Jehovah has always invited and encouraged people to look up from our tiny little sphere and to contemplate the immensity and marvels of the universe above us. For instance, God once invited Abraham to gaze into the night sky, saying to him: "Look up, please, to the heavens and count the stars, if you are possibly able to count them." If Abraham were so inclined, he could have counted about 5,000 stars.
As a shepherd living out-of-doors, David no doubt frequently contemplated the awesome majesty of the lunar phases and other celestial phenomenon; in comparison to his own smallness and insignificance. Accordingly, the lyrics to one of his inspired songs ponders the question: "When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man that you keep him in mind, and the son of earthling man that you take care of him?"
Unfortunately, because of light pollution, modern city dwellers can see far fewer stars than David and Abraham did. However, the trade-off is that modern astronomical science has extended our view far, far beyond the limitations of unaided sight. Ancient sky gazers, in fact, had no idea of how immense and wonderful the universe really is. To them, the stars were mere twinkling specks of light. As it turns out, telescopes reveal that some of those star-like specks are themselves swirling galaxies containing billions of stars. The orbiting Hubble telescope has extended our view of the heavens even farther. It seems that we are now peering out from our remote location to the very edge of the universe.
Scientists and astronomers have recently discovered a strange new heavenly wonder. By observing the pulses of light from a dying star known as a white dwarf, researchers have theorized that the core of the star has solidified into a giant diamond-like crystal the size of our moon. The New Scientist magazine says of this phenomenon: "But the crystal, which has been likened to a diamond, is in fact unlike any known on Earth. The pressure inside the white dwarf is a million, million times the pressure that produces diamonds."
In view of the fact that we have been enabled through technology to peer higher into the heavens than previous generations could have imagined possible, the question posed to God's servants long ago has even more relevance for us today. Isaiah 40:26 asks: "Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things?"
But, Jehovah's exhortation to "raise your eyes high up" into the heavens is not an invitation to astronomers to study the heavens. The entire prophecy of Isaiah, particularly from the 40th chapter onward, is directed to God's people, witnesses of Jehovah as they are called, at the time of their being disciplined and redeemed.
For instance, the 40th chapter establishes the setting, where God says: "Comfort, comfort my people," says the God of you men. "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her that her military service has been fulfilled, that her error has been paid off. For from the hand of Jehovah she has received a full amount for all her sins."
Jehovah goes on to describe the nations of the earth as a mere unreality; a drop in the bucket, as the expression goes. Isaiah 40:22 likens humans to grasshoppers, saying: "There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth, the dwellers in which are as grasshoppers, the One who is stretching out the heavens just as a fine gauze, who spreads them out like a tent in which to dwell, the One who is reducing high officials to nothing, who has made the very judges of the earth as a mere unreality."
It is one thing to merely liken earth's inhabitants to grasshoppers in comparison to God; it is quite another matter for Jehovah to demonstrate his superiority. That is exactly what is to occur during the tribulation.
Just as scientists were recently startled and amazed to find a new phenomenon in the physical universe with the discovery of a star with a crystal core, Jehovah's Witnesses are soon to be more than astonished when Jehovah unveils new and brilliant spiritual realities from a book we presume to already have all figured out.
Indeed, it is thrilling that God has hidden treasures throughout the physical universe; just waiting to be discovered. But, without a doubt, the future revelation of Christ Jesus surpasses in glory even a diamond as big as the moon.
As a shepherd living out-of-doors, David no doubt frequently contemplated the awesome majesty of the lunar phases and other celestial phenomenon; in comparison to his own smallness and insignificance. Accordingly, the lyrics to one of his inspired songs ponders the question: "When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man that you keep him in mind, and the son of earthling man that you take care of him?"
Unfortunately, because of light pollution, modern city dwellers can see far fewer stars than David and Abraham did. However, the trade-off is that modern astronomical science has extended our view far, far beyond the limitations of unaided sight. Ancient sky gazers, in fact, had no idea of how immense and wonderful the universe really is. To them, the stars were mere twinkling specks of light. As it turns out, telescopes reveal that some of those star-like specks are themselves swirling galaxies containing billions of stars. The orbiting Hubble telescope has extended our view of the heavens even farther. It seems that we are now peering out from our remote location to the very edge of the universe.
Scientists and astronomers have recently discovered a strange new heavenly wonder. By observing the pulses of light from a dying star known as a white dwarf, researchers have theorized that the core of the star has solidified into a giant diamond-like crystal the size of our moon. The New Scientist magazine says of this phenomenon: "But the crystal, which has been likened to a diamond, is in fact unlike any known on Earth. The pressure inside the white dwarf is a million, million times the pressure that produces diamonds."
In view of the fact that we have been enabled through technology to peer higher into the heavens than previous generations could have imagined possible, the question posed to God's servants long ago has even more relevance for us today. Isaiah 40:26 asks: "Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things?"
But, Jehovah's exhortation to "raise your eyes high up" into the heavens is not an invitation to astronomers to study the heavens. The entire prophecy of Isaiah, particularly from the 40th chapter onward, is directed to God's people, witnesses of Jehovah as they are called, at the time of their being disciplined and redeemed.
For instance, the 40th chapter establishes the setting, where God says: "Comfort, comfort my people," says the God of you men. "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her that her military service has been fulfilled, that her error has been paid off. For from the hand of Jehovah she has received a full amount for all her sins."
Jehovah goes on to describe the nations of the earth as a mere unreality; a drop in the bucket, as the expression goes. Isaiah 40:22 likens humans to grasshoppers, saying: "There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth, the dwellers in which are as grasshoppers, the One who is stretching out the heavens just as a fine gauze, who spreads them out like a tent in which to dwell, the One who is reducing high officials to nothing, who has made the very judges of the earth as a mere unreality."
It is one thing to merely liken earth's inhabitants to grasshoppers in comparison to God; it is quite another matter for Jehovah to demonstrate his superiority. That is exactly what is to occur during the tribulation.
Just as scientists were recently startled and amazed to find a new phenomenon in the physical universe with the discovery of a star with a crystal core, Jehovah's Witnesses are soon to be more than astonished when Jehovah unveils new and brilliant spiritual realities from a book we presume to already have all figured out.
Indeed, it is thrilling that God has hidden treasures throughout the physical universe; just waiting to be discovered. But, without a doubt, the future revelation of Christ Jesus surpasses in glory even a diamond as big as the moon.
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