Eschatology and the After Life
Is nature a witness to the reality of heaven?
Q1438 · Heaven and the Jerusalem Above
His Grace Bishop Youannis says, “Nature is the first and oldest witness of heaven, God’s presence, and the existence of another life in heaven.”1358 He quotes Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727), the English scholar of science who said, “I have seen God in the works of nature and its laws. These prove that the existence of wisdom and power are not materialistic.”1359
1354 Bishop Youannis of Gharbia, Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective (Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii - St. Paul Brotherhood, 2021) Kindle Edition: loc. 344– 349.
1355 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine 1.4 (NPNF I/2:523).
1356 St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Against the Heathen 3.35.1 (NPNF II/4:22).
1357 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues 9.4 (NPNF I/9:401). 1358
Bishop Youannis of Gharbia, Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective (Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii - St. Paul Brotherhood, 2021) Kindle Edition: loc. 359.
1359 Bishop Youannis of Gharbia, Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective (Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii - St. Paul Brotherhood, 2021) Kindle Edition: loc. 366367. Translators’ Note: Cf. this quote from Isaac Newton and J. E. McGuire, “Newton’s ‘Principles of Philosophy’: An Intended Preface for the 1704 ‘Opticks’ and a Related Draft Fragment.” The British Journal for the History of Science 5, no. 2 (1970) pp. 178–86: 183: “These and such like considerations are the most convincing arguments for such a being and have convinced mankind in all ages that the
In the natural world, we find numerous evidences of the existence of the Great Creator. Some examples are:
First: When we bury a small seed and water it, it seems as though it has died; yet after a while it grows and blossoms and becomes fruitful.
Second: a caterpillar hides behind a leaf in a berry tree and makes very fine silk threads to cover itself. It appears as though it has died, but in the end it becomes a chrysalis and then a butterfly.
Third: in snowy regions, the tree leaves fall in the autumn and the trees look as if they are dead. However, during the spring, the snow melts and life comes back to the trees.