Science and The Bible

Science and The Bible

People have suggested that to believe in the Bible, you have to check your brains at the church door.

This is a remarkably uninformed viewpoint. Christianity honors intellect more than any other faith. God placed His unique signature all through the pages of Scripture that we could know with certainty that they were divinely inspired. Many statements the Bible made thousands of years ago are only now being verified, using the latest technology. How could any ancient culture have been so advanced unless it received supernatural help?

God gave the Israelites medical knowledge that was eons ahead of the most sophisticated knowledge of any culture. Not until the 18th century did medical science anywhere in the world even begin to understand things the Bible discussed 3400 years ago! God also identified many other scientific facts to select writers well ahead of their "discovery" by secular science. It is surprising that some scientists today scoff at the Bible, since it contains so many scientific revelations. God suggests those revelations were given to bring Him glory.

"I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed--I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God."
(Isaiah 43:11-12)

God lives outside of time and space. He is not bounded by the law of gravity. He is not limited by physical properties such as time. Because He has a perfect understanding of the physical universe, which He created for our benefit, we can expect His Word to be perfectly accurate whenever it mentions scientific issues.

Not meant to be a science book

It should be emphasized that the Bible was never meant to be a science book. Although it contains statements which refer to scientific realities, God never intended these statements to represent an explanation of science. God's concern is with the human soul, not the secular issues of history or science.

It is clear that the writers of the biblical accounts often had no idea of the full implication of what they were revealing, because they had no frame of reference yet. For example, although Moses gave over 200 laws which revealed a complete understanding of bacterial infection, he may have had no idea that germs existed. He merely passed along what God instructed him to say. Other writers appear to have known what they were writing about, as seen in references to a circular earth, the hydrologic cycle, and the description of atomic structure. Yet even if the writers were aware of their revelations, they never intended those statements to have scientific relevance. What they represent to us is proof that these accounts are not mere stories or myth, but evidence of highly intelligent, factual knowledge that could not have a human origin.

On the next page are some statements made in the Bible which modern science has confirmed only during the past two or three centuries.

Advanced Geophysics Knowledge

The Bible includes a number of references regarding the geophysical structure of the earth which revealed an understanding which was far ahead of common awareness. To truly appreciate the relevance of these statements, one must understand the state of existing knowledge about the earth at the time these words were written.

Although data concerning historical scientific knowledge is rare, it suggests that almost nothing was known about the earth's oceans, atmosphere, or the structure of the earth's shape and composition. The nations surrounding Israel believed that the earth was flat, resting on the back of elephants or turtles. There was no knowledge of lighter-than-air gases. Rain was said to be sent from the gods, lightning and thunder represented the anger of the gods. Even volcanic activity was not connected to any physical property of the earth.

In sharp contrast, the biblical accounts refer to geophysical facts in clear and precise detail thousands of years before their confirmation by science. While God is sometimes seen to manifest His anger through physical means such as earthquakes--with a specific purpose in mind, the Bible makes it clear that earthquakes are not in themselves a symbol of His anger. This is a significant difference from every other religious belief of those times.

The course of trade winds

"The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course."
(Ecclesiastes 1:6)

This was a remarkable statement given the earth's primitive knowledge of atmospheric conditions. In Solomon's time (Ecclesiastes was written around 935BC) there were no scientific revelations about the trade winds that move in a regular, predictable pattern around the earth. Sailors finally began mapping these winds during the age of exploration about 2000 years after this was written.

Ocean currents revealed

"...and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas."
(Psalm 8:8)

The Bible infers a knowledge of ocean currents at a time when almost nothing was known about the ocean. It was not until 1845 that Matthew Fontaine Maury, inspired by this verse, began discovering and mapping the existence of ocean currents. Even today oceanography is hailed as the "last great frontier" of scientific study because so little is known about our oceans.

Some people will dismiss this passage as an accidental reference, merely transposing a land-based concept (paths) to the surface of the water. Perhaps. But a closer look suggests that this verse distinctly refers to paths (currents) within the depths of the ocean, not upon its surface, as most fish do not swim on the surface.

The existence of hydrothermal springs

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?"
(Job 38:16)

God revealed the existence of freshwater springs under the ocean floor about 4000 years ago. Only in the last 20 years have scientists discovered that huge springs of heated water pour out of the ocean floor in numerous places. In 1965 scientists first theorized that such vents could exist. In the late 1970's, oceanographers with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute finally saw and photographed one from the deep water submersible Alvin. Until then it was impossible to travel to these depths because of the intense pressures encountered. Since then many more vents have been found. These are usually referred to as "hydrothermal vents" which are composed of steam and minerals flowing at high pressure into the sea as a result of cracks in the earth's crust. To anyone without oceanographic knowledge they look exactly like "springs of the sea." How did Job know about these phenomena located at such crushing depths?

Polar ice caps revealed

"From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?"
(Job 38:29-30)

The phrase "surface of the deep is frozen" is a very clear reference to polar ice caps found only in the farthest reaches of the north. How could someone like Job or his contemporaries, living in the area of Saudi Arabia in ancient times, have known about polar ice caps? Not even the harshest winter could have produced a frozen ocean surface in that region of the world.

Some early explorers were known to have traveled north, but with no navigational aids (the compass was not invented until the seventh century AD and didn't appear west of China until 1100AD) their efforts were futile. A Greek explorer was reported to have traveled as far north as the island of Great Britain around 1300BC. However, nothing indicates that he discovered ice floes and this is highly unlikely because he would not have made such a trip in winter.

The hydrological cycle

"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?"
(Job 36:27-29)

"who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name"
(Amos 5:8b)

This reference to evaporation is startling in its clarity and detail, and centuries ahead of its time. God revealed the existence of a hydrological cycle--water evaporating from the sea into the form of clouds and being dropped onto land as rain--about 3500 years before these concepts became known to scientific man. In fact, even after people understood the hydrological cycle, they believed that rain, being fresh water, came from rivers and lakes. The discovery that rain comes mostly from seawater as described in the Bible is fairly recent. In the 1600's it was finally realized that water could evaporate as a gaseous substance. In 1676, Pierre Perrault and Edme Marriotte made a scientific breakthrough by describing the hydrologic cycle in detail. Yet the Bible described the process thousands of years earlier.

The Flood: Myth or Reality?

The Bible describes a worldwide flood which wiped out the civilized world thousands of years ago. Only one man and his family were spared. Noah was told to build a ship with dimensions very similar to those of modern vessels, and to collect animals--a male and females of some species and seven of others. The Bible claims that although rain had not existed until this time, it began to rain heavily. At the same time, the flood account indicates that water burst upwards from subterranean levels until everything was covered, at least throughout the Middle East if not worldwide. The ark finally came to rest somewhere in the mountain range of Ararat and the biological cycle began anew.

What about the ark?

The biblical account of the flood is often sneered at by skeptics, despite a great deal of physical evidence supporting it. One primary reason for this criticism is the lack of a physical ark itself. We don't know whether the ark actually came to rest on Mt. Ararat itself or on one of the foothills. The flood account only talks about the "mountains of Ararat" which are a long mountain range.

Evidence suggests that it's unlikely the ark came to rest higher than tree level, but Ararat may have been shorter at the time and subject to seismic upheaval since. The craft was made of a kind of wood that no longer exists. Whatever it was, the wood was tough enough to withstand tremendous G-forces and weight. Although some ships built today can reach 750 feet in length, a wooden ship of those dimensions built with currently available wood couldn't withstand the forces. Obviously the wood that was used was something special.

Geophysical Evidence

Yet there is evidence beyond the ark. Coal and fossil records suggest that something caused sudden widespread pressure of great intensity, the only way petroleum deposits and coal can form. This is also one way to explain complete intact skeletons of dinosaurs and other creatures. The geographic layer known as the "chalk strata" has revealed fossils of ocean-bottom creatures such as crabs in the same layer all around the world. These appear even at high altitudes. Some claim this is not evidence of a global flood, but evidence that the world was once covered with water before the existence of human life. Geological discoveries in the spring of 2000 show evidence of deep water in the southern plains of Russia.

Critics of the flood account often say that there is no physical evidence in rock formations or soil composition. This is not surprising. Today, even a few years after a major flood there remains no evidence whatsoever. However, there is some additional physical evidence for the biblical flood.

A tablet was discovered in Mt. Ararat's Ahora Gorge containing what is called the "Ahora Covenant Inscription." Proto-Sumerian hieroglyphics describe a rainbow sent as "God's sacrificial covenant" to "go forth, procreate, and be fruitful."

The flood account is not exclusive to the Bible, either. Other accounts such as the Gilgamesh Epic, though written in the form of a verbal legend, are eerily similar in detail. These stories come from other cultures but date back to similar time periods in history as the Genesis account.

There is also the issue of population to consider. According to some calculations, if the flood account was false, the world's population would today number about 10²⁰⁹¹ people. That staggering number is 10 followed by 2091 zeros--a number many times greater than the total number of atoms in the universe. If the human race began one million years ago (secular scientists are convinced we were around much earlier than that) and no flood took place, we would be walking around on a trillion times a trillion times a trillion skeletal remains of prior human civilizations. Although bones, unless fossilized, do eventually crumble to dust, there are not nearly enough fossil records to corroborate such a previous population base. Where are the trillions of people that would exist today? Even all the wars and plagues in known history cannot account for such staggering losses. We must either accept the flood account or assume that some other worldwide disaster took place before secular history was recorded in order to justify today's modest world population. The biblical account of the flood accurately determines the current population of the earth.

Universal or Global?

Some argue that there is growing evidence that while the flood was "universal" (covered the world that was known to the biblical writer) the flood may not have been global. Proponents of this view say that the phrase "all the world" would have referred to the known world of the middle east, not necessarily to the entire earth. The area of the Middle East that was likely to be inhabited at that time in history was relatively flat. Thus, they claim that the floodwaters might not have extended to all parts of the world. Even if the water rose to a few hundred feet it could well have destroyed all life in the Mesopotamian Plains of the Middle East. Those who hold this view point out that it would have taken far too long for water covering every mountain to subside. There would have been no live olive trees left for the dove to pluck. In addition, proponents of this view suggest that a flood covering the entire world would have made it impossible for the humans who disembarked to sustain life.

However, we know that there have been many very large floods over the past centuries, some of them covering over entire populated regions, sometimes permanently. If the flood was indeed local, then how does that fit with God's promise never to send another flood? This promise would seem to be consistent only with a flood of such scale that it covered the entire world. This is also the only explanation that can account for the geophysical realities, the population calculations, and the entire purpose of the flood as described in the Bible.

Regardless of whether it was a global or universal flood, the biblical account of the flood (careful reading of the Hebrew leaves both views possible) is scientifically acceptable.

Advanced Scientific Knowledge

Though the Bible never attempts to be a science book, it does contain references to scientific facts, many of which are only now being confirmed by secular science.

A finite universe with a beginning

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
(Genesis 1:1)

Most people read this--the first verse in the Bible--and move on to the next without another thought. However, an examination of this verse reveals a sophisticated scientific fact. The word "beginning" refers specifically to the beginning of time. The word "heavens" refers to space, and the word "earth" refers to the substance of which the earth is made. So this same verse can be read as follows:

"In the beginning [of time] God created [space] and [matter]."

Even though the Bible is not meant to be a science book, the first words it contains are composed of a scientific statement. It says that God created time, space and matter simultaneously.

"a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time..."
(Titus 1:2) see also 2Thimothy 1:9

The Bible frequently refers to the beginning of time, usually with clear wording that can leave no doubt regarding its meaning. Thus it reveals a knowledge that time had a beginning point. Stephen Hawking and others theorized in the 1960's that time indeed had a beginning.

For many years scientists were convinced that the universe was infinite (without end), and that time had always existed. In 1992, a probe called the COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) proved that the universe is finite and had a definite beginning point. Scientists are also finding that their beloved theory of evolution happened too fast to be plausible. Many are backing away from evolution entirely, though desperate to find another secular explanation. MIT research head Samuel Bowring was quoted in a 1995 Time magazine article about the Cambrian Explosion (new evidence that a huge number of species appeared very suddenly in a short time frame) as saying, "what I like to ask my biologist friends is, 'How fast can evolution get before they start feeling uncomfortable?'"

