The Watchmaker

A poem by Dave Hawkins.

A long time ago on a planet so bare,
Some water and dirt got mixed up with the air.
Some sand and some rocks to make it just right,
The stage was all set in the deep of the night.

A bolt of white lightning, a great peal of thunder,
And suddenly there was a marvelous wonder.
The rocks yielded metal, the sand turned to glass,
And as the years flew, a new thing came to pass.

The metal formed gears, the glass a watch face,
And little by little, things fell into place.
The parts came together, just like a good rhyme,
With ticks and with tocks and with hands that tell time.
A beautiful watch began ticking one day,
Formed all by itself in a wonderful way.

"Ridiculous story!" you say with a grin.
"Impossible, laughable... surely a sin!
A watch needs a watchmaker, that's plain to see.
A designer and builder that makes it for me."

Now all life is made of some interesting stuff.
Cells of all shapes like blobs filled with fluff.
But looks are deceiving and what we find there.
Are factories and highways and gadgets to spare.

Assembly lines, robots, electrical cable.
Libraries, software; just look, if you able.
The marvels we see with a microscope's stare.
Make a watch look so simple, we dare not compare.

Now the doctor from Oxford say cells came by Chance
From Goo down to You in a beautiful dance
What's wrong with their thinking to have such odd notions?
That cells could just happen from dirt and warm oceans!

A cell and its wonders amaze all who see,
And a cell, like a watch, by Chance cannot be.
Those cells can build hummingbirds, agile and free,
Bumble bees, snails, my backyard oak tree.

A woodpecker built with a jackhammer nose?
Lightning bugs, monkeys, a beautiful rose,
And beetles with bombs that give frogs a surprise,
Chameleons with camouflage and some weird eyes.

All nature on Earth is so perfectly fine,
We have to admit that its all by Design,
And our Maker owns everything both great and small.
He's the masterful "Watchmaker", Lord over all.

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See also:
Watchmaker animation.
Argument: Evolution is true science, not ‘just a theory
Argument: Probability of Evolution
Evolution is religion not science.
Which came first, the Chicken or the Egg?

Which came first, the Chicken or the Egg?

Think long and hard, your answer could have more serious implications than you think.
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One of the greatest attacks of Christianity is the attack of what non-Christians call "the creation myth."

Now, the Bible begins (as makes chronological sense) an account of the formation of not only the earth and everything on it, but also the universe.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1

There exists a similar idea in most religions, that a god or gods were involved somehow in the creation of the earth or at least the life on it. Click here to see a brief outline of the Christian/Jewish, Islamic, Hindu or Mayan understandings of creation.

The main theory in opposition to an Intelligent Design Theory or Creationist Theory is that of Evolution, or more specifically neo-Darwinism.

Charles Darwin is often heralded as the founder of evolutionary theory. What Darwin did however was to supply a mechanism (natural selection) for evolution. Evolution is essentially a cry for an answer to the origins of life apart from any divine interference. As most historians agree, Darwin’s main aim was to explain the world without God. Thus Evolution is essentially an atheistic world view.

Richard Dawkins, an Oxford University Professor, wrote "Although atheism might have been logically tenable before Charles Darwin, Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist."

There are two types of evolution, Microevolution and Macroevolution. Microevolution ,or natural selection, is the understanding that some animal life has evolved in some regards within its own "kind", yet it does not allow that one "kind" may evolve into another "kind". This is consistant with the Biblical view. For example all races came from two parents, Adam and Eve (or later Noah and his Wife). With the passage of time the small differences in the appearance of people were amplified as the groups split up and were segregated by their locality as people migrated around the world. Microevolution is used erronously as proof for Macroevolution. Macroevolution contending that biological population changes take place (typically via mutations and natural selection) on a large enough scale to produce entirely new structural features and organs, resulting in lower life kinds giving rise to higher kinds, such that mammals evolved from microscopic sea creatures, birds evolved from land animals, and humans and apes have a common ancestor.

Microevolution is an understanding that all species of dogs for example, are descendant from the one 'dog' creature. Macroevolution, on the other hand, is more of a goo-plus-time-equals-you proposition.

I do not have space here to adaquately address the scientific evidence for or against neo-Darwinian Evolution but if you are interested visit either Creation on the Web or Answers in Genesis for an abundance of information.

