the theology of geology amazing grace written in stone what we’ll cover this morning:
TRANSCRIPT
The Theology of Geology
Amazing Grace Written in Stone
What we’ll cover this morning:
What we’ll cover this morning:
Five amazing geological discoveries in the last 50 yearsHow God used five geological events
to shape human history
How God used geology when He called a chosen people
First, several simple definitions
Theology: knowledge of God
Geology: knowledge of the earth’s rocky crust (aka: skin)
The Earth’s rocky crust Two types
But first, a couple of additional definitions
Two types of Crust: 1. Continental crust 2. Oceanic crust
We will focus on the recent history of continental crust; i.e. the continents
Five Amazing Scientific Discoveriesmade in the last 50 years defining the
Earth’s Rocky Crust (continents)
1. Continental (crustal plate) Drift2. Plate Tectonics3. Paleo-magnetics4. Absolute Age Dating
But first: Some basic assumptions
5. The Earth’s Living Crust
Scientific Data: Describing God’s Creation
Data are reliable: Job 12: 8, 9
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee:And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of theLord hath wrought this?
Biblical interpretations
Interpretations of the Bible
1. Literally true 2. Inerrant 3. Contains God’s word 4. Amazing ancient literature
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
God builds & arranges today’s Continents Discovery #1: Continental Drift
Continental Drift
The slow movement of the crustal plates over the face of the earth
How has continental drift shaped human history?
http://schools.techno.ru/sch518/koridor/geograf/detrab/Tektonika/litosfera2.htm
Continental Drift: Last 250 million years
Present Day
250 million years ago
How has continental drift shaped human history?
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
WesternHemisphere
EasternHemisphere
Continental Drift Creates theWestern and Eastern Hemispheres
Critical to the migration of humans out of Africa
And
Continental Drift Shaped the Continents
Shaped the continentsThree elongated north-south
One elongated east-west
Why is elongation important?
It determines the number of climate zones that the continent covers
And
How has God shaped human history by positioning the continents?
Tropical climate zones
Why is that important?
Because no great nation or religionhas ever developed in the Tropics!!!
Discovery #2: Plate TectonicsGod builds mountain ranges, major rivers, and natural resources that shape human history
1. Continental Drift
2. Plate Tectonics
The deforming continents when they collide
Collisions produce:mountain rangesmajor river systems
God creates mountains that shape human history
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
A 6000 mile mountain range createdwhen Africa & India collide with Eurasia
Mountains create & expose at or near theearth’s surface natural resources metallic ores, coal, and oil that have shaped human history
God used Plate Tectonics to create six major river systems south of the mountains where our earliest civilizations and religions developed
YellowYangtze
GangesTigrisEuphratesNile Indus
Ideal trend for the early development of major civilizations and religions based on large scale farming
The Six Major River Systems where theearliest civilizations and religions formed
HinduismConfucianism
Judaism
Discovery # 3: Paleo-magneticsGod stamps the lat-long location of rocks when they are formed
1. Continental Drift
2. Plate Tectonics
3. Paleo-magnetics
What is the fourth discovery?
Paleo-magnetics defines the lat-long of a rock when it is formed
All our continental drift reconstruction maps are based on Paleo-magnetics
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
4. Absolute Age Dating
God stamps the age of rocks when they are formed by the decay of radio active
minerals
Again, all our continental drift maps are heavily dependent on Absolute Ages
The fifth discovery in the last 50 years: The Earth’s Living Crust
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
Continent beingDestroyed byWeathering &Erosion
Continental DebrisTrapped along theContinental Margins
ContinentalDebris beingWelded backInto the Continent byMountain building
Five recent discoveries of God’sIntelligent Design of the Earth’s rocky Crust
Our Living EarthRenewing the Continents
Living Earth: It is designed by the Creator to propagate itself
The continents would be eroded down to slightly below sea level!
What would happen if the continents were not renewed periodically by mountain building?
A Worldwide Ocean! No land: no plants, no animals, no us
World’s Earliest World’s Earliest Civilizations:Civilizations: pre-Iron Age pre-Iron Age
World’s Earliest World’s Earliest Civilizations:Civilizations: pre-Iron Age pre-Iron Age
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
GangesGanges
Xia DynastyXia DynastyYellow River Yellow River
EgyptEgyptNile River Nile River
All are in major river flood plains!
MatureMatureIndus RiverIndus River
Yangzi RiverYangzi River
SumeriaSumeriaTigris &Tigris &Euphrates Euphrates
The history of the Iron Ages
The Creator’s Intelligent Design for the World
Tropical Climate Zones: Historically unfavorable for major civilizations
Northern Temperate Climate Zone: Historically ideal for major civilizations
How have we humans responded to this Benevolent Design?
How have we humans responded to this Benevolent Design?
We have fought each other for the iron, coal, and oil resources
Where are these resources located?
