The Universe & Its Age Reveal God’s Plan for Mankind :: By David Cogburn

The universe, without a doubt, is the most incredible thing we’ve ever seen God create. We know it is impossible for the universe to have created itself because it is “impossible” for something to come from nothing. Only “something” can create something else. God is different because, no matter how hard it is for us to believe, God did not come from “something.” He is THE SOMETHING that has always existed and THE SOMETHING that created “everything.” Everything “visible” has a creator, whether it is the universe or a chair. The universe verifies only Creator God could create it.

There is so much information from the world and Christianity concerning the universe in terms of its existence, its size, its age, its inhabitants, etc. However, there is one question I’ve never seen anyone talk about – WHY did God create the universe in the first place? There is a definitive answer that most everyone agrees with.

Some of the information in this article comes from my book, God’s Plan for Heaven, Eternity and the Universe Explained.

Before we look at the universe, we have to look at eternity. Eternity is LIFE – ETERNAL LIFE. There is no annihilation death in eternity since that is where God dwells. God does not allow an annihilation type of death for “any” sentient being He creates. There is only a “separation from God type of death,” which is far worse. And what happens in eternity STAYS in eternity.

There is no plan of redemption for the 1/3rd of God’s fallen angels for two reasons: What happens in eternity stays in eternity, and they fell from inside eternity. Also, since there is no death in eternity, there is no “atonement” where an innocent, sinless life could die and pay the price for the sins of the fallen angels.

Of course, God always knew 1/3rd of His angels would fall, and He would then create the human race to be the exact opposite of His holy, perfect, sinless angels who did not fall.

He began by creating a universe FOR ONLY US. You read that right. God created the universe for mankind ALONE, and here is why. God created His human race with Adam and Eve, holy, perfect, and without sin, but He knew they would sin from the beginning, and every human being would be born lost with a sin nature. God HAD to make sure NONE of this happened inside “eternity,” or we would all be lost forever inside eternity at BIRTH.

Remember, what happens in eternity stays in eternity. God solved this problem by creating the universe, which created “TIME.” God lives in eternity and does not need time except for two major reasons: He needs us human beings to have “time” to enter into a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus (God in the flesh), so that we can then enter “eternity” with NO SIN through Jesus or with sin without Jesus.

God also needed a PLACE where Jesus could come to and actually DIE to pay the price for the sins of mankind. The universe is the only place God allows DEATH to occur, and death comes from mankind’s sin. Because of “time,” everything in the universe is dying – all stars, planets – everything, and that certainly includes us. The Bible says the wages of sin is DEATH, and the universe is certainly proof of that.

The irony is that “time” is not only the greatest curse God has given mankind, but it is also the greatest gift God has given mankind because with “time alone,” we can attain eternal salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus.

The reason the whole universe is for mankind alone is because God tells us that is His plan. It begins with Adam and Eve. His plan is to live with us forever on Earth and not with aliens from other planets. There is a 7,000-year bump in the road before God’s plan is fulfilled. The Bible ends with God creating a new heaven and Earth with NO SIN and God living with US forever on the new sinless Earth.

The universe is the ONLY PLACE God allows good and evil and life and death to co-exist together. Here is something interesting when looking at eternity vs the universe. Everything is good and pleasant with God in eternity heaven, and everything is horrible and unpleasant in eternity hell without God. There are NO OPPOSITES in heaven and hell.

The universe is FULL of OPPOSITES. Here, we have good and evil, life and death, and many more opposites. Day and night are two good examples. Day is an example of light and life when we wake up and get busy doing life each day in the light. Night is an example of darkness and death when we sleep at night in the darkness.

The universe is right in the MIDDLE between heaven and hell. Since God allows good and evil and life and death to co-exist “together” here, this means the universe is the FULCRUM God uses for mankind to use its “free will” to end up in eternal heaven or eternal hell at death. Or said another way, it is literally a “free will springboard” to our eternal destination.

The AGE of the universe reveals God’s 7000-year plan for mankind. Let’s examine that. The world says the universe is billions of years old, and Christianity says it is 6000 years old. That is quite a difference.

Christians get their age from God’s Word in the Bible. The world gets its age from science. Is God’s Word superior to science, or is science superior to God’s Word? This answer is “easy” to prove.