A round earth hanging in space

"He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing."
(Job 26:7)

It's clear that Job understood the earth was not resting on the back of turtles or elephants, as other cultures of the time believed. He knew the earth was a circular object (see next item) floating in space. How did he know that, since all cultures of the time knew nothing about space or planets?

The spherical shape of the earth

"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."
(Isaiah 40:22)

"He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness."
(Job 26:10)

Take a moment to really consider these verses. Job 26:10 clearly refers to the line of demarcation between day and night. No other interpretation is possible. Such a view of the curved horizon at sunrise or sunset can only be seen from extremely high altitudes reached only by military jets and spacecraft. These writers were given a view of the Earth as a sphere long before Eratosthenes--by measuring shadows in Egyptian wells--determined that the earth was round in 240BC. Although there is a specific Hebrew word for "sphere," the word used in these passages ("khug") can mean both circle or sphere. It refers to the shape of an orange as it might be represented in a two-dimensional picture.

Man composed of the dust of the ground

" the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
(Genesis 2:7)

For many years scientists laughed at the simplicity of this statement. Yet in 1982 researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center confirmed the biblical account by proving that every single element found in the human body exists within ordinary soil. The scientists concluded, "We are just beginning to learn. The biblical scenario for the creation of life turns out to be not far off the mark."

Early entanglement theory

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
(Colossians 1:16-17)

Only recently did scientists discover that every atom in the universe is mysteriously linked to every other atom. Referred to as the "entanglement theory," Einstein described it as "when you tickle one atom, the other laughs." According to this theory, atoms are somehow connected, or "held together." In recent tests, scientists discovered that atoms respond instantly to changes made to another atom located great distances away. Using this information, a group of international scientists working at Caltech successfully teleported a beam of light over a three-foot distance in October 1998. The apostle Paul may not have known any of this, and referred specifically to God's omnipotent power over all things physical and spiritual. On the other hand, it is possible that he was given special knowledge of atomic structure during his time of spiritual development before he began his ministry.

Atomic structure revealed

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
(Hebrews 11:3)

This verse suggests that the apostle Paul understood atomic structure nearly 2000 years before it was discovered by scientists. Some argue that this statement merely refers to the invisible spiritual dimension. While that's possible, a closer look makes it unlikely. He is referring directly to the creation act itself, not to the existence of angels or other invisible spiritual beings. He's telling the reader that the universe was created by matter formed from nothing at all, or that the matter we are familiar with (stones, wood, water, etc.) was created from invisible particles. If that's the case, it shows a remarkable scientific insight for someone who penned this between AD50 and AD60.

Time as a physical property

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
(2 Peter 3:8) see also Psalm 90:4

This concept is advanced far beyond any first century understanding about time. Beginning with Einstein's theory of relativity in 1905, scientists finally began to realize that time is a physical property, not a constant. It changes with speed and gravity, a fact confirmed by sophisticated clock experiments in 1971. This verse reveals time as a property when no culture on earth could even conceive of such an idea. God is not constrained by the static march of time as humans are. He lives outside the dimension of time. The eternal soul in Heaven will not be subject to an infinite stretch of harp playing, as cartoons suggest, but will have the ability to move through the dimension of time at any speed.

Saint Peter, Nuclear Physicist?

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat."
(2 Peter 3:10-12)

Did the apostle Peter know about nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reactions? We don't know how much he knew, but this verse is quite startling in its clarity. In the first century, people could not have imagined the sky burning up or the earth itself melting. Peter not only believed this to be true, he made sure everyone knew about it. It is certainly possible that during the three years with Jesus, the disciples discussed things relating to the universe and its formation.

Advanced Medicine

God identified advanced medical knowledge to the Israelites long before such information became known to the rest of the world. He gave the Jews detailed instructions for handling bacterial infections. Although they would be exposed to the same diseases as those cultures around them, God promised that He would protect the Israelites if they would put their trust in Him and keep His commandments.

