Is Today the Birthday of the Universe?

According to the 16th century German mathematician and astronomer, Johannes Kepler, on this day, April 27th, 4977 B.C. the universe was created.

Kepler, known for theories explaining the motion of the planets, was influenced by the Polish astronomer, Copernicus, that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system.

Later, Kepler learned about the work of the Italian physicist and astronomer, Galileo, who invented the telescope, and eventually obtained one of his own and improved its design.

Considered one of the fathers of modern science, Kepler, through a series of mathematical calculations, concluded the universe was created on this date. Interestingly, the article, “On this date in History, from history.com offers this conclusion:

As for Kepler’s calculation about the universe’s birthday, scientists in the 20th century developed the Big Bang theory, which showed that his calculations were off by about 13.7 billion years.

However, if you google how old is the earth, you will find a wide range of “scientific” opinions. The National Geographic Society says, “Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, plus or minus about 50 million years.” Wow! That’s a pretty wide range for error.

Through the years, there have been many varying estimates regarding the age of the year. In 1862, Lord Kelvin concluded the earth was 20 to 400 million years old.

When I first began preaching, the figure often given for the age of the earth was 20 billion years old. Now, some scientists are saying the age of the earth is in the millions of years, not billions of years.

The fact is no one knows for sure the age of the earth, much less its birthday. While the Bible doesn’t disclose the earth’s age, it does reveal its origin. I believe the simple statement in the first verse of the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

I accept the Hebrew writer’s affirmation. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3).

I concur with Moses’ summary, “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is…” (Ex. 20:11).

I join with the Psalmist who penned, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Ps. 33:6).

The world’s wisdom would lead us to believe that true scientists don’t believe in creationism, and most don’t believe in God.

In a 2017 Huffington Post article, “12 Famous Scientists on the Possibility of God,” writer, Carol Kuruvilla, reports a survey that says 51% of scientists believe in God or some form of a Higher Power.

Francis Collins, a Geneticist, who holds a Ph.D. from Yale, was appointed by President Barack Obama to head the National Institutes of Health and was retained in that position by President Trump. President Biden also asked Collins to continue serving. The NIH web page states that “ Dr. Collins is the only Presidentially appointed NIH Director to serve more than one administration. In this role, Dr. Collins oversees the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, spanning the spectrum from basic to clinical research.”

Collins is highly respected in his field and has written a number of books on science, medicine, and religion, including the New York Times bestseller, “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.”

In an essay for CNN Collins wrote, “I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God’s majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.”

There are many scientists today who would echo the sentiments of Dr. Joseph H. Taylor, a 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, “A scientific discovery is also a religious discovery. There is no conflict between science and religion. Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world.”

While today may not literally be the birthday of the universe, it’s a day we can exclaim with the Psalmist, “ “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman