Share This Article
Table of Contents
Lights in the heavens
“God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited…” Isa. 45:18.
Though the earth was marred by the entrance of sin and the decay in nature testifies of the curse that was pronounced upon it because of man’s disobedience, God’s purpose in creating it will not fail, as after it shall be redeemed from the curse, it will be inhabited by the righteous.
“For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.” Ps. 37:22.
A question we need to ask ourselves is: Has God specified any particular purpose for which he made the sun, moon and stars? In the Creation account in Genesis chap. 1, we read:
“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: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.” Gen. 1:14, 15.
But did not God make some of those to be inhabited? – someone may ask. If we believe the Mosaic record which calls the moon a “light” (Gen. 1:14-16), we would not make any such assertions.
Modern astronomy claims that the moon has no light of itself and the sun is the only one of the two that emits light. Though the Bible says that day and night are governed by these two lights. Gen. 1:16-18.
The purpose of these lights is particularly stated and it is at least twofold:
1) for “lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night”; and
2) “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”.
Consequently, the sun, moon and stars are appointed to be means by which mankind can reckon their time and the marine men – their approximate location on the vast seas.
To the religious world, this topic is of utmost importance as it involves a confirmation the entire Scriptures.
The sun, moon and stars as lights
Modern theoretical astronomy claims that the moon is a solid body and that it is in fact a material world. It has even been mapped out into regions, continents, islands, seas and lakes, and the surface of it has been so freely discussed, as if our scientists were as familiar with it, as with the things of earth.
The light with which the moon beautifully lightens the firmament is declared to be borrowed, that it is only the light of the sun that is intercepted and reflected upon the surface of the earth. These theories are completely overthrown by the Scriptures which never refer to the heavenly bodies as worlds but simply “lights”, set up to rule the day and the night and to meter out “seasons”, “days” and “years”.
The shining light emitted by the heavenly luminaries
Does the moon shine with a borrowed light? Let us allow the Scriptures to answer for themselves:
“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night…” Jer. 31:35.
“And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee…” Eze. 32:7, 8.
“… the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” Isa. 13:10.
Nor here, nor in any other part of the Bible it is said that the sun only is a great light and that the moon shines only by reflection. On the contrary, the sun is called “the greater light to rule the day” and the moon is called “the lesser light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16). For “them” both it is said that God “set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth” (Gen. 1:17). Although one of these great lights is said to be greater than the other, the record states that each of them shines with its own, independent light.
Moreover, in Deut. 33:14 we read that certain fruits develop only by the influence of the sun while specific plants are governed by the moon.
That sunlight influences the growth of certain species of plants while the light of the moon has a direct influence on the increase of other natural substances is a fact that is well established and easily demonstrated by specific agricultural phenomena. Chemical evidence proves abundantly that these two lights differ in their character and action on various compounds.
“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.” 1 Cor. 15:41.
By glory we must here understand light or shining.
Let us now consider briefly the prophecy in Revelation about the moon being darkened in the sixth seal:
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood…” Rev. 6:12.
If the moon did not have light on its own, it would not be able to remain as blood when the sun was thus darkened and turned into blackness.
If we cannot believe Moses and the prophets we would not believe though one rose from the dead. If we say that God inspired men to use their own language and thoughts, such a reasoning simply destroys the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, and where is the standard for truth?
Rather: “Let God be true and every man a liar.” Rom. 3:4.