Designing Your
Own School Program
5
The
Solar System
The Sun
A “True Education”
Nature Series
“And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day...
he made the stars also.”
Genesis 1:16
Printed by SEM
627 Highland Loop Rd.
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(509) 684-6843
Copyright © 1995
SonLight Education Ministry
P.O. Box 518
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The Solar System
Introduction
to the
Solar System
Introduction
3
1. Circles
23
2. God’s Guiding Hand
35
3. Size and Mass
51
4. Movements
63
5. Wanderers and Differences
77
6. Nine
93
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 1
The Seen and Unseen Universe
“While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
II Corinthians 4:18
Carbon
Atom
Solar
System
What is the smallest solar system?
The head of a pin contains billions
upon billions of atoms and although it
feels solid it is mostly empty space. All
around us are things we see and feel
which are made up of these tiny solar
systems. The center of the atom is
made up of a central nucleus in which
most of the mass is concentrated and
around which electrons are revolving.
What if we could enlarge an atom
to the size of a nickel? The electrons
would be about the size of a small
apple, but they would be revolving
around the nucleus from a distance of
one half of a mile away!
What are the differences between
the atom and the solar system? The
structure of the atom reminds us of a
miniature solar system. However,
there are differences because they are
different systems. (1) The solar system
is a mechanical system, while the atom
is an electrical system. (2) The atom
has much energy and speed. Scientists
estimate that an electron circles its
nucleus six quadrillion times every
second. But the planets revolve around
the Sun at a much, much slower pace.
(3) The electrons revolve around the
nucleus in many different planes. This
gives the atom a spherical shape, while
the planets revolve around the Sun in
one plane. This gives the solar system
a flat looking shape. (4) In the atom
the nucleus and the electrons are similar in size. In the solar system the Sun
is much larger than the planets. (5)
Both systems have a central nucleus
and at a great distance from it planets
or electrons revolve around the
nucleus in a series of orbits. Even the
planets themselves are miniature
“solar systems” with moons revolving
around them even as they revolve
around the sun. (6) Both the solar
system and the atom are mostly empty
space.
What lesson does the seen and
unseen teach us? God is the greatest
Scientist. He has allowed man to discover these amazing facts about the
seen and unseen universes. These
two universes teach us the lesson of
II Corinthians 4:18: “While we look not
at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the
things which are seen are temporal; but
the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 2
Introduction
“Jesus
is the
living center
of everything.”
I Selected Messages
158
A. Introduction
5
B. Students of God
12
C. Solar System Symbolism
13
D. What Materials Make Up the Solar System? 18
“Christ will be glorified;
His peace and grace and love
will pervade the family circle
like a precious perfume.”
The Adventist Home 17
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 3
Reflect
Meditate on this thought.
“Picture a large circle,
from the edge of which are many lines
all running to the center.
The nearer these lines approach the center,
the nearer they are to one another.
Thus it is in the Christian life.
The closer we come to Christ
[‘The Son of Righteousness’],
the nearer we shall be to one another.
God is glorified as His people
unite in harmonious action.”*
*The Adventist Home 179
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 4
The Solar System
“The sun [star] sheds
its light to gladden
a thousand worlds.”
The Desire of Ages 21
Research
A. Introduction
“Ye are the light of the world....”
Matthew 5:14
What objects make up our solar system? The solar system in
which we live is made up of the Sun and all of the objects that travel
around it. You might like to think of it as the Sun and its family. The
members we know of the family include:
(1) Nine planets, including the Earth;
(2) The moons that travel around all the different planets;
(3) Planet-like objects called asteroids;
(4) Chunks of iron and stone called meteoroids;
(5) Comets, which are bodies of dust and frozen gases; and
(6) Drifting particles of dust and gas.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 5
How many members do
you have in your immediate
family? List them below.
(1) ______________________________
(2) ______________________________
(3) ______________________________
“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and
the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke
2:32). “Their words, fragrant with
the love of Christ, are to be a savor
of life unto life.”*
“By divine illumination Simeon understood Christ’s mission”**
and he let his light shine to those in
the temple that day.
(4) ______________________________
(5) ______________________________
(6) ______________________________
There may be other solar systems
in the universe that have fewer or
more planets. Just like families
do not all have the same number
of members.
“The first work of Christians
is to be united in the family.”* This
is only accomplished by having the
“Sun of Righteousness” as the center
of the home, as the Sun is the center of the solar system. He draws
people to Himself and they in turn
draw closer to one another in the
household. In like manner the Sun
holds the planets in orbit around
itself.
There are many interesting
things to discover or discern in the
solar system. We will learn about
the sun, nine planets and their
moons—the solar system family.
Reflect
“He who lives Christianity
in the home
will be a bright and shining light
everywhere.”
Signs of the Times 9-1-1898
“They [homes of Christians]
would indeed be the
‘light of the world.’ ”
Patriarchs and Prophets 144
“Then the work is to extend to
their neighbors nigh and afar off,”
as the light of the planets reflect
beyond the solar system. “Those
who have received light are to let
the light shine forth in clear rays,”
Who represents the Sun
in your family?
Who represents the planets?
*The Adventist Home 37 **7 Bible Commentary 1116
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 6
Widening the Family Circle
Read these stories about family missionaries.
“Could I Keep
the Good News!”
Every Christian
A Missionary
A very long time ago a New
Zealand girl was brought over to
England to be educated. She became a true Christian. When she
was about to return, some of her
friends endeavored to dissuade her.
They said, “Why do you go back to
New Zealand? You are accustomed
to England now. You love its shady
lanes and clover fields. It suits your
health. Besides, you may be shipwrecked on the ocean. You may be
killed by your own people. Everybody will have forgotten you.”
When Admiral Foote invited
the royal dignitaries of Siam to dine
with him on his vessel, as was his
custom, he asked a blessing upon
the food. In surprise the king said:
“We thought only missionaries did
that.”
“What!” she said, “do you
think that I could keep the ‘good
news’ to myself? Do you think that I
could be content with having got
pardon, and peace, and eternal life
for myself, and not go and tell my
dear father and mother how they
can get it too? I would go if I had to
swim there!”
Anna and Simeon could not
keep the “good news” God had given
them either.
“True,” answered the brave
hero, “but every Christian should be
a missionary.”
The Missionary Spirit
The radii of a circle inclose
spaces which widen as they extend
outward from their common center;
in like manner does the missionary
spirit enlarge as it regards the number of the objects which it seeks to
bless. It is a point at first, but widens in its outward stretch. The cry
of the convicted soul is, “God save
my family, my kindred, and my
friends.” Then his heart goes out for
his neighbors—then his country,
and last of all he cries:
“Oh, that the arms of love that compass
me could all mankind embrace!”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 7
Origins of Modern Missions
One of the first mission enterprises of Englishmen was started in
1649 by Oliver Cromwell; the strongest and most fruitful impulse to
mission work came neither from
bishops nor from churchmen, but
from a cobble. His name was William Carey. Teaching at a poor
school, and looking over a map of
the world which he posted up for his
geography lessons, William notice
how vast a part of the globe was
covered by waste places. One time
he read, at a meeting of ministers, a
paper on the duty of attempting to
spread the gospel among the heathen. At first it awoke no echo.
These ministers had nothing better
to say to him than that his plan was
highly preposterous, and that if God
wished to convert the heathen, He
would do so of Himself. Such was
the thinking of that day. In their
ignorance they had not even observed that God works by man; that
as part of His divine government,
He never does for man what can or
ought to be done by man. The work
of some modern missions began in
the obsure shop of William Carey, a
shoemaker at Kettering.
A shop boy of fifteen, carrying
for his master a parcel of books,
stopped for a moment to rest, and
burst into tears to think that his life
would have to be spent in carrying
those heavy books. The sight of the
statues of good and great men
around him inspired him with fresh
courage and cheerfulness, and he
arose with a happier heart to go on
his way. His name was William
Marshman, and he grew up to join
Carey, to become a famous man, to
translate the Bible into twenty languages, to become in time the father-in-law of Sir Henry Havelock,
who served in India. Those who
sneered that England had sent a
cobbler to convert the world were
the direct descendants of those who
sneered in Palestine: “Is not this the
carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55).
The
Carpenter’s
Son
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 8
Reflect
The Family Circle
1. “Christ should be an honored
guest in the f_________ _______,
and His presence is no less needed
in the class room.” (Fundamentals
of Christian Education 66)
2. “Bring all the rays of sunshine, of
love, and of affection into the h_____
______ .” (The Adventist Home 295)
3. “The h_____ _______ should be
regarded as a sacred place, a symbol
of heaven, a mirror in which to reflect ourselves. Friends and acquaintances we may have, but in
the home life they are not to
meddle.” (The Adventist
Home 177)
5. “To a large extent parents create
the atmosphere of the h______
_______ , and when there is disagreement between father and
mother, the children partake of the
same spirit. Make your home atmosphere fragrant with tender
thoughtfulness.” (The Adventist
Home 16)
6. “God-fearing parents will diffuse
an influence from their own h______
_______ to that of others that will
act as did the leaven that was hid in
three measures of meal.” (The
Adventist Home 33)
4. “There should be less care
for what the outside world
will say and more thoughtful
attention to the members
of the f_______ ______.”
(The Adventist Home 108)
Fill in the words
family or home
circle in each
blank space
above.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 9
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 10
Read the poem,
“The Family.”
Earth
The planets vary in size from Jupiter,
which has a diameter more than 11 times as large as Earth’s,
Pluto, with a diameter less than one-fifth of that of Earth’s.
Sun
Venus
Mercury
Saturn
Mars
The Solar System Family
Illustration
Uranus
Jupiter
Pluto
Neptune
Luke 2:32
“A light to lighten
the Gentiles,
and the glory
of thy people Israel.”
The Family
The family is a little book;
The children are the leaves;
The parents are the cover that
Protective beauty gives.
At first, the pages of the book
Are blank and purely fair;
But Time soon writes his memories
And paints his pictures there.
Love is the little golden clasp
That closely binds the trust;
Oh, break it not, lest all the leaves
Shall scatter, and be lost.
—Unknown
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 11
B. Students of God
“Apply thine heart unto instruction,
and thine ears to the words of knowledge.”
Proverbs 23:12
What must it have been like to
be students in Earth’s first school—
the Garden of Eden? “The book of
nature, which spread its living lessons before them [Adam and Eve],
afforded an exhaustless source of
instruction and delight....God’s glory
in the heavens, the innumberable
worlds in their orderly revolutions, ‘the balancings of the clouds’
(Job 37:16), the mysteries of light
and sound, of day and night—all
were objects of study by the pupils
of Earth’s first school.”* “They were
visited by angels, and were granted
communion with their Maker, with
no obscuring veil between....The
mysteries of the visible universe—
‘the wondrous works of him which is
perfect in knowledge’ (Job 37:16)—
afforded them an exhaustless
source of instruction and delight.”**
They were ever discerning some
new attraction that filled their
hearts with deeper love for God.
Jesus taught Adam and Eve
many precious spiritual lessons
from the things He had created.
Our solar system is a special object
lesson He made about the kingdom
of God. It is like a huge visual aid in
the sky which can help us to understand spiritual laws. The same principles run through the spiritual and
the material world.
Pray for discernment as you
study this subject so you can be
taught by God like Adam and Eve,
Joseph and Mary, and Simeon and
Anna were. “The invisible things of
him...are clearly seen...even His
eternal power and Godhead’ (Romans 1:20).
The solar system is a picture,
that we may study to learn more
about God and how to live in the
family structure. “Spiritual things
are spiritually discerned.”***
“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,
that I may discern between good and bad:
for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
I Kings 3:9
*Education 21 **Patriarchs and Prophets 50-51 ***The Desire of Ages 55
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 12
C. Solar System Symbolism
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Genesis 1:3
The Sun and its light are a
revelation of the character of God.
The sunlight that we discern with
our eyes is real, but at the same
time it is also a symbol of the “True
Light” (John 1:9). It gets its brightness and energy from Christ’s word,
“let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).
“Thy words giveth light” (Psalm
119:130).
Simeon and Anna cherished
this light. “These humble worshipers had not studied the prophecies
in vain. But those who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel,
though they too had before them the
precious utterances of prophecy,
were not walking in the way of the
Lord, and their eyes were not open
to behold [or discern] the Light of
life.”*
We have a daily path to follow
in our homes. We decide which way
to go. Check your guide book which
is “a light unto my path” (Psalm
119:105). Are you discerning
enough to change course when
headed in the wrong direction?
“Jesus lived in
a peasant’s home
and faithfully
and cheerfully
acted His part
in bearing
the burdens in
the household.”
“And thine ears shall hear
a word behind thee, saying,
This is the way, walk ye in it,
when ye turn to the right hand,
and when ye turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21
Besides the Sun, the planets
also teach us important spiritual
truth as they obediently follow their
individual paths around the Sun,
the great center of the system. Like
them, Christ obeyed “the law in
every particular.”** “Jesus lived in
a peasant’s home and faithfully and
cheerfully acted His part in bearing
the burdens of the household.”***
Reinforce
1. Read the poem, “The Spreading Gospel.”
2. Read the story, “The One Way
and the Other.”
