FIGHTING FOR THE SOUL OF AMERICA: Into the ‘Gap’ of Spiritual War
Our pastor began a series on spiritual warfare, last weekend, pointing us at a potential “Gap” between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Chalmers suggested this “Gap” in the early 1800s and it has been a point of contention among theologians for over a century. As a student of history and war, I see this as perhaps the beginning of spiritual war – against thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. Hidden in Genesis 1:1 is a Remez – Treasure – that I think is also worth examining.
If you can hang to the end of this, you might discover hidden treasure from God’s word. This is a treasure that potentially adds perspective as we battle for the soul of our nation.
We all met π (“Pi”) in school when we had to deal with the circumference of a circle. “Pi R squared” sounds like bad grammar, but it is correct geometry for the area of a circle, πr2. We approximated Pi with the fraction, 22/7. Moving into engineering circles, it is more precisely defined as 3.141592654. Pi is also a “hidden treasure” in the Hebrew text of 1st Kings 7:23. When one corrects the letter values for a variation of the spelling, turning it into a mathematical formula, the 46-foot circumference of Solomon’s “molten sea” is specified to an accuracy of better than 15 thousandths of an inch!
Perhaps less well known to most less technical subscribers is the base of Naperian (“natural”) logarithms, e . Yea, most of us rolled our eyes in Algebra II and Calculus but for me, it became life and death. As an Army Field Artilleryman, logarithmic functions defined ballistic arcs based on different powder increments and elevations of the Howitzer tube. Being able to accurately fire explosive shells long distances – accurately – keeps the end point on enemy positions. Key to our discussion, here, is that natural logarithms also show up in myriads of places in advanced engineering and mathematics such as:
In wave mechanics: X = Aekt
Or electrical theory: Q(t) = Qe-t/RC
In advanced math: Eix = Cos x +iSin x, where i = (-1)1/2
And the distribution of prime numbers: A(x) = x/logex
It is defined by: e = lim (1 + 1/n)n
Like “Pi”, “e” is usually approximated as a fraction by the number, 2.718281828.
I am still keeping in mind Paul’s admonishment from Ephesians about our battle not being against flesh and blood.
The ancient Hebrew sages believed, of course, that God created the heavens and the earth. However, some of them believed that the Word of God was the very template with which He did it. This strikes some of us as simply a colorful exaggeration that goes beyond any direct evidence. Yet, there are hints here and there of something more. Two well-known references to creation appear in Scripture: Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. Let’s look “underneath” the text of each of these.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
In Hebrew:
If you examine the numerical values of each of the Hebrew letters, and the numerical value of the words, and apply them to this formula:
The number of letters x the product of the letters divided by the number of words x the product of the words.
You get 3.1416 x 1017. The value of Pi to four decimal places.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In Greek:
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
This time if you take the numerical value of each of the Greek letters, and the numerical value of the words, and apply them to the same formula:
The number of letters x the product of the letters divided by the number of words x the product of the words
You now get 2.7183 x 1040, the value of “e”.
Now for the application to spiritual warfare. This explains why it is worth our time to study spiritual warfare and strive to understand it within the framework of the other domains of war; Land, Sea, Air, and Space. Pi is a core element in defining the knowable spaces of length, width, and depth. These are the physical, obvious spaces within which we live. The natural logarithm, “e” is a core function when defining the unknowable spaces. In his 12th Century commentary on Genesis, Rabbi Nachmanides described the dimensions of creation that men could not see as the unknowable spaces. Those are the spaces of spiritual war that are beyond length, width, depth, and time present. This war began between the period at the end of the verse in Gen 1: 1 and the first letter of Gen 1: 2.
This is a gap that fills my science fiction author’s heart with imagination. Hopefully, with creativity, as well. This Gap moves from knowable elements of length, width, and depth, as defined by Pi and other math functions… Into “e”, a logarithmic function that only quantifies the surface of the unknowable. This Remez – treasure – straddles salvation and God’s 6,000+ year program for man on this earth.
In the hurly burly fight for the soul of our nation, and the lives this fight will certainly take and destroy, we must not lose sight of the sovereign Lord who created us. THAT is why my first weapons of choice are prayer and scripture. As for the ones destroying our nation, God is already laughing derisively at them (Psalm 2). I do not know about you, but I want the Applause of Heaven – Not our creator’s derisive laughter.