Scriptures and the 'Simulated Universe'

Question

If you were to Google "simulated universe" you'll find that major science institutions are starting to hypothesize that the universe is 'very possibly' a 'simulated environment' at the lowest level - where this simulated (created) environment supports all needed elements to facilitate true organic existence (they are not claiming that we are simulated). One article even went as far as referencing 'the being(s) behind the simulation' (Creators)

Although these hypotheses vary, I've seen a few different schools that have studied the possibility (such as University of Washington) and are coming to the conclusion that it can even be simulated on a small scale within the near future.

My question is whether the Scriptures support such an idea? I've never studied the Word from this angle so I can't say either way.

Just to be clear, I know that we and even the universe are not digital simulations - but is there any way that the universe could have not just formed by God's will, but also that the formation is bound through God's constant will?

Answer 1

The bible is rather emphatic on the point actually. The universe we live in was not only created at God's command but it is sustained constantly through his active will. This sustainer is Jesus Christ:

Colossians 1:15-17 (ESV)
¹⁵  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This has serious implications for our understanding of the world we live in, including science. The apostle Paul explained it to the people of his day this way:

Acts 17:28 (ESV)
²⁸  In him we live and move and have our being [...]

Everything we do, everything we touch, everything we measure is inside a construct both created and sustained by God. Science has often been played for the fool by presuming this is not the case. With the wrong presumptions about the origin and ongoing sustenance of the universe, it's possible to derive quite incorrect conclusions from otherwise meaningful data.

I'm not sure "simulated" is the right word, since our existence as both physical and spiritual beings is quite real, but it is interesting to hear science consider the possibility that there is not just an original but an ongoing creative will behind the world as we know it.