Phoebe Tonks
For centuries, the existence of ‘heaven’ has proven to be a polarising debate, with scientists and theologists alike rarely seeing eye to eye.
Yet while popular culture and art throughout the ages has often depicted it as a fluffy white clouded expanse dotted with winged angels – a scientist has claimed that the reality may actually be quite different and he says he knows where to find it.
Dr Michael Guillen, a former Harvard lecturer who holds PhDs in physics, mathematics and astronomy, shared his theory in an open essay for Fox News, in which he explained the scientific rationale behind his thinking.
He began by explaining that our current universe is not only expanding, but objects further away are moving away from us at greater speeds, a theory first popularised by Edwin Hubble.
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He said: “In 1929, American attorney-turned-amateur astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are rushing away from one another like so much shrapnel from a bomb.
“Hubble also discovered there’s a definite pattern to how galaxies are rushing away from each other, namely: The farther 'up' in space a galaxy is located — the farther away it is from Earth — the faster it’s moving away from Earth and everything else.”
Drawing from Hubble's research, Dr Guillen went on to state: "Theoretically, a galaxy that's 273 billion trillion (273,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) miles away from Earth would move at 186,000 miles per second, which is the speed of light.
“That distance, way 'up' there in space, is called the Cosmic Horizon. That means you and I can never reach the Cosmic Horizon — not even aboard the most souped-up, nuclear-powered rocket imaginable — because, as Einstein explained in his theory of special relativity only light and certain other non-material phenomena can travel at the speed of light.”
It’s this Cosmic Horizon that Dr Guillen is convinced could be the actual location of heaven, particularly as it ties into all the mentions of ‘heaven’ as depicted in the Bible.
“According to the Bible, the lowest level of heaven is Earth’s atmosphere. The mid-level heaven is outer space. The highest-level heaven is what we’re talking about: It’s where God dwells,” he clarified.
“As for heaven’s location, the Bible contains many verses that describe us as looking 'up' at God in heaven, and God as looking 'down' at us on Earth.”
Now, the Cosmic Horizon is about as far ‘up’ in the known universe as you can go, but we as mortals can never actually pass through it to the other side – which is where, Dr Guillen has theorised, heaven may actually await.
“According to modern cosmology, an entire universe exists beyond the Cosmic Horizon. But it’s permanently hidden from us because we can never reach, let alone cross over, the Cosmic Horizon,” began the physicist.
“Our best astronomical observations — and Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity — indicate that time stops at the Cosmic Horizon. At that special distance, way 'up' there in deep, deep, deep space, there is no past, present or future. There’s only timelessness.
“Unlike time, however, space does exist at and beyond the Cosmic Horizon. Which means the hidden universe beyond the Cosmic Horizon is habitable, albeit only by light and light-like entities.”
He then added: “According to modern cosmology, the Cosmic Horizon is lined with the very oldest celestial objects in the observable universe. That means whatever exists beyond the Cosmic Horizon predates these oldest objects… predates the so-called big bang… predates the beginning of the observable universe.”
All of these scientific reasonings are why he came to his conclusion, as it tallied with references made to heaven in the Bible. It was located 'up' there, inaccessible to mere mortals while still alive, inhabited by nonmaterial timeless beings and also purportedly the dwelling place of the 'one' who predates the universe and could have actually created it.