Biblical frame that aligns in accordance with quantum physics topic— quantum tunneling.

Physics and the Bible — Introduction

This post is part of a series Physics and the Bible

1. Introduction
2. Duality of Light
3. Quantum Tunneling
4. Relativity

To understand your Bible you must understand Physics.

Yet the longer I study the Bible, the less tongue-in-cheek I believe that is. To explore this a bit we’re starting a three-part series where we’ll discuss several Biblical ideas, and how modern Physics assists understanding the Bible.

1. Wave-particle duality of light, and 1 John.
2. Quantum tunneling, and Zechariah.
3. Free will vs. predestination, and relativity.

Duality of Light

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

Most people don’t see a problem with that, unless you’ve heard of the following…

Wave-Particle Duality of Light

We’re all familiar with light acting as a wave, like when you throw a rock in a pool. You can see the pattern, and a wave bouncing off a side will interfere with other waves as it travels back.

— a photon is a particle of light.

Light can also exist as a particle, like a golf ball. If you’ve played in those boxes filled with balls, you see an entirely different set of rules at work.

Light exists with dual-properties. Experiments with light can obtain either the wave nature, or the particle nature, but not both at the same time; light exists as two-in-one — two natures together, yet distinct.

Note: for those interested in details, look up the two-slit experiment with light and you’ll find plenty to occupy your time.

Keeping Awake at Night

Now you see that problem, God is light — not light-like, not having the characteristics of light. If God is a trinity (and He is), and light exists as a duality (and it does), Houston, we’ve got a problem.

The passage causing sleepless nights, in Greek:

θεός ἐστί φῶς (theos esti phōs, or God is light)

You’ll find it’s translated correctly, God is Light, so the problem isn’t in translation.

What do we do? If the Bible is inerrant (and it is), and the wave-particle duality of light is true (and it is), how do we solve the apparent inherit contradiction between duality and trinity? As always, the answer appears elsewhere in the Bible.

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (John 15:26 NKJV)

There’s the answer. The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak of Himself, only of Jesus.

It will turn out light does actually have three properties, but the third will only be observable by indirect means, because under experimental conditions it looks like either a wave or particle — as John wrote the Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus.

Quantum Tunneling

Quantum tunneling is a principle in Physics where an entity lacking sufficient energy to cross a barrier somehow finds itself on the other side.

Think of it as if you were trying to roll a bowling ball over Mount Everest. You certainly could not roll the ball hard enough to get it up and over, yet your friend on the other side of the mountain somehow finds the ball on the other side. It “tunneled” through as it lacked the ability to roll over.

Change the previous paragraph with some technical jargon and you’ve got Quantum Tunneling.

So What?

Look at the passage in Zechariah again — the mountain becomes a plain before the Lord. What is that a description of? Zerubbabel sees a mountain before him as he’s rebuilding the temple. But from the Lord’s view? No big deal, the mountains Zerubbabel sees are from his resources and strength; the previous verse reminds Zerubbabel where the power really comes from.

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Using our skills and ideas, we see a huge mountain. But when we rely on the Lord? Nothing but a flat plain.

Do you have mountains in your life — areas you believe you lack the ability to get over or conquer? Perhaps it’s time to take the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel and apply it to your life. It’s not by your education, money, fame or anything else, only by the Lord’s spirit.

It’s perspective. Many times we see huge mountains in our lives, yet to God they’re nothing but flat plains.

Relativity

What is relativity? Simply stated, time and events are not absolute, they can only be interpreted from a specific point of view. For example, suppose you watched a lightning storm from your window, and you see two lightning strikes hit different points on the ground at the same time.

Would it surprise you to learn someone else may not see those as simultaneous events?

Wait a minute, you say. They either did or didn’t hit the ground at the same time. As Lee Corso says “not so fast, my friend.” You can’t answer the question absolutely, only by a specific person’s frame of reference — movement and gravity relative to other objects will affect the notion of simultaneous events.

When I was in Physics class we’d perform some calculations involving time, and of course arrive at two different answers. Inevitably some person would raise their hand and ask “which one is correct?” at which point my professor would grin widely and say, “it’s all relative — see, Relativity isn’t that hard.”

It’s a tough concept to wrap your arms around — the fact time and the idea of simultaneous events is not absolute. The only thing you can say for sure is in some reference, they were or were not.

We’ll not cover the minute details of relativity, the important (and difficult) idea is time itself is not absolute, it only can be interpreted by a specific reference frame.

Example One: How old is the Universe?

Where does this come up? You might have heard the debate about the age of the universe, with some claiming billions of years, others 7 days, as Genesis says. Which is right? You can’t answer the question without knowing what reference frame you’re talking about.

One thing is clear, from God’s point of view, creation was in just six (24-hour) days. While it’s true the Hebrew in Genesis could imply ages, that’s not the only place creation is spoken of.

Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:9–11)

Exodus speaks of a normal seven-day week we’re used to, but associates that with creation, so it’s obvious creation was six 24-hour days as we’re used to, not ages or billions of years.

We’ve covered relativity in our article Frames of Reference. For those interested in more detail please refer to it.