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Does the bible really say the earth is flat?

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Some Bible critics have claimed that Revelation 7:1 assumes a flat earth since the verse refers to angels standing at the “four corners” of the earth. Actually, the reference is to the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. Similar terminology is often used today when we speak of the sun's rising and setting, even though the earth, not the sun, is doing the moving. Bible writers used the “language of appearance,” just as people always have. Without it, the intended message would be awkward at best and probably not understood clearly. [DD]

In the Old Testament, Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon. [DD]

A literal translation of Job 26:10 is "He described a circle upon the face of the waters, until the day and night come to an end." A spherical earth is also described in Isaiah 40:21-22 - "the circle of the earth."

Proverbs 8:27 also suggests a round earth by use of the word circle (e.g., New King James Bible and New American Standard Bible). If you are overlooking the ocean, the horizon appears as a circle. This circle on the horizon is described in Job 26:10. The circle on the face of the waters is one of the proofs that the Greeks used for a spherical earth. Yet here it is recorded in Job, ages before the Greeks discovered it. Job 26:10 indicates that where light terminates, darkness begins. This suggests day and night on a spherical globe. [JSM]

The Hebrew record is the oldest, because Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible. Historians generally [wrongly] credit the Greeks with being the first to suggest a spherical earth. In the sixth century B.C., Pythagoras suggested a spherical earth. [JSM]

Eratosthenes of Alexandria (circa 276 to 194 or 192 B.C.) calcuated the circumference of the earth "within 50 miles of the present estimate." [Encyclopedia Brittanica]

The Greeks also drew meridians and parallels. They identified such areas as the poles, equator, and tropics. This spherical earth concept did not prevail; the Romans drew the earth as a flat disk with oceans around it. [JSM]

The round shape of our planet was a conclusion easily drawn by watching ships disappear over the horizon and also by observing eclipse shadows, and we can assume that such information was well known to New Testament writers. Earth's spherical shape was, of course, also understood by Christopher Columbus. [DD]

The implication of a round earth is seen in the book of Luke, where Jesus described his return, Luke 17:31. Jesus said, "In that day," then in verse 34, "In that night." This is an allusion to light on one side of the globe and darkness on the other simultaneously. [JSM]

"When the Bible touches on scientific subjects, it is entirely accurate." [DD]

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  1. The language used when describing the Earth in the Bible is almost always poetic.  To my knowledge is it ever claimed literally to have a specific shape.

    While it is described in many different ways, it is never described explicitly as a globe.  The Hebrew words translated as "circle" mean either disc-shaped or bowl-shaped (referring to the perceived shape of the sky overhead).  They do not mean spherical.

    Sorry, but you are mistaken.  As is your source.


  2. > Does the bible really say the earth is flat?

    yes

  3. Of course it does not.  But some pagan religions did, vikings for instance.  But some people will jump on any band wagon they can if they think they can take a rise out of people.  especially people who are different, who do not think or believe as they do...  It is of no importance however, when you know the truth for yourself.

    The bible is able to stand by itself.  When push comes to shove, it need no defending. It is the Word of God.


  4. earth

  5. I agree with you 100%.  The bible never states the earth is flat, or any other non-scientific claims (in my opinion).

    I think that the bible does actually hold up quite well in regard to not only scientific laws, but also historical and archealogical facts.

  6. Yes, the book of Job and revealations clearly state that the earth is flat. Job also says that the sun moves around the earth as well, that's what got Galileo in trouble

  7. Circles are flat, two dimensional objects.

  8. The "four corners of the earth" are a reference to North, East, South, and West.  It is not a reference to the world being flat.


  9. Well some people's old fashioned assumptions about science are in the bible, yes but it's not a science guide, it was written by man (and sometimes influenced by god, e.g. prophet's visions such as John the divine's) for us to get closer to our father and learn about what Jesus did for us

  10. He is RIGHT!

    The circumference of the earth was calculated by the Ancient Greeks.

    Columbus (and other educated people at the time) knew the world was round.

    However Columbus miscalculated the circumference by half.

    The Greeks and Romans used a measurement called a "stadia" the distance covered of a marching army stepping from right foot to right foot. (two steps)

    A town was so many stadia away.

    The use of stadia was no longer a common form of measurement, when Columbus made his distance calculations for the circumference of the earth, (using the Greek measurement) with an error of using a 'one step' stadia.

    That is why he died still believing he had made it to the Indies. (Near to the Asian Continent)

  11. It certainly does.

  12. "the circle of the earth."

    Circle: Simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a PLANE which are at a constant distance, called the radius, from a fixed point, called the center.

    Then.. yes, the bible says the earth is flat

  13. Rant over?

  14. The Bible is a religious book not a science book!

  15. ...those were some excellent points.. the verse most point out as saying the world is flat is in Mt 24 where Jesus says "immediately after the tribulation of those days.. the Son of man... will send out his angels to gather his elect from the four corners.." Well, it's easy to see that is the four directions.. Also in Psalms (another ancient book of the bible) it says "everyday man sees the sun in its circuit" - which of course is the daily "circle" the sun makes..

    People are told the bible says the earth the flat, so they believe it, just like they believe that weird fairy tale, evolution as origins.. which does not stand up to science nor natural law.. or even logic.. the whale became the cow? gimme a break! Many myths like this.. and nothing exploded into everything.. yah sure.. :)) :))

  16. An answer in search of a question...

    The Ancient Egyptians believed the earth was round..so why shouldn't the Jews. It was the church, not the Bible, that messed that up.

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