The Moon
The Faithful Witnesses In Scripture
Jeremiah 42:5
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness
against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God
sends you to tell us.
Revelation
1:4-6
4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the
earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God
and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 2:12-13
12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum
write: These are the words of him who
has the harp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you
live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not
renounce your faith in me, even in the
days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where
Satan lives.
Revelation
3:14-15
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea
write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that
you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
Psalm 89:35-37
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness — and
I will not lie to David - 36
that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the
sun; 37 it will be established forever like the
moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah
Question: What
do our Lord Jesus Christ, Antipas (the martyr in the church at
Pergamum, the only martyr mentioned by name in Revelation), and the moon
have in common?
Answer: These three are called ‘faithful
witnesses’ in the Scriptures.
No one would question that God Incarnate, the Son of
God, the Author of Salvation, Jesus Christ, was the ultimate faithful
witness. His life on earth as a human
and His death, burial, and resurrection before our eyes gave mankind the
eyewitness testimony to God’s salvation.
Jesus was, is, and will be the very essence of faithfulness to a sinful
people. The books of Jeremiah and
Revelation refer to our Lord with this term, and every person of faith
understands that He is truly the Faithful Witness.
Yet, there is the matter of Antipas and the
moon. Antipas is mentioned only once in
Scripture, and that time is to recall for the church at Pergamum his
martyrdom. The church is told to
persevere and is commended for their faith – personified by Antipas, who is
called ‘my faithful witness’ by Jesus Himself.
Little else is known about the church or Antipas, except that their
faith (and Antipas’ faith) is held up as a strong point for which they are
commended. In fact, the book of
Revelation is written to comfort and give hope of victory to believers who are
under persecution, and Antipas is the only martyr mentioned by name in the
book. It can be rationalized, then, that
his faith was a strong one, worthy of mention as Jesus addressed the seven
churches. Antipas’ otherwise anonymous
life is memorialized on the basis of his faith - he was a faithful witness in
life and in his death as a martyr.
We also cannot miss the references in
Revelation… Antipas is ‘my faithful
witness’ (from the perspective of Jesus), while Jesus is ‘THE faithful witness’
(from the perspective of Scripture and eternity). All faithfulness, including that of Antipas,
comes from Jesus, the Author of Faithfulness.
Which brings us to the only other mention of the
term ‘faithful witness’ in Scripture.
This mention is not about a person, but an inanimate object. It is mentioned as a symbol of faith for
God’s covenant with
Let us explore physical features of the moon
to determine why the moon is a faithful witness in the sky.
The Moon, the Faithful Witness in the Sky
Earthlings have long been enamored by the moon. It is the nearest (and dearest) heavenly
body, a nightly visual spectacle of which we never seem to tire. It was the subject of the ancient Greek
philosophers, the Renaissance thinkers, and every other period of history. NASA targeted it for exploration in the
1960s, culminating in a series of lunar landings by spacecraft inhabited by
humans.
The Bible mentioned the significance of the ‘lesser
light’ early on, in Genesis 1:14-18 :
14
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate
the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days
and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of
the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser
light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17
God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from
darkness. And God saw that it was good.
God specifically created it to mark time, which it
has done faithfully throughout recorded history, forming the basis for our unit
of time called ‘months’. It is
invaluable to the farmer, who schedules planting and harvest by its seasons,
and to the fisherman, who schedules his best fishing periods by its movements
and effects on the tides. It still
governs the night, providing enough light on a clear night to allow us to
maneuver through the otherwise dark earth.
Its prominence in man’s thinking is evident in that
the Law of Moses specifically warns us not to worship it.
Galileo studied its ‘moonscape’ half a millennium
ago, and in our times NASA’s Apollo astronauts have walked upon its surface. Still the most obvious feature of the night,
earthlings still pause to observe, stare in wonder, and wax philosophical about
the faithful witness in the sky.
Elsewhere in Psalms, the writer exults with the
following:
Psalm 148:3
Praise
him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.
The moon is mentioned at least 67 times in Scripture
(NIV). Just as in Genesis 1, most of
these are in combination with mention of the sun. The sun and moon form a tandem, just as the
Bible says, that provide light to the day and night, and that also sets the
time and seasons to help man order his existence. From these mentions of the governing light
tandems, to numerous mentions of the New Moon (roughly the measurement of
months), the moon is a regular mention throughout Scripture (see the Appendix
for some of the mentions of the moon in the Bible). Yet, the Psalm 89 verse – calling the moon ‘the
faithful witness in the sky’ – is the most unusual mention of the lesser
light. The more one considers this
mention of the moon, especially in its context (the covenant between God and
the Davidic line), the clearer the image of a faithful witness in the heavens
emerges.
Let us briefly address some of its naturalistic
implications.
Where
did the Moon come from?