*The Desire of Ages 55 **The Desire of Ages 50 ***The Desire of Ages 72
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 13
Obediently Following Christ
The planets teach us important spiritual truth as they obediently follow
their individual paths around the Sun, the great center of the system.
Do you obey your Center—Christ?
An Obedient Boy
In England, one day, a farmer at
work in his fields saw a party of huntsmen riding over his farm. He had a
field in which the wheat was just coming up, and he was anxious that the
gentlemen should not go into that, as
the trampling of the horses and dogs
would spoil the crop.
So he sent one of his farm hands,
a bright young boy, to shut the gate of
that field and to keep guard over it. He
told him that he must on no account
permit the gate to be opened.
Scarcely had the boy reached the
field and closed the gate when the
huntsmen came galloping up and
ordered him to open it. This the boy
declined to do.
“Master,” said he, “has ordered
me to permit no one to pass through
this gate, and I can neither open it
myself nor allow any one else to do so.”
First one gentleman threatened
to thrash him if he did not open it;
then another offered him a sovereign;
but all to no effect. The brave boy was
neither to be frightened nor bribed.
Then a grand and stately gentleman came forward and said: “My boy,
do you not know me? I am the Duke of
Wellington—one not accustomed to be
disobeyed; and I command you to open
that gate, that I and my friends may
pass.”
The boy took off his hat to the
great man whom all England delighted
to honor, and answered: “I am sure the
Duke of Wellington would not wish me
to disobey orders. I must keep this
gate shut, nor permit any one to pass
without my master’s permission.”
The brave old warrior was
greatly pleased at the boy’s answer,
and lifting his own hat, he said: “I
honor the man or the boy who can
neither be bribed nor frightened into
doing wrong. With an army of such
soldiers I could conquer, not only the
French, but the whole world.”
As the party galloped away, the
boy ran off to his work, shouting at the
top of his voice, “Hurrah! Hurrah for
the Duke of Wellington!”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 14
The
Spreading
Gospel
The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord,
In ev’ry star Thy wisdom shines,
But viewing Christ within Thy Word,
We read Thy love in clearer lines.
The rolling Sun, the changing light,
and nights and days, Thy power confess;
But the blest volume Thou didst write,
Reveals Thy justice and Thy grace.
Wide be Thy spreading gospel preached
Till through the world Thy truth has run,
Till Christ has all the nations reached,
That see the light, or feel the Sun.
Great “Sun of Righteousness, arise;”
Bless the dark world with heavenly light:
Thy gospel makes the simple wise,
Thy laws are pure, Thy judgements right.
—Unknown
Reinforce
Sing the above song, “The Spreading Gospel.”
“Our work for Christ is to begin with the family in the home....
There is no missionary field more important than this....”
6 Testimonies 429
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 15
The One Way
and the Other
Remember we have a daily path we follow.
We decide which way it goes.
The One Way
“Father,” said a woman to her
husband, one morning, “the boys
want some new shoes.”
“Want, want—always wanting!” said the man, in a cross tone.
“I’ve got no money; if you want
them, get them yourself.”
“You know I can’t get them,”
answered the wife, catching the
spirit of her husband; and the spirit
once caught, she carried it down
stairs into the kitchen, where she
quickly saw that breakfast was in a
backward state. “Sally,” she said,
“why in the world isn’t breakfast
ready? The mornings are long
enough.”
“This awful green wood!” cried
Sally, who, until now, had been
doing her best; but, catching her
mistress’ tone, she quite lost her
temper. “The wonder is, that breakfast is got at all,” she muttered.
“Tie my shoe, Sally,” said little
Joe, “the string has tripped me up
awfully.”
“Go away,” she answered,
crossly, “and do not pester me at
breakfast time.”
“Cross creature,” cried Joe,
pouting, and pulling off his shoe
spiteful, which, for mischief, or not
knowing what else to do, he swung
at the cat lapping milk. The shoe
sent the cat one way, the dish another, and the milk in a puddle on
the floor.
“You mischievous puppy,”
cried Sally, giving Joe a shake, and
sending him off to the sitting-room.
Joe, in a terrible mood, fell upon his
little sister, who was playing with a
woolly dog that her aunt gave her.
“Give it to me,” cried Joe,
snatching it from her hand; whereupon Susie burst into an angry cry.
Joe’s mother struck him for it, and
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 16
he screamed out equal to any cross
cub in a bear’s den; so that by the
time breakfast was ready, the family sky was as dark and squally as it
could well be; for crossness is catching, and “the beginning of strife is as
when one letteth out water” (Proverbs 17:14).
The Other Way
“Father said a woman to her
husband one morning, “the children
need some new shoes.”
“Yes; I suppose it is time,”
answered the husband; “but I can’t
well spare the money just now. I
wonder if I can’t fix their old ones
and make them last a little longer.”
“Don’t trouble yourself with
that, husband,” said the wife. “Let
me try and see what I can do with
them; maybe they will look as good
as new;” and away she tripped
downstairs into the kitchen. “Sally,”
she said, “you are a little behind
with the breakfast; but I’ll help you.
No wonder; the green wood troubles
you, I’m afraid. Joe and I will take
up the cat’s dish, lest somebody
should step on it, and break it.
Come, kitty; go with me;” and Joe
carried her into the sitting-room.
“Kitty has had her breakfast,”
he said to Susie; “now show her
your woolly dog and see if she will
not think it is a real one.” Susie put
down her plaything, and, sure
enough, as soon as she saw it, kitty
bushed up her tail and drew up her
back just ready for a fight. But
pretty soon she saw her mistake,
and ran under the table.
How the children laughed; and
what a pleasant breakfast that was
where kindness was the largest
dish; for “pleasant words are as a
honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and
health to the bones” (Proverbs
16:24).
“Our religion is made manifest
in the home circle
by the atmosphere surrounding
the soul that brings happiness
to the family....”
Our High Calling 179
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 17
D. What Materials Make up the Solar System?
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear.”
Hebrews 11:3
God did not need pre-existing
matter. By the mighty power of His
word He called matter into being.
The worlds and everything in them
were made out of nothing by God’s
infinite energy. What are the materials in our solar system?
Whatever is visible and can
occupy space we call matter. But
matter is only organized energy,
and matter can convert into energy
and back again into matter. There is
a physical law called the conservation of matter which explains this:
matter and energy may not be created or destroyed (except by God),
but each may be converted into the
other. That is another way of saying
that things that are seen can be
made from things that are not seen.
Matter is seen and energy is not.
Example: A pumpkin seed—
matter—falls into the soil. The
warmth of the Sun—energy—
causes the seed to grow. The
pumpkin is made into a pie for
you to eat and becomes energy
for your body.
Matter forms the planets in
the solar system. The things in
space are made up of basic substances called elements. There are
more than a hundred different elements existing and only eight of
them make up most of what we
know.
Food
Gives us energy!
Note: Scientists use the term
energy to mean the ability to do
work. Many people use the term
power to mean the same thing as
energy. But when scientists use
the term power, they mean the
rate at which work is done, or the
rate at which energy is used up.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 18
One of the most common elements in the universe is hydrogen.
If we had one million hydrogen
atoms how many atoms would we
find in the other most common
seven elements?
Simeon Said:
“A light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory
of thy people Israel.”
Luke 2:32
1,000,000 hydrogen
85,000 helium
661 oxygen
331 carbon
91 nitrogen
83 neon
33 silicon
26 magnesium
All matter is nothing more
than organized bits of energy that
show themselves as matter. You
might say: “Our solar system is
made of visible energy!”
This is similar to the work of
the Holy Spirit. “...And the Holy
Ghost was upon him” (Luke 2:25).
It was the energy of the Holy Spirit
which was upon Simeon and Anna
that led them to discern the Son of
God as the baby dedicated to save
man.
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.”
Isaiah 9:2
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 19
Review
Place I - II
Fill in the blanks.
1. The members of the Sun’s family
are:
N __ __ __ P __ __ __ __ __ __
God Is
Light
M __ __ __ __
A __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
M __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
C __ __ __ __ __
P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of
D __ __ __ and G __ __
“Let
there be
light.”
Genesis 1:3
2. In the Garden of Eden school
Adam and Eve studied the
H __ __ __ __ __ __ .
3. What will we need to study like
Adam and Eve?
D __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
4. Read and color the verses on the
right.
“Thy
words
giveth
light.”
Psalm 119:130
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 20
Review
Place III
The Sun and Its Family
5. Name the members of the Sun’s
family.
7. What will we need to pray for to
study like Adam and Eve did?
8. Explain what lessons the Solar
System can teach us.
(1) ______________________________
(2) ______________________________
Reinforce
(3) ______________________________
1. Take your Bible out in the
sunshine to work on memorizing
Psalm 119:130.
(4) ______________________________
(5) ______________________________
(6) ______________________________
6. What were some of the things
studied by Adam and Eve?
2. When your pet wants to follow
you around remember how the
planets follow the path around
the Sun and how we should follow the path of our Master. Can
you discern His leading in your
life? Write a paragraph.
(1) ______________________________
(2) ______________________________
(3) ______________________________
(4) ______________________________
(5) ______________________________
(6) ______________________________
(7) ______________________________
3. Read the story, “The
Astronomer and the Atheist.”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 21
The Astronomer
and the Atheist
There is a charming story told
of an old astronomer called
Athenasius Kirchner. He had a
friend professing to be an atheist,*
and he determined to convince his
atheistic friend of his mistake. Accordingly, he constructed with great
care an image of the planets moving
around the Sun, and he placed the
ingenious toy in the observatory
when his friend was calling. Directly his friend entered, his attention was directed to the orrery.** He
came and examined it with great
delight, and then he said to the
astronomer, “This is beautifully
made; who made it?”
“Is it impossible?” said
Kirchner; “I thought you told me
that the planetary system, of which
this is but a very imperfect and
trivial copy, came by chance. Why
not the copy?”
And that searching question
has come home to every human
mind. The man who thinks he is an
atheist is only an atheist because he
does not have discernment. He
cannot steadily inquire into the
origin of an ordered solar system
without the great discovery that
there is a God behind these worlds.
Kirchner answered, “No one
made it.”
“What do you mean?” said the
man.
“Oh,” said Kirchner, “it came
by chance.”
“But,” said the man, “you are
trifling with me. Tell me who made
it. It is impossible that it should
come by chance.”
*A person who believes there is no God.
**a device representing the solar system moved
by clockwork to illustrate the planet’s movements.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 22
1. Circles
“And
he went
from year to year
in circuit....”
I Samuel 7:16
A. Circles and the Solar System
25
B. Spiritual Discernment
28
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble;
thou shalt compass [surround or encircle]
me about with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 32:7
“The man is encircled in song, surrounded by dancing mercies, all of
them proclaiming the triumphs of grace. There is no breach in the
circle, it completely rings him round; on all sides he hears music. Before
him hope sounds the cymbals, and behind him gratitude beats the
timbrel. Right and left, above and beneath, the air resounds with joy....”
—I The Treasury of David 84
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 23
Samuel Once Made a Circuit Through Israel
“And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal,
and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
“And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house;
and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.”
I Samuel 7:16-17
The prophet Samuel lived thousands of years before the birth of
Christ. Anna and Simeon were prophets like Samuel. All of their
lives revolved around the great “Son of Righteousness”—Christ
Jesus. The planets revolving around the Sun remind us of how our
lives are to be constantly moving around “the light of the world.”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 24
Research
A. Circles and the Solar System
“When he prepared the heavens...He set a compass [circle]
upon the face of the depth.”
“...He walketh in the circuit [circle] of heaven.”
Proverbs 8:27; Job 22:14
All the planets in our solar
system as well as the Sun are
shaped more or less like balls or, in
other words, like solid circles. These
spheres follow basically circular
paths. The shape of the circle is
repeated over and over in the design
of the solar system. God has a reason for this. In Scripture we know
that when God repeats something,
it is because he wants to draw our
attention to it in order to stress a
certain point. Proverbs 8:27 and Job
22:14 mention this circular design
in the heavens. “When he prepared
the heavens...He set a compass
[circle] upon the face of the depth.”
“He walketh in the circuit [circle] of
heaven.”
Is there a meaning to the
shape of the circle? If you look at
a circle you will discern that it is a
continuous line. There is no beginning point or ending point on the
line. It is a symbol of something
that never ends—something that
continues forever. The Bible tells us
“His name shall be continued as
long as the sun,” “and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Psalm
72:17; Luke 1:33). The shining
sphere of the Sun with all the round
planets circling around it teaches us
that God has made the solar system
to last forever. “And he built his
sanctuary like high palaces, like the
earth which he hath established
forever.” “Praise ye him, sun and
moon: praise him all ye stars of
light....He hath stablished them for
ever and ever” (Psalm 78:69; 148:3,
6). Jesus, the “Sun of Righteousness,” and those whose lives revolve
around Him will also live forever.
The circles of the solar system are
like the signature of Christ who
said of Himself, “I am...the beginning and the ending...which is, and
which was, and which is to come,
the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). “It
was He who declared Himself to
Moses as the I AM.”* His life is an
endless one.
*The Desire of Ages 52
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 25
As Jesus is reigning in our hearts, submission to His will becomes a
delight; obedience becomes worship; and our peace, like the circle, knows
no end. Like the planets’ orbits, the paths of our lives, are ruled by the
Light of Life. We are physically held in our places by the constant drawing
power of gravity. But did you know we are spiritually held in our places by
the constant drawing power of God’s love? Anna and Simeon had yielded
their lives to His drawing power and thus they were in place when Christ
came to His temple to be dedicated.
Reinforce
Place I - II
“When He
prepared the
heavens...He set
a compass
[circle]
upon the face
of the depth.”
Proverbs 8:27
Color and read the words in the above verse.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 26
Reinforce
Circles
Place I - II - III
“It is he that sitteth upon
the circle of the earth....”
Isaiah 40:22
Color these circles as colorful as the appearance
of the circular planets and their moons.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 27
B. Spiritual Discernment
“For thou wilt light my candle:
the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”
Psalm 18:28
The planets are round in
shape, therefore the light of the Sun
can shine on all parts of them as
they spin. This teaches us that God
wants to light up every part of our
being. As the planets rotate on their
axis, the part that is turning away
gets lighted up from the Sun. So
also will “the Lord my God will
enlighten my darkness” (Psalm
18:28). He will give us spiritual
discernment to know what areas
of our lives need to be exposed to
the healing beams of the “Sun of
Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2).
Reflect
“In the light
of the Saviour’s life,
the hearts of all,
even from the Creator
to the prince of darkness,
are revealed.”
Reinforce
1. Play a simple game of baseball
and remember the lessons of
circles and the solar system.
2. Make some cracker dough and
cut out circle shapes using a
cookie cutter or a drinking glass.
As you eat them, remember that
the Light of the World gives life
to the grains which yielded flour
for the dough. Christ’s Word
provides our physical and spiritual bread.
3. Search through your kitchen
and look for circles. Make a list
of all you find.
4. Use the booklet, Mathematics
in Nature. This book can be obtained from SonLight.
5. Do “Mark Your Bible,” “Circles
in the Bible,” found on the next
page.
The Desire of Ages 57
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 28
Mark Your Bible
Circles in the Bible
1. The Earth is round.
Isaiah 40:22 – “It is he that sitteth
upon the circle of the earth....”
Proverbs 8:27 – “When he prepared the heavens I was there; when
he set a compass [circle] upon the
face of the depth.”
2. God encircles the Earth with
the constellations that tell the
story of salvation.
Psalm 19:6 – “His going forth is
from the end of the heaven, and his
circuit [circle] unto the ends of it....”
4. Even the wind has a circular
path.
Ecclesiastes 1:6 – “The wind goeth
toward the south, and turneth about
unto the north; it whirleth about
continually, and the wind returneth
again according to his circuits
[circle].”
Place III
Job 22:14 – “...And he walketh in
the circuit of heaven.”
Note: Satan has confused the pictures in the heavens by applying
myth and calling them the Zodiac.
5. There are many other verses
in the Bible that speaks of
circles. Do a Bible study about
either compass, circuit, or
around (round).
3. The Sun has a circular path it
travels.
Review
Place I - II
1. Explain the circles in the solar system to your teacher in your own
words.
Place III
2. Write out an explanation of why circles are the main shape of the solar
system. What are the spiritual lessons of the circles?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 29
Reflect
Choose 1 reference, meditate on it and
share with your teacher what it means.
“As you seek to draw others within
the circle of His love, let the purity
of your language, the unselfishness
of your service, the joyfulness of
your demeanor, bear witness to the
power of His grace.” (The Ministry
of Healing 156)
“The generation to whom the Saviour had come were represented by
the fig tree in the Lord’s vineyard—
within the circle of His special care
and blessing.” (Christ’s Object Lessons 214).
“Whenever He spoke to the multitude, the disciples formed the inner
circle.” (Child Guidance 295)
“Throw a pebble into the lake, and a
wave is formed, and another and
another, and as they increase, the
circle widens, until it reaches the
very shore. So with our influence.
Beyond our knowledge or control it
tells upon others in blessing or in
cursing.” (Christ’s Object Lessons
340)
“His [Christ’s] love is so broad, so
deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s
circle the poor souls who have been
deluded by his deceptions. It places
them within reach of the throne of
God, the throne encircled by the
rainbow of promise.” (Christ’s Object
Lessons 386)
“He [Judas] now came forward,
soliciting a place in this inner circle
of disciples.” (The Desire of Ages
293)
“He [Christ] lifts men from the narrow circle which their selfishness
prescribes; He abolishes all territorial lines and artificial distinctions
of society.” (The Desire of Ages 823)
“The whole circle of our obligation
to one another is covered by that
word of Christ’s, ‘Whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do
ye even so to them’ (Matthew 7:12).”
(Education 136)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 30
“Many, even in their seasons of
devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God.
They are in too great haste. With
hurried steps they press through
the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment
within the sacred precincts, but not
waiting for counsel. They have no
time to remain with the divine
Teacher. With their burdens they
return to their work.” (Education
260)
“This gospel missionary work is to
keep reaching out and annexing
new territory, enlarging the cultivated portions of the vineyard. The
circle is to extend until it belts the
world.” (Evangelism 19)
“Jesus has given to every man his
work, taking him from the narrow
circle which his selfishness has
prescribed, annihilating territorial
lines and all artificial distinctions of
society; He marks off no limited
boundary for missionary zeal, but
bids His followers extend their labors to the uttermost parts of the
Earth.” (In Heavenly Places 319)
“The ministry of Christ was in
marked contrast to that of the Jewish elders. Their regard for tradition
and formalism had destroyed all
real freedom of thought or action.
They lived in continual dread of
defilement. To avoid contact with
the ‘unclean’ they kept aloof, not
only from the Gentiles, but from the
majority of their own people, seeking neither to benefit them nor to
win their friendship. By dwelling
constantly on these matters, they
had dwarfed their minds and narrowed the orbit of their lives.” (The
Desire of Ages 150)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 31
Reinforce
Place I - II - III
Draw a cross in the circle.
Color then read the words.
“The cross
of Christ
is to be
the great center
around which
everything
must revolve.”
The Signs of the Times
8-17-1891
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 32
Nature’s Tiny Solar Systems
The leaves of a plant are spirally arranged in the same way that
the planets of the solar system revolve around the Sun. The same
numerical relation holds good in
phyllo-taxis (the arrangement of
leaves on a stem) as in astronomy.
The number of turns made on the
stem, and the number of leaves
passed before reaching the leaf
directly above the one from which
we started, form a regular ascending series, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so
forth, of which any two added together will make the third. So likewise the planets from Neptune to
Venus, revolve around the Sun, and
complete their orbit in periods
which exhibit precisely the same
succession of numbers, a series of
threes.
come closer and closer together,
until at last they culminate in the
radiance of the flower, so the planets of the solar system come closer
and closer together, until at last
they blossom, as it were, in the
splendor of the Sun. The fact is that
the universe is but a vast expansion
of the atom.
—Adapted from H. MacMillan
How can you be more discerning
and learn from things around you
that will teach you about things
far away?
Read the story on the next page.
This wonderful similarity and
simplicity of arrangement surely
proves that the same hand adjusted
the leaves of the herb of the field
which set in motion the stars of
heaven; that the order of the whole
system is repeated in the smallest
of its contents. Indeed, we may
regard a plant with its leaves, from
this point of view, as a miniature
solar system, and the solar system
as a gigantic plant. The leaves of
the one answer to the planets of the
other; and as the leaves of a plant
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 33
Are You Discerning
An old dervish (a Muslim monk)
was walking a desert road when he
encountered two anxious merchants.
man to be a thief, the merchants
dragged him before the cadi (magistrate).
“You have lost a camel!” the
dervish called to the merchants.
Before the cadi, the old dervish
explained, “I have lived a long time
and have learned to observe many
things.
“Indeed we have,” they replied,
stopping abruptly.
“Was he not blind in his right
eye and lame in his left leg?” asked the
dervish.
“He was,” the men responded.
“Had not your camel lost a
tooth?” the dervish continued.
“Yes, he had,” replied the merchants.
“Was not your camel loaded with
honey on one side and corn on the
other?” the dervish further inquired.
“He was,” the merchants remarked. “And as you have seen him,
we trust you will also conduct us to
him.”
At this, the dervish frowned, “I
have never seen your camel.”
“Most certainly you have!”
shouted the angry merchants. “And
where are the jewels that also formed
part of his burden?” Supposing the old
“I knew I had crossed the tracks
of a stray camel because I found no
human footprints with the camel’s
prints.
“I knew the animal was blind in
one eye because it had cropped the
vegetation on one side of the path. I
perceived it was lame in one leg from
the faint impression made by one foot
in the sand. I concluded the animal
had lost a tooth because a small tuft of
herbage remained uninjured wherever
it grazed.
“As to that which formed the
beast’s burden, the ants informed me it
was corn on one side, and the clustering flies that it was honey on the
other.”
The dervish was a discerning
man. You also can be discerning and
learn interesting things about the
solar system by observing the things
you see around you.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 34
2. God’s Guiding Hand
“...Lead me
and guide me.”
Psalm 31:3
A. God Guides the Planets
37
B. Isaac Newton
41
C. Copernicus and His Famous Theory
46
“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.”
Psalm 73:24
“And the Lord shall guide thee continually....”
Isaiah 58:11
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 35
The Holy Spirit
Our Guide
”Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide
you into all truth:
for he shall not
speak of himself;
but whatsoever
he shall hear,
that shall he speak:
and he will shew you
things to come.”
John 16:13
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 36
Research
A. God Guides the Planets
“I will instruct thee and teach thee
in the way which thou shalt go:
I will guide thee with mine eye.”
Psalm 32:8
The planets do not vary an
instant in their trackless courses,
and yet nothing we see (discern)
controls them. God’s invisible power
keeps them moving along in just the
right way. This same almighty, invisible Power can guide us too. We
are promised, “I will instruct thee
and teach thee in the way which
thou shalt go; I will guide thee with
mine eye” (Psalm 32:8).
The motions of the planets
was one of the most interesting
disputes in the history of science.
One theory of the planet’s motion
was given by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer. He thought the Earth
was the center of the universe. He
even thought the Sun and planets
travelled around the Earth once a
day. His ideas guided people for
over a thousand years.
“When he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all
truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit
guided Anna’s and Simeon’s way
into the temple at just the right
time to behold with their eyes the
infant who was the Majesty of
heaven, the King of glory.
The disagreement began in
1543, a Polish astronomer by the
name of Nicolas Copernicus believed (he was very discerning)
that the Earth and the other planets traveled around the Sun. This
idea made it much easier to describe the motions of the planets,
and astronomers discerning this
soon began to use it. The Catholic
Church of that time said Copernicus
was wrong and forbade the use of
his writings until 1757. But God
sent the testimony of another scientist that corrected the false idea of
Ptolemy.
It was some time after Adam
and Eve lived and even after Anna
and Simeon, that man began to
keep written records of how the
planets moved and how they
changed in brightness. Their motion
was not well understood until the
1600’s.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 37
Reflect
Place I - II - III
Fill in the missing words from the word list and read this thought.
“Christ Jesus [ is ]
to __________ us
_______ ____
of the journey
to heaven!
The Holy Spirit with
us as a _________ ,
a ______ in our
perplexities,
to soothe our sorrows,
and _______ us
in temptation!”
Word List
accompany
Comforter
every
Guide
shield
step
(Sons and Daughters of God 295)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 38
Reinforce
1. Guiding the Planets
Color then read this quote.
“The hand
of God guides
the planets
and keeps them
in position
in their
orderly march
through
the heavens.”
Patriarchs and Prophets 115
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 39
Reinforce
2. Guiding Us
We need God guiding our lives.
Color then read this quote.
“We cannot
with
safety
follow
our own
guidance.”
6 Bible
Commentary
1088
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 40
B. Isaac Newton*
“Howbeit when he,
the spirit of truth,
is come,
he will guide you into all truth....”
John 16:13
Isaac Newton who lived in
England supported the Copernican
theory. He also discovered the law of
universal gravitation about 1665.
This law describes the Sun’s pull on
the planets.
Isaac Newton was a Christian
scientist. He studied the solar system and was led to discover God’s
power operating in what became
known as “the law of gravity.” He
said that the rotations of the planets could not happen because of
gravity. Newton had discerned
that they “required a Divine arm to
impress them.” In other words, God
makes them spin around.
This scientist wrote that the
law of universal gravitation proves
wrong the evolutionary theory
which claims that matter at first
was evenly distributed through
space. “For if there be...gravity, it is
impossible for the matter of Earth
and all the planets and stars to fly
up from them and become evenly
spread throughout all the heavens,
without a supernatural power; and
that which can never be hereafter
without a supernatural power, could
never be here-before without the
same power.”
God gave Isaac Newton wisdom and discernment of the laws
of the universe because Newton
realized an underlying principle. It
is God alone that gives clear understanding. He would lay aside his
telescope and go into his room and
pray that he might have a deeper
and clearer insight than what could
be revealed by the telescope alone.
Prayer and the aid of the Holy
Spirit are needed in order to understand God’s creation and His revelations in the Bible. “When he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth” “But ye have an
unction from the Holy One, and ye
know [discern] all things” (John
16:13; I John 2:20).
Prayer can help you become
more discerning as Anna and
Simeon discerned who Baby Jesus
was.
*See lesson 9 “Air and Sound” for more information on Isaac Newton.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 41
A Simple Prayer
Be Thou my guide today,
My arm whereon to rest,
My Sun to cheer me on my way,
My shield to guard my breast.
From Satan’s fiery dart,
And men of purpose base,
And from the plague of my own heart,
Defend me by Thy grace.
—Berridge
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 42
Reflect
“The knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
“Acquaint now thyself with him.”
Proverbs 9:10; Job 22:21
Ptolemy
Brahe
Copernicus
“The world has had its great teachers, men of
giant intellect and extensive research, men whose
utterances have stimulated thought and opened to
view vast fields of knowledge; and these men have
been honored as guides and benefactors of their
race; but there is One who stands higher than they.
We can trace the line of the world’s teachers as far
back as human records extend; but the Light was
before them. As the moon and the stars of our
solar system shine by the
reflected light of the Sun,
so as far as their teaching
is true, do the world’s great
thinkers reflect the rays of the
‘Sun of Righteousness.’ Every
gleam of thought, every flash
of the intellect, is from the
Light of the world.”
Education 13-14
Newton
Einstein
Jesus Christ
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 43
Review
Reinforce
Place I - II - III
1. Who keeps the planets revolving
and in their special places?
Place II - III
2. Who was Isaac Newton?
1. Read a book about the life of
Isaac Newton.
2. When using round fruit or vegetables for a meal discuss the lessons of circles and the law of universal gravitation.
3. What fundamental principle did
Newton understand? Is this something we need to apply to our own
studies?
Copernicus
3. Cut an onion into round slices to
serve at a meal having burgers as
the menu.
Copernicus made great progress
in the study of Astronomy.
3. Read the article, “Copernicus,
And His Famous Theory.”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 44
Reflect
Place III
Read and meditate.
“Whatever may be our situation, we have a guide to direct our way....”
(Christ’s Object Lessons 173)
“The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to become acquainted with the will of their Maker.” (The Great Controversy 521)
In Bible times “He [The Holy Spirit] guided the mind in the selection of
what to speak and what to write.” (The Great Controversy vi)
“The truth is our guide; it is to us like a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar
of fire by night.” (The Review and Herald 1-27-1885)
“...Every sincere Christian will be a guide and an example to others in...the
cause of truth....” (Christian Service 12)
My Prayer
We are little children,
Weak and apt to stray;
Saviour guide and keep us
In the heavenly way.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 45
C. Copernicus,
And His Famous Theory
Pythagoras taught that the
Earth is not the center of the Universe, but that it is flying through
space in a ceaseless journey around
the Sun; and Pythagoras lived before the time of Christ. But this
theory had practically ceased to
exist throughout the Middle Ages,
till it was revived by Copernicus in
the fifteenth century. For that reason it is known to us as the Copernican System.
Copernicus lived about one
hundred years before Galileo, whose
name is so prominent in connection
with the fixing of this theory in the
mind of man. This was the time
when the great Christopher Columbus lived.
Nicolas Copernik was the
name of our hero, but he is best
known under the Latin form of his
name—Copernicus. He was born in
Polish Prussia in 1473, and although his birthplace, Thorn, was
then in Poland, it was later in
Prussia. We know practically nothing of his parents except that his
father was a merchant.
Copernicus studyed
Astronomy.
When we learn that
Copernicus was taught Latin and
Greek at home, we might suppose
that his father must have been an
accomplished scholar, but as his
father died when Copernicus was
only ten years of age it is probable
that these languages were acquired
after his father’s death. This is very
probable, for the boy was then
taken care of by his uncle, who was
a Bishop. At the age of seventeen
Copernicus went to the University
of Cracow, which town was the old
capital of Poland.
His uncle, the Bishop, desired
that Copernicus should enter into
Holy Orders, but he proved an unsuccessful candidate for a Canonry,
and was sent to Rome to study.
There he became very friendly with
an illustrious astronomer, who obtained for him the professorship of
mathematics in Rome.
Copernicus made great
progress in the study of astronomy.
He soon rivalled his distinguished
friend and master. After several
years of successful teaching of
mathematics in Rome, Copernicus
returned to his native land and
where he settled down in the position of Canon for one of the principal churches in Poland. Here he
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 46
passed a quiet life, devoting one
part of each day to the duties of his
holy office, another part to giving
free medical advice, and the remainder of his working day to
study. At this time he would have
been about thirty-five years of age.
He had no desire to make a great
reputation for himself, nor did he
care to enter into controversy, and
so he worked away on his own account, trying to establish the theory
that the Sun, and not the Earth,
was the central body. He kept his
manuscript to himself, revising and
rerevising it year after year. It is
quite possible that Copernicus knew
that the Church would not favor his
theory, and so his best plan was to
prepare his book upon the subject.
This book, De Revolutionibus
Orbium, was his life-work, and was
not completed until he was fiftyseven years of age. But even then
he did not seek to publish it. The
manuscript lay dormant until a few
years before his death, and only
owing to the pressure of his friends
did he agree to publish it. That
would be about twelve years later.
In the meantime the idea had been
severely criticized by many of those
who heard of the work. The great
German Reformer Martin Luther,
who was then living, thought
Copernicus a fool to hold such opinions. He was even ridiculed on the
stage at a public performance.
While Copernicus was a scholarly student, and devoted great care
to plotting out the motions of the
planets, and to the mathematics of
astronomy, we must remember that
science had been dead for many
centuries and was only beginning to
be revived. Hence many of the arguments used by Copernicus, although
they passed for logic in those days,
would seem quite ridiculous today.
For instance, Copernicus adopted
the same “argument” as Aristotle
did, that the planets must move in
regular circles because the circle
was the most perfect and only natural form. For the same reason the
Earth was spherical. Then his idea
of the motion of the planets was
similar to the ancient conception of
the heavenly bodies being fixed in
gigantic crystal spheres which, in
his theory, circled around the Sun.
However, he was the first to prove
that the Earth is really a planet
flying through space just as Jupiter,
Saturn, and the other planets are.
Pythagoras had suggested this, but
he had offered no proof of his theory.
It is difficult for us to realize
what a complete revolution of man’s
ideas this theory required. Indeed,
man’s position had been very much
like that of the little child to whom
everything seems centered around
itself. Everything that takes place
in the baby’s world has special ref-
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 47
erence to the baby. Man had imagined for ages that he was on a
firmly fixed Earth, around which all
the heavenly bodies danced attendance. Now he was asked to believe
that this great big world of his was
in reality a mere speck in the Universe; that he was on the surface of
a comparatively small planet continually flying through space.
This great awakening did not
really come during the lifetime of
Copernicus. Indeed, he never saw
his great book published. The first
copy is said to have been placed in
his hand when he was on his deathbed, but it is very doubtful if he
could realize what it was. Then we
must remember that a book which
was practically a technical treatise,
written in Latin, was not read by
the general public. A hundred years
later Galileo wrote upon the same
subject in the vulgar tongue (Italian) instead of in Latin. The reason
which Galileo gave was that, although people might have “a decent
set of brains, yet not being able to
understand things written in gibberish, take it into their heads that
in these crabbed folios there must
be some grand hocus pocus of logic
and philosophy much too high up
for them to think of jumping at. I
want them to know, that as Nature
has given eyes to them just as well
as to philosophers for the purpose of
seeing her works, she has also given
them brains for examining and
understanding them.” But that was
a century later than Copernicus. It
took the Catholic Church a long
time to realize that this theory was
the beginning of a great revolution
of thought.
Copernicus’ Theory
Copernicus
established
the theory
that the Sun,
and not the Earth,
was the central body.
He was the first to prove that the Earth is really a planet
flying through space
just as Jupiter, Saturn, and the other planets are.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 48
The Planetary System
This poem was written
when only 7 planets
were discovered.
Slowly God allowed man
to discern the heavenly host,
which His hand guides on their paths.
Fair star of eve, thy lucid ray
Directs my thoughts to realms on high;
Great is the theme, though weak the lay,
For my heart whispers, “God is nigh.”
The Sun, vice-regent of his power,
Shall rend the veil of parting night,
Salute the spheres at early hour,
And pour a flood of life and light.
Seven circling planets I beheld,
Their different orbits all describe;
Copernicus these wonders told,
And bade the laws of truth revive.
Mercury and Venus first appear,
Nearest the dazzling source of day;
Three months compose his hasty year,
In seven she treads the heavenly way.
Next, Earth completes her yearly course;
The moon as satellite attends;
Attraction is the hidden force,
On which creation’s law depends.
Then Mars is seen of fiery hue;
Jupiter’s orb we next descry;
His atmospheric belts we view,
And four bright moons attract the eye.
Mars, soon his revolution makes,
In twice twelve months the Sun surrounds,
Jupiter, greater limits takes,
And twelve long years declare his bounds.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 49
With rings of light, see Saturn slow,
Pursue his path in endless space;
By seven pale moons his course we know,
And thirty years that round shall trace.
The Georgium Sidus* next appears,
By his amazing distance known;
The lapse of more than eighty years,
In his account makes one alone.
Six moons are his, by Herschel shown—
Herschel, of modern times the boast;
Discovery here is all his own,
Another planetary host!
And lo! by astronomic scan,
Three stranger planets track the skies,
Part of that high majestic plan,
Whence those successive worlds arise.
Next Mars, Piazzi’s orb is seen,
Four years six months complete his round,
Science shall renovated beam,
And guild Palermo’s favored ground.
Daughters of telescopic ray,
Pallas and Juno, smaller spheres,
Are seen near Jove’s imperial way,
Tracing the heavens in destined years.
Comets and fixed stars I see,
With native luster ever shine;
How great! how good! how dreadful! He
In whom life, light, and truth combine.
Oh! may I better know His will,
And more implicitly obey;
Be God my Friend, my Father still,
From finite to eternal day.
—Mangnall
*Uranus
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 50
3. Size and Mass
“...He is strong
in power;
not one faileth.”
Isaiah 40:26
A. The Size of the Solar System
53
B. The Mass of the Solar System 59
“The hand of God is continually guiding the globe
in its continuous march around the sun.
The same hand which holds the mountains,
and balances them in positions,
guides and keeps in order the respective planets.
All the wonderful glories in the heavens
are but doing their appointed work.”
GCDB 3-6-1899
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 51
How Great is God?
“An infidel once asked
a God-fearing youth,
‘How great
is the God
you worship?’
‘So great,’
was the reply,
‘that He
fills immensity, and
yet so small that
He dwells in every
sanctified heart.’”
The Retirement Years 139
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 52
Research
A. The Size of the Solar System
“He telleth the number of the stars;
he calleth them all by their names.”
Psalm 147:4
As we gaze upon the universe
we discern the Earth is but a vanishing point in it, one of the smaller
satellites of one medium size Sun.
And infinite space is filled with
solar systems, compared with which
our own is insignificant. In our
Milky Way Galaxy alone there are
hundreds of billions of suns! And
the Milky Way itself is but an island
in the ocean of the universe! The
most remote distances are filled
with suns and worlds. And oh those
distances! We cannot but recognize
with Schiller in his poem, “The
Greatness of Creation,” the infinity
of the universe.
Thou sail’st in vain return
Before thy path Infinity!
And thou in vain! Behind me spreads
Infinity to thee!
Fold thy wings drooping,
Oh Thought, eagle-swooping!
Oh Phantasie, anchor! The voyage is o’er:
Creation, wild sailor, flows on to no shore!
The distance across the Milky
Way galaxy is less than one lightday. A light-day is the distance light
travels in one day traveling at a
speed of 186,282 miles (299,792
kilometers) per second.
Distances between cities in
the United States are measured in
miles (kilometers), but distances
within the solar system are often
measured in astronomical units
(AU). One astronomical unit equals
the approximate distance between
the Earth and the Sun—about 93
million miles (150 million kilometers). Pluto is usually identified as
the uttermost planet of our solar
system and the distance between it
and the Sun is about 39 AU.
To help us understand how
large God made the solar system we
live in (but it is small in comparison
of the whole universe), imagine
what it would be like if the Sun
were the size of a half dollar. All the
terrestrial planets would be within
16 feet (5 meters) of the Sun. Pluto,
the most distant planet would be
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 53
about 420 feet (128 meters) from
the Sun. While the giant planets
would be between the terrestrial
planets and Pluto.
As we try to grasp the massive
size of our solar system we can
stand in awe and wonder that God
knows the numbers of the stars and
calls them all by name throughout
the massive universe. “Lift up your
eyes on high, and behold who hath
created these things, that bringeth
out their host by number: he calleth
them all by names by the greatness
of his might, for that he is strong in
power; not one faileth” (Isaiah
40:26).
Reinforce
Start making a scrapbook of all of
the planets in our solar system.
Find books that will tell you more
about each planet. Put facts, figures, drawings, paintings, and
newspaper or magazine clippings
about each planet into the scrapbook. Write or draw a description of
what it would be like on the surface
of each planet. Be sure to discern
the spiritual lessons that God wants
to personally teach you with each
world.
