The Scriptural View of the World (Kosmos)

The Scriptural View of the World

If we are going to ask a student today about what the earth is, where it is and what its shape is, we are going to receive a common answer, and that is - the earth is a planet, rotating around the sun and one of the planets of the solar system having a globular or spherical shape.  If you would ask me those questions years ago, I would give the same answer.  Why would that be?  Because that was what taught to us in schools and grew having that view.

Years ago I was teaching that Scriptures and Science do not contradict each other.  And my reasons for accepting some view are that: first, it must be Scriptural; second, it must be scientific.  I have those reasons so that I may appear not “religious” and “superstitious” but “logical” and “intellectual”.   As a Bible believer, we have to prove to the world the accuracy and inspiration of Scriptures.  We have to get internal as well as external evidences, such as the testimony of great men and women of history and the scientific evidences. I taught that science is right in teaching that the earth is a “planet”,  a “globe” and a “sphere” because I was thinking that the Bible agrees with that.  I taught that people of ancient times believed the pagan myth that the earth is flat.  I said that even during the times when the common view was a flat earth, the Bible in contrast was teaching a spherical earth.  That even before science discovered the globular shape of the earth, the Bible was declaring it already through Isaiah  “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,” (Isaiah 40:22). That’s how I believed.  I thought that the Bible is agreeing with the present popular view that the earth is a “globe” just because the Bible mentions the “circle of the earth”.

But things have changed.  As I was studying the Bible I discovered some stuff. But I will share only two.

First, is the truth of geocentricity against heliocentricity . Geocentricity means the earth is the center of the universe.  Heliocentricity on the other hand means the sun is the center of the universe (the popular Solar system). I have read this before but only recently I understand it.

Psalm 19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

In these verses, the sun is the one having a “circuit” from the end of heaven unto the other end.  So it is the sun orbiting the earth and not the earth orbiting on the sun. This truth contradicts the popular science.

The second thing is: the truth of a stationary non-spherical earth.

Psalms 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

Proverbs 8:29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

The earth was created as a land that has foundations.  It has “pillars” that support it.  A planet or a globe doesn’t have pillars and foundation.

1 Samuel 2:8 “for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.”

In this study, we base only on the Scriptural revelations as found in the Holy Bible.  And for this study, I make it sure that we base on the Preserved words of God, namely the King James Bible. I may use Hebrew or Greek but the KJV is the final authority.

The Bible gives emphasis to foundations:

Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Our foundation is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ through his words written in the Bible (Colossians 2:6-10).  So it is SCRIPTURAL REVELATION against the PHILOSOPHY and TRADITION OF MEN.

To learn more about the truth of the earth, we have to renounce the philosophy and traditions of men and begin to accept wholeheartedly the teaching of the Scriptures.  Avoid science falsely so-called. If a scientific finding doesn’t agree with the Scriptural revelation, avoid it. Scriptures are the authority.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Yes,  I do believe that the earth is “flat” and is neither  a “planet” nor a “ball”.  Although we can not read directly in the Bible that it says “the earth is flat”, we can see in the entirety of Scriptural revelation the descriptions of a “flat earth”. There is no proof of a “spherical” earth in the Scriptures.

Planet and Globe,  Definition

The earth where we live is neither  a “globe” nor a “planet”.  You may look at me with “rounded” shocked eyes but that it true!  We have to see the definition of planet and globe in order for us to grasp this truth.

Merriam Webster gives these definitions for “globe”:  an object that is shaped like a large ball with a map of the world on it; the earth; a round object.  It came from Latin globus that means “round mass, sphere, ball”.

Planet according to Merriam Webster is: “a large, round object in space (such as the Earth) that travels around a star (such as the sun)”. A planet is “a heavenly body revolving around the sun”. The word planet came from the Greek planetes which means “wanderer”.   A planet wanders, that is, it moves.

If a globe is a sphere or round object like a large ball, then the earth is not a globe for the Bible describes the earth as a land with pillars and foundation.

If a planet is a large round object revolving around the sun or a star, then the earth is not a planet for the Bible describes the earth as stationary with the sun “wandering” around it.

Beginning today, stop calling the earth as a globe or a planet.  Earth is not a planet. There is no such thing as “planet earth” because the earth is NOT a planet.  If it is not a planet, then what is it?  It is a “PLANE”.  What is a “PLANE”?  It is a flat surface on which a straight joining any two points on it would wholly lie.

The Bible teaches that the earth has ends or edges.

Deuteronomy 13:7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

Job 28:24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

Job 37:3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

Psalms 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

The Bible describes the heavens and the earth as being “stretched out” above the waters. If something is stretched, it does not look like a globe but a “straight line”, a flat suface.