"The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you."
(Deuteronomy 7:15)

The level of Egyptian medical knowledge was horrifying. The suggested medical remedy for healing an infected splinter wound was an ointment composed of the blood of worms mixed with the dung of a donkey. Dung of various animals and even insects was a common theme in Egyptian medicine. Body parts of various creatures were also called for. The resulting germs would have quickly infected and killed a great many patients.

In sharp contrast, the Scriptures reveal advanced sanitation methods that were not understood by the scientific medical community until after World War 1! In fact, a total of 213 of the 613 biblical commandments found in the Torah--one third of the Law of Moses--were detailed medical regulations that insured the health of the Israelites if they obediently followed the laws of God.

Blood as the force of life

"For the life of a creature is in the blood..."
(Leviticus 17:11a)

God revealed blood as the foundation of life at a time when the level of pagan medical knowledge was barbaric. For centuries doctors "bled" their patients in an attempt to heal them, completely oblivious to this information which was revealed to Moses around 1440BC.

Germs and bacterial infections

"The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water."
(Leviticus 6:28)

Here God orders the Israelites to discard broken pottery because the cracks could contain harmful germs, even if boiled. At the same time, metal pots were to be disinfected by scouring and rinsing in water. These instructions saved the Jewish people from infection over the centuries when the world didn't even know germs existed.

"Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean."
(Leviticus 11:35)

In this law, God revealed the danger of food poisoning. Until the 20th century, medical researchers did not understand that germs could carry disease through raw meat. Leviticus 7:24 forbid people to eat the flesh of any animal that has died naturally of disease or by wild animals. The children of Israel were saved from untold numbers of diseases, such as rabies, that infected animals.

"This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days, and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean. Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days."
(Numbers 19:14-16)

Germs from a dead human body are even more dangerous to people than germs from a dead animal. This was not discovered until the first part of this century. Yet 3500 years ago, the Bible gave clear instructions that protected people from these infectious germs. Here God told the Israelites to wash themselves and remove themselves from the rest of the community for a quarantine period if they had touched dead human flesh. They were also ordered to disinfect any open pots which had been in the area. If after seven days no signs of bacterial infection appeared, then it was highly unlikely that the person could contaminate the community.

"When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with [running] water, and he will be clean."
(Leviticus 15:13)

God ordered the Israelites to wash themselves in running water and to wash their clothes. It wasn't until the 1850's that doctors discovered this secret to protection from germs. Some English Bibles use the phrase "fresh" water, but the Hebrew word used here--mayim--refers to moving or running water such as found in a river, stream, or spring.

Leviticus 13:46 again points out the requirement to quarantine infected persons from the rest of the community. This may have made little sense to primitive peoples with no knowledge of germs. Yet following these instructions protected them from disease. God understood bacterial infections and gave instructions designed to protect His people if they followed His laws. Too bad the rest of the world didn't consider the biblical laws during the devastating Black Death of the 14th century. Only when they began to do so did the plague subside.

Advanced disinfectant solution

"The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening. The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening. A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin."
(Numbers 19:6-9)

God commanded the priest to mix hyssop into the ashes to form an ointment. It turns out that hyssop oil is a very effective antiseptic and antibacterial agent. It contains 50% carvacrol which is an antifungal and antibacterial agent still used in medicine today. This solution was to be used to purify skin and items such as leather and clothing. Material which could withstand fire--such as metal pots--was to be purified through fire. God revealed an astonishing knowledge of bacterial warfare which we have only begun to understand this century!

The optimal time for surgery

Researchers have recently discovered that two different blood clotting factors, Vitamin K and Prothrombin, are at the highest level of your entire life (110% of normal) on the eighth day of life. In addition, they discovered that the blood clotting factor Vitamin K is formed in the blood of a baby between day five and day seven of the baby's life. Thus, of all the days of a person's life, the eighth day is the optimum day for an operation.

Isn't it interesting that this is the exact day on which God commanded the Israelites to perform the circumcision operation?

Looking at these facts and many others, the question we should be asking our friends in the medical and scientific communities is, "why don't you look to the Bible for your research?"

Signature of God
Written by Grant Jeffrey.
Copyright by repective authors.