I heard from two people I know that some Christians were following some really peculiar teaching that the world is flat.  This sounds silly but this odd idea have been growing in popularity recently.   Flat Earth followers consider the world to be a flat disc and that the sun and planets revolve around us.

Here’s some examples of the Old Testament (I’ve used the NIV here, some bits but not all look more sensible actually in KJV) that Flat Earth people might use to justify this weird idea;

Ezekiel 7:2 2 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel:
“‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land!

Jeremiah 25:32 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”

Job 37:3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.

If you look up these links for Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Job you can see the word אָֽרֶץ (Eretz or H’aretz, land or the land)

The word Eretz is used a lot in Judaism, its used in the blessing of the bread that traditional Jews do on Shabbat.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam Hamotzi lechem min haaretz.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Israel has always been known as Eretz Israel (Land of Israel) too.   There is even a newspaper in Isrel caled Ha’aretz.   (The Land)

We know from the Hebrew language this word is a little ambiguous.  The word can be the ‘world’ or it can mean the ‘land’

Meanwhile, in the New Testament, here is a wonderful message of Jesus to his followers:-

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“

Lets now look at the Greek here:  You can see the Greek word: γῆς (pronounced “ge”)

Strong’s Greek shows just like the Hebrew, this word can also have two meaning.   Land and Earth.

So what the bible is telling us the corners of the earth, are the corners of the continents of the earth.

For people to think that space agencies are lying and the world is a flat disc or square with Antarctica is a radial edge, and that the bible is supposed to say so, only makes look a bit silly.

Science and the bible do work together very nicely!