30:4 Who has ascended into heaven or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?
While there’s a LOT in this verse, let’s focus on the first question – “Who has ascended into heaven or descended?”
I’ve always understood that as “Who has gone up to Heaven or descended into Hell?” What if it’s not just the spiritual realm? What if it’s also the physical realm?
Scientists observe phenomena, and develop a hypothesis to explain it. Then, they experiment and observe, modifying as they go, to craft a more accurate theory. Once the theory holds up long enough, we declare it to be a physical or natural “law” – like the “Law of Gravity,” or the “Second Law of Thermodynamics.” From then on, we rely on it, and use it as a basis to help understand other phenomena.
Then, just when we believe we understand how the world works, Einstein publishes his Theory of Relativity, or we discover Quantum mechanics/physics. Overnight, our physical/natural laws, developed over centuries, aren’t universal anymore.
Since Our Lord created this Universe, and established all of the laws that govern it, He must have “ascended” into the physical heavens and “descended” into the smallest parts of our physical universe.
It’s not much of a leap from the physical to the metaphysical – that He has also “ascended” into the highest levels of our personal “heavens” and “descended” into the lowest levels of our personal “hells,” and that He has established “laws” for each level of our existence. Not surprisingly, following the “laws” of a level will move us up (or down) from one level of existence to another.
Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on scientists to create and prove some hypothesis, since He has already given us those “laws.”
The only question remaining is, “Whose “laws” do YOU follow?”