The locations of major natural resources that shaped human history
We have fought over these resources for thousands of years
Sumeria without Iron Resourcessurrounded by lands with Iron
Sumeria invaded first by the Hittites then by the Egyptians, then the Medes and Persians, then by Indians, and finally by the Greeks and Romans
Next let’s look at the fate of Egypt
Conclusion: Mesopotamian empiresnever recovered after the Indian invasion
Egypt: Nile River & Iron DepositsThe Bronze Age 3300 to 1300 BC: Egypt
Bronze Age Iron
Egypt
Egyptians, Hittites, Medes, and Persians fight over the iron deposits of their lands
Greece, Rome, Muslim
100011000
Then Egypt occupied by Greece, Rome, and finally became a world renown center for culture and science at Alexandria as part of the Muslin empire
Now let’s look at how God called a people
Judaism: The Third Early Religion Judaism: The Third Early Religion
God calls Abram out of the river flood plainGod calls Abram out of the river flood plain and into the Hillsand into the Hills!!
1900 BC1900 BC
30003500 25004500 1500
Sticks and stones
Copp
er A
ge Bronze Age: World
World Empires: last 7000 years
Stone Age
5000
4000
3000 2000
1000
1Flood plain empires
Farming
Bronze tools weapons
Iron Age
Iron & coal Age
Iro
n, c
oa
l, o
il A
ge
Archeological Ages
Iron & steel tools & weapons
Hill country empires
Families, clans, & tribes
Hunters & Gatherers
Mature: Indus
Xia: Yellow River
Egypt: Nile
Sumeria: Tigris/Euphrates
5000
4000
3000
2000
Ancient Times: 5000 BC to 1000 BC
Iro
n a
ge
1000
Where is Palestine?
Abramcalled
Palestine: No major flood plainPalestine: No major flood plain Hills but no metal resources!!Hills but no metal resources!!
Judaism: The Third Early Religion Judaism: The Third Early Religion
Judaism: The Third Early Religion Judaism: The Third Early Religion
Out of the Hills into the Nile flood plain From a clan of 90 persons to a nation
Mature: Indus
Xia: Yellow River
Egypt: Nile
Sumeria: Tigris/Euphrates
5000
4000
3000
2000
Ancient Times: 5000 BC to 1000 BC
Iro
n a
ge
1000
Abramcalled
MosescalledOut of the flood plain, back to the hills
Out of the Nile Flood PlainOut of the Nile Flood Plaina Nation of Several Milliona Nation of Several Million
Into the Sinai for 40 Years, why?Time to arm with Midianite weapons?
Mid
ian
Back in the Hill CountryBack in the Hill Country a Conquering Nation of Several Milliona Conquering Nation of Several Million
Mid
ian
Kingdoms of Israel cannot Compete
Location of Iron ores for weapons
The Great Nations and Empires ran on their access to Iron and Coal
Transportation: by Foot or “Horse”Iron & Coal provided tools & Weapons
Remember from previous sessions
Everything changes with the invention of the Steam Engine
Then Coal was truly KING!
Then, it was the Internal Combustion Engine
Now Great Nations run on Oil
Only the USA and Russia have large DOMESTIC Oil reserves
Iron and Coal Oil
Foot & “Horse” Steam Internal CombustionEngine
Natural Resources: 1700 AD to 2200 AD
ElectricMotor
What?
Who will run out of oil first?
The 21st Century: Today’s Cheap Oil New, Expensive Oil & Gas
USA
Middle EastVenezuela
Libya
Indonesia
Lack Oil
Lack Oil
Alaska
Lack Oil
The future of Iron resources is similar to oil: of the major nations only Russia has a plentiful future reserve
In the next 15 years:Gasoline: $3.00 X 3 to 5$9.00 to $15.00/gallon
Oil: $90.00 to $150.00/bbl
How does all this impact the rise and fall of nations?
Nations having their own oil, iron, and coal have a huge advantage over those who must buy oil, iron, and coal
Let’s look at the national distribution of iron, coal, and oil
Major Iron Ore Producing Countries
Note: England, Germany & FranceIron Ore largely depleted
USA: Iron Ore Reserves approaching depletion
Putin’s Russia:Substantial Reserves
Let’s look at the worlds leading Nationstheir Iron, Coal, Oil in the next 100 years
China: Iron Ore Reserves greatly depleted
China:No significant oilRunning out of ironRunning out of coal
What is China doing now?Buying oil & gas from RussiaContracting for iron from AustraliaReplacing coal with electricity from
their programs of building dams
Weighed in the Balance & Found Wanting
USA
Western Europe
Putin’s
Russia
What can we do?China
Go Electric!
Develop our vast lignite coal deposits
Our untapped lignite coal deposits
And, or go Nuclear
This Belongs to You
The Fat Lady’s Song:
Set Your Watch onSet Your Watch on Mountain TimeMountain Time
It’s your choice!It’s your choice!