Astronomy and the Bible;

THECLOCKOFTHEUNIVERSE 219

hour,andfractionsofit;andonerevolutionofthedial
bythelittlehandmarkstwelvehours, and fractions
of them. But the heavens have more devices for
measuringdurationthananyclockevermadebyman.
Letusconsidersomeofthese.
You willfind, as weconsider thesemeasurements,
thattheperiodsoftimemarkedbyanordinaryclock
revealthesmallnessofthedoings ofmen;whilethe
measurementsoftheclockoftheskiesmarkthegreat-
nessofthedoingsofGod.
1.By the clockof the skies, onerotation of the
earthuponitsaxis,shownbythepositionsofthesun,
measuresoffaday.

2. Onerevolutionofthemoonabouttheearthgives
   usthelunarmonthofabouttwenty-eightdays.


3. The revolution ofthe earthinits orbit around
   thesungivesustheyearof 36534 days.
   These aremeasurementsthatany onecan observe
   and easily understand. But there are others on a
   larger scale. Some of themrun into hundreds and
   thousandsofyears.
   When weconsultanastronomicalalmanac,weno-
   ticethattheeclipsesaregiveninitforawholeyear.
   These predictions of the lunar eclipses are reliable,
   because astronomers have been carefully observing
   themoonforages,andintracingitspaththusfar,are
   abletoprojectthepathitwillmakeinthefuture. No
   wonderthattheBiblecallsthemoon"afaithful wit-
   nessinheaven."


4. Thereisoneleadingprincipleregardingeclipses
   which is sosimple thatitcan be easilyunderstood.