If one does not accept the creation of
the heavens and earth by a creative entity, then another plausible ‘scientific’
explanation for the origin and evolution of the earth, the moon, and the solar
system must be provided. There has been
no shortage of such speculations, and a veritable plethora of possible theories
about the naturalistic origin of the heavens have been produced.
The facts about the moon present myriad
questions for the scientist, based on our knowledge of other natural satellites
in the solar system, and on the laws of physics as we know them. With these in mind, several features of the
moon defy man’s understanding.
Thus, any theory which explains the origin
and existence of the Moon must naturally explain the following facts (an alternative view is shown in italics
following each point):
Fact: The
Moon's density (3.3 g/cc) is about 40% lower
than that of earth. It does not have a
substantial iron core like the Earth does. Thus, though the moon has an equatorial
diameter of about 1/6 of the earth’s size, it is proportionately significantly
lighter in mass. It is, in other words, well-positioned
and well-proportioned to be a satellite object.
(It was made lighter and
‘balanced’ for orbit around a heavier, larger body, having just the right
weight and mass to provide the force of gravity necessary for earth.)
Fact: Moon
rocks (collected during the Apollo lunar landing missions) contain few volatile
substances (e.g. water), which implies extra baking of the lunar surface
relative to that of Earth. In other words, the earth and moon seem to have
originated differently. (It was never intended for life, but to mark
time and seasons and to govern the night. Its lower volatility means it will always have
similar unchanging mass – the same yesterday, today and for all time…a
“faithful witness in the sky”.)
Fact: The
relative abundance of oxygen isotopes on Earth and on the Moon are identical,
which suggests that the Earth and Moon formed at the same distance from the
Sun. This seems to contradict the fact
above – they formed the same distance from the Sun, but in different ways. (If
they were created simultaneously, then they would be of similar content. There
is no contradiction if they were created simultaneously but for different
reasons, one for life, one for marking time.)
Fact: The
moon is proportionately larger than most known satellite moons on other
planets, and the relative angular movements of the earth and moon are larger
than the norm seen for other planets and their satellites. In other words, many scientists note that
based on astronomic principles, the earth’s satellite is unusually large and
moves too fast! (The orbit of the moon and earth and their respective rotations were set
in place by God to mark days and years – to help man order time and thus give
order to our world. Their angular
velocities are thus specific and preset by the Creator.)
These known facts make the earth / moon
tandem anomalous and in many ways defiant of explicable natural forces. Attempts to specify their origin often
explain some of these facts but not all.
Usually the investigator is forced to steer around the possibility that
the moon was designed and created to orbit the earth and was not a chance
occurrence of nature. A close
investigation of the moon’s presence and physical attributes forces the
open-minded investigator to consider the possibility that the moon was created by
the Faithful Witness to be a faithful witness in the sky.
Just as the origin of life is a continuous obsession
of man, so are the origins of the heavens, including of course the earth and
the moon. Man cannot help but wonder
where heaven and earth originated. The
naturalistic view excludes any possibility of creation by an intelligent force,
so it is set forth in various views that the universe began as a big bang,
followed by many other cataclysmic events that somehow set the galaxies, the
stars, and the solar systems into the precise motion we measure today.
Naturalistic Theories of the Moon’s Origin
Three
naturalistic theories as to how
the moon came about have emerged as scientists ponder the moon’s origin:
Co-accretion or
Condensation Theory
This theory
asserts that the Moon and the Earth formed at the same time from the Solar
Nebula. The
Moon would have been formed in orbit around the Earth. However, if the Moon
formed in the vicinity of the Earth it should have nearly the same composition.
Specifically, it should possess a
significant iron core, and it does not. Also,
this hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the
lunar material has received. In each of
these theories, the Sun, earth, moon, and planets would have had to settle into
the exact orbits and rotations that are present today. No naturalistic calculation or observation
would clearly explain this pattern.
Fission Theory
This theory proposes that the Moon was once part of the Earth
and somehow separated from the Earth early in the history of the solar system. The present Pacific Ocean basin is
the most popular speculative site for the part of the Earth from which the Moon
came. This theory was thought possible since the Moon's composition
resembles that of the Earth's mantle and a rapidly spinning Earth could
have cast off the Moon from its outer layers.
However, the present-day Earth / Moon system should contain "fossil
evidence" of this rapid spin and it does not. Also, this hypothesis does not have a natural
explanation for the extra baking the lunar material has received – if the moon
came from earth, wouldn’t we see some water on the moon, even with significant
baking of the moon surface?
Then there is the problem of the Roche limit, which predicts that gravitational effects between
heavenly bodies will cause profound effects on the body having smaller mass. When two large bodies (such as the earth and
moon) are at certain distances from one another, gravity causes drastic
effects, resulting in demolition of the smaller body. According to the earth’s Roche limit, the
moon would break up into smaller pieces if it were too close to Earth, much
like the rings of Saturn are fine dust and not larger bodies. If the moon came from the earth, it would
have been within the Roche limit at some point and would have crumbled into
fragments due to the gravitational effects between the two bodies. Presumably, the earth would have formed rings
like Saturn made up of what is now the moon!
Ignoring the Roche limit for a moment, explaining how (once
again) the earth and moon settled into such an exact, unchanging orbit would require
valiant speculation. Further, this
theory would be at a loss to explain the distance of the sun to the earth, the
distance of the earth to the moon, and the faithful orbits of both the earth
and the moon. These, as always, defy
randomness and chance – nature, left to itself, tends to randomize and
disorder. The orderly mechanism of the
cosmos can be carefully measured and calculated. Its order stands as stark evidence contrary to
naturalistic supposition.
Capture Theory
This theory proposes that the Moon was formed somewhere
else in the solar system, and was later “captured” by the gravitational field of the Earth. In other
words, in some way the two bodies, formed in different places, settled into
their current orbit pattern. The Moon's different chemical composition could be
explained if it formed elsewhere in the solar system. However, capture into the Moon's present orbit is very improbable. Something would have to slow it down by
just the right amount at just the right time, and scientists are reluctant to
believe in such "fine tuning". A
review of the facts about the moon’s current orbit means that for this or any
theory to be true, remarkable coincidences – not supported by strong
possibilities based on physics – would have to be used to explain facts we
observe each night. Also, yet again…this
hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the lunar
material has received.
None of these
theories explain the observed phenomena concerning the moon very well. Too many facts are simply left to lie
unattended with each of the three ‘explanations’ above.
A fourth theory has
emerged, however, after the lunar landings and as more data has been gathered –
the giant impactor theory. This
theory holds that the Earth collided with a very large object (as big as Mars
or more) and that the Moon formed from the ejected material. Presumably, this could have happened as a
cacophonous outcropping of a big bang in the universe.
The giant impactor theory is now widely accepted as the most viable naturalistic
explanation of the origin of the moon. (nineplanets.org/luna.html)
The Giant Impactor Theory (sometimes called The Ejected Ring
Theory)
This theory proposes that a
planetesimal (or small planet) the size of Mars struck the Earth just after the
formation of the solar system, ejecting large volumes of heated material from
the outer layers of both objects. A disk of orbiting material was formed, and
this matter eventually stuck together to form the
Moon in orbit around the Earth. This theory can explain why the Moon is made
mostly of rock and how the rock was excessively heated. Furthermore, we see evidence in many places in
the solar system that such collisions were common late in the formative stages
of the solar system. This theory is discussed further below. (Creationist view: Why did these bodies, flying through space –
I assume randomly and rapidly after a large, high energy collision – settle
into such an exact orbit and stay locked in their orbits and rotational
patterns for these thousands – or millions - of years, if this is how it
happened? The moon is a faithful witness
by accident and by incredible chance occurrences, if we fail to accept the
amazing design and precision in its orbit and content.)
The idea of the Giant
Impactor theory allows these explanations for the formation of the earth and
moon:
·
An off-center impact of a roughly
Mars-sized body with a young Earth could provide Earth with its fast initial
spin;
·
Debris would be ejected into orbit
to form the Moon; the issue of the Roche limit must
be considered, but other forces besides those of gravity – namely, the
connective forces of solid matter – may be enough to overcome the Roche effect;
·
If the ejected material came
primarily from the mantles of the Earth and the impactor, the lack of a
sizeable lunar core is easily understood;
·
The energy of the impact could account for the extra
heating of lunar material required by analysis of lunar rock samples
obtained by the Apollo astronauts.
Here is the scenario as
outlined by one source:
The basic idea is this:
about 4.45 billion years ago, a young planet Earth -- a mere 50 million years
old at the time and not the solid object we know today-- experienced the
largest impact event of its history. Another planetary body with roughly the mass of Mars had formed nearby with an orbit
that placed it on a collision course with Earth. When young Earth and this
rogue body collided, the energy involved was 100 million times larger than the
much later event believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. The early giant
collision destroyed the rogue body, likely vaporized the upper layers of
Earth's mantle, and ejected large amounts of debris into Earth orbit. Our Moon
formed from this debris.
This theory makes an effort
to explain the anomalous nature of the earth / moon system as we know it
today. But it does not answer these
questions:
·
How did these various bodies settle
into orbits that have apparently stayed constant for thousands of years –
millions (and billions) of years in the naturalistic view? From violent, catastrophic explosion and
impact would emerge exact and precise order.
(Name one other natural effect that we observe to happen this way.) These bodies ended up in proportions which
allowed for synchronous orbit and rotation, easily measurable into constant length
of days, months, and years. If the force
of this impact was so great, how would these have held up in such exacting
degree to allow such precision? Why
wouldn’t they still be changing more rapidly throughout time?