For thousands of years, mankind and its science said the earth was flat. It wasn’t until 1929 that Edwin Hubble showed science the first observational evidence that proved the universe is expanding. God told us the earth is a “circle” and is expanding thousands of years ago.

Isaiah 40:22 (NIV) says, “He sits enthroned above the ‘circle‘ of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He ‘stretches out the heavens’ like a canopy and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” The Bible does not validate science. Science validates the Bible.

Science also proves that time also expands along with the universe. Time and the universe are connected. Albert Einstein says that time is the 4th dimension. Let’s look at this expansion to see what we might learn from it.

Govert Schilling is an astronomy author and a science journalist. He wrote an article entitled “Does the Universe expand faster than light?” When we look at billions of years of science time vs 6000 years of Bible time, it is clear that much difference seems too much and what might be the answer for it.

Einstein is the one who says light speed is the fastest speed possible. However, God is not limited by anything Einstein says, obviously. If He wants the universe to expand much faster than light, that is obviously no problem for Him. The faster the expansion, the more time it creates “from our perspective.”

Govert Schilling’s article goes into depth on how this might be possible. I will paste a link to his article. I am no science expert. He is. I will let his article speak for itself.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/does-universe-expand-faster-than-light

Let’s now examine what God’s Word says concerning the “AGE” of the universe. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis also shows us He created everything in 6 days, and He rested on the 7th day. The length of a day is debatable for many, but Genesis 1:4 (NIV) says, “God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning – the first day.” A day and night is 24 hours.

The Bible also says in 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) and Psalm 90:4 (NIV) that a day with God is LIKE 1000 years. God is COMPARING our 24-hour day to His 1000-year day. Why does He tell us that? Because mankind’s day ENDS in 24 hours, and God’s day for mankind ENDSfollowing” His 7 days of 1000 years each. God telling us His day is like 1000 years shows His plan for mankind is OVER when His 7th 1000-year day is OVER. His whole PLAN is wrapped up in those seven 1000-year days.

Even the Jewish Talmud says God’s plan for mankind is 7000 years old. The 7000 years are divided up into 2000 years of no law, 2000 years of law through Israel, and 2000 years of grace through Jesus to complete 6000 years of WORK with mankind governing the planet. The 7th day is 1000 years of REST when Jesus comes back for His 1000-year millennial reign where He governs the planet. We then have God’s White Throne judgment where all unbelievers will be judged and sentenced to eternal hell.

So, when does His 7000-year plan for mankind begin? It begins when He starts with Day 1. Do you now see a major problem with science saying the universe is billions of years old? That would be saying God is going to create the universe in seven 24-hour days and then WAIT billions of years to start on His 7000-year plan.

Of course, the world and science will NEVER ADMIT ANYTHING that connects God and His Word of God, the Bible, to the creation of the universe or its age. The irony is the Bible has “already proved” mankind and its science inaccurate compared to God’s accuracy in His Bible, as previously mentioned. All of this shows the age of the universe is a LOT closer to 6000 years now than billions of years.

So when does the 7000-year plan for mankind end? Think of the universe with “time” in it as a small bubble “inside eternity.” God has taken a 7000-year BITE out of eternity to accomplish His plan for mankind. When God makes the new heaven and new Earth following Jesus’ 1000-year millennial reign, God’s 7000-year bite out of eternity for mankind is OVER. Our current universe is OVER. Human beings are OVER. Sin is OVER. Time is OVER. Our connection to God is COMPLETE. God’s “eternal Spiritual” plan for Him and us with no more sin for all eternity is just BEGINNING. Hallelujah, and praise the Lord.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

David Cogburn

dcogburn789@gmail.com

18 Dec 2023

Sodom-likeness Grows

The homosexual lobby in the days of Lot in Sodom, according to God’s Word as told in the 19th chapter of Genesis, must have indeed been in control of city government –and all other aspects of city life. This likelihood is ascertainable because Lot was a high city official in city government. He sat in the city gate to Sodom as a judge, an official position that adjudicated business matters and, I presume, other matters of judicial interest.

The homosexual men of Sodom showed no deference to or regard for Lot in surrounding his home and demanding that he send out the visitors, who appeared as men but were angels sent by God to assess goings-on in the wicked city. We can therefore presume that these blatant, would-be rapists were fully in charge and unafraid of consequences for their rapacious activities once the sun went down. A city judge –Lot, rather his guests– were to be their victims.

The conflation I wish to make with America today and ancient Sodom is that the homosexual lobby, although insignificant in a constituting percentage of the American population, has become a powerful influence over everything from business and law to entertainment and government –and even religion. The particular thing most troubling, as I wish to address in this commentary, is that the homosexual lobby is becoming a devilish intrusion into American family life.

We know of the stories of the current presidential administration allowing –or instructing—the FBI to investigate the public school institutions in the matter of a number of those schools introducing minors to pornographic sexual curriculum. The salacious material introduced is not just heterosexual in nature but more and more involves homosexual inculcation.

The Sodom-likeness part of all this is that the FBI agents, in many cases, are not sent into the school board and other forums to investigate those perpetrating the introduction of inappropriate themes to underage kids –material which is proven pornographic and perverted. Rather, federal law enforcement is sent to investigate and charge with various levels of domestic terroristic threatening the parents who object to the wickedness, not to charge the school officials who put, without the parents’ permission, the lewd material in front of the parents’ children.

I.e., government in its officialdom today and the homosexual-controlled cabal are often intricately linked. A growing number of such officials are like those in the city government of Lot’s day must have been. They join together in moving ever farther into evil conduct, against which the Lord is bound to bring judgment at some point.

A most pertinent report and analysis grabbed my attention in considering all of the above. It is quite telling as to where we stand on God’s Prophetic Timeline at present, I think.

Biden wants to essentially ban Christians from adopting foster care children based on their religious beliefs and opposition to radical LGBTQ ideology. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a new rule that would prohibit families who do not support LGBTQ ideology from caring for foster children.

According to the Social Security Act, federally funded foster care agencies must provide “safe and proper care” for foster children. The United States Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division within HHS, proposed that foster families meet three specific criteria to ensure that LGBTQ-identifying children are in a “safe” and “nurturing” home.

Those criteria essentially force Christian parents to affirm a child’s pretend gender as opposed to supporting children truthfully based on their biological sex and providing them appropriate support and resources to move away from the radical leftist ideology that pushes hormones, sex changes and mutilation of children to conform to its extreme sexual agenda.

“Responding to the radical proposal, 19 Republican attorneys general are pushing the Biden administration to back down on a new rule they say will effectively exclude Christian families from fostering kids and jeopardize the foster care system nationwide,” Fox News reports.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, along with 18 of his GOP colleagues, sent a letter Monday to the Department of Health and Human Services alerting them that a new proposed rule that alters requirements for foster care families violates the Constitution and discriminates against people who practice the Christian faith. Source: Joe Biden Wants to Ban Christian Families From Adopting Children in Foster Care, Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, November 28, 2023]

This proposed new rule hits home particularly hard with my wife and me. Although we weren’t given official foster care responsibility because of our being of grandparent age rather than of parental age, we were asked a number of years ago by local government people to temporarily bring under our care a young girl because of her family’s terrible situation. We still think of her as a grandchild, although she is now 20 years of age.

We saw firsthand the public education and its effect in less than favorable light. When 11 years old, she told us she should be a boy, not a girl. This is what she was told by those in authority at school. And ours is a small city in the south, and quite conservative.

Of course, we had quite a bit of conversation and loving counsel with our little girl. She grew up and out of that inculcation she had received, although she still suffers from that time of such teaching in public schools –that added to her biological family’s troubles.

Today, my wife and I would probably be charged with some kind of criminal neglect, at the very least, for going against some teacher’s instructions, the way things in America are going with such teaching by some teachers still allowed and with proposed rules such as that above.

It is thus illustrated how very important is the need for Christian influence, thus Holy Spirit Restraint, in this age in which the Antichrist spirit is growing exponentially.

Just like in Lot’s day, the Lord of Heaven must be on the very cusp of calling believers to Himself in the clouds of Glory. I believe with all that is within my own spirit that every child below the age of accountability will go to Christ when He summons His Church, as represented in Revelation 4: 1 when the Apostle John was so summoned.

Be sure you are part of that Blessed Throng who is caught up in the Rapture. Here is how to be certain in that regard.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10: 9-10).

