THE BIBLE AS A SCIENCE BOOK

(Most from Scientific Facts in the Bible by Ray Comfort)

 

 

The Bible has many verses that directly or indirectly describe a mechanism of nature that was unknown at that time.  Most of the scientific discoveries that proved these verses to be correct were made thousands of years later.  Some scientists scoffed at the Bible as in error, because they had not proven the science at the time.  Here is a list of the verses along with a description of the science involved:

 

 

“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  Genesis 1:1,3

 

Science expresses the universe in five terms:  time, space, matter, power and motion.  Here is the verse, written 3450 years ago expressed in those terms:  “In the beginning (time) God created (power) the Heaven (space) and the earth (matter)…And the Spirit of God moved (motion) upon the face of the waters.”

 

 

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”  Genesis 1:14

 

Through the marvels of astronomy we now understand that a year is the time required for the earth to travel once around the sun.  The seasons are caused by the changing position of the earth in relation to the sun.  A month is the time it takes the moon to revolve around the earth.  How could Moses know 3500 years ago that the “lights” of the sun and the moon were the actual determining factors of the year’s length, unless God inspired his words?

 

 

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.”  Genesis 2:1

 

The Hebrew word used here is the past definite tense for the verb “finished”, indicating an action completed in the past, never again to occur.  The creation was “finished” once and for all.  That is what the First Law of Thermodynamics says.  It states that neither matter nor energy can be either created or destroyed.  There is no “creation” ongoing today.  It is “finished” exactly as the Bible states.

 

 

“And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  Genesis 3:15

 

Although when the Bible talks about this kind of “seed” it is in reference to men, it is suggesting that the woman has a part in creating life.  This was not common knowledge until a few centuries ago.  It was widely believed that the male only possessed the “seed of life” and that the woman was nothing more than a glorified incubator.

 

 

“And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.”  Genesis 6:15

 

In this verse, God gives Noah the dimensions of the 1.5 million cubic foot ark He wants him to build.  In 1609 at horn in Holland, a ship was built after the same proportions (30x5x3), revolutionizing shipbuilding.  By 1900 every large ship on the high seas was inclined toward the proportions of the ark (verified by “Lloyd’s Register of Shipping” in the World Almanac).

 

 

 “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.”  Genesis 17:12

 

Why was circumcision to occur on the 8th day?  Medical science has now discovered that the eighth day is the only day in the entire life of the newborn that the blood clotting element prothrombin is above 100%.

 

 

“And…neither shall you eat flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.”  Exodus 22:31

 

Thousands of years before modern science identified bacteria, God made provision for Israel by banning the eating of meat that may be spoiled by germs.

 

 

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, You shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.”  Leviticus 7:22-24

 

The Lord warns Israel that eating fat is bad for them.

 

 

“All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall habitation be.”  Leviticus 13:46

 

Long before medical science discovered the importance of quarantine of persons with infectious diseases, the Bible instigated them.  This was in 1490 BC.  Modern man did not perform laws of quarantine until the 17th century.  “The laws against leprosy in Leviticus 13 may be regarded as the first model of sanitary legislation.”  (A history of Medicine, Grant R. Jeffery, The Signature of God).

 

 

“And when he that has an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.”  Leviticus 15:13

 

About 3000 years ago, an “issue”, sometimes also referred to as an “issue of blood”, described an ailment where there was something oozing, or bleeding.  The Bible is clear that care needs to be taken not only with the person, but also with his clothing, bedding, and anything else that might have come in contact with them (other verses give more details of this).  We know now that these procedures would halt the spread of disease, especially washing in “running water”.  Up until 100 years ago doctors washed their hands in a basin of still water, resulting in the death of multitudes.  The Encyclopedia Britannica documents that in 1845, a young doctor in Vienna named Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was horrified at the terrible death rate of women who were dying after giving birth in hospitals.  As many as 30% of those giving birth died.  The Doctor noted that doctors would examine the bodies of those who had died, then, without washing their hands, go straight to the next wards and examine expectant mothers.  This was their normal practice, because the presence of microscopic diseases was unknown.  Doctor Semmelweis insisted that doctors wash their hands before examinations, and the death rate immediately dropped down to 2%.  On another note, because the Jews adhered to this practice, they were spared getting a lot of diseases that were plaguing other cultures after the Jews were scatted all over the world in 70 AD.  This led to those not using the same sanitary practices to blame the Jews for somehow causing them to get sick (because they were not getting sick).  As a result, many Jews were persecuted and killed.

 

 

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”  Leviticus 17:11

 

In olden days, if you were sick, they would “bleed” you.  They would cut open a vein and drain out some blood.  While giving blood can be healthy because it can reduce the total amount of copper and iron in the blood, if you take too much out, you could die, as did many.  George Washington was bled twice by his doctors and possibly died as a result.  The blood letter was also the barber, and the striped “barber pole”, was actually the advertisement for blood letting.  This was done until 1860.  The Bible said 3000 years ago that your life is in your blood, and more specifically, that the blood keeps the flesh alive, which it does by carrying oxygen to all parts of your body, and removing waste byproducts that would otherwise poison it.