·
Why did the moon end up with such
precise density and asymmetric core (see below), just right to give it
preferable physics for satellite activity?
Or, alternatively, how did the earth end up with the exact tilt and
magnetic field strength to support life - with the moon such a key component of
its stability? Once again, a collision
of astronomic proportions would be very unlikely to lock into such precision at
so many measurable parameters – size, speed, distance, and angle.
·
There remains yet the issue of the
surprising size and speed of the earth’s velocity and the moon’s synchronous orbit
and rotation. Why wouldn’t these have
slowed down, decreased in size, or even dismantled from their precise
positioning over millions of years? Naturalistic
explanation of the moon’s seemingly too large size and speed still defy our
understanding of modern physics – too many coincidences must be accepted for
any plausible view.
As is the case with ALL
theories of origin of anything, no naturalistic theory can even begin to
account for the formation, the constancy, and the precision – not to mention
the beauty and wonder – of all creation.
All evidence and factual information tread a constant path – to an
intelligent, creative, and powerful Designer.
Each investigation leads to facts and realities that defy statistical
probability unless one accepts remarkable coincidence and overwhelming
odds. It ultimately requires much faith
in bizarre and virtually impossible odds to accept any of the theories of the
moon’s origin.
The Bible’s claims about the
formation and function of the heavenly bodies seem more sensible. A Creator’s purposeful and deliberate act of creation
seems to be justified and confirmed by the sheer unlikelihood of random,
natural formation of the moon (or anything else).
There are too many
coincidences in the amazing precision of the earth /moon tandem to be explained
by chance. It is like every other
attempt to explain the origin of any segment of the universe by chance, random,
natural events devoid of any intelligent, creative force. It defies logic and the laws of physics. A more plausible explanation, one requiring
less faith, by the way, is laid out unapologetically in Scripture. In Genesis 1, the heavens are created by a
word from the mouth of the Creator. In
Psalm 89, the moon is found to be a faithful witness in the sky, directing
mankind to God’s faithfulness and the faithfulness of His creation.
The Precision of the Earth and the Lesser Light
How is the
moon a “faithful witness in the sky”? Consider these additional ‘known’ facts about
the moon (decide for yourself whether these truths serve as strong evidence of
design or just happenstance):
The Moon’s Orbital Period
It takes 27.322 days for
the Moon to orbit the Earth. In other
words, the moon makes one cycle around the earth, returning to its original
location in that many earth days. This is the basis - about 28 days - that we
use to measure the time period known as a month. In fact, the actual time is a little longer
since the earth is moving also, thus the moon has to travel a little farther to
cover its ground – about 29.5 days, roughly a month. (Remember, one earth day is about 24 hours,
the amount of time it takes earth to spin around on its axis.) (daviddarling.info)
Note:
the name ‘moon’ actually comes from Greek, Roman, and Germanic words
meaning ‘month’. Throughout history, man has understood that the moon’s
activity defines the monthly time period.
Note other English words – Monday, menstrual – that come from the same
root.
The Moon’s Rotational Period
The moon is spinning like a top about its axis also. It takes 27.322
days for the moon to rotate once completely on its axis. If that number looks familiar, it is because
the orbital period of the Moon is exactly the same as its rotational
period. This astounding
coincidence may well be enough to baffle even the most ardent naturalist. How did such amazing precision happen
accidentally? (www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm)
We often refer to ‘the far side of the moon’. We never see this side from earth. At first consideration, we might explain this
by saying this is because the moon is NOT spinning. But in actuality, the reason we cannot see
the far side is because the Moon IS spinning.
Very slowly… just the right speed that its rotational period matches
perfectly its orbital period. This is
the reason we can never see the far side of the Moon
from Earth--it's always facing away from us.
It is worth repeating: The
rotation of the moon is so exact that it matches perfectly its orbital period. The effect is simply that from earth, we see the same side of the moon all the
time! This remarkable precision
makes the moon truly a “faithful witness in the sky”. We tell stories of the “man in the moon”. It is a testament to God’s faithfulness and
the truth of His word – and to the moon’s faithful witness – that we can see
the “man in the moon” every time we see the moon. The moon is faithfully moving yet showing its
same side to us all the time.
Here is the
staggering, factual conclusion:
·
The Sun is moving (about 140 miles per second)
through the galaxy with all of its planets and their moons in tow
·
The nine planets, including the earth, are
orbiting the sun (the earth makes one cycle every 365 days – our solar year)
while spinning on its axis one cycle every 24 hours (the earth ‘day’)
·
The moon orbits the earth faithfully, making one
cycle every 28 days or so
·
The moon also rotates on its own axis, making
one revolution in exactly the same time it makes one orbit about the earth
These facts are oversimplifications.
There are more detailed facts about gradations and angular movements
which only astrophysicists care about or understand.
