Science in the Bible – Turning Earth

(1 Minute Read)

What is responsible for the apparent daily rising and setting of the sun? Today most people understand that this is due to the earth rotating on its north-south axis.

Yet ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans did not understand this. Men such as Aristotle and Ptolemy taught that the sun, moon, stars, and planets all orbited around the earth daily, and this explained the daily light-dark cycle.

But the Bible alludes instead to the rotation or turning of the earth.

About 4,000 years ago, God Himself asked Job,
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place;
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
That the wicked might be shaken out of it?
It [the earth] is turned as clay to the seal;
And they [the wicked] stand forth as a garment.” (Job 38:12-14)

The word picture is of a rotating clay cylinder turning to reveal the impressions of the seal, just like the earth turns to the dawn and sun to reveal the wicked works of the night. It may also portray clay being turned on a potter’s wheel and shaped by an impressing seal. Both give an analogy of a turning, rotating earth.

Jesus also seems to allude to a rotating earth when He spoke of the Second Coming. Two thousand years ago he said,
“I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.” (Luke 17:34-36)

Here Jesus said that at His return some would be in bed at night, while others would be doing daytime work in the field or at home. This means day and night are occurring simultaneously on earth, which is consistent with a revolving earth.

Science Catches Up to the Bible

Thousands of years before man discovered the turning of the earth, the Bible alluded to it.

Although the Bible is not primarily a science textbook, it does hint at many scientific truths like this one and like those mentioned in this Science in the Bible series, truths that long pre-date their discovery by today’s scientists. This is strong evidence of divine authorship of the Bible.

Questions to Ponder

1. How does the dawn take hold of the ends of the earth (Job 38:13)?
2. How could the brilliant Aristotle have avoided such a major astronomy blunder?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

Soli Deo Gloria.

This is the 14th in the Science in the Bible series of blog posts. While there is much science connected with Creation and Noah’s Flood, this series will focus on lesser known scientific truths that were alluded to in the Bible long before they were known to scientists.
Read the prequels:
1. Science in the Bible – Blood
2. Science in the Bible – Ocean Currents
3. Science in the Bible – Undersea Mountains
4. Science in the Bible – Ocean Reservoirs
5. Science in the Bible – Good Medicine
6. Science in the Bible – Round Earth
7. Science in the Bible – Don’t Marry Kin
8. Science in the Bible – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
9. Science in the Bible – Hanging Earth
10. Science in the Bible – Thermodynamics
11. Science in the Bible – Water Cycle
12. Science in the Bible – Quarantine
13. Science in the Bible – Starry Host

Read the sequel:
15. Science in the Bible – Hygiene

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See the Bible-Science Guy Table of Contents for a list of all blog posts starting in October 2007.

©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday June 14, 2017 A.D.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)