Can We Prove

There Is A God?

Science Proves the

Christian Bible

Is Inspired by God

Chapter Five

The religions of mankind are myriad. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto and Christianity, to name a few. Each has its own Scriptures, which are exclusively affirmed as inspired by their god or gods.

Science is a systematic knowledge of the physical or material universe gained by observable facts. The sacred writings of all world religions basically contain a system of faith. Yet, each does make statements within the province of science that provide a uniquely valid test to prove their authenticity.

If their scientific observations are in reality superstitions reflective of the culture in which they were written, these so-called sacred books are disqualified as the inspired Scriptures of God. If, indeed, the scientific observations of any of these purported Holy Scriptures agree with the facts of science today, then that book is the inspired Word of a true and living God. Why?

The Creator and God of the universe is the God of science-the author of the scientific laws that govern His universe. Only the God of science could cause scientific facts to be recorded in a book—the Bible—hundreds or thousands of years before scientists discover them.

Only the Judeo-Christian Bible contains scientific facts that anticipated scientific discovery by hundreds and, in some cases, several thousand years. The following are examples of remarkable scientific observations found in the Bible.

What Holds the Earth Up?

Three thousand years ago Hindu Scriptures recorded that the Earth was resting on the backs of several huge elephants. The elephants were resting on the back of a large turtle that was swimming in a sea. Greek mythology claimed the god Atlas was holding the Earth on his shoulders.

But the Bible says in Job 26:7 — “[God] hanged the Earth on nothing.” What a remarkable statement of fact. The Earth is suspended in space. Nothing tangible holds it up. Job wrote about the same time the Hindu Scriptures were written. How did Job know this scientific fact? Only God could have revealed it to Job. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.

Flat vs. Round Earth

For thousands of years people believed the Earth was flat. If you went too far, you would fall over the edge. The flat Earth was taught in both Hindu and Buddhist Scriptures. In the 1500s the first ship sailed around the world. For many this provided the empirical proof that the Earth was round. But the round Earth had been recorded in Hebrew Scriptures long before man’s discovery.

Isaiah (40:22) spoke of the “circle of the Earth.” Solomon wrote, “[God] set a compass [circle] upon the face of the deep.” (Prov. 8:27) About 3,000 years ago, your Bible said the Earth was round. Indeed, the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

Sun, Moon and Stars — Who? What?

Ancient people were afraid of the Sun, Moon and stars. They thought they were alive—that they were gods. But over 5,000 years ago the Bible in Genesis 1 pointed out that God created the Sun, Moon and stars—and our God states He is the one and only God. Centuries later, science delegated the Sun, Moon and stars to inanimate bodies.

Eclipses are an example of what people feared. An eclipse happens when the Sun’s light is blocked by the Earth or Moon. The Moon is bright because it reflects the Sun’s light. But when the Earth blocks that light, the Moon looks as if it is disappearing. Also, when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, the very light from the Sun appears to be going out.

This was frightening to the ancients. Some thought eclipses happened when the Moon was mad at the Earth and turned its face away. The Chinese believed that an eclipse was caused by a demon or some huge animal that ate the Sun and then regurgitated it. God told Jeremiah (10:2, KJV), “Thus said the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” God went on to reassure Jeremiah, the Hebrew Prophet, that the universe was under God’s control.

Later scientists learned that the heavenly bodies were not alive and that humankind need not fear them. Thousands of years before scientists discovered that the planetary bodies were inanimate, the Bible contained this scientific fact.

The Bottom of the Ocean

Until modern times people thought the ocean floor was sandy like the desert and saucer shaped—deepest in the middle. This was even true of the pre-1900 geologists. But in the 1900s oceanographers found the sea had many deep valleys or canyons. The deepest canyons were called trenches. The Mariana Trench in the Pacific is so deep that if Mt. Everest (over 29,000 feet high) were dropped into it, the peak would still be a mile below the water’s surface. There are also underwater mountains. The Atlantic Ocean has an undersea range of mountains 10,000 miles long.