 

“He stretches out the north over the empty place…”  Job 26:7

 

In the northern part of our galaxy, there is a large part of the sky that is actually empty, devoid of matter.  This was learned less than 200 years ago with the advent of massive telescopes.  Other parts of the galaxy looked empty, but the Hubble Space Telescope found billions of stars and galaxies in them.  The Bible said this 3500 years ago.

 

 

“…and hangs the earth on nothing”  Job 26:7

 

The Bible claimed 3500 years ago that the earth was not supported by anything.  We know now that this is true, but a few hundred years earlier, science thought a large animal such as a turtle held it up.

 

 

“To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.”  Job 28:25

 

Science discovered that air had weight in the sixteenth century.  The bible said it 3100 years before.  It also says that the water on the earth has been weighed and measured.  Just enough water has been put on the earth to balance the Sun and Moon’s gravitational pull.

 

 

“When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder.”  Job 28:26

 

Centuries later, scientists begin to discern the “law for the rain”.  Rainfall is part of the process called “the water cycle”.  The sun evaporates water from the ocean.  The water vapor then rises and becomes clouds.  This water in the clouds falls back to earth as rain, and collects in streams and rivers, then makes its way back to the ocean.  The idea of a complete water cycle was not fully understood until the 17th century.  Lightning travels along a “way”, a negatively charged column of air travels from the bottom of the clouds to the ground.  As it reaches the ground, positively charged streamers come up from the ground.  Once the circuit (or way) is complete, a surge of electricity moves from the ground to the cloud.

 

 

“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”  Job 38:7

 

Science has discovered that stars emit radio waves, which are received on earth as a high pitch.  God mentioned this in Job 38:7: When the morning stars sang together…

 

 

“Have you commanded the morning since your days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?  It (the earth) is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.”  Job 38:12, 14

 

Modern science has come to understand that the earth’s rotation on it axis is responsible for the sun’s rising and setting.  The picture here is of a vessel of clay being turned or rotated upon the potter’s wheel – an accurate analogy of the earth’s rotation.

 

 

“Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?”  Job 38:16

 

Scientists didn’t know that there were springs in the sea until 1977.  God asked the question almost 4000 years ago.

 

 

“Where is the way where light dwelleth?  And as for darkness, where is the place thereof?”  Job 38:19

 

Scientists have discovered that light (electromagnetic radiation) moves in waves and particles at 186,000 miles per second.  Yet darkness does not move.

 

 

“Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?”  Job 38:22

 

It wasn’t until the invention of the microscope that man discovered that each and every single snowflake is uniquely a symmetrical “treasure”.

 

 

“By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?”  Job 38:24

 

The Bible teaches that the light causes the wind.  It wasn’t known until the early 1900’s that the heat from the sunlight caused the wind.  Another thing that was observed from this verse in the 1600’s was that light can be “parted”.  Sir Isaac Newton studied light and discovered that white light is made of seven colors, which can be “parted” from the white, and then recombined to make white again.  He did this in 1650.

 

 

“Can you send lightnings, that they may go and say unto you, here we are?”  Job 38:35

 

This was written 3500 years ago, and appears to suggest that light can be sent and carries speech or information.  Radio waves travel at the speed of light.  This is why we can have wireless communications across the globe.  It wasn’t until 1864 that British scientist James Clerk Maxwell suggested that electricity and light waves were two forms of the same thing.

 

 

“And the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas.”  Psalm 8:8

 

2800 years ago the Bible declared the science of Oceanography.  Matthew Maury (1806-1873) is considered to be the father of oceanography.  He was bedridden during a serious illness and asked his son to read a portion of the Bible to him.  While listening, he noticed the expression “paths of the sea.”  Upon recovery, Maury took God at His word and went looking for these paths.  His book on oceanography is still considered a basic text on the subject and is still used in universities.

 

 

“In them has He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.  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.”  Psalm 19:4-6

 

Bible critics have scoffed at these verses, saying that they teach that the sun revolves around the earth.  Science told them that the sun was stationary.  Then they discovered that the sun is in fact moving through space at approximately 600,000 miles per hour.  It is traveling through the heavens and has a “circuit” just as the Bible says.  It is estimated that its circuit is so large, it would take 200 million years to complete one orbit.

 

 

“Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding…”  Psalm 32:9

 

Animals are vastly different from us.  They are not self-aware.  And they were made that way.  We were made in God’s “image”.  As human beings, we are aware of our “being”.  God is “I AM”, and we know that “we are”.  We have understanding that we exist.

