RE: What Does the Bible Say About the Shape of the Earth? Part 3
Dear @alexbeyman,
A planet's gravity pulls equally from all sides. Gravity pulls from the center to the edges like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. This makes the overall shape of a planet a sphere, which is a three-dimensional circle.
This is also the reason stars are balls (spheres) of plasma (very hot gas) consisting of hydrogen and helium.
The first line of Isaiah 40:22 reads, “It is he [God] who sits above the circle of the earth.” Some have argued from this that Scripture teaches the earth to be a flat disc, rather than a globe. However, even if the original Hebrew is correctly understood to refer to a circle, this doesn’t necessarily indicate something flat; a sphere appears as a circle when seen from above—and indeed from whatever direction it is viewed.
Job 26:7 which states that God “hangs the earth on nothing.” This verse expresses (in a poetic way) the fact that the earth is unsupported by any other object—something quite unnatural for the ancient writers to imagine. Indeed, the earth does float in space. We now have pictures of the earth taken from space that show it floating in the cosmic void. The earth literally hangs on nothing, just as the Bible teaches.
Shalom, Steven Sherman @lastdays
I know that. I'm not a flat Earther. I am arguing against flat earthism. I thought that was clear from the content of the article.
This argument was already addressed in part 2 of this series. Proverbs 2:27 says "When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep"
The KJV says it was done as with a compass: "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth"
It's pretty clear what is being described here is the act of drawing a 2D circle on a flat surface (the deep).
Not really, since elsewhere in scripture the abyss is said to consist of a dark, formless primeval ocean as described in the article you've commented on.
It is dishonest to view only one or two verses in isolation from all other verses describing cosmology just because it's possible to interpret them in a way that supports your position.
All of the verses about cosmology found in scripture, taken together, very plainly describe what all serious scholars and historians agree that the ancient Hebrews believed about the shape of the Earth. You can google "Biblical cosmology", "Hebrew cosmology" or "ancient Israelite cosmology" and find thousands of sources that will tell you the same things I have. The only sources which will disagree are all Christian apologetics ministries, because it's their job to defend the Bible.
Dear @alexbeyman,
I am sorry for the miscommunication on my part.
When I wrote, "The fact that the earth is unsupported by any other object—something quite unnatural for the ancient writers to imagine."
I should have qualified that the truths about the shape of the earth and the void of outer space found in the Bible are evidences of divine inspiration.
Blessings, Steven @lastdays
I understand this is what you meant, but you're ignoring everything it got wrong. If I make 100 guesses, and get 98 wrong but 2 right, is that evidence I am divinely inspired?
By the by, may I take it from your name that you believe we're living in the last days the Bible speaks of? If so, I have an article you should read.