But 3,000 years ago the Hebrew Scriptures spoke of the valleys and mountains of the sea. In Psalm 18:15 (NIV), David wrote of God being the creator of “the valleys of the sea.” God asked Job (38:16, NIV), “Have you...walked in the recesses [valleys] of the deep [sea]?” The Prophet Jonah was thrown off a ship and spoke of falling to the bottom of the mountains in the sea. (Jonah 2:3-6, — note verse 6).

The Bible spoke of the valleys and mountains of the sea thousands of years before scientists discovered them. Indeed, it is God’s communication to us.

“The Springs of the Sea”

Hot water vents have recently been discovered on the ocean floors by the latest technology. These “springs of the sea,” which release huge amounts of mineral-rich, super-heated water had been referred to in Job 38:16 thousands of years ago.

“The Paths of the Sea”

Matthew Maury (1806-1873), an officer in the United States Navy, believed his Bible and loved reading it. One day Maury was reading about the dominion man was given over the animals in Psalm 8. He was amazed that verse 8 spoke of the fish and all creatures that swim in the “paths of the sea.” “Paths of the sea” —How could this be? He never knew there was such a thing. He was determined to find them.

For 19 years Maury studied weather, wind, cloud and ocean patterns, as well as old ship logs. He discovered that the oceans had many paths or currents, which were like rivers flowing through the sea. By charting these currents he discovered the best routes for sea travel. Maury found a connection between the air circulation system and the ocean currents from Psalms 107:25.

In 1855 Maury wrote the first book on oceanography and became known as “the Pathfinder of the seas” — “The father of modern navigation.” For several centuries before, a few had only a limited knowledge of the paths or currents of the sea.

Maury received his idea about ocean currents from reading Psalm 8:8 which was written about 3,000 years ago by David. David wrote as he was influenced by God.

Psalm 8:8 also spoke of fish in the “paths of the seas.” Fishing boats make a good catch in the currents or paths of the sea. They have learned that this is where the fish are located.

Scientists have discovered that the Gulf Stream is one of the greatest sea paths beneath the Atlantic Ocean. It carries over twenty-five times the water than all the rivers on Earth, yet it is only a small part of a 13,000-mile current circling the Atlantic Ocean.

Air Mass and Water Weight

It was not until the 16th century that scientists realized air had weight. But long before, Job 28:25 referred to “a weight for the wind” and that God “weigheth the waters by measure.”

We now know that the weight of the oceans is in perfect balance with the gravity of the Sun and Moon.

Hydrologic Cycle and Weather Patterns

The complete hydrologic cycle of evaporation, cloud formation and precipitation is explained in the Scriptures.

Ecclesiastes 11:3 — “If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.”

Job 36:27-29 — “For He draws up drops of water, which distil as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, the thunder from His canopy?”

Again, Job stated (28:26), “God made decrees [rules] for the rain. And He set a way for the lightning of the thunder. 

Several thousand years later, scientists began to discern the “rules for the rain” that Job talked about. They found that rainfall is part of a process called the hydrologic cycle. The Sun evaporates water from the ocean. That water vapor rises and becomes clouds. Water in the clouds falls back to Earth as rain, collects in streams and rivers, and makes its way back to the ocean. As we now know, the process repeats itself continually.

About 300 years ago Galileo discovered this cycle. But amazingly, the Scriptures described the cycle over 2,000 years earlier. The Prophet Amos wrote (9:6) that God “calls for the water of the sea. He pours them out on the land.” How did Amos know this? Amos wrote as he was influenced by God.

In a recent study the US Department of Agriculture proved that most clouds worldwide are formed by the evaporation of ocean waters that cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface. Yet Ecclesiastes 1:7 was written long ago: “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.”

Lightning, Thunder and Rain

Other ancient religious Scriptures taught that lightning bolts were missiles thrown by angry gods.(1) Only the names of the gods differed. In China, Taoist Scriptures regarded the rainbow as a deadly rain dragon.(2) In Confucius Scriptures, the goddess of lightning, Tien Mu, flashed light on intended victims to enable Lei Kung, the god of thunder, to launch his deadly bolts accurately.(3)

Since rain is so necessary to life, ancient people pondered what caused it. Some tried to stab holes in clouds with spears. The Vedas (Hindu Scriptures) advised tying a frog with its mouth open to the right tree, saying the right words, and rain would fall.