Title
Information
_____________
_____________
_____________
Information
_____________
_____________
_____________
Information
_____________
_____________
_____________
Model Page
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 54
Reinforce
The Solar System
How can we visualize the solar system of which our Earth is a member?
Materials:
Grapefruit
Straight pins
Marble
Two Peas
A very large field
Instructions:
1. Find a very large field. Use this scale to compare the size and distance of the Sun
and its planets. Use a grapefruit to represent the Sun.
2. Our Earth would be a tiny pinhead 27 feet (8.1 meters) from the grapefruit.
3. Between the Earth and the Sun put 2 shining pins—Mercury, and Venus.
4. Measure out 14 feet (4.2 meters) beyond our speck the Earth and put another pin—
Mars.
5. Now we shall have to begin walking to reach the outer planets of our solar system.
From the grapefruit to Jupiter, which is represented by a small marble,
will be 140 feet (42 meters).
6. Saturn, the size of a pea, is 120 feet (36 meters) beyond Jupiter.
7. Uranus, no larger than a small pea, lies 510 feet (153 meters) from the grapefruit—
a good long city block!
8. Neptune is another small pea 800 feet (240 meters) from the grapefruit.
9. Pluto, the last discovered planet of the solar system, must be represented by another
pinhead 1,100 feet (330 meters) from the grapefruit.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 55
Reflect
Place II - III
As we think of the immensity of the universe
consider these lessons.
Milky Way Galaxy
Our Solar System
1. “From the stars that in their
trackless course through space,
follow from age to age their appointed path, down to the minutest
atom, the things of nature obey the
Creator’s will. And God cares for
everything and sustains everything
that He has created. He who upholds the unnumbered worlds
throughout immensity, at the same
time cares for the wants of the little
brown sparrow that sings its
humble song without a fear.” (Christian Education 54-55)
3. “Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of
the Father and the Son, and this
care is constantly exercised for
fallen humanity.” (Messages to
Young People 254)
2. “An unseen hand guides the planets in their circuit of the heavens. A
mysterious life pervades all nature—a life that sustains the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, that lives in the insect
atom which floats in the summer
breeze, that wings the flight of the
swallow and feeds the young ravens
which cry, that brings the bud to
blossom and the flower to fruit.”
(Education 99)
Irregular Galaxy
4. “Everything that his eye rested
upon in the immensity of the
Father’s works, provided with a
lavish hand, testified of His love
and infinite power.” (The Review
and Herald 2-24-1874)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 56
5. “When Paul obtained some
glimmerings of the light, and the
immensity of the plan of salvation,
and saw something of the richness
of the treasures of grace, his soul
was oppressed with a sense of their
overwhelming greatness.” (The
Signs of the Times 5-18-1891)
6. “Oh that we might view the immensity of the plan of salvation as
obedient children to all God’s requirements, believing that we have
peace with God through Jesus
Christ, our atoning sacrifice!” (The
Review and Herald 9-21-1886)
9. “But when we, with all the redeemed, shall stand upon the sea of
glass, with harps of gold and crowns
of glory, and before us the immensity of eternity, then we shall see
how short was the waiting period of
probation.” (Lift Him Up 338)
10. “It was not His [Christ’s] mission to overwhelm them [men] with
the immensity of His talents, but to
walk in meekness and lowliness,
that He might instruct the ignorant
in the ways of salvation.” (Fundamentals of Christian Education 338)
7. “An infidel once asked a Godfearing youth, ‘How great is the God
you worship?’ ‘So great,’ was the
reply, ‘that He fills immensity, and
yet so small that He dwells in every
sanctified heart.’ ” (The Retirement
Years 139).
8. “As the ladder stretched from
earth, reaching to the highest heavens, and the glory of God was seen
above the ladder, so Christ in His
divine nature reached immensity
and was one with the Father.” (Our
High Calling 66)
Reinforce
Place III
Choose 1 quote about “Immensity” and
write several paragraphs
as to what it means.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 57
Reinforce
Place I - II
“From the stars that
in their trackless course through space,
follow from age to age their appointed path,
down to the minutest atom,
the things of nature obey the Creator’s will.
And God cares for everything and sustains
everything that He has created.
He who upholds the unnumbered worlds
throughout immensity, at the same times
cares for the wants
of the little brown sparrow
that sings its humble song without a fear.”
Christian Education 54
Color the picture
and read the quote.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 58
B. The Mass* of the Solar System
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
John 12:32
If it were possible to put all
the nine planets, the Sun, the comets, the meteoroids and the asteroids on a scale to see how much
they weighed, 99% of all the weight
on the scale would belong to the
Sun.
The Sun has an enormous
mass. That is the reason why it has
such a strong pull on all the objects
in the solar system. These objects
revolve around the Sun like subjects
giving homage to a king on his
throne. The Sun’s gravity draws
them and controls their positions.
What a good object lesson of King
Jesus who said, “And I, if I be lifted
up from the earth will draw all men
unto me” (John 12:32).
Do you remember how Simeon
was drawn to the temple when the
infant Jesus was being presented to
the Lord? Anna also yielded to this
mysterious drawing power and
“came in and confirmed Simeon’s
testimony concerning Christ. As
Simeon spoke, her [Anna’s] face
lighted up with the glory of God,
and she poured out her heartfelt
thanks that she had been permitted
to behold Christ the Lord.”** These
two people had discernment because they were centering their
lives around God. They were walking in “the path of the just [which] is
as a shining light that shineth more
and more unto the perfect day”
(Proverbs 4:18). We are told that
“all who were listening to the voice
of the Holy Spirit were drawn to
Him.”***
Can you discern the drawing
of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Reflect
Discernment
is a result of obedience
to the drawing power.
*an amount of something that holds or clings together **The Desire of Ages 55 ***The Desire of Ages 57
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 59
Simeon had discernment
because he was a “just and devout”
man. “The Holy Ghost was upon
him” (Luke 2:25). God was able to
direct his path like He directs the
paths of the planets in the solar
system. “In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy
paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
If Jesus would withdraw His
sustaining, upholding power from
the Sun, it would stumble in its
path and go out in darkness. How
thankful we should be that Christ is
“upholding all things by the word of
his power” (Hebrews 1:3). “Upholding” means more than sustaining. It
means bearing forward to a destination including movement and guidance.
If the Sun was to change its
course and go out in darkness, in
less than a month’s time, all the
heat necessary for sustaining life on
Earth would have been used up. All
would then lie down in a cold and
icy everlasting sleep. This shows us
that death and destruction are the
sure results of getting off track.
Many of the priests and rulers
in Christ’s day lacked the discernment to recognize Christ as the
Messiah. They were blind leaders
who had gotten off track and were
leading others astray. “O my people,
they which lead thee cause thee to
err, and destroy the way of thy
paths” (Isaiah 3:12). In Christ’s day,
Satan deceived people by leading
them to have a form of reverence for
the law but to reject the one who
was the very author of that law—
Christ. In our day, he has reversed
his temptation. Now he leads many
that lack discernment to exalt
Christ, and at the same time to
reject His law.
It is Christ’s desire and design
to rule in the lives of His children
even as He designed “the greater
light [sun] to rule the day” (Genesis
1:16). “The Lord hath prepared his
throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” “For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the
governor among the nations” (Psalm
103:19; 22:28).
We are all being influenced by
the drawing power of the Sun even
though we do not discern it. Likewise God is constantly influencing
our lives for good. “The sinner may
resist this love, may refuse to be
drawn to Christ; but if he does not
resist he will be drawn to Jesus....
Whenever they make an effort to
reform from a sincere desire to do
right, it is the power of Christ that
is drawing them. An influence of
which they are unconscious works
upon the soul, and the conscience is
quickened, and the outward life is
amended.”*
*Steps to Christ 27
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 60
Review
Place I - II
1. Draw the Sun on scale one and the nine planets on scale two. Fill in the
blanks.
Weight = ________%
Weight = ________%
2. Fill in the blanks then draw the planets going around the picture of the
Sun.
____________ keeps the planets in their orbits.
The ________ ________ drew Simeon and Anna to Baby Jesus.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 61
Place II - III
Reinforce
3. Explain the weight of the Sun in
relation to the planets.
4. How does the Sun’s gravity draw
and control the objects in our solar
system?
5. What would happen if the Sun
ceased to exist? What spiritual lesson can this teach us?
1. Have Father get on the scale and
weigh himself.
2. Have Mother and the children do
the same.
3. Write these figures on a sheet of
paper.
4. Add Father’s and Mother’s weight
together to represent the Sun.
5. How much more do they weigh
than one child?
Remind
1. As you go for a walk on a familiar
path remember how each planet
stays on its appointed path that
God placed it on.
2. When the lights are turned out
and you are in darkness think how
it would be if there were no Sun.
How do people live without Jesus in
their lives?
3. When tempted to disobey, discern the Holy Spirit’s influence and
obey Him quickly!
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 62
4. Movements
“...As
if a wheel
had been
in the midst
of a wheel.”
Ezekiel 10:10
A. The Solar System’s Orderly Path
65
B. The Movement of the Solar System
As It Appears from the Earth
69
C. How the Planets Move
70
Note:
Ezekiel gives the description
and movements of the cherubim
around God in chapters 1 and 10.
He uses the wheel-within-a-wheel idea.
This reminds us also of the movements
of the solar system around the Sun.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 63
Wheel in a Wheel
“The appearance
of the wheels and
their work was like
unto the colour
of a beryl: and they
four had one likeness:
and their appearance
and their work
was as it were
a wheel in the middle
of a wheel.”
Ezekiel 1:16
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 64
Research
A. The Solar System’s Orderly Path
“...In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
“Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
“His going forth is from the end of the heaven,
and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
Psalm 19:4-6
All the planets revolve around
the Sun in elliptical paths. They do
this in a regular, well-ordered way.
You might like to think of the space
around the Sun as a giant race
track with the Earth and the other
planets running a race around this
track. In the race, Mercury and
Venus keep gaining on the Earth
due to the fact they circle the Sun in
less time than Planet Earth does.
The other planets keep lagging
behind Earth because they take
longer than a year to circle the Sun.
Did you know, the Sun also has a
track it is following in this space
race? “In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a
bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to
run a race. His going forth is from
the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it” (Psalm 19:46).
One unexplainable thing to
scientists about this race is that all
the planets move in the same direction. If you could look down on our
solar system you would see that the
planets are moving counterclockwise. Another regularity that is
puzzling to astronomers about our
solar system is that if you were
looking at the solar system from the
side, the planets (except Pluto) have
orbits that nearly line up with each
other. But, as Christians, we discern the reason for this “puzzling
regularity:” “God is the superintendent, as well as the Creator, of all
things. The Divine Being is engaged
in upholding the things that He has
created. The same hand that holds
the mountains and balances them
in position, guides the worlds in
their mysterious march around the
Sun.”* “The same creative energy
*I Selected Messages 294
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 65
that brought the world into existence is still exerted in upholding the
universe and continuing the operations of nature....It is not because of
inherent power that year by year
the earth continues her motion
around the Sun.”*
The Bible describes the movement of our solar system as it travels in the universe. It goes from “the
end of heaven....unto the ends of it”
(Psalm 19:6). We know that the
“suns and stars and systems, all in
their appointed order” circle “the
throne of Deity.”**
Our solar system is a miniature model of what is going on
throughout the universe. Wheels
within wheels are revolving around
the central powerhouse of light and
energy—the throne of our great
God. The phrase “going forth” refers
not only to its circuit but the power
and energy that comes forth from
the Son.
The whole Jewish economy
revolved around Christ and His selfsacrificing love, but most of the
Jews did not discern this. Thus
they were unprepared to recognize
the Messiah being presented by a
humble and poor couple such as
Mary and Joseph were. “The priest
went through the ceremony of his
official work. He took the child in
his arms, and held it up before the
altar. After handing it back to its
mother, he inscribed the name
‘Jesus’ on the roll of the first-born.
Little did he think [discern], as the
babe lay in his arms, that it was the
Majesty of heaven, the King of
glory. The priest did not think [discern] that this babe was the One of
whom Moses had written, ‘A
prophet shall the Lord your God
raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall ye hear in
all things whatsoever he shall say
unto you’ (Acts 3:22). He did not
think [discern] that this babe was
He whose glory Moses had asked to
see. But one greater than Moses lay
in the priest’s arms; and when he
enrolled the child’s name, he was
enrolling the name of One who was
the foundation of the whole Jewish
economy. The name was to be its
death warrant; for the system of
sacrifices and offerings was waxing
old; the type had almost reached its
antitype, the shadow its substance.”***
*Counsels to Teachers 185 **The Great Controversy 677-678 ***The Desire of Ages 52
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 66
God Himself follows system
and order and it is no wonder that
He wants His children to imitate
Him in this character quality. “For
God is not the author of confusion....
Let all things be done decently and
in order” (I Corinthians 14:33, 40).
The very existence of the solar system, and therefore our own lives, is
dependent upon God’s split-second
timing and complex action. The
perfect timing of Simeon and Anna
coming in to see Christ being dedicated showed God was in control of
their actions. We marvel at how the
planets move according to a carefully planned schedule. “But like
the stars in the vast circuit of their
appointed path, God’s purposes
know no haste and no delay.”* Everything is perfect. And now, what
about in God’s church here below?
