What does the Bible say about man inhabiting space?
Question:
Dear sir,
What does the Bible say about man inhabiting space? Particularly the satellites, the Hubble telescope, astronauts, and the space station. Did the Bible foresee how men would try to conquer space and to some degree has? Could the verse that says "the stars will fall from the heavens" mean the millions of satellites that imprison the earth will someday fall back to the earth? It seems as we move toward the future, man is trying to become like God, controlling the weather and poisoning our skies. Did the Bible foresee this?
Answer:
What the Bible has to say about space is simply the acknowledgment that God allowed those back then to understand that there is a universe with stars and other planets. There are no passages talking about the Hubble telescope, or man on the moon, etc. While we might see these things as significant, they hold no eternal consequences.
You mentioned: "the stars will fall from the sky." The phrase can be found in Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:25 where it speaks of the Messiah's judgment on Jerusalem. Powers in government are often described in prophecy as stars. In symbolic language, the sun, moon, and stars represent the governing powers of a nation.
"Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:9-13, regarding the destruction of Babylon).
"When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land,' says the Lord GOD. I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known" (Ezekiel 32:7-9, regarding the destruction of Egypt -- Pharaoh being the light put out by his death).
"Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for their wickedness is great." Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel" (Joel 3:11-16, concerning God's judgment on the nations surrounding Israel).
"And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord GOD, "that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight; I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, and baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day" (Amos 8:9-10, speaking of the captivity of Israel).
What is being referred to is the destruction of the Israelite government when Jesus brings destruction on Jerusalem.
Satellites were not in the definition of "stars of heaven" during biblical days.
As many times as we see man furthering his "accomplishments," I would agree that mankind seeks to control what is held by God. It does seem that man is trying to be first and above all, and it has been so for as long as history. Pride is one of the sins with which man allows Satan to overcome him. Pride is something we must be sure not to be snared by.
But do be careful not to overreach when trying to make your point. Man has no control over the weather, as this year particularly demonstrates in the United States. And God is not involved in poisoning the air. We can be thankful that at least men have realized the dangers they can cause to the environment and are taking steps to properly manage the environment as they are supposed to. "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth"" (Genesis 1:26).