The Bible also talks about rain, lightning and storms. But it contains none of these superstitious ideas found in the other so-called Scriptures. The Bible taught that Earth’s weather followed rules and cycles. Genesis 8:22. “While the Earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Scientists are now beginning to fully understand God’s “decrees [or rules] for the rain.” Since 68 B.C. it was thought that somehow thunder triggered the rainfall. Scientists are beginning to realize that, as stated in Job 28:26, it is lightning that triggers the rain to fall. Job knew that 3,000 years ago. Certainly Job’s writings were inspired by God.

Laws of Hygiene

The existence of germs and their transmission of infection was unknown to medical science until the end of the 19th century. Yet biblical laws written over 3,000 years ago in the book of Leviticus provided hygienic and sanitary instructions for protection from infections by germs found in broken pottery and dead animal bodies.

In 1845, a Viennese Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis decreased deaths at childbirth from 30% to two percent by having physicians wash their hands before examinations. Only in recent years have doctors realized the seriousness of hand washing in running water to keep germs from spreading to patients. Yet thousands of years ago, the Mosaic Law instructed Israel to bathe in running water and wash contaminated clothing and bedding upon encountering possible causes of infection or disease. Isolation was also used to prevent contamination. Num. 19:20; Lev. 15:13.

Medical Examinations and Control

Detailed laws in the Scriptures reveal an advanced system for controlling contagious diseases when other nations did not understand the dangers of infections. Levitical priests were instructed to act as Disease Detectors, examining sick individuals and protecting the community from contamination.

The infected individuals were not allowed to dwell within the community. Numbers 19:20. Even after recovering and returning from medical isolation, a person was subject to strict medical supervision to determine if he was healed. Leviticus 14:8.

Until the 20th century, people, except for the Israelites, kept patients with communicable diseases in their homes—even after death. Family members and others were exposed to deadly disease. People often questioned why the disease was affecting so many at one time.

Contagious Disease

Black Death—the bubonic plague—killed one out of four persons in the 14th century, an estimated total of sixty million. People attributed the epidemic to “bad air” or “evil spirits.” Yet the plague hardly affected the Jews who were obeying the quarantine laws of Leviticus. Down through the centuries, these medical and sanitary practices became a way of life with many Jews in all areas of possible infections.

Leprosy had killed millions in Europe. People thought leprosy was “brought on by eating hot food, pepper, garlic and the meat of diseased hogs” or by malign conjunction of the planets.

Again, when the sanitary legislation of isolation in Leviticus (13:43-46) was strictly followed, leprosy was finally brought under control. Arturo Castiglione wrote about the overwhelming significance of this biblical law:

The laws against leprosy in Leviticus 13 may be regarded as the first model of a sanitary legislation.(4)

Written over 3,000 years ago, the sanitation laws in Deuteronomy 23:13-14 required the burial of human excrement to protect Israel from exposure to many deadly epidemics. Until the 18th century, human excrement was dumped into unpaved streets, spreading diseases that killed millions.

In contrast to the Judeo-Christian Bible, Ancient Egyptian documents, similar to other ancient cultures, detail pharmacies prescribing: “Lizards’ blood, swine’ teeth, putrid meat, stinking fat, moisture from pigs’ ears... animal fats … excreta from animals, including human beings, donkeys, antelopes, dogs, cats, and even flies.” Egyptian medicine used “cat’s dung,” “hippopotamus dung,” and “fly dung.”(5)

War histories reveal that five times as many soldiers died from disease as from battle wounds. Military casualties of the Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902) indicate infections from exposure to germs generated from waste incapacitated or killed five times more soldiers than those killed in combat.

The sanitary standards demanded in the Bible protected the armies of ancient Israel from the massive infectious deaths sustained by armies down through history until the start of the 19th century.

