Many believe that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat (or a flat disk). However, there are a number of Scriptures that indicate a spherical earth. These Scriptures were penned centuries before a spherical earth was confirmed by scientists. Isaiah 40:22 states that God “sits above the circle of the earth.” While there is no Hebrew word for sphere, “khoog” which is translated circle, circuit, compass is the closest. Because God is omnipresent, He looks down upon the earth from every direction. Therefore, from God’s heavenly perspective – looking down upon the earth from every location – the earth would appear round from every perspective ONLY if it were a sphere. If the earth were a flat circle for instance, then from most angles the earth would appear as an oval or even a straight line (if perpendicular to it). Therefore, Isaiah 40:22 indicates a spherical earth.
Furthermore, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Of course a person cannot be in the heart of a flat circle anymore than he can be in the belly of a flat fish. And Ephesians 4:9 corroborates when it explains that Jesus “first descended into the lower parts of the earth.”
Luke 17:34-36 also implies a spherical earth. Jesus said that at His return some would be asleep at night while others would be working at daytime activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring simultaneously. In addition, Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon. See also Job 26:10 and Proverbs 8:27. The Bible is the Creator’s Word so it is not surprising that recent scientific discoveries are confirming what the Creator has said for millennia.
“For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth” (Psalm 33:4).
-by Pastor Bo Jancic