Wernher Von Braun Tombstone; Psalm 19-1

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Out of curiosity what'sthe interpreation of this verse from that perspective

a reply to: toysforadults



he wanted his legacy to focus on his life work of exploring the heavens, moon & such...


instead of focusing on his Rocketry Sciences/inventions for the NAZI war-machine with the V-2 Rockets
& Jet-Engine Buzz-Bombs (drones) terrorizing London & the surrounding countryside during WW2


(a masterpiece in sanitizing his own legacy)


ETA



tfa asks... how do I know?


I think pragmatically.... instead of chasing Unicorns... at least in this case on this thread

a reply to: toysforadults


It's in reference to the roof of King Solomon's Temple.

a reply to: toysforadults

I think people that believe in the idea of a solid firmament and who have not moved on since the Middle Ages are the ones with their heads buried in the sand. Same with people who take the bible literally.

No need to discuss the etymology of the word. Just use some common sense?

Anyway, WvB was a life long Lutheran and a firm believer in intelligent design which probably explains things.

a reply to: St Udio

How do you know that?

originally posted by: toysforadults
And what is the firmament in a biblical context?

Wiki

In biblical cosmology, the firmament is the structure above the atmosphere of Earth, conceived as a vast solid dome.[1]

The firmament in that sense is not visible, and doing nothing to display the glory of God.
The Psalmist and von Braun must have been thinking of the stars. which are notionally embedded in the firmament.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: toysforadults


It's in reference to the roof of King Solomon's Temple.

Ah ok so it has more of a symbolic interpretation makes sense

a reply to: DISRAELI

I'm not sure what you mean

a reply to: toysforadults


Yes, the roof was painted to replicate the 'firmament'.

Its covering is no less than the clouded canopy, or star-decked heaven, which constantly reminds us of that heaven which all good Masons hope at last to reach...

a reply to: toysforadults

I would think it is seemingly appropriate. When viewing Earth when going into orbit there does seem to be an 'dome' of atmosphere around our planet. It would seem natural that in knowing without that shield of protection our wonderful living planet would be uninhabitable. Seeming intelligent design by a creator or nature but still a fact that would not go unnoticed by one such as himself.

a reply to: CynConcepts

Seems the most logical thing thus far

a reply to: toysforadults
I will try to spell it out more carefully.

One definition of the "firmament" is, as you quote, the dome above the atmosphere.
But the Psalmist says that the firmament displays the glory of God.
And the glory of God can only be displayed by something that is visible.
The notional "dome", as such, is not visible.
Therefore the Psalmist cannot mean that the dome itself displays the glory of God.

However, the firmament was also understood as being the location of the stars, which were understood as being embedded in the dome and carried around by the dome.
And the stars are visible.
So when the Psalmist says that the firmament "displays the glory of God", he must be referring to the visible expanse of stars- "the heavens".
And when the tombstone quotes the Psalm. that should also be understood as a reference to the visible expanse of stars.
So nothing in the tombstone wording is actually endorsing the old "dome" concept.

Is my meaning now clear?

a reply to: DISRAELI

"However, the firmament was also understood as being the location of the stars"

You called it.

There's the answer to the epitaph right there.

a reply to: DISRAELI



if you reference the scriptures...
the 'firmament' are the 1st heaven, where birds fly and
the 2nd heaven beyond the atmosphere in Space where the Stars & Sun & Moon are...



read the explanation from the BLB source:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

Psa 19:1
[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.



re: www.blueletterbible.org...=s_primary_0_1






so the gravestone inscription encompased all of Creation including Earth and the expanse of the Cosmos....

by BING:
Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German-American aerospace engineer and space architect.
He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Germany and a pioneer of rocket technology and space science in the United States.
While in his twenties and early thirties, von Braun worked in Nazi Germany's rocket development program.
He helped design and develop the V-2 rocket at Peenemünde during World War II.
Following the war, he was secretly moved to the United States...

the Psalm quote was his desired way to be remembered.... not as a Nazi Scientist making rockets for war purposes

I am not that up on religion but he was a Lutheran, and Martin Luther was a key player in the Reformation and all that so it's a bit of a stretch to think that vov Braun took a strict old Hebrew stance on the definition of the word.

You really think the brain behind Saturn V and Apollo missions was referencing Gensis cosmology

a reply to: toysforadults

It defies any sort of logic that you somehow got that out of my comment.

No, I think he was referencing that the heavens declare the glory of God because, as I said, he talked openly about how the more space was explored the more it affirmed his belief in God as the designer of the universe.

It’s not some super sneaky reference for flat earthers to latch on to that we have a dome over us.

a reply to: toysforadults

So what are our options
There was no firmament or
There is now no firmament

So what was the firmament, it’s purpose
To separate, are they separate now?
Why not?

The bible has the answer, just wouldn’t accept it anyway.


Oh yeah, it’s a theory

a reply to: Raggedyman

A big cloud of all-pervasive water vapor that apparently superseded today's rain.

The flat earth /dome died out after the Dark Age
Step into the 21st Century and enjoy..

a reply to: Gothmog

The flat earth /dome died out after the Dark Age

Not according to some on here......