Yet, the Sun, earth, and moon are moving via multiple parameters at
varying speeds and trajectories. And yet, anytime an earthling looks at the
moon at any location in the sky, he sees the same side of the moon. God set the moon in such a way to be
constantly moving, always in orbit, faithfully marking time in months - yet
always the same for us to see.
In the complex realities of physics and astronomy, the moon is indeed
a faithful witness in the sky.
The
Moon’s Albedo
Visual albedo is defined by the
“reflectivity of the surface of a planet, moon, asteroid, or other celestial
body that does not shine by its own light. Albedo is measured as the fraction
of incident light that the surface reflects back in all directions. A perfect
reflector by definition has an albedo of unity, i.e., all the incident light is
reflected; a body that reflects no light at all would have an albedo of zero.” In other words, the physical property of
albedo is an indication of how much light is reflected from a planet or
moon. The albedo
of the Moon is 0.12. In other words, the Moon
reflects back 12% of all the radiation that falls upon it. (Fraser Cain,
Universetoday.com)
But that is not the whole story.
Due to the presence of other lunar features – highland areas, lowland
areas, mountains, etc. which produce
shadows – this is actually lower. In
addition, because some of the reflected light actually goes off in other
directions – not to earth, in other words – we see only about 7% of the light
from the sun that hits it. The lunar
view that fills our night, in effect, is only a small amount of the Sun’s light
that actually hits the moon. The rest is
dispersed as heat energy, or bounced into space away from Earth.
But that is still not the whole story.
The moon’s topography – its surface areas with its lunar regolith, or
the earth equivalent of topsoil – has minute features which affect profoundly
how we can view the Moon. The first few
millimeters of the moon’s surface ‘soil’, the regolith, have porosity and
crystalline structure which make the moon brighter to earth’s view than would
be expected. Sunlight can penetrate this
thin surface layer and illuminate subsurface crystalline grains on the lunar
surface. The scattered light from these
interactions are reflected in multiple directions. The overall effect is that
at different phases (to the eye on earth) the moon has different magnitudes of
brightness. At full phase it is brighter
than at the first and last quarters. At
the brightest phase (a full moon), these reflections result in the lunar
surface being brighter than normal.
In actuality, we can never view a
perfectly full moon, for at those times, the moon would be eclipsed. From the Apollo missions, we know that the
exact subsolar point - in effect, the fullest possible moon - is some 30%
brighter than the fullest moon seen from earth. This may be caused by these ‘glassy beads’ in the
lunar regolith, which tend to reflect light in the direction from which it
comes. We do not see this effect since
this brightest full moon would be reflected back toward the Sun, not earth.
The overall effect of the
regolith’s particle structure is that the moon is fully reflective. That is why, although in actuality only about
7% of the light is reflected to earth, the surface crystalline nature makes the
appearance of the moon more uniform. We
can see the entire globe of the moon.
Other planets with different surface character would be visible, but
either the middle of the globe would be bright with dull edges, or one side
(facing the Sun more directly) would be brighter. The moon’s surface makes the whole thing
lighted and visible at any phase. At
partial phase, we can make out clearly the lighted portion and it forms the
shape we know to be a new moon, a quarter, or a full moon. On clear nights we can often see the dim
outline of the whole circle of the moon, even the dark portion.
It is a testament to the
faithfulness of God and to the truth of Scripture that the moon, though it
reflects almost none of the light that hits its surface, still projects its
wondrous full perimeter to earth observers, faithfully reminding us of the
faithfulness of God. The fact that God
made the moon with visible features is also too wonderful for me. The mountain ranges and valleys and craters
on the lunar surface each reflect light differently due to differences in both
surface particle character and to shadows.
The effect is that we can see the same lunar topography every time we
view the faithful witness in the sky. We
see the man in the moon repeatedly since the moon is always showing us its near
side due to its rotational pattern, and we can make out the same features due
to the albedo of the moon, all worked out by a faithful God.
The earth's only natural satellite is the brightest object in the
night sky but gives off no light of its own. Instead, it reflects light from
the sun. It is a faithful witness, not
offering any light of its own but reflecting light from the greater light
source. Antipas, the faithful witness in
Pergamum, modeled this for us – a lesser body having no light of his own, but
reflecting the light of the greater light (and the True and Faithful Witness)
by his life and death. We are called to
no less – not to show light of our own, but to reflect the light of the Greater
Light Source … God! The moon models in
the heavens, just as Antipas did at Pergamum, the faithfulness by which we are
supposed to live.
The Moon’s Density
The moon is much smaller than Earth. The
moon's average radius (distance from its center to its surface) is 1,079.6
miles (1,737.4 kilometers), about 27 percent of the radius of Earth. In other words, the radius of the moon is
about one-fourth of that of earth.