“The Lord has shown that gospel
order has been too much feared and
neglected....There was order in the
church when Christ was upon the
Earth, and after His departure
order was strictly observed among
His apostles. And now in these last
days, while God is bringing His
children into the unity of the faith,
there is more real need of order
than ever before....”** “I saw that
everything in heaven was in perfect
order. Said the angel, ‘Look ye;
Christ is the head; move in order,
move in order. Have a meaning to
everything.’ Said the angel, ‘Behold
ye, and know how perfect, and how
beautiful, the order in heaven, follow it.’ ”***
The precise timing of the solar
system shows us how important it is
that God’s people do the right thing
at the right time. “To every thing
there is a season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Joseph and Mary were
very careful to observe the Levitical
statute that said forty days should
pass from the time of an infant boy’s
birth until his presentation in the
temple. God will give His people
wisdom to discern what application Leviticus 12 might have for our
day.
Joseph and Mary were very careful
to observe the Levitical statute that said
forty days should pass from the time
of an infant boy’s birth until
his presentation in the temple.
*The Desire of Ages 32 **Early Writings 97 ***13 Ms. Releases 299
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 67
Reflect
“...My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
John 5:17
Write in the names of the planets.
_________
_________
________
_____
___________
__________
___________
__________
________
Which two planets are missing their rings?
Draw rings around those planet(s).
“The planets are marshaled in perfect order, obeying the
laws which God has established.” (The Sanctified Life 76)
“The same God who guides the planets works in the fruit
orchard and in the vegetable garden.” (6 Testimonies 186)
“Not by its own inherent energy does the Earth produce its
bounties, and year by year continue its motion around the
Sun. An unseen hand guides the planets in their circuit of
the heavens.” (Education 99)
“The hand of God guides the planets, and keeps them in
position in their orderly march through the heavens.”
(Christian Education 195)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 68
B. The Movement of the Solar System
As It Appears from the Earth
“...The stars in their courses....”
Judges 5:20
As you look out at the night
sky over a period of time, the stars
appear to move slowly from east to
west. The real truth is that the
stars look this way because the
Earth is turning on its axis every
twenty-four hours. The Sun seems
to set in the sky because the Earth,
in turning around, hides us behind
its back. Then, after we have had
rest and sleep, it brings us forth
refreshed, to bask once more in the
glad sunlight. This repeating cycle
of light and dark is an
object lesson of the
resurrection that
will happen to
all who fall
asleep in
death.
The night-day cycle also shows
us our need for rest. We need regular, planned periods of activity and
then refreshing sleep for our health.
God hides the sunshine so we will
be encouraged to cease from our
labors awhile. We should follow the
leading of the Sun in the sky as to
when are the best hours for rest.
And, how much more should we
follow the example of the “Sun of
Righteousness” when He has set the
example for us to rest on the weekly
seventh-day Sabbath.
The change of
activity on
the Sabbath
will bring
rest for
our
souls.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 69
C. How the Planets Move
Note these thoughts:
• From Earth it appears the planets and stars move westward across the
sky.
• A person using a telescope must constantly move it to keep the planets in
view.
• All planets move around the Sun in the same direction.
• Three laws of planetary motion were published in 1600 by a German
astronomer, Johannes Kepler.
First Law = Planets move in elliptical (oval-shaped) orbits. Because of
this, the planets are a little closer to the sun at some points in their orbits
than at others.
Illustration
Inner Planets
1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
Outer Planets
5. Jupiter
6. Saturn
7. Uranus
8. Neptune
9. Pluto
The Orbits of the Planets
Kepler’s First Law
Earth
Mars
Pluto
Neptune
Saturn
Jupiter
Sun
Venus
Mercury
Uranus
Sun
The planet’s orbits around the Sun are shown above.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 70
Second Law = An imaginary line between the Sun and a planet sweeps
across equal areas in equal periods of time. When a planet is nearest the
Sun, the line sweeps across a wide, but short, area, because the planet
moves fastest there. When the planet is farthest from the Sun, it moves
slowest, and the line sweeps across a narrow, long area.
Illustration
Kepler’s Second Law
A
Sun
D
C
B
Equal areas
The second law shows how a planet
covers equal areas of its orbit
in equal periods of time.
The planet travels at a higher speed near the Sun,
from A to B, then far from the Sun, C to D.
Third Law = States the time required to go around the Sun or orbital
period depends on its average distance from the Sun. Therefore, a planet
four times as far from the sun as another planet takes eight times as long
to orbit the Sun.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 71
• Each planet rotates as it revolves around the Sun. Use a dictionary and
define the two words below.
Rotate means ________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Revolve means _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Reinforce
Spin a top or a globe to see how a planet rotates.
Fill in the words rotates and revolve in the sentences below.
All the planets _______________around the Sun in elliptical paths.
The Earth ___________ on its axis.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 72
Review
Place I - II
1. Who sees that all things move in
their appointed place in the universe?
8. If you were looking down on it,
what direction do all the planets
move in our solar system?
9. Fill in these words: “The same
2. “...Behold ye, know how________,
________ that ________ the moun-
and how______________ the
tains and balances them in position,
_________of ______________. FOLLOW IT!”
___________ the ____________ in
their ______________ _________
3. Stars appear to be moving because of the Earth’s
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
4. The cycle of day and night
reminds us of:
(A) __________________of the dead
(B) Regular nightly__________
(C) __________ ____________
____________ the Sun.”
10. What verses tell us how our
solar system travels in the universe? Read them.
11. Where is the center of the universe?
Place III
12. On the next page copy Early
Writings, page 97 from the lesson.
Place II - III
5. What kind of paths do the planets
use? Explain.
6. Which planets take less time to
revolve around the Sun than Earth?
7. Which planets take more time to
revolve around the Sun?
13. Why do the stars appear to be
moving over a period of time?
14. Which way do they appear to
move?
15. What can the night and day
cycle teach us?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 73
Remind
Early Writings, page 97
1. As the family moves around
Father’s work schedule, it is like the
planets revolving around the Sun
and Christians around the “Sun of
Righteousness.”
__________________________________
2. As we look inside an old-fashioned clock and discern the many
wheels, we can think of the many
wheels within wheels revolving
around the throne of God in perfect
order.
___________________________________
(See ppage 67 in the “Introduction.”)
___________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________
__________________________________
3. When we go to bed at night to
rest, look out the window and see
the stars, we know that soon the
warm sunshine will awaken us to a
new day. The stars reflecting the
Sun’s light to us in the night is
nature’s way of prophesying that
the Sun will soon return. Can you
discern a spiritual object lesson in
this?
A mother’s
time
revolves
around
her
child’s
needs.
___________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________
__________________________________
___________________________________
__________________________________
Reinforce
1. Read the thoughts about the
“Providence Compared to a Wheel”
on the next page.
2. Do the Bible Search, “Things on
Wheels.”
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 74
Providence
Compared to a Wheel
Ezekiel 1:15 tells us: “Now as
I beheld the living creatures, behold
one wheel upon the earth by the
living creatures, with his four faces.”
When the prophet had seen the
“living creatures,” which I take it
were angels, he opened his eyes
again, and he saw a wonderful illustration of the divine Providence,
and this exhibition was in the figure
of a wheel.
The story is told of an ancient
king being taken prisoner: he was
bound with chains and dragged
along at the chariot-wheels of his
conqueror. As he went along, he
kept looking at the wheel, and
shedding tears—looking at the
wheel again and smiling. The conqueror turned and said, “Wherefore
art thou looking at the wheel?” He
said, “I was thinking, such is the lot
of man; just now I was here; now I
am there; but soon I may be here
again at the top of the wheel, and
thou mayest be grinding the dust.”
So the Christian poet sings:
“Here he exalts neglected worms
To scepters and a crown;
And then the following page he turns,
And treads the monarch down.”
—Spurgeon
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 75
Bible Search
The Chariots’ Wheels
As you think about wheels and their movements
consider the solar system and its wheel-like appearance.
1. Which prophet road in a chariot
that had wheels of fire? II Kings
2:11
9. Which tribe was given six covered
wagons in which to haul sacred
things? Numbers 7:1-9
2. Who put the ark of the covenant
on a cart pulled by two cows?
I Samuel 6:2, 7-14
10. What great nation lost most of
its chariots in a sea? Exodus 14:2728
3. There was a king who had 1,400
chariots and 12,000 horses. His
name was ____________ . I Kings
10:26
11. Which king rode into battle in a
chariot and was fatally wounded by
an Assyrian arrow? I Kings 22:3438
4. What foreign official was in his
chariot when a man appeared unto
him? Acts 8:27-28
12. Who sent wagons to carry his
families furnishings to where he
lived? Genesis 45:17-21
5. Who had the vision of four chariots driven by angels? 6:1-8
13. What leper rode in a chariot to a
prophet’s house? II Kings 5:9
6. Which king burned the idolatrous
chariots of the Sun? II Kings 22:1;
23:11
14. Which king was noted as a fast
driver of a chariot? II Kings 9:20
7. Who fled in his chariot when his
tax collector was stoned by the
people? I Kings 12:18
8. Who rode in Pharaoh’s second
chariot? Genesis 41:41, 43
15. What wounded king was
brought back to Jerusalem in a
chariot? II Chronicles 35:23-24
16. Whose servant saw a hillside
covered with chariots of fire?
II Kings 6:14-17
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 76
5. Wanderers and Differences
“...Return
unto me,
and I will return
unto you,
saith the Lord
of Hosts....”
Malachi 3:7
A. “Wandering Stars”
79
B. Seeing the Planets
87
C. Differences Between
Suns/Stars and Planets 88
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord,
turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
“And rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
Joel 2:12-13
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 77
The Wandering Son
Luke 15:11-32
“And I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son:
make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father....”
Luke 15:18-20
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 78
Research
A. “Wandering Stars”
“...Wandering stars, to whom
is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
Jude 1:13
Do you remember how some of
the stars are called “fixed stars?”
They always stay together, and they
always stay the same distance
apart. They never run ahead of
their companions, nor lag behind.
An example would be the Little
Dipper-shaped constellation or the
Pleiades.
If you carefully watch the
night sky you will see that some of
the stars are not fixed. They sometimes go east for a few days, and
then turn and go west, passing
other stars in their wandering
course.* The ancient Greek people
noticed these movements and called
these stars “planets” which in their
language meant “wanderers.” They
are still known by that name today.
You will perhaps remember from
our star study that Jude 1:13 uses
the phrase “wandering stars” to
represent false teachers. These men
led undiscerning people astray and
were dangerous, like many of the
Jewish priests in Christ’s day. In
like manner, wandering stars are
not helpful in finding directions as
fixed stars are, because they do not
always keep the same position
among the other stars. They are like
restless “night lights.”
Since all the planets go
around the Sun, they appear to
wander throughout the background
of stars. They are not usually included on standard star charts because they change position too often. If you notice a brilliant star in
a constellation that does not appear
on the star chart, you have probably
discerned a planet. Anywhere from
one to five planets could be visible
throughout the night, depending
upon the time of year.
The planets are the largest
objects in the solar system other
than the Sun. They are not really
stars because they do not produce
their own energy. Instead, the planets reflect the heat and visible light
coming from the Sun. However, the
reason the planets appear much
brighter than most other stars is
that they are closer to the Earth
than the stars themselves.
*See the illustration on the next page.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 79
Illustration
Example of the Motion of Mars Against the Stars
Mars
E
A
S
T
W
E
S
T
Direct Motion
Retrograde Motion
Direct Motion
“Return, I pray you,
let it not be iniquity;
yea, return again,
my righteousness is in it.”
Job 6:29
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 80
Reinforce
“Wanderers”
Remember the word planet means “wanderer.”
The Lord is calling to us in all our wanderings: “Return, ye....”
Read the following messages.
“Have you wandered far from God? Have you sought to feast upon
the fruits of transgression, only to find them turn to ashes upon your lips?
And now, your life plans thwarted and your hopes dead, do you sit alone
and desolate? That voice which has long been speaking to your heart,
but to which you would not listen, comes to you distinct and clear,
‘Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted,
it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction’ (Micah 2:10).
Return to your Father’s house.
He invites you, saying, ‘Return
unto me; for I have redeemed thee.’
‘Come unto me: hear, and your soul
shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David’
(Isaiah 44:22; 55:3).”
Prophets and Kings
319-320
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 81
Wanderings
Fill in the Bible verses in this quote about wanderings.
See the word lists.
“The Lord is calling to us
in all our wanderings:
‘______ , __ _________ _______ ,
___ __ ___ ____ ____ ________ .’
The blessing of God
may be ours
if we will heed
the pleading voice
of His Spirit.
‘____ __ __ _______
______ ___ ________ ,
__ ___ ____ ______
____ ____ ____ ___ .’ ”
1st Verse
Word List
and
backsliding
backslidings
children
heal
I
return
will
ye
your
5 Testimonies 177
Read the story,
“Recollections of a Wanderer.”
