I'm J.K. McKee, editor of Messianic
Apologetics. If you are new to the
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What is the Flat Earth theory and how
badly has it affected the thinking of
some of today's Messianic people?
Most
reasonable and sane people who hear that
there are those in their midst who
believe that Planet Earth is a flat disk,
are not only shocked, but horrified, that
such things are circulating in the Twenty-First
Century. Is it not true that Christopher
Columbus proved that the world was round
over five centuries ago? Is that not also
true that there were various
philosophers and mathematicians from
classical antiquity, who speculated that
the world was round? How could it
possibly be that there is a movement
promoting a Flat Earth? Are these people
stupid?
In total fairness it needs to be
recognized that the Flat Earth movement
is not a product of the fringes of the
Hebrew Roots movement, although that is
surely a venue where it has found many
adherents. The Flat Earth movement is
mainly a part of the Christian Truther
movement, and hence is associated with
many different conspiracy theories. There
have been a sufficient number of
evangelical refutations
of Flat Earth, as well as more
secular evaluations of it. Netflix, for
example, has a documentary entitled
"Behind the Curve"
among its programs. Why have there been
various people--perhaps even some you
know--influenced by the Flat Earth
movement? In short, the Flat Earth theory
tends to be presented in terms of the
Bible being absolutely true. Those who do
not accept the Flat Earth theory, do not
truly believe in the Bible, and are
either compromised at best, or more
likely have been influenced by modern
Luciferian science. Supporters of Flat
Earth are convinced that their
perspective is the only viable one.
Opponents of Flat Earth would conclude
that believing that Planet Earth is a
flat disk only comes from a hyper-literal
reading of Scripture, and from
those who haphazardly and irresponsibly
dismiss all modern science as though it
is from the Devil.
Isaiah 40:22 says
that our Creator "sits above the
circle of the earth" (NASU) or "the vault of the
earth" (NJPS). Does this require Planet Earth to
be a flat disk? Or does it speak to the
circular and/or spherical nature of
Planet Earth? Be aware that supporters of
Flat Earth believe that any scientific
discovery of our planet as a sphere that
revolves around the Sun has been
completely fabricated by servants of
Satan. Those who believe that modern
science is trustworthy, at least in broad
strokes, certainly believe that Isaiah 40:22
is compatible with the idea of a
spherical Planet Earth. Ecclesiastes 1:5
says that "the sun rises and the sun sets" (NASU);
Psalm 19:6 says that "its rising from
one end of the heavens, and its circuit
to the other end of them" (NASU). Supporters of
the Flat Earth theory conclude that this
is Biblical proof that the Sun and Moon
are small objects that move above the
flat disk of Planet Earth. Based on
modern scientific discovery, from at
least the past five centuries, those who
conclude that our planet is spherical,
will note that the Biblical authors are
writing from their observable
perspective as standing on the ground.
Communicating from a terrestrial vantage
point, humans see the Sun and the Moon
rising, although from an astronomical
perspective, the sphere of our planet is,
in fact, rotating around the Sun, with the
Moon rotating around the Earth. Many
misunderstandings of Scripture can take
place, not just from us misunderstanding
the viewpoints of the ancients, who
lacked some of the modern scientific
equipment that we possess today--but
most especially when we fail to take
into consideration on how they viewed
the world around them. Isaiah 41:9 has
God speaking of taking Israel "from the
ends of the earth.. from its remotest
parts" (NASU); Daniel 4:11 talks of how "The tree
grew large and became strong and its
height reached to the sky, and it was
visible to the end of the whole
earth" (NASU). Yeshua said in Matthew 12:42 "The Queen of the South will rise up with
this generation at the judgment and will
condemn it, because she came from the
ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon" (NASU). Supporters of the Flat Earth
theory believe that the continent of
Antarctica is actually an ice wall which
encircles the disk of our planet. Rather
than seeing the "ends of the Earth" as
being a metaphor indicative of a faraway
place, Flat Earth proponents actually do
sea "ends of the Earth" as being a
termination point at the extreme ends of
the flat disk of our planet. Those
opposed to a Flat Earth, accepting the
Earth as a sphere as observable by
modern science, would take this as
definitive proof of a Flat Earther's
hyper-literal and irresponsible approach
to Scripture. 1 Chronicles 16:30 says
that "the world is firmly established and
will not be moved";
Psalm 104:5 says that God "established the
earth upon its foundations, so that it
will not totter forever and ever" (NASU). To the
Flat Earther, who believes that our
planet is a disk, it is clear that our
planet cannot possibly be a sphere which
rotates in any direction.