But, the moon is also much less massive than Earth. Its density is only about 60% of that of
earth. The moon has a mass (amount of
matter) of 8.10 x 1019 tons (7.35 x 1019 metric tons). Its mass in metric tons would be written out
as 735 followed by 17 zeroes. Earth is
about 81 times that massive. The moon's density (mass divided by volume) is
about 3.34 grams per cubic centimeter, roughly 60 percent of Earth's density.
Recent findings even suggest that the moon's core constitutes only 2-4
percent of its total mass, compared to a terrestrial core with about 30 percent
of the Earth's mass. (Robin Canup, Southwest Research Institute) In
other words, earth is about 4 times as large as the moon, but is over 80 times
as heavy. Planetary bodies (planets and moons) typically have iron cores that are
about half the size of the body. The Moon possesses a core that is only about
one quarter of its radius. Studies also
indicate that the moon has low metal abundance, thus explaining to some extent
the low relative density compared to other bodies, including earth. (www.nasa.gov/worldbook/moon_worldbook.html)
The moon is well suited to be a lighter body, functioning effectively
as an orbiting satellite. The earth is well
suited to have sufficient mass to control the moon’s orbit through
gravitational force, mass, and momentum.
None of the theories of the earth and moon’s origin account for these
facts very well.
It would be an easy conclusion to the objective observer that the moon
was designed to be an orbiting satellite.
The Moon’s Center of Mass
Most curiously - the Moon's center of mass is offset from its geometric
center by about 2 km in the direction toward the Earth. Also, the crust is
thinner on the near side. (nineplanets.org/luna.html) The structure of
the Moon is quite similar to that of the Earth, however, there are differences
in detail. In other words, the crust of the Moon is asymmetric. (See the diagram below.) It is thinner on the side which faces the
Earth. This asymmetry would affect the moon’s angular velocity, and would make
it more likely to remain in a constant orbit.
This would help explain why the earth – moon system can remain in
synchronous orbit, even with the moon too large, the earth too dense, and their
speeds too fast by the laws of astronomy!
It appears that the moon’s asymmetric core has been ‘adjusted’ to allow
it to move about the earth, just as the earth and moon’s relative densities
were adjusted to allow proper precision.
The
Moon’s Size Relative to Earth and the Sun
The coincidences just keep coming as one studies the earth, the moon,
and the sun.
The Sun happens to be 400 times the
Moon's diameter, and 400 times as far away. And that is no mean coincidence!
When the Moon is at apogee, it is 11%
farther from Earth than it is at perigee. This is far enough that it cannot
entirely block the bright light, so eclipses which occur near apogee are not
total.
What Happens during an Eclipse?
When the moon passes directly between the
sun and the earth, its shadow is cast upon the earth. From earth, our view of the sun is partially
blocked as the moon blocks its visible pathway.
The diagram below is not to scale but demonstrates the effect when an
eclipse occurs.
The portion of earth’s surface where
sunlight is completely blocked is a total eclipse (the umbra). Where the sunlight
is partially blocked is a partial eclipse (called the penumbra).
So what is the significance here in light
of the Faithful Witness in the Sky?
Well, simply that the relative size and positioning of the sun, moon,
and earth make a total eclipse even possible.
If there existed a larger size disparity, eclipses would not be a big
deal. Their similarity in size to the earth observer results in a ‘perfect fit’
when they line up during an eclipse.
That permits both a visual spectacle and an opportunity for scientific
discovery. (For example, the element
helium was discovered from data collected during an eclipse. The name helium comes from Greek ‘helios’, the god of the sun.)
The
Moon’s Proximity to Earth
The moon’s orbit about the
earth is not circular, it is elliptical.
In other words, at times the moon is closer to the earth than other
times. The closest distance is called
its perigee, and the farthest
distance is called its apogee. If you were to photograph a full moon at
apogee and perigee (using the same lens), here's how the two sizes would
compare:
(from
moonconnection.com)
The average distance from
Earth is 237,700 miles (382,500 km).
Apogee and perigee distances differ by about 40,000 km (or about 24,000
miles). Gravitational differences
between the apogee and perigee are quite different, and result in profoundly
different tidal surges on the earth’s surface.
(moonconnection.com)
We have mentioned the Roche limit.
If the moon were closer to the earth, it would face the possibility of
dismemberment due to the powerful gravitational influence of the larger
body. If it were further away, it would
at some point break free from its orbit and move toward the Sun, thus
disrupting the solar system balance.
Furthermore, the proximity of the moon to the earth is exactly correct
for faithful stabilization of earth’s tilt, tides, and orbit. If the moon’s distance were 1/5 of what it
is, high tides would completely submerge the continents twice a day. If the moon were farther away, the earth
would "wobble", as does Mars.
Mars has seasons like Earth, but longer and more extreme in climate, since
its two moons are smaller and do not stabilize its tilt well. Mars displays vast irregularities of tilt, and
thus the extreme variations in climate.
