Does The Bible Say Anything About The Earth Being Flat?

Does the Bible teach that the earth is flat? What verses are used to show that it teaches a flat earth?

Language and the Bible

The Bible is not a book about the earth and heavens but how to get from the earth to heaven. It can’t be read like a science text book. The Bible uses language that we can understand and uses language that is sometimes figurative but so do we. If someone told you that the sunrise was beautiful, you wouldn’t stop and correct them and tell them that the sun doesn’t rise but it’s the earth rotating on its axis…and so on. We use language like “I’m running to the grocery store” but drive our car and “that just killed me” while still being alive so just as with life, we must read the Bible as we take much of our language. We use symbols, exaggerations, hyperbole, and speak a lot of things figuratively and not literally.

Biblical Views of the Earth

Does the Bible teach that the earth is flat? Isaiah doesn’t believe it does since he wrote that God “sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers” (Isaiah 40:22). Isaiah writes about “the circle of the earth” which leaves no room for the belief that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat. Jesus once spoke about the earth’s inhabitants and one was at night and being in bed while the other was on the housetop, obviously during the day. In Luke 17:34-35 Jesus said “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” For two it was night, for the other, it was day. This could only happen on a spherical earth because on a flat earth it would be day and night in all places at the same time.

Misuse of Texts

There are so many people who don’t know how to read the Bible because they’re already convinced in their mind that it can’t be true. That’s sad too because if only they knew about the coming judgment of God, they would certainly take a closer look at what God’s Word says. Some people will take certain verses out of context or out of their natural setting and try to use them to teach against believing in the Bible, but Solomon, in writing about God says that “he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep” (Prov 8:27). Solomon was not there but he is placing “wisdom” as a personal pronoun. The point is, Solomon wrote how God established the heavens and then “drew a circle on the face of the deep… when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep” (Prov 8:28).

Texts out of Context

Skeptic’s will sometimes attempt to take verses that are either figurative or poetic in nature like those found in the Book of Psalms or the Book of Revelation, and try to apply them as literal. That’s because of their misunderstanding about reading the Bible for what it is; historical, poetic, literal in places (John 3:16) and figurative in others (Rev 7:1). For example they use Psalm 75:3 which says “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars” which speaks of His sovereignty (in the context of all of Psalm 75). It’s not about actual pillars but about God’s establishing the earth itself. Then there is the Book of Revelation which says “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree” (Rev 7:1). The Greek word used for “corners” is “gōnia” and this means “an external angle” so these angels were sent to a position around the earth where they could do what they were commanded to do. Remember John is “was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Rev 1:10) and this is a vision from God has him writing about a “corner” but really about an “angle.” In other words, it represents a vantage point, not an actual corner of the earth, as there are no corners on a sphere.

Conclusion

Does the Bible teach that the earth is flat? No, but the world at one time believed it. The fact is that what you believe doesn’t change what is true. You can believe what you want to believe or not believe but it doesn’t affect what is true and that is that Jesus died for you if you desire to or have already repented and trusted in Christ. God doesn’t want anyone to be separated from Him. He desires that we all humble ourselves and come Him but in must be through Jesus Christ and Him alone, for there is no other way (Acts 4:12). If you reject Him, then He will judge you (Rev 20:12-15).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.