Opponents of Flat Earth, obviously
supporting modern astronomy and
cosmology, would conclude that these
statements are poetic about God's
sovereignty over Planet Earth and the
constancy that
is He has instilled in His Creation. Our
planet is not just moving about to and
fro in the cosmos, but it has a set orbit
around the Sun, Sol, and internal
geological coherence with a mantle, outer
core, and inner core. Finally, God asks in
Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid
the foundation of the earth?" (NASU), and in Psalm
75:3 "It is I who have firmly set its
pillars" (NASU). Once again, to the Flat Earther,
there is only one correct way to
interpret these statements: the flat disk
of our planet sits on top of literal
stone pillars. The Flat Earther cannot
possibly interpret "foundation of the
earth" or "pillars" in any other way. Those
who recognize our planet as a sphere,
would obviously have a more flexible
approach to "laid the foundation of the
earth" or "pillars," mainly as it would be
representative of the different
processes of how our planet was
geologically formed, and how it functions
in a unique way in order to sustain
human civilization. That a "foundation" of
a cosmic object can represent the
physical laws or constructs by which it
functions, should be clear enough, in how
2 Samuel 22:8 describes "The
foundations of heaven were trembling and
were shaken, because He was angry" (NASU). Heaven,
composing the sky or space beyond, is not
a geological construct as Earth, but is
instead an open expanse. For Heaven or
Space to have foundations, means
it has certain physical laws or
constructs which govern it--but in being
shaken ultimately are subject to its
Creator, God. Flat Earth has become a
major conspiracy theory, which many have
addressed the fallacies of over the past
several years. Flat Earth supporters
dismiss all of the claims of modern
science, particularly disciplines such as
astronomy, cosmology, and geology--which
all point to a spherical Planet Earth
which revolves around the Sun. If someone
has been convinced of the Flat Earth
theory, and that all modern science has
originated with Satan the Dark Lord, then
there will almost always be no reasoning
with such confused and ignorant people.
It is absolutely true that in the Middle
Ages, many Christians believed in a Flat
Earth. It is also true that during the
Protestant Reformation,
many Christians believed in a Flat Earth.
Even as late as the Eighteenth Century, there
were Christians who while accepting a
spherical Earth, denied that the Earth
revolved around the Sun, a heliocentric
solar system, but instead believed in a
geocentric solar system where the Sun
revolved around the Earth. Flat Earth is
not a salvation issue. But what Flat
Earth is is, that it is a severe
credibility issue for the worldwide Body
of Messiah, and it is a severe
embarrassment. People who support Flat
Earth,
should never be caught leading a small
group Bible study, much less leading a
local assembly. This issue was resolved
in the Fifteenth Century and it is obscenely
ridiculous that we have to even discuss
it today! It goes beyond the pale of "Do
not be carried away by varied and
strange teachings" (Hebrews 13:9, NASU).
Why has the Flat Earth theory found some support
in off-to-the-side places of the
Messianic movement--and certainly the
Hebrew Roots movement? It is because this
broad sector of people, for better or
worse, does tend to attract a lot of
"Truth seekers." If you attend a major
Messianic conference today, it is an
unfortunate reality that there going to
be some individuals who have been
exposed to, and are considering, the Flat
Earth theory. While none of today's
mainline Messianic leaders and teachers
believe in the Flat Earth theory, looking
to the future, this issue should serve as
an appropriate prompt for us to be
recognizing that there are discussions
regarding God's Creation, our planet, the
human race, and the wider universe, that
today's Messianic movement has tended to
avoid. If the Flat Earth theory is
certainly going to be talked about here,
and there, then it behooves us to be
familiar with all the different
perspectives and approaches witnessed in
contemporary Biblical Studies and
theology regarding Genesis chs. 1-11.
We can use the presence of the Flat
Earth theory as an opportunity to refine
our theological skills and engagement
level with the different models of
Creationism, Theistic Evolution, and
Intelligent Design which circulate in
Biblical Studies today. At this point at
the close of the 2010s, it would be naive
of any of us to conclude that there is
one-hundred percent agreement among Messianic people on
these issues. Flat Earth has proved this!
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