The moon’s distance from earth, though it changes throughout its
elliptical pathway, appears to be just right.
The Moon’s Influence on Earth’s Axial Tilt
Axial tilt is the angle between an object's rotational
axis, and a line perpendicular to its orbital plane about the Sun. Many planets rotate
at a tilted angle, not perpendicular to their orbital plane about the Sun. That is, their polar axes are tilted relative
to their orbit about the Sun. The table
below summarizes the different planets and their respective ‘tilts’. The moon is, in fact, slightly tilted also,
about at angle of about 1.5o.
As shown, the planets display a
range of axial tilts. Mercury and
Jupiter have virtually no tilt, meaning that their rotational plane (and their
polar axes) are about perpendicular to their orbital plane about the Sun. Venus, on the other hand, also is roughly
perpendicular to the Sun, but in fact has an axial tilt of almost 180o. This means it is rotating in retrograde
motion relative to earth. Its north pole
would be in the position of our south pole!
Planet Uranus is rotating at
almost right angles to its orbital plane, meaning that its north pole is
pointing almost exactly in the direction of its orbit about the Sun. Earth, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune have similar
tilts, in the range of 20-30 degrees.
Planet Axial tilt (degrees)
Mercury 0
Venus 177
Earth 23.5
Mars 25
Jupiter
3
Saturn 26.7
Uranus 97.8
Neptune 28.3
Pluto 120
The tilt of Earth is more than
just a curiosity. It is essential to
life, for it affects climate and seasons.
The earth experiences different
seasons because its axis is tilted from perpendicular to the Sun. The seasons are not caused by distance from
the Sun, but instead by the angle at which the Sun’s rays hit the Earth’s
surface – which is due to tilt, not distance.
Earth’s hemispheres experience summer when the sun’s rays hit their
surface most directly and their days are longest. They experience winter when the sun’s rays
hit the surface at more extreme angles.
The tilt of
earth's axis (23.5 degrees) gives us our moderate seasons. The tilt, in terms of life on earth, is just
right – once again. If the tilt was
greater - for example, Uranus with its 98-degree tilt – then such a tilt on
earth would cause periodic continental flooding and long periods of
darkness. If the earth's tilt was less -
for example, Mercury and Venus have no tilt - the lack of tilt would cause
equatorial areas to grow hotter and the ice caps to expand.
What does all of this have to
do with the moon? The moon stabilizes the earth’s tilt! Evolutionary theories of the earth / moon
origin speculate that, in yet another astounding coincidence, the earth ended
up revolving on its fortuitously tilted axis relative to the sun, and the moon
settled into its orbit just right to stabilize the earth’s rotation at this
beneficial positioning. The moon’s
gravity holds the earth in place, allowing moderate climates and dependably
consistent seasons. This, in turn,
provides temperature and heating patterns which make agriculture and plant life
possible, thereby allowing animals the diet and sustenance to live.
Whatever one’ view is on the
origin of these things, we cannot know ultimately how all of this came
about. A step of faith is required, and
it requires simpler faith to trust in an Intelligent Designer who engineered all
of this skillfully to create a planet that can sustain life. In any case, it is a certainty that the
faithful witness in the sky provides for the faithfulness of earth, as promised
in Genesis 8:22:
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
The faithful witness in the sky steadfastly holds the earth’s key
functions – its water movements, its tilt, its seasons, and its climate –
carefully and precisely. We can depend
on these things, and the moon’s faithful stabilization.
The Moon’s Effect on Earth’s Oceans –
the Tides
The moon affects our lives in more
ways than just serving as the lesser light to rule the night. Its gravitational force causes the tides –
the movement of water – thus affecting ocean currents, climate, and marine
ecosystems. The earth is faithful, too,
to provide climate, seasons, and sustenance to meet every physical need. The moon’s orbit and gravity faithfully
stabilize each of these.
As noted, the earth and moon are both moving through space
as well as rotating on their axes. The Earth’s spin on its axis keeps the water
balanced throughout due to centrifugal force.
However, this balance is ‘disrupted’ by the moon’s gravitational forces,
which are strong enough to accelerate the waters towards the moon as it circles
by in its orbit. The resulting
attraction of the water causes it to bulge, creating the tides – the areas of
the Earth where the water bulges have ‘high tide’ and the waters elsewhere have
‘low tide’. But since both the moon and
earth are constantly moving, this bulging and recession of the waters moves
also. Thus, different areas experience
high and low tides based on the position of the earth and the moon.