 

 

Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.”  Psalm 104:2

 

It is interesting to note that scientists are beginning to understand that the universe is expanding or stretching out.  At least seven times in Scripture we are told that God “Stretches out the heavens like a curtain”.

 

 

He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.”  Psalms 135:7

 

All phases of the hydrologic cycle (the reason it rains) are here:  evaporation (vapours), wind, lightning, and rain.  Meteorologists and atmospheric physicists have found that almost all the water vapor in the clouds originally comes from evaporation from the seas, which is described in Ecclesiastes 1:7.  The on shore flow of wind blows the clouds onto land.  Most scientists agree that an electrical field must be generated in order for the particles of water vapor to coalesce into drops large enough to fall as rain.  The mounting evidence seems to point to lightning as performing this function.  Yet the Bible described this 2800 years ago, and although this cycle was defined in the 17th century, it is not completely understood even today.

 

 

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy is the rottenness of the bones.”  Proverbs 14:30

 

Medical science has come to understand that there is a strong relationship between a person’s mental and physical health.  The bible revealed this to us with this verse and others.  “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart: and a good report makes the bones fat (health).”  Proverbs 15:30  “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”  Proverbs 16:24  “A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22

 

 

“The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.”  Ecclesiastes 1:6:

 

The Bible describes a “cycle” of air currents 2000 years before scientists discovered them.  We now know that air around the earth turns in huge circles, clockwise in one hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the other.  This is a basic description of what we call the jet stream.

 

 

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand…”  Isaiah 40:12

 

We are told that God has put the proper amount of water on the earth.  Modern science has proved that the quantity of water on the earth is just enough for our needs.  If the sea became three meters deeper, the water would absorb all the carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and no creature could live any longer.

 

 

“It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth.”  Isaiah 40:22

 

2800 years ago the Bible told us that the earth was round, when the world believed that it was flat.  It was the scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world.  He wrote:  “It was the Lord who put it into my mind.  I could feel His hand upon me.  There is no question the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures…”  (From his diary, in reference to his discovery of “The New World”).

 

 

“It is He that…stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in.”  Isaiah 40:22

 

Scientists are beginning to discover what the Bible has said 2800 years ago, that the universe is expanding, or stretching out.  It also appears to be accelerating as opposed to slowing down.  At least seven times in Scripture we are clearly told that God stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a scroll.  And one day he will roll them back up as well.

 

 

“As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured.”  Jeremiah 33:22

 

The Bible suggested 2500 years ago that there were so many stars that they literally couldn’t be counted.  When this statement was made, there were only about 1,100 stars that were visible to the human eye.  Scientists now know that there are billions and billions of stars, and that they truly can’t be counted.

 

 

“…he calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth; the Lord is His name.”  Amos 9:6

 

The Bible is describing the hydrologic cycle.  This cycle was not fully accepted or understood until the seventeenth century by Pierre Perrault, Edme Mariotte, Edmund Halley, and others.  This was 2500 years after the Bible said that God takes the waters of the sea and pours them upon the face of the earth.  Ecclesiastes 1:7 states, “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.”  Again, the cycle of rain, to land, to rivers, to the sea, to evaporation in the clouds, to rain again.  Ecclesiastes 11:3 says, “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.”  The Mississippi River dumps about 518 billion gallons of water every 24 hours into the Gulf of Mexico.  Where does all the water go?  And this is just one of the thousands of rivers flowing into the sea.

 

 

“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet have you brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.”  Jonah 2:6

 

When Jonah was in the depths of the ocean; he spoke of going down to the “bottoms of the mountains.”  This was 2800 years ago.  Only in recent years has man discovered that there are mountains on the ocean floor.  The greatest ocean depth has been sounded in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana’s Trench, a distance of 35,798 feet below sea level.  Mount Everest is 29,035 feet high.

 

 

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”  Luke 17:34-36

 

The second coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities in the field.  This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night at the same time.

 

 

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory.”  1 Corinthians 15:41

 

All stars look alike to the naked eye.  Even through a telescope, they still seem to be just points of light.  However, close examination of their light spectra reveals that each is different from all others.

 

 

“…And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of you hands: They shall perish; but you remain; and they all shall wax old as does a garment.”  Hebrews 1:10,11

 

The bible told us 2000 years ago that the earth was wearing out.  This is what the Second Lay of Thermodynamics states.  This wasn’t discovered by science until comparatively recently.  “They shall perish, but You shall endure; yea, all of them shall wear out like a garment; You shall change them like clothing, and they shall be changed.”  Psalms 102:26

 

 

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear.”  Hebrews 11:3

 

The Bible claimed 2000 years ago that the universe was “not made of things that do appear”.  This means made of things that do not appear, or are invisible.  In the last 100 years, science has discovered that matter, everything around us that we believe is solid, is actually mostly empty space between invisible things called atoms.  They are so small, that they are invisible to us.  And even the atoms, are composed of 6 “elementary particles”, called quarks.