Psalms 136:6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

The heavens and the earth are “both stretched out”.  A globe is not stretched out.

The Bible also describes the earth as  with four quarters and/or four corners, as well as the heavens.

1 Chronicles 9:24 In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.

Jeremiah 49:36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

Revelation 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

How can a sphere have four corners?  Only a flat earth has four quarters and/or four corners.

In Revelation 21, the Prophet John had a vision of the New Jerusalem.   I don’t believe that the New Jerusalem will be a literal physical city, because it is symbolical, however, its description are based on the literal, physical descriptions of the earth where we dwell. The descriptions of the New Jerusalem are these: 

Revelation 21: 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

This city is foursquare. It had great and high walls. It had twelve gates. It had twelve foundations.  Its wall, foundations and gates are made of precious stones (Rev. 21:16-21).

The earth looks like a big square (and or rectangle) with great and high walls. (It may also be a circular flat earth). Yes, it is a flat earth but with great walls. It has foundations.  It may have twelve foundations as the New Jerusalem.  Twelve is a number of ordinal perfection.  12 is used for the twelve tribes of Israel.  There are 12 hours i a day.  There are twelve Zodiac signs.  There are twelve apostles of the Lamb. Its foundations are made with precious stones such as jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth and amethyst and every precious stone of the earth.

The three layers of the world

The world/universe according to the Holy Scriptures are divided generally in three layers: (1) the heaven (2) the earth and (3) the sea/ the waters/ the deep places.

“In heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4); “Heaven and earth, the sea” (Exodus 20:11);  “heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein” (Nehemiah 9:6);  “the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein” (Psalms 69:34); “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.” (Psalms 96:11);  “in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psalms 135:6); “heaven, and earth, the sea” (Psalms 146:6); “The heaven for height, and the earth for depth” (Proverbs 25:3);  “stories in the heaven,...his troop in the earth; ... waters of the sea”  (Amos 9:6); “the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land”(Haggai 2:6);  “Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is” (Acts 4:24); “heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:15);  “every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea” (Revelation 5:13); “stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven” (Revelation 10:5); “heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea” (Revelation 10:6). “ye heavens... the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!” (Revelation 12:12) “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:7); “a new heaven and a new earth... first heaven and the first earth....no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1).  

We can see this in the first chapter of Genesis.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

First, the heaven/ heavens.  Second, the earth.  Third, the sea/seas/ deep places.   The earth is the center of this universe.  We can see in the verses given above that the heaven, the earth and the sea are separate places.  Lets call them three layers:  the heaven above, the earth beneath heaven, and the sea under the earth.  That is the description of the biblical world.  In the globular or spherical earth, that description will not fit.  The spherical earth does not stand on the waters but instead flying or floating in space!

In the second and third day of creation, God divided the waters  to be above and under the earth.

Genesis 1: 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

God made the firmament or heaven and it separated the waters above and under the firmament.  So there are waters above the firmament “waters that be above the heavens”  (Psalms 148:4) and below the firmament and over the earth,  called the Seas.  “He that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth”. (Amos 9:6)

There are also waters under the earth.  That is the sea or the deep. “In heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4);  “fish that is the waters beneath the earth” (Deuteronomy 4:18);  “in the waters beneath the earth” (Deuteronomy 5:8); 

Hell is described as  “beneath the earth”.  “Hell beneath” (Proverbs 15:24);  “hell from beneath” (Isaiah 14:9).  “lowest hell” (Psalms 86:13);  “the depths of hell” (Proverbs 9:18);

The “fountains of the great deep” (Genesis 7:11; 8:2) are under the earth.

Proverbs 8:28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

He compassed the waters with bounds.  It is a circle above and beneath the earth that serves as covering and protection of he earth. This circle above the earth is the firmament .  God sits upon the circle of the earth. (Isaiah 40:22).  The firmament is a dome over the earth. Like a molten looking glass or “metal mirror”. The firmament is a solid dome beaten out and stretched over the earth.

Job 26:10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

Job 37:18 Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

            

Psalms 104:6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

The Firmament

The firmament is a vault or a dome over the earth. Like a molten looking glass or “metal mirror”. The firmament is a solid dome beaten out and stretched over the earth. The earth looks like a house with foundations over the waters with the firmament as its roof. 

Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

God is he who sits “upon” the circle of the earth.  Round earthers use this verse to prove that the earth is round and that God is sitting “upon” this globe, as they assume. But examing the verse leads us to the truth that God sits upon the circle of the earth which is the firmament.  The firmament serves as the “metal mirror”, “clear as crystal” roof of the earth, beaten out and stretched out over the earth.  It is not that God himself sits upon the earth but he sits upon the circle of the earth, which is the firmament. Yes, that is a circle but that is not the earth itself, but rather the circle of the earth. 

                                                       

God says that  “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool”  (Isaiah 66:1).  God sits on his throne in heaven and the earth is his footstool.  He steps on the earth but not sits on the earth.  Rather he sits upon the circle of the earth, his throne on the firmament.  And not only that, he also walks “in the circuit of heaven” (Job 22:14).

God stretched out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in. God provided the people of the earth a roof over them.  Yes, a physical metal mirror roof.  Wow!

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork (Psalms 19:1), “which alone spreadeth out the heavens” (Job 9:8), the work of his hands (Psalms 102:25);  he stretched out the heavens (Isaiah 45: 12) and his “right hand hath spanned the heavens. (Isaiah 48: 13).

Isaiah 40:22 describes the inhabitants of the earth like grasshoppers.  If you are sitting on a very high firmament on looking down on the earth, you will see people as very small as the grasshoppers. It means God’s firmament is very high. “Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!”  (Job 22:12).

The earth is described by the Bible as a house, a dwelling place (Psalms 32:14), with four corners (Revelation 7:1), with stretched out roof as a tent (Isaiah 40:22) , with pillars (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 75:3), with foundations (Psalms 102:25; Proverbs 8:29) and with windows (Isaiah 24:18).  It is built between waters (Job 26:10) with metal mirror covering (Job 37:18). That is neither a planet nor a globe! Wow!

The three heavens
The word “heavens” is used in the Bible to show that there is more then one heaven. In Genesis 1:1 “heaven” is used while in Genesis 2:1 “heavens” is used to indicate that there are many heavens.  Apostle Paul narrated a story about a man who went to the “third heaven”  (2 Corinthoans 12:2). There are different views on this three heavens.  One view is that these are the three layers of the heavens.  The other view is that they are the chronological heaven.  We will consider here the former view.
The round earthers have their own view of these three heavens.  First heaven is the atmosphere where birds fly. Second heaven is the outer space where sun, moon, stars, planets and galaxies are.  And the third heaven is the dwelling place of God.  That was my view when I was believing the spherical earth view as one of the planets of the solar system, rotating around the sun.  But my view has changed when I considered what the Bible teaches.
God made the heavens.  If there is a “third heaven” mentioned, then there is also “first” and “second” heaven although they are not mentioned as thus.  Let us look at the Scriptures to show us these heavens.

The first heaven. On second day of creation God made the “firmament” that divides the waters above and below.  (Genesis 1:6-8).  On fourth day, he made the sun, moon, stars and all the host of heaven and placed them in the firmament (Genesis 1:15-19).  These heavenly bodies were placed in the firmament and not above the firmament.  So we can see how big and wide is the firmament. In the first heaven  the fowls that were created on fifth day (Genesis 1:20) are flying “in the open firmament of heaven”.  The Biblical description is different than what modern science is teaching. What is the myth?  Bible or Science?  The first heaven is where we can see birds are flying and also where the sun, moon, stars and planets are! You may be shocked but these heavenly bodies are not as what we were taught.  They are not bigger than the earth.  They are smaller than the earth and orbiting around the flat earth.

The first heaven is the firmament where the sun, moon, stars and planets are in.  They are not outside or over the firmament.  Often when the Bible uses the word “heaven” it talks of the firmament unless it is said of God’s abode.

The second heaven.   The second heaven is the place where the waters are gathered above the firmament.  “Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.”  (Pslams 148:4).  The second heaven contrary to popular science is not an “outer space” but it is “waters above” the heavens (firmament). It may be the “sea of glass like unto crystal”  (Revelation 4:6; 15:2). If you look at the sky during the day you can see the sky as blue because above it are the “waters” or sea of glass.  Remember the firmament is a “metal mirror” or “molten glass”.

The third heaven.  The third heaven is called “the heaven of heavens” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27);  “the heavens of heavens”  (Psalms 68:33; 148:4). “thou that dwellest in the heavens” (Psalms 123:1);  “our God, who dwelleth on high”  (Psalms 113:5); “heaven thy dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:27, 30, 39); “God’s throne in heaven”  (Psalms 11:4). “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens”  (Psalms 103:19); “a throne set in heaven”  (Revelation 4:2).  From this throne proceeded out “lightnings, thunderings and voices”  (Revelation 4:5; 2 Samuel 22:14; Job 26:14, 26).

