A fractal is a simple mathematical equation that produces amazingly intricate and complex designs in nature through repetition. I’ve been fascinated by fractals for years, and look for them in nature at every opportunity. Only recently did I realize that fractals can be found in Scripture.
Scripture fractals. Though I’ve been reading through the Bible for years, I’ve often come away frustrated for lack of understanding. Most people brush off this kind of frustration by saying, “Well, God is just beyond us. We are not supposed to understand the Bible now.” But that doesn’t make sense to me. He wrote the Scriptures FOR us, so doesn’t that mean He wants us to understand them? Plus there are many passages that promise understanding to those who seek for it like buried treasure. Also, if all Scripture is inspired, every last word and phrase of it should mean something, but often it seemed to be hidden behind lock and key. But this past year, a great unlocking has begun to occur for me, the results feeling much like the video you just saw.
Nowadays I am getting happily lost in the magnificence of the Word, seeing intricate patterns and beautiful themes taking shape, though I’m convinced that I’m still barely scratching the surface! For example, I’m reading a book right now called, Creation’s Heartbeat. This is an entire book devoted to unlocking the hidden pictures and meanings in the Hebrew words and letters in Genesis 1:1. Yep, a whole book devoted to one verse. And you know what? God’s whole plan for mankind is revealed in this one little verse when you study it with the help of a Hebrew scholar!
The deeper I go, the deeper it gets! Did you know that the Hebrew scholars say that there are at least 70 layers of meaning/ interpretation to every verse in the original Hebrew Torah? They also suggest that, like Genesis 1:1, the whole of the Torah is contained (hidden) in every verse. Sounds a lot like a fractal to me—no matter how small you reduce it, it repeats itself! Mind boggling!
These patterns in Scripture are a little understood concept in the church today. Everyone is looking for ONE fulfillment of any given prophecy. But the Hebrew interpretation of Scripture is that “history repeats itself” and that His-Story unfolds in cycles and repeat patterns.
How I wish I could explain it all in a blog, but I’m afraid I can’t. I have been writing about a lot of it over the past year, and plan to continue in the future. So stay with me and we’ll try to dive deep in the coming days.
P.S. For you science Geeks, here’s a more in-depth video: