Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation

Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation
reviewed by T. C. Pinckney

Introduction: Perhaps the prime question facing the world today is that of origins: Did all life originate by material happenstance, or is life the intentional result of divine design? More specifically, did God create the world in six 24-hour days, or did lucky accidents scattered over millions and billions of years produce life as we know it?

Just pursue the implications of these alternatives for a moment. No creation, no Adam. No Adam, no fall. No fall, no need of a Redeemer. No Redeemer, then Jesus was at best a good man but certainly not divine. No divine Jesus, no redemption.

Or, following up from the other perspective, if all material existence is an accident, then there is no God. No God, no morality, no sin. No sin, no consequences. Also, no God, no eternal life and we are merely very temporary passengers on a terrestrial spaceship fated to frigid death when the sun burns out, if we don’t die first from collision with a comet.

The Book: Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, The Explorer’s Guide to the Awesome Works of God by Dennis R. Petersen, Master Books, 2002, 233 pp., ISBN 0-89051-371-6.

The Review: This excellent book is clearly and engagingly written for the layman. Teenagers can easily benefit from it. One of its striking features is that literally every page has beautiful pictures and illustrations rewarding the eye, but also supplementing the text meaningfully. It is divided into four sections:

– Unlocking the Mysteries of the Early Earth

– Unlocking the Mysteries of Evolution

– Unlocking the Mysteries of Original Man, and

– Unlocking the mysteries of Ancient Civilizations

Throughout the book Petersen contrasts what our "culture" tells us in these areas with what God tells us in His Word. And he points out conclusions from simple facts the evolutionary proselytizers choose not to acknowledge. Example: We have all seen pictures of the large pterosaurs ... flying lizards with wingspans of up to 40 feet. But we are not told that in the earth’s present atmosphere these creatures would not be able to get airborne. For them to have flourished, earth’s atmosphere must have been much denser than it is today.

Related fact, our bodies heal much more rapidly in higher atmospheric pressure: cells increase the rate of oxygenation which results in greater stamina and "quick death to viral and bacterial infections" (p. 35). Could higher atmospheric density partly explain the extended life spans of the early biblical generations?

Also, for their vast size, the chest space of large dinosaurs seems too small to permit enough oxygen to be absorbed into the bloodstream. What could solve this problem? A denser atmosphere and a higher percentage of oxygen, some evidence suggesting 25% rather than the present 21%.

The entire book is fascinating, but most readers will probably be especially interested in the third section on early man. Petersen examines the flimsy and often downright dishonest claims of evolutionists past and present that humans evolved from animals. Get the book and read how even leading evolutionists occasionally admit the complete absence of any intermediary forms in the fossil record.

Another strong point is that throughout the text and in a special two-page section at the end, Petersen refers readers to other excellent creation books, video sets, web sites, and a multi-media seminar on this subject.

Recommendation: Space doesn’t permit a fuller summary. Just let me say that I highly recommend the book. Buy it. Read it. Have your young people read it. Discuss it with them. It would make a great text for family reading and discussion, or for church youth groups.

You may purchase the book online by going to www.creationresource.org and then clicking on "Shop Online" near the top of the page. The book is $32.99. Alternately, you can buy the book, a CD of the entire book, a creation video, and two seminar tapes all for $49 plus $5.99 shipping. If you are not on the web, you can call 1-800-225-5229.

 
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