Christ Jesus came from heaven and he returned and entered into heaven to offer his finished work for us.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

And in heaven the Lord Jesus Christ will appear with each of us “in glory”. (This “appearing” is different from the second coming which was already fulfilled in the first century).

 

Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

The heavens are described as having “pillars”  (Job 26:11) ; “foundations”  (2 Samuel 22:8) and “windows”  (Genesis 7:11;  8:2;  Malachi 3:10) where rain comes from toward the earth. There are treasures or storage places there of hail and snow (Job 38:22).    There is also a “ladder” between earth and heaven, where angels of God are ascending and descending.  (Genesis 28:12).  It may be an escalator or an elevator.  There are also “doors of heaven”  (Psalms 78:23).  If astronauts really explored the universe, why didnt they find “the ladder” and the “door” in order to come to heaven?  If “heaven” is God’s dwelling place then it is also like a house with walls, doors/ gates, windows, pillars and foundations. Remember, the New Jerusalem  came down from God out of heaven  (Revelation 21:2). The New Jerusalem is a house designed in heaven. Although there is no literal New Jerusalem city that came down from God in the first century to Israel, there is a literal physical New Jerusalem in heaven where God dwells,  “the city which hath foundations”  (Hebrews 11:10).  Jerusalem means “the city of peace”.

The host of heaven

On the fourth day of creation, God made “great lights”  (Psalms 136:7).  These are “the sun, the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven”  (Deueteronomy 4:19); “the planets”  (2 Kings 23:5); “constellations”  (Isaiah 13:10). They are placed in the firmament with its “planetary system” called “the circuit of heaven”  (Job 22:14; Psalms 19:6). It is not the “solar system” of planets orbiting the sun but of the sun, moon, stars/ planets orbiting the earth. God made these lights to serve the earth’s people for “signs, seasons, days and years” (Genesis 1:14). The sun as the greater light to rule the day and the moon and stars to rule the night. Contrary to modern science, the moon has its own light and does not derive from the sun. But the sun has a greater light than the moon but they have almost similar sizes. The sun is not a very big ball of fire but rather it is smaller than the earth. Yes, it is fire but smaller than the earth. In fact, it is orbiting around the earth to do its job.

Psalms 19:6 His (the sun’s) going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

The sun is not a star.  “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.” (1 Corinthians 15:41)

7 Planets

In ancient times, people identified seven planets and they can be found in the Bible. In fact, from these seven planets came the names of the seven days of the week. These are the planets “wandering”  over the earth in the heavens. The word planet means “wanderer”. We have proved that the earth is not a planet because it doesn’t wander but it is stationary.

The word “planets” is only once mentioned in the King James Version. It is in 2 Kings 23:5.

The sun and the moon are part of these planets, but the Bible calls them in separate ways to give their importance.  The order is this: the sun, the moon, the planets, and all the host of heaven. The planets are also the “constellations”.

The seven planets are these: the sun, the moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. These seven planets are also worshipped by  pagan people as their gods. These are gods of the pagan mythologies.

Mars (Acts 17:22) is called in the Bible as “Nergal” (2 Kings 17:30) and “Pleiades” (Job 9:9; 38:31).

Mercury  is called “Mercurius”  (Acts 14:12) and “Nebo”  (Isaiah 46:1).

Jupiter is called “Jupiter”  (Acts 19:35) and “Baal” (2 Kings 17:16).

Venus  is  known as “Astoreth” (1 Kings 11:5) and “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) the “morning star”. Venus may also be “Arcturus” (Job 9:9) the evening star.

Saturn is called “Chiun” (Amos 5:26); “Orion”  (Job 38:31)  and “Remphan”  (Acts 7:43)

These are the seven classical planets orbiting the earth as “lights” over the earth.  From them came the names of the seven days of the week. Sunday from the sun;  Monday from the Moon/ Luna; Tuesday from Mars or Tyr/ Tiw (Germanic); Wednesday from Mercury or Odin/ Woden (Germanic); Thursday from Jupiter or Thor/ Thunor (Germanic); Friday from Venus or Frigg/ Frige (Germanic) and Saturday from Saturn.

We have seen that the earth is stationary and it is flat according to the Bible like a house with roof, walls, pillars, foundations, etc. And also the sun, moon and stars and planets are over this flat earth rotating to serve as “lights”.  We can talk more about these things later as we study in depth the words of the living God.

To God the Lord Jesus Christ alone be all the glory.

Pliroma Revelation Bible Ministry, 

Bishop Mati Kalubusan mti klubusn] Os]t]riy

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