The Bible and Cosmology

[afungusamongus]

Here is some interesting bible quotes I thought I would share with everyone

 

Lets begin with the first three words in the Bible.

 

In the beginning

 

Funny how these writers knew the universe was finite around two and a half to three thousand years before modern cosmologist came to that conclusion. It is almost like it was inspired.

 

Here is another interesting one

 

Job 26:7⁷ He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;

he suspends the earth over nothing.

 

Predicting that the earth floats in what we now know as space. Something very out of ordinary for people of those ancient times to think.

 

Here is a quote that many think eludes to the expansion of the universe.

 

Isaiah 40

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

 

This again was very unlike the believes of the times. The heavens at that time would not have looked like it was expanding and it was not the commonly accepted belief.

 

Just a interesting thing I would want everyone to know.

 

[ydoaPs]

It's funny how they also thought the world was flat and above the dome of the sky was another ocean.

[CaptainPanic]

It's funny how they also thought the world was flat and above the dome of the sky was another ocean.

Yes, but in all fairness, that has very little to do with the Bible. A lot of other ancient people thought the world was flat as well. The topid of the thread is a couple of correct predictions from the Bible. I never read the Bible, but think the right way to go is to at least point out (with reference) where the bible predicted that the world was flat.

 

Personally, I think the last bible quote (isaiah) is a little vague. To stretch out and spread does not necessarily mean an expansion like we see in the universe... although it could mean that. Linguistically, I think it can also mean spreading like a table cloth over a table. Any comments?

[Moontanman]

This guy answers your questions far better than I can and give a great break down of specific passages in the bible, those you suggest as well.

 

[John Cuthber]

Anyone who notices that it goes dark at night can, with a couple of reasonable assumptions, show that the universe is finite (spatially or temporally)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olbers'_paradox

 

 

However I think the monumental cockup about the Earth's special place at the centre of the universe is more impressively wrong than anything they got right.