2nd Verse
Word List
a
as
children
father
fear
him
his
like
Lord
pitieth
pitieth
so
that
the
them
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 82
Recollections of a Wanderer
When I was a very small boy,
my parents moved to a homestead
in the wooded hills of western
Washington. They were earnest
Christians, and my faith in God in
those days was strong. I trusted
Him, and He did not disappoint me.
Instances crowd my memory of the
special care and love of God to me.
On the place where we lived
some one had started to dig a well,
but had abandoned it, and it was at
that time a large round hole about
ten feet deep. One night when but a
small boy, I had a very strange
dream. I thought that I was playing
near this old well, and fell into it. It
was so deep I could not climb out,
and it was all muddy and sticky in
the bottom. I cried and called for
help but there was no one near.
Presently Someone came to the edge
and looked down upon me. His face
was full of tender pity and love. I
immediately recognized Him as
Jesus. I thought He reached down,
and taking me by the hand, lifted
me out. Words cannot describe my
love for Him then.
I never forgot that dream; but
as I grew older and associated with
rough boys, I became careless. Then
I had other dreams. Twice I
dreamed I saw the Saviour coming
in glory, and it frightened me, for I
was not ready to meet Him. But
instead of taking warning and returning to God, I hardened my
heart. I soon went away from home
to work, giving up the Sabbath, and
denying my Lord and my parents’
religion, in both word and deed. But
thanks be to God. Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change. “If we
believe not, yet he abideth faithful:
he cannot deny himself” (II Timothy
2:13). The Spirit pleaded with me
continually. In the five years of my
wanderings after I left home. I had
scarcely a moment’s peace.
At one place where I worked, I
lived in a tent across the river from
the main camp, and about half a
mile above was a large dam used for
floating logs down the stream. If it
should break, the whole river bottom would be swept by the torrent
of water.
Sometimes as I would sit
alone in my tent, the sound of singing would come to my ears, as if I
could hear the folks at home singing
some of the old familiar hymns as
they often did. It must have been
the angels singing to me, trying to
draw me back. One night I was
awakened by hearing, as distinctly
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 83
as if it had been sung by a choir, the
chorus of the song, “Are You
Ready?”
“Are you ready? Are you ready?
’Tis the Spirit calling, why delay?
Are you ready? Are you ready?
Do not linger longer, come today.”
You may be able to imagine
how much frightened I was at this,
and yet, I would not give up. I told
myself I could not afford it. But I
became so worried about that dam
breaking that I finally left that
camp and went to work in another
place.
How memory throngs with
instances of when God’s Spirit
pleaded with me to return! In so
many ways God worked with me,
and yet I wandered farther and
farther away. I used to think of
those dreams and wonder which of
them would come true. Would He
really come and lift me out of the
pit?
It must have been my
mother’s constant prayer that won.
He did come, and in the words of
the psalmist: “He brought me up
also out of an horrible pit, out of the
miry clay, and set my feet upon a
rock, and established my goings”
(Psalm 40:2).
Perhaps my wanderings were
allowed for a specific purpose. I
cannot say; but I do know that the
habits and infirmities acquired
thereby make the road a hard one
now. I should not advise any young
person to try such a course for the
benefit to be derived from the experience.
I am glad that God is able,
through Christ to save the most
degraded and vilest of sinners.
Mothers, have you loved ones
out of the fold? Take courage and
pray. God will hear you. If you love
them as dearly as Christ does, you
can save them.
Oh, it is wonderful that He should love me.
And for my sin with His life’s blood atone!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
He brought me again to His own.
—S. F. Harris
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 84
Bible Search
Earthly Bible Wanderers
Place I - II
God’s people often have wandered through Earth
but on the path under God’s directions.
Wandering can be a blessing or a curse.
Wandering from God is a curse,
while wandering from sin is a blessing.
1. What son of Adam became a wanderer on earth? Genesis 4:13-14
dering in this world seeking an
eternal city?
2. Who was one of the Scripture’s
most famous wanderers?
Genesis 20:1, 13 (first half)
8. What famous parables of wanderers did Jesus tell? Matthew
18:12-13; Luke 15:1
1-32
3. What wicked men wandered
about trying to find a door?
Genesis 19:4, 11
9. Read the story of some wandering
Jews (vagabonds) in Acts 19:11-20.
4. Who wandered in the wilderness
of Beersheba? Genesis 21:14
Sing the chorus of the song,
“Jesus, the Loving Shepherd.”
5. Who was wandering in a field
looking for his brothers when a
“certain man” found him?
Genesis 37:13, 15-17
6. What great body of people wandered in the wilderness for 40
years? Numbers 32:13
7. While Psalm 107:2-4 refers to
Israel, who else are pilgrims wan-
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 85
Bible Search
More Earthly Bible Wanderers
Place III
10. Where did David say he would
wander if he had the wings of a dove?
Psalm 55:6-7
exciting pleasure elsewhere?
Proverbs 27:8
19. Explain Ecclesiastes 6:9.
11. Where did David say not to wander? Psalm 119:10
12. Why was Israel being punished
with a drought? Jeremiah 14:10
13. What kind of famine did Amos
predict that would cause people to
wander all over the earth?
Amos 8:11-12
20. Who is it that wanderers from
house to house? I Timothy 5:13
21. The wanderers in Jeremiah 48:12
are “tilters” or those who tilt vessels in
order to pour out their contents. What
curse is pronounced on those like Moab
and why?
22. What does Amos 4:8 mean?
14. What was to be Israel’s final end?
Hosea 9:17
15. What parable did Ezekiel and
Jeremiah give concerning Israel’s
wanderings? Ezekiel 34:6;
Jeremiah 50:6
16. What did David say about wandering (stray) sheep? Psalm 119:176
17. What does Proverbs 21:16 mean?
18. What is a man likened unto who
wanders from his home to seek more
23. A curse is pronounced on those who
cause a certain kind of person to wander. What person is this?
Deuteronomy 27:18
24. When an enemy’s ox or ass (cat or
dog) goes astray (wanders) what are
you to do? Exodus 23:4
25. What creature does God provide
meat for when they wander for lack of
it? Job 38:41
26. What wanderers is Paul speaking
about in Hebrews 11:37-38?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 86
B. Seeing the Planets
“But the path of the just
is as the shining light,
that shineth more and more
unto the perfect day.”
Proverbs 4:18
Wandering among the fixed
stars in the night sky, at times we
can see anywhere from one to five of
the following planets: Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
An almanac can tell you when and
where to look for each one. As the
planets move through the heavens
they all follow a common imaginary
line called “the ecliptic.” If you go
out to look at the stars at the same
time for several nights in a row, you
will discern how they seem to
move along the ecliptic. To help you
find the planets, the ecliptic is the
apparent path the Sun follows
through the sky.
The planets Mercury and Venus stay close to the Sun and travel
with it over the course of a year.
They can remind us of Joseph and
Mary who traveled with the “Sun of
Righteousness” while He was young.
Mercury and Venus can be seen just
before sunrise or just after sunset
as morning and evening stars.
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn travel in
their own way and at their own
speed and may happen to be visible
at any time during the night.
Those planets that are nearer
to the Sun than Planet Earth travel
more rapidly than we do; also, those
lying farther from the sun travel
more slowly. This can remind us
that the closer we come to the “Sun
of Righteousness” the more rapid
will be our progress on the path of
holiness “for the love of Christ constraineth us” (II Corinthians 5:14).
Anna and Simeon had made much
more rapid progress on the path of
holiness than other people serving
in the temple. Mary and Joseph
were also very advanced.
Another thing that is helpful
to know when looking for the planets is that they do not twinkle like
stars. They shine by reflected light.
They call to mind that every gleam
of thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world.
Like the planets, we have no brightness of our own. Simeon received a
flash of insight from the Holy Spirit
when he saw the infant Christ and
Anna’s face shone with the reflected
light of glory.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 87
C. Differences Between Suns/Stars and Planets
= Suns
= Planets
• The suns or stars are great, burning balls of hot gases.
• The planets are dark, solid bodies, much smaller
than suns or stars.
• The stars produce their own heat and light.
• Planets receive nearly all light and heat from the Sun.
Planets are seen by their reflected light.
• In the night sky the stars twinkle.
• The planets have a steady light.
•Earth’s atmosphere causes the starlight to give a twinkle
effect.
• The planets move in relation to the suns/stars.
• Our Sun is much larger than the planets.
• Planets vary in size and distance from the Sun.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 88
My Bible
The Bible can be a help for a wanderer.
I’m a simple little child,
Very easily beguiled;
Yet I have the Bible light,
Showing me the path of right;
And if that I duly prize
God will make me truly wise.
—Unknown
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 89
Reinforce
Place I - II
“He...
hath
stretched
out
the
heavens
by his
discretion.”
Jeremiah 10:12
Color the picture and words then read the Bible verse.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 90
Review
Remind
Place II - III
1. Describe the difference between a
fixed star and a wandering star.
2. Fill in the blanks.
The ___________ are the largest
objects in the solar system other
than the _______.
3. Thought Question:
Why do planets not twinkle as the
stars do?
1. When traveling in a car to find a
specific location and you discern
that you need to change directions,
it can remind you of the planets
wandering about.
2. When wandering about the house
aimlessly ask God to give you direction.
3. Observe the planets in the night
sky. Look for those that do not
twinkle.
4. Be like the planets and reflect the
light of the “Sun of Righteousness”
by loving, self-sacrificing deeds—
like discerning the time when
Father or Mother could use some
special help from you.
5. When you see other children
wandering from their parents during church services or other meetings, try to be a good example by
remaining in your place, beside
your parents, like a fixed star.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 91
Reflect
Differences
God made each star and planet different.
He likewise made each person
unlike all others.
Each has their own individuality.
While we work together in Christ
we are as different as suns and planets.
“While there is an individuality
and variety in nature, there is a
oneness in their diversity; for
all things receive their usefulness and beauty from the same
source. The great Master Artist
writes His name on all His
created works, from the loftiest
cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
upon the wall. They all declare
His handiwork, from the lofty
mountain and the grand ocean
to the tiniest shell upon the
seashore.” The Faith I Live By 24
“While each will manifest an individuality, yet it should be an individuality that is under the control
of the Holy Spirit. If we are kind
and Christlike, there will be a
blending of hearts and of interests
that will be beneficial to all alike.”
Counsels on Health 243
“There are rights which belong to
every individual. We have an individuality and an identity that is
our own. No one can submerge his
identity in that of any other. All
must act for themselves, according
to the dictates of their own conscience. As regards our responsibility and influence, we are amenable
to God as deriving our life from
Him.” Counsels on Diet and Foods 56
“Every individual has a life distinct
from all others, and an experience
differing essentially from theirs.
God desires that our praise shall
ascend to Him, marked with our
own individuality.” Christian Service
213
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 92
6. Nine
“And
the Lord
shall make
thee the head,
and not the tail....”
Deuteronomy
28:13
A. Nine Planets
95
B. More Planets in Our Solar System
97
C. Terrestrial Planets
98
D. Giant or Jovian Planets
101
E. Conditions on the Planets
104
“And all these blessings shall come on thee,
and overtake thee,
if thou shalt hearken unto the voice
of the Lord thy God.”
Deuteronomy 28:2
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 93
Discern God’s Will
And Do It
“And it shall come to pass,
if thou shalt hearken diligently
unto the voice
of the Lord thy God,
to observe and to do
all his commandments
which I command thee this day,
that the Lord thy God
will set thee on high
above all nations of the earth.”
Deuteronomy 28:1
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 94
Research
A. Nine Planets
“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might,
for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”
Isaiah 40:26
In Bible numbers, nine is the
last of those single numerals known
as digits. After the number nine
there are only combinations of previous digits. Maybe this is telling us
there are planets without number
in the universe. Nine, therefore,
marks the end. It is the number of
finality or judgment. But nine is
also 3 x 3, and three signifies Divine
completeness. Nine is then a symbol
of finality in Divine things. Earth is
the third planet from the Sun, and
reminds us of the Divine perfection.
God will restore His perfect image
in His faithful children on the
Earth.
9
9
9
9
9
9999
3x3=9 3
3
+3
9
There were seven people and
two groups making the number nine
who discerned the identity of
Jesus when He came as a baby to
this Earth. They were:
1. Zechariah
2. Elizabeth
3. John the Baptist
4. Joseph
5. Mary
6. Wise Men
7. Shepherds
8. Anna
9. Simeon
Baby
Jesus
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 95
Reflect
Perfection
Place III read
The Mount of Blessing 76-78.
“The remnant of Israel
“The Lord
requires perfection
from His redeemed family.
He calls for perfection
in character-building.”
5 Bible Commentary 1085
shall not do iniquity,
nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful
tongue be found
in their mouth:
for they shall feed
and lie down,
and none shall make
them afraid.”
Zephaniah 3:13
“Mark the perfect man,
and behold the upright:
for the end of that man
is peace.”
“God is my strength
and power:
And he maketh
my way perfect.”
Psalm 37:37
II Samuel 22:33
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 96
12 x 12 =
144
3
x4
2
1
= B. More Planets in Our Solar System?*
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion,
and with him an hundred forty and four thousand,
having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
12 x 30 = 360
Revelation 14:1
Some scientists believe there
are more planets in our solar system family. How many more could
there be?
