Dimensions 1 - Heavenly Coordinates

Representation of the first four dimensions (Wikipedia)

This is from the blog One on one with Franco:

“In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it.”¹   It seems clear then, that God being infinite and eternal, or beyond time, would necessitate infinite “coordinates” to be defined.   By definition, in-finite, cannot be defined.   Hence He exists in infinite, un-limited dimensions.   Can we not say that the entire Bible is a document from beyond time and space attempting to give sufficient “coordinates” in order to reveal God Himself to a people trapped in only a few dimensions?

If our senses were limited to perceiving only a two-dimensional reality having only width and height, what would we understand of the three-dimensional world we coexist with?   Would a square express anything of what a cube is? When a sphere came through our perceived world, we would witness a point, then a growing circle, a shrinking circle, and finally a point that disappeared immediately. We would insist that spheres are circles, and we would make up a mathematics and geometry that is capable of explaining only two-dimensional phenomena.   This is the premise of a classic book written by Edwin Abbott, appropriately titled, Flatland.

Now consider yourself as a three-dimensional being, trying to explain to those Flat-landers all about the world you live in, and how your world interpenetrates theirs. You would attempt to explain reality as you know it – an arguably “deeper”, richer reality – in words that might be understandable to the Flatlanders.   You would reach in to their world to demonstrate your love for those beings, and every time, they would consider the event a miracle from another world.

Doesn’t that pretty much characterize the Bible?   A document by a many-dimensional creator to people stuck in a three-dimensional reality (plus time)who don’t have much of a chance to really understand him.   How would you explain that you are beyond time, in this reality you call eternity?   How would you explain that they have freedom to believe him or not, but that you knew/know/will know what they did, are doing and will do.   Can you just imagine the wild theories about freedom, or lack thereof?   A group calling themselves Calvinists would venture that because you, the creator, knew before a man chose to believe you, you could never undo the choosing.   Another group would venture that man has ultimate freedom to choose and to un-choose.   All the while, your explanations would seem ambiguous and contradictory because there are not enough coordinates in a two-dimensional world to explain fully a three-dimensional world.

One of the greatest leaps in scientific understanding occurred in 1905 when Einstein added the fourth dimension to his thinking and conceived of the theory of relativity.   In one fell swoop, man’s awareness transcended the laws of Newtonian physics and Euclidean geometry to embrace a world in which time and space are as elastic as a rubber band.

Today theoretical physicists and quantum physicists seem to agree that our world exists in about ten dimensions.   They seem to agree that we can only detect about 5% of the mass in the universe.   Is it not clear that there is a reality out there… and in here?… that transcends what our five senses can detect?

¹ Wikipedia: see “Dimensions”

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