Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-04
Purpose, Power, Progress.

ol Stltuie uptS not eclipse the truth OF
the Bible. but only leads us. by it's dis
coveries. to understand the sacred pages
Alright, and shows more AMI more con-
vincngly their imperishable worth is
true. The advancement in knowledge that
has come from the development of several
sciences in modern times enables men to
see in the revealed record new meanings
in the Hebrew that were undreamed of
when the popular authorised version was
translated three hundred years ago Tho
Bible has remained the same, nur many
an Interpretation has been changed and
many an Improvement could be made IN
the translation because we are able now
to see the pregnant meaning of many
Hebrew word that today can best bee ex-
pressed by a scientific term. Iamin. Tor
example could be translated epoch, cycle
or period instead of day.
The eternal purpose of God Is to have a
perfect world. The vision of chaotic
earth presented in the second verse has a
perfect illustration in the nebular hy-
pothesis theory of a world in the process
of formation rotating about in space in "A
vast gaseous mass. that has been flung
off from the sun. The spirit of God that
brooded over the shapeess mass until lie
brought it into Il state lit for man >
dwelling is the same spirit that broods
over men that have wasted their sub
stance in sinful living seeking to make IN
them a fit abiding place for the Almighty.
The power by which the Creator con-
verted the world into its present form Is
eternal and prophetic of His making or
man a temple of God.
The process by Which the world was
transformed is only outlined I'm our lesson
Prof. James -. Dana. one Of the foremost
biologists of his time said that one
reason why he believed the Bible To ho
the Word of God was because of the mar
velous agreement between the teachings
of the first chapter Of Genesis and tho
facts discovered by geology One cam
not only find in the tablets of ancient ci-
viiZation startling resemblances to tho
account of creation. contained in our les
son, but he can find in the --latest scien-
tific statements Confederation of the sim
pile record prepared hy Moses Tor the
Jewish people concerning the world j
childhood. The earliest form of light
mentioned In the Hebrew text Is or, which
is a singular word and the opposite from
the later form. meoroth lights" used
in reference to the multiplicity OF lights.
as i'm the sun. Moon and stars, corresponds
with Photogen, the light begetter. whose
undulations produces vision for light is u
luminiferous ether pervading the uni-
verse. In this condition the world existed
during the first cycle
In the second period pass from light
to clouds, which is confirmed 10y geology.
The armament OF our lesson Is IN the
Hebrew Pakia, which in a modern trans
lation is given as expanse. description
that accurately describes the atmosphere
that encircles our globe. This period must
have covered long period OF time during
Which the world in the process of cooling
condensed the vapors generated by tho
fire of it's gases into water and formed
clouds. The chill of the upper atmosphere
caused descent of ram that caused an
erosion of the rocky surface producing an
accumulation of sediment, which spread
over the bed of the accumulated waters.
This period was marked by tremendous
energies that effected a separation be
tween the water that was beneath the ex-
panse and the water that was above the
expanse' and formed our present atmos-
phere that we call sky.
During the next great epoch We read OF
the formation of dry land and plants.
Science tells how during this period the
fire of our burning globe combined Its
elements into the gaseous svapors until
the ocean succeeded the fiames. out OF
the battle fought for ages between the
fire and water that with volcanic force
lifted UP the mountains and created the
valleys, there emerged the vast con-
tinents that have been charted by our
map makers. Whenever during this cycle
the light penetrated the waters seaweed
commenced to appear, the forerunner OF
all plant life and seed-bealing herbs
In the fourth period have the APP
pointment of the lights. the sun. moon
and stars. According 10 science, the at
mosphere. filled with mist and smoke. hid
the celestial bodies until, with the cool
ing of the earth, the waters of the ocean
ceased to be converted into steam and
smoke, bringing To an end the perpetual
rains, and allowed the sun, moon and
stars to appear as the clouds disappeared.
The earth. now by the two great lights
that separated the night from the day,
comes to have not only a perfect time.
but also a force that draws out of the
earth its hidden powers to provide food
for the coming of both animal and hui
man life
During the next cycle God created tho
first life. which. according to both the BIZ
bic and biology. appears first i'm old mother
ocean Then there follows a steady prog
ress i'm the development of life until Wa
reach man. that will be the subject oe
our study next week and will then no
by US. After He originated
man God rested from His creative activ-
tiles and commenced To direct the affairs
of the universe that He brought into be.
ing. The sabbath. that has covered tho
period of time that stretches out from
I he end of mans creation To the present,
God has used in the development of the
image and likeness which He implanted
into the human life that He formed from
the dust of the ground. So our Sabbaths.
when We rest from our labors one day
in seSen. should be not merely for the
and restora ton of our bodies
but for the reconstruction of the image
IF God that has been effaced but not de-
faced in man. our Sabbaths should have
A religious significance by commemorat-
ing the resurrection of Jesus Christ the
climax of Gods work for men. completing
His redemptve plans that We're decreed
before the creation.
Amidst the doubts. dependence and de-
spair IF the conquest of evil over good
we assured of the triumph of right
cousin for the God who worked out
His pia until He saw that it was good
N each epoch will not stop until right
4ousness rules in His universe. He is not
an absent God, but is at this very hour
in men His salvation. that they
nay work 1T out in the development OF
heir character and the salvation of the
World. The material world originated
rom the spiritual, the visible from the
Invisible. The greatest forces of the un.-
'erse are unseen. and by the power OF
he greatest of all. the Holy Spirit. the
Creator is making all things to work to-
,ether for good. making in mans new
reation the spiritual man in the natural
nan The shadows caused by sin, the
'rigin of which We will soon study i'm
he evening of the Sabbath of our God
viii finally disappear, and He will appear
n the dawninS of the morning that will
Usher in the new heavens and the new
.artb WI Ipa risrbt