One point I will raise though is that if neo-Darwinism were an accurate theory there should be a strong fossil record to support it. That is there should be many fossils of transitional (mid evolution) creatures. However, when asked why he did not include any images of such fossils in his book titled Evolution, Dr. Colin Patterson (former senior paleontoligist at the British Museum of Natural History) answered "...I will lay it on the line - there is not one such fossil for which one could make a watertight arguement."

One would think that the atheistic bias behind evolutionary thinking would alert Christians of the need to oppose it. However, the main reason it is so dangerous to Christianity is that, large sections of the Church have tried to reconcile Christianity and neo-Darwinist Evolution.

Since Evolution and scriptural Creationism are such opposing views, in order to be reconciled to each other, one must be altered or modified somewhat. It is always Scripture that is ‘re-interpreted’ to fit in with man’s wisdom. But God’s word never changes, while it is hard to find a five-year-old science textbook that is not outdated!

The 3 main ways that Evolution is reconciled to the Bible is through what is called Gap theory, Progressive Creation or that Genesis is only allegorical.

Gap Theory - A hypothesis that there is a chronological gap between Genesis 1:2 and 1:3 during which geological and biological evolution occurred.

Progressive Creation - A hypothesis that the 'days' of Creation in Genesis are not literal days but are ages and stages of evolution including a period in which a race of souless 'men' lived.

Genesis is only allegorical - A hypothesis that Genesis was never intended to be literally interpreted and is simply a Christian 'fairy tale'.

The problem with these theories is not only that they contradict and add to Genesis, but they also seriously contradict the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Gap Theory and Progressive Creation are dangerous because they add to scripture. In order to insert the billions of years needed for neo-Darwinian evolution to occur there must have been billions of years filled with pain, suffering, disease, and death and species gradually evolved and became extinct until we arrive at the animals, plants and humans of today. If the Gospel is true then this simply cannot be the case.

1. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day." Genesis 1:31. Would a perfect God have said "the last billions of years filled with pain, death, suffering, struggle and extinction have been very good."
   


2. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. If death came before sin, then mankind cannot be given eternal life through salvation from sin.



3. "He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." Acts 3:21. Only an original creation free from death makes God’s promise of restoration logical. A perfect creation cannot be restored in the future if no perfect creation existed in the past.

An understanding of Genesis that considers it allegorical essentially says that Jesus was not a savior, but a loon. As Richard Dawkins said in an interview "Oh but of course the story of Adam and Eve was only ever symbolic, wasn’t it? Symbolic?! Jesus had himself tortured and executed for a symbolic sin by a non-existent individual. Nobody not brought up in the faith could reach any verdict other than barking mad!" the whole premis of Christianity is that Jesus actually died to atone for sin. The sin which has been cursing the earth since, but was introduced into the world through an actual man, Adam.

Richard Dawkins also said "It seems to me an odd proposition that we should adhere to some parts of the Bible story but not to others. After all, when it comes to important moral questions, by what standards do we cherry-pick the Bible? Why bother with the Bible at all if we have the ability to pick and choose from it, what is right and what is wrong?" Even a staunch atheist can plainly see that modifying Genesis to allow for neo-Darwinian Evolution is paramount to denying the validity of the entire Bible.

Why do some Christians try to manipulate the scripture to make room for an atheistic world view?

So, which came first, the Chicken or the Egg?

The Evolutionist must answer "The Egg of course. At some stage there must have been a creature which was not a chicken, who layed an egg containing a chicken."

The Christian must answer "The Chicken of course. Genesis chapter 1 clearly tells us that God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything within them in six days. He created all things, and His creation was good."

Libra - The Scales

THE FOURTH DAY PROPHESY III

Following the sign of Virgo is Libra, the Scales.

Libra signifies the scales of Justice and Balance. This is the only sign of the Zodiac which does not depict a living creature. Libra has in antiquity been viewed as part of Scorpio's claws and also is sometimes depicted as being held by Virgo.

The scales of Libra has one side lower than the other. The Per­sian image in­cludes a human figure which holds in one hand the scales, and in the other a lamb, as the thing to be weighed.

