Where do numbers come from?
Yes, I guess I’ll admit it; I’m a “numbers guy.” My brain can’t help but wonder about almost everything. My latest query is credited to Denise, the bus driver on our Grand Canyon tours. We were joking about filling up the entire canyon with water to make a giant swimming pool. She said it would take too long to fill using a garden hose. So, what did I do? Yep, I calculated how long it would actually take! I know you are dying to know the answer. Probably not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. It was one of the easiest calculations I’ve ever done. It would take (using a standard garden hose flowing at a typical rate) 17,416,721.57 years!  Now you know! And now there’s one more thing you don’t care about and one more reason not to make eye contact with me! 🤣
Speaking of numbers, how would you rate the number 7 on a scale from 1 to 10? It’s my favorite number, so I would give it a 10!

So, what are numbers? Oh, “That’s easy,” you say. “Numbers are things like 3 and 18, and 57, etc.”  No, that’s not what numbers are. Those are just examples of “numerals” that have been purposely chosen to represent specific numbers. So, again, what are numbers? They are actually abstract concepts representing quantities. No one has seen 3 or 18, or 57. You might have seen 3 apples, but you didn’t see “3,” the number. Even the numeral “3” isn’t the “number” 3; it’s just a written representation of the abstract quantity we call “three.” Are you annoyed yet? I’m not trying to annoy you, but I might be indirectly accomplishing that.

Here's where I’m headed with all of this. Where did these “numbers” come from? Were they created during the “Big Bang?” If so, how? Were they all created at once? Are there more numbers being created today throughout the cosmos? If they existed before the “Big Bang,” where did they come from? And “where” were they before there was a universe? (You are probably already aware, but just in case you’re not, I do not believe the Big Bang is scientifically valid, and I also believe it is incompatible with the Genesis creation account. I mention it because secularists who do accept that particular view of origins would need to answer the types of questions I just raised.)

The mere existence of numbers makes no sense in a secular narrative but makes perfect sense within the Christian worldview. Some claim numbers are simply manmade abstract concepts that are convenient when describing the world around us. However, according to secular scientists, modern man has only been around for the past 200,000 years or so. That would mean numbers didn’t exist for 99.9986% of the history of the universe! That makes no sense. It also means that the meaning of numbers is subjective (based on our opinions) and not absolute. Maybe “1” means a single quantity of something to you and me but something completely different to others. Who decides? It would be a can of worms. Or any “number” of cans of worms. 🤣

​Even though I could say a lot more along these lines, I want to turn your attention to something else related to numbers. Something perhaps more interesting. Patterns.
It’s fairly easy to recognize patterns. Some are the result of built-in forces of nature and various principles of physics. For example, the structure of salt crystals is due to the inherent properties and interactions of sodium and chlorine, forming sodium chloride (NaCl), which we also call salt. No real surprise there. However, when you see a chess board with its alternating black and white squares, those patterns are not at all related to the inherent properties of the materials used to make the board itself or the interaction of the paint with the board. It is quite obvious someone intentionally created that pattern with a specific purpose in mind. In this case, playing chess. 
There are many numerical patterns in nature. Some are due to the physical properties of the substances involved. Others, however, are completely independent. One such example is a numerical sequence called the Fibonacci series. Here’s what it looks like:

          0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, etc.
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Do you notice the pattern? Probably not. Unless, of course, you are already familiar with the Fibonacci series. Here’s the pattern. Each number is the sum of the two previous numbers. For example, 3=2+1 and 55=34+21.

The Fibonacci series is also related to something else very significant in mathematics; the Golden Ratio (1.618). This is denoted in Greek as f or Phi. When you divide any two sequential numbers in the Fibonacci series (the larger by the smaller) you get an approximation of this value. The higher you go in the sequence, the closer you get to the exact number.
​This pattern (the Fibonacci series and the Golden Ratio) appears throughout nature and the universe and is visually very beautiful. Here are a few examples: pinecones, flower petals, plant leaves, nautilus shells, sunflowers, pineapples, spiral galaxies, hurricanes, honeybees, and DNA. Even human physiology contains this enigmatic sequence, represented in the following ratios: face width to height, mouth width to nose width, eye separation distance to nose width, and nose to lip ratio. I even read an article that revealed whale swimming patterns reflect the Fibonacci sequence.

So, here’s the million-dollar question. If there’s nothing in the physical properties of the individual constituents making up these example objects, why is that pattern so prevalent throughout nature? Random, undirected forces acting over time would not produce such phenomena. Intentional, purposeful design, as part of a creator’s signature, is the only rational explanation. 
​​“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)
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“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Numbers also declare the glory (and existence) of God!  He has placed so much evidence in creation alone, that mankind is without excuse (Roman 1:19-20).

Conclusion? It’s ok to be a “numbers guy” (or gal). In fact, we all should be. Just one more line of evidence to share with those who doubt God’s existence (in a gracious, caring manner).
If you have any questions about this or any other issue, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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