This effect is also affected by the fact that the moon is
not always the same distance from the earth in its orbit. As the moon passes nearest the earth (called
its perigee), its gravitational force is much higher and thus higher tides
result. When it is farthest from earth
(called its apogee), the tides are not as high. (moonconnection.com)
There is yet another influence – the position of the Sun,
which also exerts a gravitational force upon the Earth and its waters. If the Sun and moon are positioned such that
they are about 90 degrees apart to an observer on earth, then the tides are not
as high, since their gravitational effects are working somewhat counter to one
another. This is referred to as a neap tide. When the Sun and moon are lined up relative
to the earth, then the high tides are even higher, and this is referred to as a
spring tide.
The tides affect ocean movement, and some marine species depend on
tidal movement for food and viability.
Likewise, the tides keep both sand and silt moving, requiring storm
activity such as hurricanes to remove these periodically. The tides keep things moving, so to speak,
which provides for the beneficial cycling of earth’s water, water resources,
and some water-borne species. Fish are
also affected by tides, and commercial and recreational fishermen monitor high
and low tides to assist in optimal fishing success.
Psalm 93:3-4 reads:
The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up
their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great
waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty.
The LORD controls the Sun, the moon, the earth, their orbits
and rotations, and all the natural effects – such as the tides – that come
about due to their carefully ordered existences. The tides, the fingerprint of the moon’s
presence in our lives, forms yet another part of the orderly cycling and
recycling of the earth, keeping living things alive and sustaining the natural
realm. The reach of the ‘Faithful
Witness in the Sky’ extends down to the seas below on earth, where the Faithful
One sustains His Creation before our adoring eyes.
The Moon’s Effect on Earth’s Orbit and Rotation
The gravity and physical
movements of the faithful witness affect the earth. The same Creator who set it all in motion and
who set time as a template for our existence will also bring it to an end in
the fullness of time. For we see that
the Earth, Moon, and the heavens are slowly changing due to their impact and
influence on one another.
The earth's spin is slowing
down by about 1.5 - 2 milliseconds per century, and that angular momentum
is affecting the moon's orbit, which is getting larger. The reason for this,
and the reason a figure skater can only spin for only so long, is friction. In
the case of the skater, it is air resistance and friction with the ice. In the case of the earth, it is the friction
due to tides moving around the earth.
The earth's rotation is slowing
down (due to "tidal braking"), and to conserve angular momentum the
moon is accelerating. The moon's
orbit increases by about 3 cm/year -
the moon is that much farther from earth each year. In other words, the precision of the
heavenlies is slowly eroding and will eventually end. This is also evidence of the moon’s faithful
witness:
Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words
will not pass away”
The beauty and precision of the
earth and moon are only temporary when viewed through the lens of eternity. The activity of the Earth and Moon are
temporal, just as the Word of God claims.
The Faithfulness of the Creator and of His
Faithful Witness in the Sky
Psalm 148:3 Praise
him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.
13
About Joseph he said: "May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew
from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; 14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield; 15 with the choicest gifts of the
ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; 16 with the best gifts of the earth
and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all
these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince
among his brothers. 17 In
majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With
them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are
the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh."
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 "Dominion and awe belong to
God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. 3 Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise? 4 How then can a man be righteous
before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 5 If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
6 how much less man, who is but
a maggot— a son of man, who is only a worm!"
7
He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over
nothing. 8 He wraps up the
waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. 9 He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds over it. 10
He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light
and darkness.
24
"If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my
security,' 25 if I have rejoiced
over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, 26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor, 27
so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
1
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble
come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in
them"- 2 before the sun and the light and the moon
and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;
1
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your
glory above the heavens. 2 From
the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your
enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set
in place, 4 what is man that
you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the
heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
5
He will endure as long as the sun, as
long as the moon, through all generations. 6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers
watering the earth. 7 In his
days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no
more.
12
But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. 13 It was you who split open the sea
by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14 It was you who crushed the heads of
Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 15 It was you who opened up springs
and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. 16 The day is yours, and
yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the
boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
19
The moon marks off the seasons, and
the sun knows when to go down. 20
You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
Psalm 148:3
Praise
him, sun and moon, praise him, all
you shining stars.
The Moon in Romance
9
See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. 10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light. The rising
sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. 11 I will punish the world for its
evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the
haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
21
In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings
on the earth below. 22 They will
be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in
prison and be punished after many days. 23
The moon will be abashed, the sun
ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders, gloriously.
19
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he
will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the
bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no
more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will
hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." 22 Then you will defile your idols
overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them
away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!" 23 He will also send you rain for the
seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich
and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. 24 The oxen and donkeys that work the
soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter, when
the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every
lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun, and the
sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when
the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
33
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that
time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write
it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his
neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all
know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more." 35 This is what the LORD says, he who appoints
the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name: 36
"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD,
"will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."
28
"And afterward, I will pour out my
Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will
dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my
Spirit in those days. 30 I will
show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of
smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has
said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
29 "Immediately
after the distress of those days " 'the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall
from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 30 "At that time the sign of the
Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and
great glory.