The Bible, An Amazing BookJanuary 14, 2019
The Holy Bible consists of God’s words spoken through different prophets in various ages. On the other hand, science is the body of knowledge of the physical and natural world obtained through observation and experiment. Let’s see some examples where the Bible preceded science in the knowledge of the natural world.
During the bronze age (3000 B.C. – 1200 B.C.) ancient civilisations had different theories about the earth. The Egyptians believed that the earth was Geb and the sky, Nut, whereas in Hindu mythology, it was believed that the world was supported on top of the World Turtle.
In our modern era, most of humankind have come to a consensus that the earth is suspended in space instead of being supported by anything. This scientific fact was proven after Sir Isaac Newton discovered the “law of universal gravitation” in the 17th century.
Job 26:7 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing
The author of this book of Job existed about 3,000 years ago. It was a time when advancement in science and technology had yet to reach a point when men could observe and make conclusive facts about the earth.
The Water Cycle
3,500 years ago, people interpreted rain to be an expression of god crying or blessings for harvest. As such, they even held rituals to pray for rain or to appease the gods. In this day and age, it is apparent to us that precipitation is but one of the processes of the water cycle also known as the hydrologic cycle.
The idea of a complete water cycle was not generally accepted until the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The first substantial evidence of the water cycle came from experiments of Pierre Perrault and Edme Mariotte.
Job 36:27-28 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.
This was written by Job about 3,000 years ago when mankind had not a single clue about the water cycle.
The Bible’s prophecies also preceded important events that happened in history.
Ezra 1:2 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.”
In 539 B.C., the Persian King Cyrus took Babylon and allowed the Jews to return home and build their temple in Jerusalem. Upon conquering the Babylonian kingdom, he also gave glory to God. In the verse above, Cyrus proclaimed that it was God who opened the way for his successive victories and conquering the nations.
Isaiah 45:1-3 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Indeed, the prophet Isaiah predicted King Cyrus as the one who will liberate the Jews from Babylonian captivity and allow them to return to their homeland.
After Babylon was taken captive by King Cyrus, this series of events were documented. We can find these records inscribed on the famed Cyrus Cylinder which currently resides in the British museum. Surprisingly, the prophet Isaiah spoke about these events even before the birth of King Cyrus.