The Human Immune System

The Mosaic Law instructed the circumcision of male children on the eighth day after birth. Genesis 17:12. Medical science has discovered that Prothrombin and Vitamin K, elements which affect blood coagulation, are at their highest peak on the eighth day. Vitamin K is not formed in its normal amount until the fifth to seventh day of life. On the eighth day Prothrombin is higher than normal, 110%. Thus, a baby has more Prothrombin on its eighth day than on any other day of its life.

Following is a brief chart of other instances in the Bible preempting scientific discoveries by centuries.

The most thrilling scientific anticipations are found in the book of Job.

Pleiades, Orion and Arcturus

Remember the story of Job? Job was extremely wealthy- enjoying a wonderful family. Then tragedy struck. Job lost his wealth. His children were killed and his wife deserted him. He lay in excruciating pain, covered with sores from head to toe. All of this was too much for Job. He accused the Lord of being unjust. God did not answer Job’s accusation directly. God merely raised questions concerning the wonders of His creation. Three of these questions are found in Job 38:31-32 and illustrate the dynamic logic conveyed in God’s questions.

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?
Or loose the bands of Orion?
Canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?”

Orion

“Canst thou . . . loose the bands of Orion?”

Garrett P. Serviss, the noted astronomer, in his book Curiosities of the Sky, wrote about the bands of Orion:

At the present time this band consists of an almost perfect straight line, a row of second-magnitude stars about equally spaced and of the most striking beauty. In the course of time, however, the two right-hand stars, Mintaka and Alnilam, will approach each other and form a naked-eye double; but the third, Alnitak, will drift away eastward so that the band will no longer exist. (6)

In other words, one star is traveling in a certain direction at a certain speed, a second one is traveling in a different direction at a second speed, and the third one is going in a third direction and at a still different speed. Actually, every star in Orion is traveling its own course, independent of the others. Thus, these stars that we see forming one of the bands of Orion are like three ships out on the high seas that happen to be in line at the present moment, but in the future will be separated by thousands of miles of ocean. In fact, all the stars that at the present time constitute the constellation of Orion are bound for different ports. All are journeying to different corners of the universe, so that the bands are being dissolved. God told Job this fact.

The Pleiades

“Canst thou bind the sweet influence of the Pleiades?”

Notice the amazing astronomical contrast with the Pleiades. The seven stars of the Pleiades are in reality seven groups of suns composed of 250 suns. Photographs now reveal that the 250 blazing suns in this group are all traveling together in one common direction. Concerning this cluster, Isabel Lewis of the United States Naval Observatory tells us:                         

Astronomers have identified 250 stars as actual members of this group, all sharing in a common motion and drifting through space in the same direction. (7)

Elsewhere Lewis speaks of them as “journeying onward together through the immensity of space.”

From Lick Observatory came this statement of Dr. Robert J. Trumpler:

Over 25,000 individual measures of the Pleiades stars are now available, and their study led to the important discovery that the whole cluster is moving in a southeasterly direction. The Pleiades stars may thus be compared to a swarm of birds, flying together to a distant goal. This leaves no doubt that the Pleiades are not a temporary or accidental agglomeration of stars, but a system in which the stars are bound together by a close kinship. (8)

Dr. Trumpler said that all this understanding led to an important discovery. Without any reference whatsoever to the book of Job, he announced to the world that these discoveries prove that the stars in the Pleiades are bound together and are flying together like a flock of birds as they journey to their distant goal. That is exactly what God said. “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?” In other words, “Canst thou keep them bound together so that they remain as a family of suns?”

Incredible! God’s laws of cosmology are loosing or dissolving the constellation Orion. Sometime in the far distant future, Orion will be no more. Conversely, wonder of wonders—every last one of the 250 blazing suns in the Pleiades is ordained of God to orbit together in their symmetrical beauty throughout eternity.

Arcturus

“Canst thou guide Arcturus [or The Bear]
with his sons?”

