexels.com

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

Some people ask: “Well then, what caused God?”  They don’t realize that this is by definition a silly question.  Its like asking “Who then is the bachelor’s wife?”  Turns out, only things which have a beginning need a cause.

This is called the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God:

1. All things which have a beginning need a cause
2. The universe had a beginning
3. Therefore, the universe had a cause

What Does the Bible Say About the Singularity?

The Bible teaches, and Christians believe, that God was the “First Cause”.  That He was the source of the big bang, or creation event, and caused everything else (including the law of cause and effect).  The question “What caused God” is the wrong question, since He is by definition not contingent on anything else – all things are contingent on Him.  He is eternal, without a beginning, and the First Cause, the Sustainer of all things.

We call this “First Cause” God.  What does the Bible say about the singularity or big-bang??

• Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
• Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork”.
• 1 Chron 16:26: “For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.”
• Psalm 8:3 “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful of him?”
• Psalm 89:11 “The heavens are thine, the earth is thine; as for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.”
• Psalm 102:25 “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands”.

>> Watch:  Ben Stein Interviews Richard Dawkins on the existence of God: https://youtu.be/GlZtEjtlirc

Even if there was a First Cause, critics assert that we can know nothing about the character of God based on this.  But is that true?  On the contrary, here is what we can conclude:

• Since the First Cause created the universe of space and time, He Himself must transcend the dimensions of space and time. We can thus conclude that He must be timeless and eternal.  We can also conclude that He is immaterial, since He transcends space.  What does the Bible say?
  • God is Eternal: 1 Tim 1:17; Isa 43:13 and 57:15; Psalm 90:2, 41:13, 102: 12, 27
  • God is a Spirit: John 4:24; 1 Tim 1:17; Col 1:15
• To have created the universe, in all of its incredible vastness, out of nothing, the First Cause must be incredibly powerful.
  • 56 times the Bible declares God is “Almighty” – ex: Rev 19:6; Psalm 147:5; Matt 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Gen 18:14
• To have created the universe with such intricate design, perfect and fine-tuned for the existence of complex life on earth, the First Cause must be incredibly intelligent.
  • He knows all things past (Isa 41:22), present (Heb 4:13), and future (Isa 46:10)
  • His understanding has no limit: Psalm 147:5
  • His knowledge is infinite: Psalm 33:13-15; 139:11-12; 147:5; Isa 40:14; Heb 4:13
• To have made an unending series of design choices requires that the First Cause be personal – for an inanimate, impersonal thing cannot make choices. God’s personality is also evidenced by the fact that He created personal human beings.
  • He hears: Ex 2:24
  • He sees: Gen 1:4
  • Knows: 2 Tim 2:19; Jer 29:11
  • He has a will: 1 John 2:17
  • Communicates: Ex: 3:13-14)
  • Plans (Ephes 1:11)
  • Demonstrates emotion: (Gen 6:6)
  • Read Psalm 94: 9

All of the above characteristics agree with the Bible’s teaching about the characteristics of the Almighty Creator.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”