One of the prime evidences claimed for an old universe and, by implication, an old Earth is that light from the most distant stars can be observed on Earth today. It is argued that at the known speed of the velocity of light, it will have taken a great deal longer than, say, 6,000 years for it to have traveled from the distant stars to Earth. There is an inherent assumption in this seemingly rational argument that flies in the face of real science.
There are a few well-established laws of physics agreed to by every scientist, including astrophysicists. Of these laws, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that everything in the known universe is slowing down or going to a state of lower energy. Put another way, everything known about the Earth and the universe is running downhill (e.g., we all know our cars rust and wear out). In contrast, evolution is a theory far removed from yet becoming a law, but it assumes that the velocity of light is and always has been the same (i.e., it is constant). So is the velocity of light really constant and are all the other related physical constants also constant? The answer is no.
The velocity of light was first determined in 1675 when measurements were made based on the eclipses of Jupiter’s moons. Other, more refined, methods have been employed since 1874, and between that date and this, there is a statistically significant but small decrease in velocity. Interestingly, all the other related physical constants are also changing – either increasing or decreasing according to their relationship to the velocity of light. Furthermore, velocity with respect to time is a hyperbolic function. In the case of light this means that at Creation the velocity was extremely high and it then began to fall, very rapidly at first, then – as time progressed – becoming less rapid. Today, it is almost constant (i.e., the curve has become almost horizontal).
We may ask what caused the light from distant stars to lose velocity? Dr. Russell Humphries has proposed a most interesting theory that appears to be well supported by Scripture. Referring to the very early stages of Creation, the following Scriptures all speak about God “stretching out the heavens”: Job 9:8, Psalm 104:2, Isaiah 40:22, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 45:12, Jeremiah 10:12 and Zechariah 12:1. In their contexts, these passages are not just figures of speech. Moreover, in Isaiah 44:24 God claims that He stretched out the heavens “all alone … by Myself.” In other words, there was no second “God” to hold one end! We have to admit that our vision of God is often far too small.
From the biblical viewpoint, the light from the most distant stars probably reached the Garden of Eden within a few days of creation. In other words, Adam’s night sky became progressively brighter until it reached the grandeur seen today on a cloudless night in the dry deserts of Egypt. To anyone having experienced this sight, it is still as difficult to express the awe and wonder of the mighty God who created the universe as it was to our ancient forefathers.
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