| Highlights of Dawn | September 1969 |
God’s Invisible Creations
THERE are those who say that they cannot believe in anything which they cannot see. This expression of faithlessness is used to explain inability to believe in God and in the promises of his Word. However, in this enlightened era in which we live it is not too valid a viewpoint, for we know now that our very existence, and most of the things we experience from day to day, are made possible by invisible elements and powers which defy the brightest minds of earth adequately to define.
In the Genesis record of creation we are told that God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and that as a result he became a living soul, or living being. (Gen. 2:7) The Bible also informs us that “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Lev. 17:11) The oxygen of the air which we breathe is carried to every part of the body in the blood, and thus we are kept alive. Compared to the length of time man has been on the earth, it is only recently that medical science has discovered this fact, although the Bible had expressed this great truth thousands of years ago.
The air is invisible—pure air, that is. Man in his misuse of increasing knowledge in this “time of the end” has polluted the air by his inventions to the point where, if something is not done, it will become lethal instead of life-sustaining. But let us think of the air for a moment just as God created it. We cannot see the air, yet we know we are surrounded by it, and that every breathing creature depends upon it for life. That is why a person dies when submerged in water for more than a few minutes. Can any reasonable person say that he does not believe in the existence of the air simply because he cannot see it?
Not only does the air provide lifegiving oxygen to the body, through the blood, but it is also one of God’s most powerful elements of creation. This is realized by the scientists today. It seems as if it were only yesterday that the idea of man’s traveling through the air was an impossibility. The Wright brothers did much to disprove this misconception, for they realized that the invisible air is in reality a very powerful element which, when properly utilized, would lift a “flying machine” from the earth and keep it sustained while being propelled from one location to another. Birds, of course, have been utilizing this unseen power since creation.
The power of the invisible air is easily demonstrated simply by extending one’s arm out of a car window when the car is traveling at a normal speed, slant the palm of the hand slightly upward, and note how quickly the arm is lifted as high as the window of the car will permit. It is this same principle applied to the wings of a jet plane that lifts that monster, with its hundred or more passengers, to thousands of feet into the air, and furnishes a “roadbed” on which it can be propelled to distant cities and countries at unbelievable speeds.
Rampaging Air
We can also note the tremendous power of the air when, as it occasionally does, it goes on a rampage such as is manifested in tornadoes, hurricanes, and cyclones. When this happens, forests and buildings are often destroyed, and the lives of humans and beasts snuffed out. The amount of power in a tornado is beyond our imagination, but it is invisible power.
Jesus used the invisible power of the air to illustrate one of the qualities of those who, in the resurrection, will be “born” of the Spirit—highly exalted to the divine nature to live and reign with Christ in his millennial kingdom. He said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.”—John 3:8
Invisible Electrical Power
In this prophetic “time of the end” in which we are living, man has become very much aware of electrical energy, for the lives of the people are touched by it in one way or another essentially every minute of the day; and electricity is just as invisible as the air. Man’s earliest experience with electrical energy was largely through lightning and thunder. Indeed, one of the symbols used in the prophecies to illustrate the great increase of knowledge in “the time of the end” is lightning. We read of a time when Jehovah’s “lightnings enlightened the world,” and that “the earth saw and trembled.”—Ps. 97:4
However, the ancients did not refer to the power of lightning as electricity. Some of the ancients did discover that amber, when rubbed, possesses the property of attracting and repelling light bodies, but it is doubtful if they saw any connection between this and lightning. The expression “electricity” was coined by Dr. Gilbert, of Colchester, England. Dr. Gilbert (1544–1632) may be considered the founder of the science of electricity, as he appears to have been the first philosopher who carefully repeated the observations of the ancients and applied to them the principles of philosophical investigation. He balanced a light metallic needle on a pivot, and observed whether or not it was affected by causing rubbed bodies of various materials to approach close to it. By this experiment he discovered that a number of substances in addition to amber became electrically excited by rubbing.
Experiments continued through the years and the experimenters reached the point where they could transmit the invisible energy of electricity through or over wires. Indeed, they discovered that they could measure the amount of flow, and even the number of units making up the total flow. They learned also to measure the amount of resistance to the flow, and the “pressure” required to overcome this resistance; yet this strange element of energy remains invisible to the human eye.
The volume of flow of electricity was called watts, after the name of the scientist who developed this science, James Watts. The units of flow were called amperes, from the name of the scientist who first discovered that these units could be measured, Andre Marie Ampere. A scientist named Georg Simon Ohm discovered the possibility of measuring the resistance to the flow of electricity, so the units of resistance were called ohms. The pressure of electricity causing its transmission over or through wires is called volts, after the name of the discoverer, Alessandro Volta. These terms are still in general use.
Electric Lights
The first electric light of any kind was invented in 1710 by Fredrick Hawksbee, which he demonstrated before the Royal Academy of London. But it was crude, and could be put to no practical use. Early in the nineteenth century Sir Humphry discovered the basic principles of arc and incandescent lamps. However, it remained for Thomas A. Edison to invent the first practical electric lamp. This was in 1879. It was an invention which in a few years was destined to well nigh turn night into day so far as the work, pleasure, and pastime of the world are concerned.