There were twelve patriarchs
from Seth to Noah, and twelve from
Shem to Jacob. Jacob had twelve
sons who were later known as the
twelve tribes of Israel. When Jesus
walked on Earth and set up His
church family He chose twelve disciples.
The number twelve is a perfect number reminding us of perfection of government. Twelve is the
product of three (also the perfect
heavenly number) and four (the
earthly number or 3 x 4). There are
twelve constellations that complete
the great circle of the heavens.
These consist of 360˚ (12 x 30) degrees or divisions.
The heavenly home, New
Jerusalem, is made up of twelve
foundations, twelve gates made of
twelve pearls, and twelve angels
guarding those gates. It measures
12,000 square furlongs while the
*You might like to do more study about this.
wall will be 144 (12 x12) cubits
(Revelation 21:16-17).
The number of the sealed
saints in Revelation 7:4 will be
144,000. All that has to do with the
twelve tribes is necessarily pervaded by this number, such as the
stones in the High Priest’s breast
plate, the stones taken out of the
Jordan, the number of the spies,
and so forth.
Could our solar system family
consist of 9 to 12 members? As scientists continue to study the sky
through Hubble and other telescopes it just may be other planets
will be discovered. If not, our heavenly Father will one day unlock all
the mysteries of our solar system
and we will know for certain and
discern them all.
But in the end the main thing
we need to remember, is not
whether there are 9 to 12 planets
but that the Sun is a symbol of
Christ, while the planets can represent His spiritual family in their
orderly path revolving their lives
around HIM.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 97
C. Terrestrial Planets
“Now these are the generations of the sons
of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth:
and unto them were sons born after the flood.”
Genesis 10:1
In Genesis 10 “the generations
of the sons of Noah” are comprised
in a fourfold description. Read
verses 5, 20, and 31.
It is interesting how God divides up groups. (Only Joseph,
Mary, Simeon, and Anna, 4 people,
recognized Jesus in the temple that
day. This can call to mind that there
are four terrestrial planets close to
the Sun.) During Biblical times,
only five planets were actually seen.
The first four are called the “terrestrial planets”—Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars. And these four
planets are the nearest neighbors
with the Sun. They are called terrestrial* planets. It seems they are
made up mostly of iron and rock.
The terrestrial planets, along with
Pluto, are the smallest planets in
the solar system.
One lesson this could teach us
is the closer we come to Christ and
lean upon His almighty arm, the
less we depend on those around us.
“What is man, that thou art mindful
of him?...” (Psalm 8:4) for he is
“grass” says Isaiah 40:6, “a lie [or
deceiver]” (Psalm 62:9) says David.
Man is ready to flatter himself, and
one another but the Bible tells us
plainly what we are. Yet God is ever
drawing us closer to Himself.
Illustration
The
Terrestrial
Planets
and
their moons
Sun
Mercury
Venus
The Earth, as you know, has
one moon. Mars has two. Mercury
and Venus do not have any moons.
Notice how the closer the planets
Earth
are to the Sun the less moons they
have with the exception of Pluto.
What lessons do you discern from
that fact?
*of or relating to the Earth or earth-like
Mars
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 98
÷
Divided
“There is a poem by Jean
Ingelow called ‘Divided,’ which describes two persons walking hand in
hand on opposite sides of a tiny
stream so narrow that it is scarcely
perceptible, and the tops of the
grasses touch each other across it.
They follow the stream downward.
It grows wider, and swift and
deeper, until at last it becomes a
river across which their voices will
not reach, and they wave their
hands for a mute farewell; and the
river at last empties into the ocean,
and each becomes to the other a
moving speck on the far off side.
The
Priest
Now this shows how differences in
character separate people even in
this world, put them further and
further apart, and make an eternal
separation in the other life between
the good and the bad.” —E. B. Hulbert
In the temple that day there
were two groups of people. They
were divided into one group that
recognized Christ and the other
group that did not know Him. It is
much the same in our world today.
As we draw nearer to Christ we are
divided from those who do not love
or serve Him.
“For so hath the Lord
commanded us, saying,
I have set thee to be
a light of the Gentiles,
that thou shouldest be
for salvation
unto the ends
of the earth.”
The
Prophet
Acts 13:47
Choosing and recognizing
Christ as those
in the temple did that day
can cause division.
How?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 99
“What is Man,
That Thou
Art Mindful
of Him?”
Lord, what is man that Thou
So mindful art of him? Or what’s the son
Of man, that Thou the highest heaven didst bow,
And to his aide didst run?
Man’s but a piece of clay
That’s animated by the heavenly breath,
Place III read this poem. And when that breath Thou tak’st away.
He’s clay again by death.
He is not worthy of the least
Of all Thy mercies at the best.
Baser than clay is he,
For sin hath made him like the beasts that perish,
Though next the angels he was in degree;
Yet this beast Thou dost cherish.
He is not worthy of the least,
Of all Thy mercies, he’s a beast.
Worse than a beast is man,
Who after Thine own image made at first,
Became the divel’s sonne by sin. And can
A thing be more accurst?
Yet Thou Thy greatest mercy hast
On this accursed creature cast.
Thou didst Thyself abase,
And put off all Thy robes of majesty,
Taking his nature to give him Thy grace,
To save his life didst dye.
He is not worthy of the least
Of all Thy mercies; one’s a feast.
Lo! man is made now even
With the blest angels, yea, superior farre.
Since Christ sat down at God’s right hand in heaven,
And God and man one are.
Thus all Thy mercies man inherits
Though not the least of them be merits.
—Thomas Washbourne, 1654
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 100
D. Giant or Jovian Planets
“For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens;
God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it,
he created it not in vain [without purpose], he formed it to be inhabited:
I am the Lord; and there is none else.”
Isaiah 45:18
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune are known as the giant or
Jovian planets. Each of the giant
planets has many moons. Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have
rings around them. Saturn’s rings
are bright enough to be discerned
with a small telescope from Earth.
Only the two closest “Jovian” planets, Jupiter and Saturn, were
known during Bible times. The
more distant planets—Uranus,
Neptune, and even Pluto—were not
discovered until more modern
times. They are made up mostly of
hydrogen, helium, ammonia, and
methane. They do not have much
iron or rock like the Terrestrial
planets do.
The Earth
is the only
one of the
nine planets
that has
enough
oxygen and
enough
water for
people to
live on it.
All the planets have gases
surrounding them, but the Earth is
the only one of the nine planets in
our solar system that has enough
oxygen and enough water for people
to live on it. Isaiah 45:18 gives the
reason why the Earth is so different
from the other planets: “for thus
saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the
earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain,
he formed it to be inhabited.”
Earth was designed to be the
home of man. But we have an enemy who has changed that plan by
bringing sin to this planet. However, in time God’s original plan will
be carried out. “...God’s purposes
know no haste and no delay.”*
God’s creation seemed to have
been halted in our solar system by
sin. What did He have planned for
the other planets? He will one day
recreate this Earth and finally complete His design for our solar system.
*The Desire of Ages 32
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 101
Man, we are told, “are his
workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works...” (Ephesians 2:10). Unlike the unfinished
worlds, God desires to finish the
work in man that they might enjoy
the Earth recreated.
Reflect
“We are God’s workmanship, and His word declares that
we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully
made.’ He has prepared this
living habitation for the mind; it
is ‘curiously wrought,’ a temple
which the Lord Himself has fitted up for the indwelling of His
Holy Spirit. The mind controls
the whole man. All our actions,
good or bad, have their source in
the mind. It is the mind that
worships God, and allies us to
heavenly beings. Yet many spend
all their lives without becoming
intelligent in regard to the casket* [Bible or container] that
contains this treasure.” (Fundamentals of Christian Education
425-426)
Now that we have some understanding of what makes up the
solar system, we will begin to look
closer at the Sun and each of the
known planets. Each has its own
special physical features and personality, as does each member of
your family. What do you know
about the Sun and planets? What
are the special characteristics of
each member in your family?
We are
“fearfully and wonderfully
made.”
“Through us God desires to
reveal His manifold wisdom.
Therefore He bids us let our light
shine forth in good works.”
(II Selected Messages 157)
*container
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 102
Illustration
The Giant or Jovian Planets
Draw rings around Neptune.
Saturn
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
There were four spiritual giants in the book of Daniel—
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Daniel 1:6).
Can you think of other groups of four giants in the Bible?
Who were the four spiritual giants in the temple
when Baby Jesus was dedicated?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 103
E. Conditions on the Planets
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
Deuteronomy 30:19
The atmosphere, length of days and nights,
surface features, temperature, and other conditions are different on each of the nine planets.
These are determined by three things:
1. Distance from the Sun;
2. Atmosphere of the planet; and
3. The rotation of the planet.
We will learn more of these differences as we
study each planet.
As we are being recreated in the image of
God and becoming the “perfect boy or girl” we will
need to:
1. Come close to the Son; (“Come unto me....” Matthew 11:28);
2. We can have the atmosphere of heaven around us. He
“...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life...” (Genesis 2:7).
God also wants us to have His Spirit within.
3. Rotate in such a way as to reflect the light of the “Sun of Righteousness”
as the moon and planets do. “As the moon and the stars [and planets] of
the solar system shine by the reflected light of the Sun...every gem of
thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world.” (The
Desire of Ages 465)
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 104
Reinforce
Place III
Learn about the special conditions of recreation and follow them.
“The Bible is full of conditions.” (I Selected Messages 378)
“It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are
alike conditional.” (I Selected Messages 67)
“It is not the plan of God to compel men to yield their wicked unbelief.
Before them are light and darkness, truth and error. It is for them to decide which to accept. The human mind is endowed with power to discriminate between right and wrong. God designs that men shall not decide from
impulse, but from weight of evidence, carefully comparing Scripture with
Scripture.” (I Bible Commentary 1120)
Choose promises in the Bible and show the conditions
for the fulfillment of the promise or results of disobeying them.
Example: Deuteronomy 30:8, 9, 18
Promise and Reward: “...And do all his commandments....and the
Lord...will make thee plentious in every work of thy hand....”
Result of disobeying: “...Ye shall perish, and that ye shall not prolong
your days upon the land....”
Promise
Reward
Result of Disobedience
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 105
Review
Place I - II - III
1. The number nine means: _______
_________________________________
__________________________________.
2. Our nearest neighboring planets
are:
_____________
_____________
_____________.
Remind
1. When neighbors come to visit or
you visit them, or drive by their
houses, think about how planets
also have neighbors.
2. Look through the house for
things that are made of iron such as
is found on the terrestrial planets.
3. When you see a helium balloon,
think of the giant planets.
4. When helping wash windows
with ammonia-based cleaner, remember how the gas giants contain
ammonia.
They are called __________________
planets.
3. What is different between the
terrestrial planets and the giant
planets?
4. The giant planets are:
_____________
5. Do you seek God for answers to
trials and problems or lean upon
your friends? What spiritual lesson
can we learn from this?
6. You might have noticed a person
wearing a ring on her finger. Have
you wondered why the gas giants all
have rings around them? Is it for
decoration or does it serve a purpose?
_____________
_____________
_____________.
5. Who were the 4 spiritual giants
at Baby Jesus’ dedication?
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 106
Reinforce
Planet Models
Make a model of each planet as you study it.
Use the chart on the next page as a guide for the size.
Notice how each moves on its axis.
Materials
Flour
Table salt
Water
Bowl
9 Balloons or balls of varying sizes
Paint (Find pictures of the various planets to determine color.)
Directions
1. Mix two parts flour to one part salt, plus enough water to form a thick
paste. Note: so the mixture will not dry out, cover and put in the refrigerator when not working on the project.
2. Using the balloon or ball as a base, plaster it with the paste
to make a model of a planet.
3. Let the paste dry.
4. Paint the model.
Illustration
How Each Planet Rotates
Mercury
near 0˚
Venus 178˚ Earth 23 1/2˚
Mars 24˚
Jupiter 3˚
Saturn 27˚
Uranus 98˚ Neptune 29˚
The axes of the planets are illustrated above
by the line drawn to show how the planets rotate.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 107
Pluto 99˚
Reinforce
List some of the giants in our solar system
by writing in the letters in the blank spaces.
Giants
in Our
Solar System
1. The biggest giant in our solar system is the _________.
2. ____________ is the giant among the planets.
3. The _________ ______ ________ is a giant ___________
on Jupiter.
4. ______________ is the giant moon in our solar system.
5. _________ has giant rings around it.
The Solar System – Introduction – Student – Page 108
“To him that made great lights...
the sun to rule by day:
for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 136:7-8
Each booklet in the series,
“Designing Your Own School Program,”
is planned for a family to study together
for their homeschool curriculum;
yet versatile enough to be used
in the conventional classroom.
Learn the principles
of the subject matter from the Scriptures;
discover more of the scientific facts;
then apply them to your daily life.
Other titles in the nature series are available
in the following subjects:
1 – What Is Nature?
2 – The Universe and Galaxies
3 – Stars and Constellations
4 – Space Exploration
5 – The Solar System
6 – Moon, Asteroids, Meteors, and Comets
7 – Review Astronomy
8 – Creation – Darkness, Light, and Heat
9 – Creation – Air and Sound
10 – Creation – Water
11 – Creation – Oceans and Tides
Mark 4:29