Beyond Natural Laws: Exploring Origins, Quantum Mechanics, and Biblical Wonders

In science, attempting to describe the origin of the cosmos remains an enigma beyond the reach of empirical inquiry. The events that transpired during and before the Big Bang (the name scientists give to the beginning of the universe as we know it) defy conventional understanding, transcending the boundaries of our known laws of nature.

Scientists refer to the commencement of the universe as a “singularity.” At this singular point, the concepts of “matter” and “energy” decreased to infinitesimal levels. At the same time, their densities approached infinite density and scorching heat that neared the infinite, culminating in an explosive cosmic event. Scientists would never say—due to caution—infinite smallness or infinite density since they seek natural explanations. At the same time, asserting near-infinite smallness and near-infinite density does not make the non-natural sound natural since most everyone would say, “That’s impossible to rationally grasp or even make sense of.” 

This fraction of a second—the Big Kaboom—encapsulated an otherworldly event, as I say it, that utterly defies our conventional comprehension of the laws of physics, not to suggest beyond our ability to grasp the sheer magnitude of this cosmic kaboom at least during the precondition. Adding to the wonder or perplexity, everything emerged from nothingness. Scientists would not say absolutely everything came out of absolutely nothing, but they would say that’s pretty close to what happened.

Let me throw in that what is referred to as a precondition of energy, matter, time, and space actually cannot be the cause of the Big Bang since these resulted from the Big Bang. So whatever existed before the Big Bang was not energy, matter, time, and space as we know it. Again, the word otherworldly fits, since the above description causes most of us to say, “That’s impossible.”

Can We Ever Know Empirically Before the Big Kaboom?

Scientists know the cosmos exists and is expanding, so when working backward from that expansion, there appears to be a beginning, a “Big Bang.” That does not mean scientists will not find a natural explanation, but how would a scientist do an empirical investigation of the precondition to the beginning of all things?

We all humbly admit this precondition is clouded in mystery, puzzling, and without words to explain. Simply stated, how do we decipher what happened when no one was there to observe it, and even if they were, they would be in a realm best described as otherworldly? If we were there, we’d lack the ability to grasp a whole set of laws governing the precondition to the beginning since those laws exceed our current understanding of the laws of physics.

Thus, to say the precondition is complex and obscure is an understatement. What is described as happening would be, for lack of a better way of saying it, beyond exceptional and extraordinary, defying our conventional laws of nature. For this reason, when scientists seek to paint a picture of something beyond our current understanding of the laws of physics, they fumble for the right words because they lack the vocabulary. And this confuses some in that they say there was matter, energy, time, and space, but then they say, well, not actually. 

This illustrates why many scientists acknowledge the precondition, and the singularity goes beyond empirical inquiry. They conjecture. Though their conjecture could be correct, they still speculate. They are unsure about the first causes and preconditions. The first causes remain unclear, shrouded in mystery and uncertainty.

Miracles in the Bible, or “Biblical Singularities”

Switching gears, in Scripture, events happen that are beyond exceptional and extraordinary, meaning beyond our current understanding of the laws of physics. Three such examples would be when Jesus healed a blind man, when He walked on water, and when He turned water into wine. I could refer to each of these miracles, as well as the scores of others we read about, as a biblical singularity.

For example, something non-natural occurs at the moment of the miracle. The usual laws of physics that govern the world as we know them either break down, are unclear, or are not applicable. Simply stated, if a supernatural God exists, He acts in non-natural or supernatural ways. The writers of Scripture and those who read the narrative know that the intent of reporting the miracle is to declare something happened that transcends the usual laws of nature. For instance, after the story is set forth about Jesus healing a blind man, we hear from those who are sighted as witnesses: “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind” (John 9:32). They knew what was natural and what was unnatural. 

Again, my description of these as biblical singularities refers to a point in space or time where God’s intervention becomes extremely concentrated or intense and well beyond our ordinary understanding. It’s a “miraculous” happening where the natural laws that govern life as we know them do not necessarily break down but operate in a different sphere and are unclear to us since it is beyond our ability to grasp what is held up as something supernatural. Non-natural physics are at play here. 

Such a description ought not to sound unacademic. I take this language from how scientists describe the Big Bang and the precondition leading up to the Big Bang, if one could even say there was a “time” leading up to the beginning. Singularity represents a point when something non-natural occurs. Scientists have discovered this at the microscopic level in quantum mechanics. This isn’t speculation but based on evidence. Virtual particles do not operate on the basis of the current understanding of the laws of physics. I’ve written an article entitled “Redefining Reality: The Quantum Revolution in Scientific Thinking” that explains this. 