In the year 1878 the General Electric Company was organized for the purpose of developing further the use of this newly discovered energy, particularly in connection with dynamos and motors; and we all doubtless know the rapid strides of progress which have been made since that time. The results are all around us and touch upon practically every phase of modern life. It would be difficult to imagine living in a world today in which electricity is not used at all.
Electricity is now used in essentially all fields of human endeavor and experience—for lighting, heating, shaving, cooking, gardening, farming, traveling, communications, entertainment, medical care, space travel, manufacturing, and in refrigeration, to name a few. The most sophisticated application of electric energy is perhaps in the field of electronics, which has reached the world within the twentieth century. It is used in radio, television, radar, and the computer.
Jerry Carlson of “Farm Management” says that “at least a dozen computers have touched your life since you woke up this morning. They are processing your checks, keeping your credit card accounts, figuring the averages on the market, predicting tomorrow’s weather, and ordering the proper mix for your breakfast sausage.” The U.S. Army has a computer that will stage a full-scale campaign against an enemy. If information concerning enemy weapons, men and capabilities are fed into it, the machine will tell the generals who will win.
However, as Jim Bishop notes, “The human brain can do something the computer cannot. It can do initiative thinking about philosophy, romance and deceit.” And this reminds us that with all the progress in the world in this “time of the end” the heart of man has not changed. All the brilliancy of light which electricity can produce will not enlighten the heart of man concerning the Creator.
One of the results of applied electricity has been to reduce the hours of labor, but the time thus released is all too often used in godless pursuits, and the idle have no inclination to turn toward God. To a limited extent, and in some countries, man has been released from bondage to the shovel and the hoe, and has been transferred to an assembly line where the monotony is perhaps as great a strain on the system as the more generous use of brawn and muscle on the farm. Or perhaps the transfer of workers has been from severe labor to the “rat race” of the computerized office.
But regardless of the advantages or disadvantages of the modern ways of earning a living as against the former methods, our push-button economy and work system has not eliminated the millions of the idle, especially of the unskilled, so that the number who are kept alive on relief rolls is staggering and frightening. Learning how to harness the power of the air and of electricity has not solved the problems of human selfishness, and never can. Only the kingdom of God and its agencies can and will do this.
What rich blessings may be in store for the human race through the unselfish application and use of nature’s invisible energies we may not know, but we can see the relationship of these discoveries to the day of God’s preparation for the messianic kingdom. It is the “increase of knowledge” that has brought about the foretold “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,” and air travel and electricity are contributing mightily to the awfulness of this trouble. There is every indication that this distress of nations will become still more terrible through the further misuse of the invisible powers of nature.
Paradoxes
Strange indeed are the many paradoxes so common to the times in which we are living! It is the prophetic time of an accumulating increase of knowledge; but it is also an age of folly and madness. Evidences multiply all around us to substantiate faith in God, but unbelief and godlessness are on the increase. With all the advantages of our day, horizons of opportunity leading to peace and happiness should be appearing on every hand; but instead it is a time of darkness and fear, for the wisdom of the wise has perished. It is a time when the hope which “springs eternal in the human breasts” should be lifting the world to new heights of anticipation; but instead there is despondency and despair on every hand. Science has placed the possibility of a land of milk and honey before the whole world, but much of the world is in want, starvation and misery.
There is no better description of this time of human experience to be found anywhere than the one given us by the Prophet Joel when he wrote of our day, saying that it would be a “day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as morning spread upon the mountains.” (Joel 2:2) Ah yes, the highlights of dawn are discernible by those who are awake and watching: but it is like “morning spread upon the mountains” where the low-hanging clouds obscure the light of the approaching new day, causing a density of darkness that is depressing and frightening.
Such is the condition of the world today. The “bright-shining” of the Master’s presence is discernible to the “watcher” through the “sure word of prophecy.” It is enlightening men’s minds along many lines, but in their selfishness they are misusing the light to their own confusion and the destruction of their world—this “present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) But soon, thank God, the storm of human passion stirred up as the first effect of the morning light will be over. The commanding voice of earth’s new King will bid the storm be calm. Then, through a proper use of the divinely created principles and energies, the lives of men will be enriched, and peace and joy will be the common heritage of all.
Science cannot give man everlasting life. This will come only through the individual acceptance of Jesus as the Redeemer and Savior, and obedience to the laws of the kingdom in which he will then be the King. The highlights of dawn are increasingly convincing evidence that this new day of Christ, the millennial day, is near. It is breaking upon a world distressed and bleeding from its self-inflicted wounds which have been made more painful and deadly by the selfish misuse of God-given blessings.
But the soothing rays of the Sun of Righteousness will heal these wounds; and the people, emerging from the darkness, will say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us, … we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isa. 25:9) And the invisible power of God, operating through the divine Christ, will be fully capable of fulfilling all his promises of health and life. Yes, even the dead will then be restored to life. What a blessed prospect!