"four corners"

[Guest]

What do you think of the "four corners" excuse by non-Christians to dispute God's omniscience?

Many from the non-believer’s side use the verse from Isaiah to say the Bible is infallible. They say men, were not inspired to write the Bible by God because Isaiah used science’s “world view of the day” of a flat “cornered” earth. They say, “An all knowing God would know the world was not flat so, there must be no God.”

Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

[farouk]

There is also the verse which speaks of the 'circle of the earth'.

Remember that the so called experts thought the world was flat, and even persecuted Gallileo for suggesting otherwise, when in fact the Bible had long shown it to be round.

[Covenanter]

Four corners? Obvious N,E,S,W.

Strong 3671

1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
a) wing
b ) extremity 1) skirt, corner (of garment)

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 108
AV — wing 74, skirt 14, borders 2, corners 2, ends 2, feathered 2, sort 2, winged 2, misc 8

Edited July 12, 2011 by Covenanter

[John81]

Four corners? Obvious N,E,S,W.

Strong 3671

Yes. The "four corners" is simply an expression that has been around for centuries and is still used today. It didn't mean then nor does it mean today that one believes the world is square.

[Invicta]

Yes. The "four corners" is simply an expression that has been around for centuries and is still used today. It didn't mean then nor does it mean today that one believes the world is square.

Agreed

I t was a figure of speech which we still use today.

[JerryNumbers]

The unbeliever, atheist, will use any tidbit of information that they can grab hold of hoping to prove there is no God, and that the Bible was written by man. Of course they never prove there is no God, they just prove how foolish they are.

[Wilchbla]

Like the others have said, the "four corners" of the earth are N,S,E,W.

[Guest]

Four Corners

Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Ezekiel 7:2 Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

Did God teach the science of a flat earth with “four corners?”

First disclaimer, I don’t believe God is in the science education business. Secondly, God wouldn’t teach something that was false. Third, God is working in the spiritual realm and any “science” He uses to reveal Himself to man is inconsequential to His person and holiness.

Many from the non-believer’s side use the verse from Isaiah to say the Bible is infallible. They say men, were not inspired to write the Bible by God because Isaiah used science’s “world view of the day” of a flat “cornered” earth. They say, “An all knowing God would know the world was not flat so, there must be no God.”

The context of Ezekiel’s verse was (1) the people “Israel” (2) the land of the promise “national boundaries” (3) the people’s idolatry in the land and God’s punishment upon the nation of Israel.

God was not attempting to teach Israel that their nation was square in shape no more than he was attempting to teach them the world was flat and had four corners. The term four corners in the case of Ezekiel is symbolic of the whole area of the nation and in the case of Isaiah four corners is symbolic of the whole earth.

Men knew the land area of Israel was not in the shape of a square. They had forms of measurement and knew what the shape of a square looked like.

I thought it was interesting that Ezekiel is good commentary on Isaiah for those who would put forth the OP opinion.

Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
farouk...thanks

[JerryNumbers]

Of course, the Bible has science issue within its pages, and its infallible, and as already has been mentioned in a previous post, He taught that the earth was not flat, that it was a circle, round.

Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Of course if one wants to take those verses out of context about the four corners, they can say the Bible teaches that the earth is flat, but they're wrong. They're taking them out of context just as many other teachers take the whole Bible out of context to teach what they want to believe.

[farouk]

Part of it is being able to recognize a figure of speech when it occurs.

Some ppl just jump to conclusions.

[Anon]

If you take a compass and connect the directions you end up with a square with four corners....

[farouk]

I guess what is sometimes obvious as a figure of speech to one reader is less obvious to others.

(Two cents'.)

Edited July 17, 2011 by farouk

[Anon]

I guess what is sometimes obvious as a figure of speech to one reader is less obvious to others.

(Two cents'.)

Well if your scales are balanced in the middle to where you are unsure, the fact that God inspired the Bible should weight it over to the knowledge that its true, and not something literal.

[farouk]

Well if your scales are balanced in the middle to where you are unsure, the fact that God inspired the Bible should weight it over to the knowledge that its true, and not something literal.

Kitagl:

Interesting observation, yes.

We must never forget the vital witness of the indwelling Spirit in the born again believer, anyway.

Blessings.

[John81]

Well if your scales are balanced in the middle to where you are unsure, the fact that God inspired the Bible should weight it over to the knowledge that its true, and not something literal.

When dealing with how those who wish to attack the Bible view Scripture we must remember they are not interested in what it actually means, only in something they can use to attack.

I've often heard such saying that Christ commands His followers to kill anyone unwilling to follow Him. They base this on a parable Jesus told about a ruler returning and putting to death those who rejected him (the ruler).

Some attack based on God ordering Joshua to exterminate certain tribes completely.

We always have to remember that outright enemies of the Bible (and God) aren't interested in truth, only in attack. We have to also keep in mind that Scripture can only truly be understood by those who have the Holy Ghost guiding and teaching them.