The brightest star of Libra is in the outer scale, and called Zuben al Genubi which means "the price which is deficient". Psalms 49:7-9 says “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him- the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough - that he should live on forever and not see decay." Psalms 62:9 says that “Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath." Even the most powerful of men, Belshazzar, Emperor of Persia was, according to the writing on the wall, “weighed on the scales, and found want­ing.” (Daniel 5:27) The price is deficient, because nothing man can do will ever earn favour with God or salvation from sin. Even the sin offerings of the Old Testament were simply a precursor to Christ.

The next bright­est star is in the in­ner, lower scale called Zuben al Chemali which means "the price which cov­ers". The price which is sufficient for salvation is the Blood Price payed at Calvary. The price of Jesus' own Blood. Romans 9 speaks of God's sovereign choice in relation to salvation and verse 16 in particular echoes the imagry of Libra's unbalanced scales. "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.” The Hebrews denot­ed this star with the letter Tau, last of the alphabet and shaped like a cross, signify­ing a comple­tion.

While all the effort and desire of man comes to "only a breath" and measure the price deficient, The Mercy, Grace and Blood of Jesus poured out is the price that covers and provides salvation.

Along with Libra are its three deacons the Crux, Lupus and Corona Borealis.

Crux or the Southern Cross features on the Australin Flag and is a five star constellation in the shape of a Cross. Its Hebrew name, appropri­ate­ly, was Adom roughly meaning "cut­ting off" a clear reference of the Cross to Daniel 9:26, where the Annointed One or Messiah is "cut off”. The ancient Dendera zodiac of Egypt de­picted this sign as a lion panting with thirst as a cup is held out to him; beneath his feet is the hiero­glyph for pouring water. This helps the representation of Jesus, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. At the cross, the Lion of Judah uttered the words, “I am thirsty” (John 19:28) as He was “poured out like water” (Psalm 22:14). The name of this Egyp­tian image was Sera "victory"; the Persian name for the Cross was Arbedi, having the sense of "covering".

Lupis, Latin for wolf (as it is most commonly depicted) is also known as the victim. Lupis depicts an beast, most commonly a wolf, fall­ing down dead. Killed by the spear of Centaurus from Virgo. The Egyptian image is not a beast but a naked child hold­ing a finger to his lips; the name is Sura, meaning "a lamb". This image of 'a lamb', silent in death, is found in Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” The stripped child is the mythological Harpocrates, victim of justice, god of silence and acquiescence. Notice that it is the Centaur, a type of Jesus Christ, which slays the sacrificial Victim, another type of Christ: and Jesus said (John 10:15-18), “I lay down my life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord...”

Corona Borealis or the Northern Crown depicts a crown of glory. The Greeks associate this crown with Ariadne, who died because of her great love, (either pierced by Artemis, or abandoned on the island of Naxos and laying down her own life) only to be raised among the gods and reward­ed with a crown after death. This is a carnalised version of what the image atually represents. Not a woman but rather the Seed of the woman, Jesus is the subject. It was because of His divine love for man that He cam to grief, persecution and death. That death which was the exact price for Salvation. After which He was raised to life again to reign, crowned in righteous glory. From below, the Serpent almost reaches the Crown, illustrating the danger to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11 “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."

In Libra we have the Scales of Justice, which finds one price de­ficient but another, the price which covers. Showing that the balance of Salvation cannot be met by "man's desire or effort, but [only by] God's mercy."

We have Crux, the Lion on the cross.

We have Lupis or Sura, the Lamb who "was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth".

We have Corona Borealis the glorious crown of reward.

In looking at Libra, as with Virgo,“The heavens tell of the glory of God.”

Virgo - The Virgin

THE FOURTH DAY PROPHESY II

The conventional order of the signs of the Zodiac is:
Áries - The Ram
Taurus - The Bull
Gémini - The Twins
Cancer - The Crab
Leo - The Lion
Virgo - The Virgin
Libra - The Scales
Scórpio - The Scorpion
Sagittárius - The Archer (a Centaur)
Capricornus - The Goat (A Goat-headed-fish)
Aquárius - The Water Pot
Pisces - The Fish

Since the Zodiac is a circle a starting point is largely arbitrary. I will however, chose to begin with Virgo, as Jesus' life on Earth began with a Virgin.

The Symbolism of a Virgin being connected to Christ is a simple one for any who has heard the Christian Christmas story of the Birth of Jesus, born of His virgin mother Mary. This is not all that can connect the sign of Virgo to the life of Jesus though.

Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky (the largest being Hydra), but there is considerable space between its stars. By tradition, this is the only female figure counted among the constellations of the Zodiac. She is usually depicted either holding an ear of wheat or less often the Scales of Libra, the adjoining constellation. The origin of Virgo as both a mother and virgin can be traced to prehistoric times and it is often associated with birth and new life. In Hebrew and Syriac she is Bethulah , The maiden; in Arabic she is Adarah, the pure virgin. Virgo is NEVER regarded as anything other than a virgin, but she is still associated with motherhood and fertility. Just as Mary was the foretold virgin mother of the Messiah, Virgo represents a virgin mother. To the Greeks Virgo was Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility To the Persians Virgo was Khosha which means "Ear of Wheat."

Also of significance is the brightest star of Virgo, Spica. The name Spica derives from Latin spīca virginis "Virgo's ear of grain" (usually wheat). Jesus, who was prophetically known from the Garden of Eden as the ‘Seed of the Woman’, is represented here by the brightest star in the constellation and is also one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. Jesus refers to Himself as the seed which must die in order to be fully fruitful. (John 12:23-24). So in Virgo, as with scripture, we have a Virgin, associated with motherhood and fertility, who is to bring forth ‘the seed’ which is far greater than herself.

Along with Virgo are its three deacons (minor constellations) Coma, Centaurus and Bootes.

Coma depicts (according to Albumazar) “a young woman whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne, nourishing an infant boy, said boy having a Hebrew name…which in Greek is called Christ.” Even the name of this smaller constellation is representative of Jesus. The Egyptians called it Shes-nu ‘the desired son’ echoing the words of Haggai 2:7 that Jesus is the “…desired of all nations…”

Centaurus depicts a hunting centaur. A centaur is a creature with a dual nature, the head and torso of a human joined at the (human's) waist to where the horse's neck would be. Centaurs are also (much less often) depicted with the body of a goat rather than a horse, the goat being significant as it was the animal used as a sin offering. Just as Christ is both wholly God and wholly man, so too is a centaur, both horse (or goat) and man. The Hebrew name of Centaurus is Bezeh "the despised" which echoes Isaiah 53:3, "He is despised and rejected of men".

The most famous of the centaurs was Chiron. The myth of Chiron is that he was a teacher to many of the great Greek heroes of mythology such as Ajax, Aeneas, Achilles, Jason, Heracles, and others. Chiron’s nobility is further reflected in the story of his death as Chiron sacrificed his life. Being the son of Cronus, a titan, he was immortal and so could not die. So it was left to Heracles to arrange a bargain with Zeus to exchange Chiron's immortality for the life of Prometheus who had been chained to a rock and left to die for giving fire to man. Hercules set an ambush for Chiron and shot him with a poisoned arrow. Chiron could not die, but after being wounded, willingly gave up his own life and went to the heavens. Chiron is like Christ, who willingly gave up His own life so that mankind could have life after being bound to and deserving of death for our sin.

Bootes depicts a large human figure holding a spear and a sickle, looking toward Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In the English-speaking world we know the Ursas better as the big and little dippers. Bootes is often called the ploughman. However, what is meant to be his plough is set in the opposite direction. Bootes is likely de­rived from the Hebrew word bo, which means "the coming", rather than the word for "plow". This confusion about the ploughman led to him also being called Arcturus which is also the name of the brightest star in Bootes. Arcturus means the watcher, guardian or keeper of Arktos (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor) Anoth­er name for Bootes is Arctophylax, "the guardian of the greater flock" or shepherd. The Egyp­tians called Bootes, Smat the "one who rules", and also Bau "the coming one". That Bootes, this ‘Coming One’, holds a sickle is representative also of Jesus. Jesus too bears a sickle in Revelation 14:15-16 ready to bring judgment to the World.

In Virgo we have the Virgin who brought forth the ‘seed of the woman’.
We have Coma, the Desired One “which in Greek is called Christ”.
We have Centarus, the Despised, dual-natured God who gave His own life freely for another’s sin.
We have Bootes, the Coming One, the Watcher, the One Who Rules, bearing the sickle ready for the judgement and harvest of the world.

In just looking at the Virgo only one of the Zodiac’s signs already “The heavens tell of the glory of God.”