First, that phrase, like the four corners of the earth, is idiomatic. What about the Bible’s references to the “ends of the earth” in Deuteronomy 13:7 Job 28:24 Psalm 48:10 Proverbs 30:4 and other passages? Does a reference to the “ends” of the earth teach that the earth has an edge and is therefore flat? We’ll take Deuteronomy 13:7 as representative of all the passages: here, Moses warns the people of “the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other” (ESV).Ī couple things can be said about the phrase the ends of the earth to show that it does not refer to a flat earth. Even when the moral order of the world seems to have crumbled and people are overcome with fear, God will not fully withdraw His sustaining power. God’s “pillars” will not move, and His “roof” will not cave in. The point is not that the earth is flat but that the earth belongs to God it is His construction, and He guarantees its stability. The writers liken the founding of the earth to the constructing of a house, and their descriptions are comparative (i.e., metaphorical), not literal. The book of Psalms and Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2 are poetry. Psalm 75:3 quotes God saying, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” Other passages also refer to the earth’s “pillars,” such as 1 Samuel 2:8, but in no case should the language be taken literally.

The “four corners” encompass the cardinal directions-north, south, east, and west. John simply says that, at one point during the tribulation, God will cause all wind to stop blowing. To press Revelation 7:1 into a hyper-literal interpretation makes no sense. The book of Revelation is full of non-literal descriptions and symbolic language. Revelation 7:1 says, “I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth.” In writing this, the apostle John was using idiomatic language-the “ four corners of the earth” refer to “every distant location.” We use the same idiom today for example, when we speak of Olympic athletes coming from the four corners of the earth to compete in the games, we mean they are coming from all over the world. Let’s take a closer look at some of the commonly cited passages that supposedly depict a flat earth: It does not say that the earth is flat, and it does not say that it is spherical. The truth is, the Bible does not comment on the shape of Planet Earth.

Is earth round or flat