How Do We Know God Exists?
By Kelly McDonald Jr.
There are people today who question whether or not God Exists. Is there any way for us to know whether or not God exists?
We have a free booklet written on this subject called “How Do We Know That God Exists?” (Click here to download). A brief summary of the book’s findings are discussed below.
There are three basic building blocks of the universe. The first is physical matter. This refers to the physical items around us – the things we see, feel, touch, and experience. A second aspect of the universe is space. Simply, this refers to the distance between objects and their interrelationship with each other. A third aspect of the universe is time. For humans, this is how we experience time as we know it – the passing of days, months, seasons, and years.
Of these, we will focus on one aspect of creation – time. A review of this subject will provide clarification to the issues discussed thus far.
On earth, we experience time based upon three main factors: the rotation of the earth, the revolution of the earth around the sun, and the rotation of the moon around the earth. This is the basis for days, months, seasons, and years. One day is about 24 hours. This is one complete rotation of the earth. It takes about 27.3 days for the moon to go around the earth, but 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes make up a lunar cycle to be completed (new moon to
new moon). It takes 365.25 days for the earth to completely orbit the sun.
But there is one aspect of time we experience that is not connected to any heavenly body such as the sun or moon: the continuous seven-day weekly cycle. No cycle of the sun corresponds to the divisible number of seven. The moon’s monthly cycle is not evenly divisible by seven either from its orbit or from new moon to new moon.
How can it be that the seven-day cycle exists? It has been followed by varying numbers of people throughout the centuries. However, much of the world (presently) follows this cycle. Various cultures over the millennia, both ancient and modern, have tried different forms of a weekly cycle. Most of them have disappeared.
How do we know if and which religious system should be trusted for its explanation of origins? Whichever belief system can account for the origin of creation and the seven day week from first day through the seventh. And there is only one text that can explain creation and the seven-day week as we experience them today: the Holy Bible. In the book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, we learn about the creation of the universe. We also learn about the establishment of the seven-day cycle.
God created space, matter, and time. He worked to fashion and form the earth for for six days and rested on the seventh day. This set apart the seventh day and by extension established the continuous seven-day cycle. This cycle continued for hundreds of years into the days of Noah. In Genesis chapters 7 and 8, we learn how he knew about the seven-day week. After the global flood, the whole world would have only known this reckoning of the week. Archaeological finds from just after the flood confirm that other cultures, such as the Sumerians and Babylonians, had knowledge of it.
In Genesis, we also learn that God revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and set their family apart from other peoples on earth. Jacob and his sons eventually traveled down to Egypt where they stayed for four hundred years. While in that land, they were enslaved for a time. However, God delivered them through the hands of Moses and Aaron. He also revealed to them the original seven-day weekly cycle in Exodus chapters 16 and 20.
Other cultures have tried alternative days to the original week, such as the ten-day or eight-day week. Most of these alternative cycles have faded from practice. Of the ones that still exist, they are secondary to or observed beside the seven-day week.
The original weekly cycle was from ancient times until now preserved by the Jewish people despite trials and severe persecutions. Much archaeological evidence exists to show that the Jewish people kept track of the seven-day week throughout the centuries. Starting in the first century of our current era, Christianity also became a promoter of this cycle. It has survived among Christian groups despite persecution (from inside and outside factors) and theological attempts to alter it.
Most of the world not observes the seven-day cycle. Though the order of the days is not the same in every culture, they still have the opportunity to observe the Biblical Sabbath and by extension the correct order of days. They are simply out of rhythm. Other forms of the week, such as the eight-day and ten-day reckoning, disconnect people from the Creator’s time.
One reason that the original seven-day week has endured the centuries is that it proves the existence of God and therefore will always be with humanity. In returning to the seven-day cycle, the world has unknowingly upheld a major witness to the existence of God.
Read our free booklet to learn more!
Kelly McDonald, Jr.
President of the BSA www.biblesabbath.org
Defend My Faith 