Biblical Cosmos (Part 1) - Introduction

This article begins a series of blog entries which explore the Biblical view of the universe.

Some of the questions to be addressed include:

• What are the primary components God created in the universe? By components I mean realms, beings, important things/places.  Visible and invisible.
• What Biblical names and roles are associated with each component?
• What metaphors, imagery and symbolism does God use to communicate the reality of the universe so that all people (ancient and modern) can comprehend it?  It is assumed this language transcends civilizations, cultures and empirical knowledge (pre-scientific vs. now).
• How are the various components of the universe structured and related to each other?
• Which beings/things inhabit each realm?  What movement or relocation from one realm to other realms exists?
• What components of the universe have changed or will change over time and how?
• Where do we fit in? What is our place and purpose in the cosmos?

Can You See the Big Picture of Salvation?

Introduction

Sometimes we get too close to our problems and fail to see the larger framework that God is working out in history.

The Judeo-Christian bible teaches us that history is moving toward a divinely appointed goal, and it helps if we step back and look at it from a big picture perspective.  This approach is like looking at the top of a puzzle box to see how the puzzle pieces fit together to form a picture.