–Terry


Why Aren’t We There Yet? :: By Jonathan Brentner

As I eagerly wait for Jesus to take us home to glory, I sometimes wonder, “Why aren’t we there yet?” With the multitude of signs converging at this time in history, why hasn’t the Tribulation already started with us safely in paradise with our Savior?

The only answer that makes sense to me is “the Lord’s restraining hand.” Apart from that, the world might even now be well into judgments described in the book of Revelation.

Paul refers to this factor in 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 in reference to the Antichrist. We know this “man of lawlessness” cannot make himself known until after the Rapture. However, in restraining his appearance on the world scene, God’s Spirit is also delaying other scenarios that will accompany it.

Economic Desolation

During the past fifteen years, I have read books and articles warning that the U.S. is on the brink of a major economic collapse, the likes of which will cause a dreadful worldwide depression. Despite the fact that our government has printed an enormous amount of money during the past several years, incurred thirty-three trillion dollars in debt, continues to recklessly spend money, and invites millions of illegals into our country on our dime, somehow our economy has not yet collapsed.

How is that even remotely possible apart from the Lord’s restraining hand?

When Jesus opens the third seal (Revelation 6:5-6), a severe economic depression will fall upon the entire world. But for God keeping the American economy from utter collapse and, with it, the rest of the world, this has not yet happened.

The Deadliest Wars in Human History

The second and fourth seals of Revelation 6:1-8 warn of catastrophic wars ahead for our world. These conflicts will be a key factor in killing one-fourth of the world’s population at the time.

Today, we hear numerous warnings of World War III that analysts predict will kill hundreds of millions. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin of Russia has often threatened to attack NATO countries with nuclear bombs because of their support for Ukraine. Despite a show of force intended to intimidate the nations, he has not yet carried through on his threats.

Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, many have speculated that Hezbollah would attack in full force from Lebanon, leading to a much wider conflict that could involve the U.S. and other major powers. Although fierce battles are taking place on Israel’s northern border, an all-out war with Hezbollah has not yet begun, although it may at any moment.

Despite the variety of sparks that could lead to WWIII, the Lord is restraining the hands of those willing to plunge the world into such a deadly devastation.

God’s Judgment of Wickedness

As I have written in many previous blog posts, God’s judgment of the U.S. seems long overdue. I’m certain that with the enormous number of abortions, the protection of sex trafficking by our government, the growing acceptance of vile, wicked practices, and now the anti-Semitism that is becoming commonplace here, the Lord’s wrath will fall upon the land that I love.

For now, the Lord is withholding His judgments on America as well as the rest of the world until the time of His choosing. The cup of His wrath is filling quickly (Psalm 75:6-8), but He’s giving more time for people to come to faith in Him and thereby escape the horrors of the Tribulation.

The judgments that the Apostle John describes in Revelation 6-18 are horrific. The many precursors to this time warn people that it’s coming, but so few, even in Bible-believing churches, recognize the myriad of signs.

Yet the Lord, in His mercy, continues to warn us that this day is near.

The Establishing of the World Order

The books of Daniel and Revelation tell us that there will be a world government in place during the seven-year Tribulation with the Antichrist in charge. The globalists are working overtime to make this happen.

They have their eyes set on 2030 as the magical year when they hope to realize their dreams of world domination. Frustration with the lack of progress toward this goal comes through in their continuing efforts to recommit the nations to achieving their draconian objectives. At the recently concluded COP28, they negotiated for many hours in order to produce a consensus agreement.

I believe the elite will face continuing roadblocks until the Rapture of the Church. Although they will then have the worldwide chaos that they now desire, it will be the Antichrist who will galvanize the required support among the nations for the world order and thus finalize the deal. Until then, we will see the restraining hand of the Lord holding back the riders of Revelation 6:1-8, although we see precursors to these conditions as the Lord warns the world that these days are coming.

As believers, we await Jesus’ appearing to take us to His Father’s home in Heaven (John 14:2-3). Although it’s difficult at times, we know Jesus will fulfill all the prophecies concerning His appearing, judge the wicked, and reign over the nations.

The words that the Lord spoke to Habakkuk long ago are relevant today for those of us who wonder why Jesus has not already come for us:

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).

-Jonathan