Is It Irrational to Claim the Kingdom of God Exists?

We must not say such miracles are purely mythical since in principle, they could have happened in another realm like quantum mechanics describes. Behaviors happen there beyond our current understanding of the laws of physics. The Bible also asserts a reality and realm beyond the traditional laws of physics. Biblical writers did not have that conceptual vocabulary, but they knew what was natural and non-natural. Blind men don’t see. Something is going on here that doesn’t meet the eye. They often referred to that realm as the kingdom of God with the Holy Spirit, angels, demons, and miracles. 

The Bible boldly asserts these miracles as historically true and not fables. For example, Peter himself wrote in 2 Peter 1:16, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

Jesus Himself made references to many of the miracles we read about in the Old Testament: Noah’s ark, the flood, and judgment (Matthew 24:37-39); Jonah in the belly of the fish (Matthew 12:40); manna in the wilderness (John 6:31-35); and the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14).

About the miracles Jesus performed, the apostle John, in John 20:30-31, shared why He did so: “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

The authors of the biblical texts who reported these miracles generally expected the reader to believe these events as historical and factual accounts of God’s intervention in human affairs. They were intended to be read as non-natural phenomena outside the scope of everyday human experience. The writers expected the reader to believe in the authenticity of these events and respond to God with awe, gratefulness, trust, and obedience to God’s love, power, and holiness. 

These biblical singularities, or miracles, that the authors of Scripture reported as absolutely true include (but are definitely not limited to): 

• The Creation (Genesis 1)
• The Burning Bush (Exodus 3)
• The Ten Plagues (Exodus 7-12)
• The Parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
• Balaam’s Talking Donkey (Numbers 22)
• The Sun and Moon Standing Still (Joshua 10)
• Gideon’s Fleece (Judges 6)
• Elisha Purifying the Poisoned Water (2 Kings 2:19-22)
• Elisha Raising the Widow’s Son (1 Kings 17)
• Elisha Multiplying Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7)
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)
• Jesus Feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21)
• Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-22)
• Jesus Healing the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34)
• Jesus Healing the Deaf and Mute Man (Mark 7:31-37)
• Jesus Healing the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
• Jesus Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11)
• Jesus’ Resurrection (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20)
• Peter Healing the Lame Beggar (Acts 3)
• Paul and Silas’s Prison Release (Acts 16)
• Eutychus Raised from the Dead (Acts 20)
• Paul Suffering No Harm from a Snakebite (Acts 28)

Rather than denounce these miracles as scientifically impossible, since they cannot be repeated in a lab, we must study them under the umbrella of historical and legal ways of proving something the courts call beyond reasonable doubt. 

When a scientist levels criticism against the biblical account as unscientific and un-empirical, they must distinguish scientific proof from legal/historical proof. In science, something should be observed and repeated in a laboratory. Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen produce H₂O. However, that kind of proof is not the primary type in the courts. In determining who murdered the butler, the truth is not determined by repeating the murder in a lab. Legal proof differs and demands eyewitness testimony, circumstantial evidence, expert testimony, assessment of character and reputation, corroborating evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, and motive, opportunity, and means. 

A Supernatural God Can Do Supernatural Things

In conclusion, if a supernatural God exists, the possibility of Him performing supernatural acts beyond our understanding of the traditional laws of physics should not be immediately dismissed as impossible. A supernatural God can do supernatural things. While I cannot offer conclusive proof that God performed these wonders, I can say that a supernatural God can perform these feats if He existed. The debate should not center on whether He can do miracles, but did He do miracles? That’s a historical inquiry more than a scientific one. 

As we reflect on the biblical wonders, we must humbly acknowledge that they appear beyond empirical examination. But the same empirical test eludes the universe’s origins, such as the Big Bang. Both defy our ability to comprehend how these “otherworldly” events could happen. We may never know how something that appears non-natural took place. However, within the study of quantum mechanics, we squarely face fascinating phenomena that also defy our understanding of the natural world. Virtual particles operate beyond the confines of traditional physics, offering a glimpse into the possibility of non-natural occurrences. When we study the historical narratives written in the Bible, often labeled as myths, we can discern parallels with the worldviews established by quantum mechanics. There is evidence that something is happening beyond our conventional understanding of nature. Consequently, the miracles described in the Bible may not be as impossible as they initially appear. In light of these reflections, asserting the existence of the non-natural wonders in the Scripture is not necessarily irrational!