Instead of “Arcturus,” some translators render the Hebrew, “The Bear and his sons.” This seems plausible since the Bear constellation has three little stars that could be considered the “sons.” Such an observation 3,000 years ago is significant. However, we feel that there is an even more startling scientific statement in this verse. Many feel that it refers to the giant runaway star Arcturus. “His sons” would be the runaway stars of lesser size. Garrett P. Serviss wrote:

Arcturus, one of the greatest suns in the universe, is a runaway whose speed of flight is 90 miles per second. Arcturus, we have every reason to believe, possesses about four times the mass of our Sun. Think of it! Our Sun is traveling only 12 ½ miles a second, but Arcturus is traveling 90 miles a second. Think, then, of the prodigious momentum this motion implies. (9)

It could be turned into a new course by a close approach to a great sun, but it could only be stopped by collision head on with a body of enormous mass. Barring such accidents, it must, as far as we can see, keep on until it has traversed our stellar system, whence it may escape and pass out into space beyond to join perhaps one of those other island universes of which we have spoken. (10)

Charles Burckhalter, of the Chabot Observatory, added an interesting note regarding this great sun:

This high velocity places Arcturus in that very small class of stars that apparently are a law unto themselves. He is an outsider, a visitor, and a stranger within the gates; to speak plainly, Arcturus is a runaway. Newton gives the velocity of a star under control as not more than 25 miles a second, and Arcturus is going 257 miles a second. Therefore, combined attraction of all the stars we know cannot stop him or even turn him in his path. (11)

When Mr. Burckhalter had his attention called to this text in the book of Job, he studied it in the light of modern discovery and made a statement that has attracted worldwide attention:

The study of the book of Job and its comparison with the latest scientific discoveries has brought me to the matured conviction that the Bible is an inspired book and was written by the One who made the stars. (12)

The wonders of God’s universe never cease to amaze us. Arcturus is the largest runaway sun, hence the “father” of the other runaway suns. These other individual runaway suns are spoken of as Arcturus’ “sons” and seem to be out of orbit in our galaxy. Traveling at such incredible speeds, why don’t they crash into other suns or planets? Where are they headed? Only God knows. Indeed, they are not runaways. They will not crash. Why? God is guiding them.

Other Sacred Books and the Physical Sciences

The Hindu Scriptures, the Vedas and Uparushads, consider that “all the objects and phenomena of nature [by] which man is surrounded, are animate and divine.”(13) This includes the Sun, Moon, Earth, clouds, rain, rivers, seas, and rocks as being alive. Writers of the Buddhist canon ascribe life to numerous non-living objects—Sun, Moon, lightning, rainbows, mountains, etc. The Taoist and Confucian writings of China contain similar errors.

The Qur’an, the Scriptures of Islam, written less than 1,500 years ago, does not contain many of the ancient superstitions. Yet its observations of the universe are seriously flawed. The Qur’an speaks of seven literal solid heavens.(14) These heavens contain lamps or stars whose main purpose is to be “darted at the devils.”(15) Mohammed wrote “the Sun sets in a sea of black mud.”(16)

Only the Bible passes the test of science that it was directed by God. Several thousand years before their scientific discovery, the God of science had these facts recorded in His Scriptures. 

Remember the Lesson of Job

Few have suffered the multiple tragedies of Job. How could God reach through the enormity of Job’s self-pity? (Job thought God just did not care.) In these three questions (Job 38:31-32) God is saying in reality:

Job, you think I am not concerned about your suffering. Well, let Me ask you these questions. Can you loose the bands of Orion? No, you cannot. But My Divine power will—some day Orion will no longer exist. Job, can you bind the 250 stars of the Pleiades together in their symmetry of beauty and not have a single one drift off? Only I have this power and wisdom. Can you prevent the runaways-Arcturus and his sons-from colliding as they go dashing out of the Milky Way? No, only My Divine power and wisdom can.

Job, if I am caring for the details of the universe, do you doubt that I not only care for the details of your life, but that I have the ability to solve your problems? Trust that there is a good reason I am permitting these tragedies. Remember, Job, I work from the perspective of your eternal welfare.

Job’s response was:

I know that You can do everything,
That nothing You propose is impossible for You.
Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge?
Indeed, I spoke without understanding
Of things beyond me, which I did not know.
Hear now, and I will speak;
I will ask, and You will inform me.
I had heard You with my ears,
But now I see You with my eyes.
Job 42:2-5

What an awesome way God chose to tell Job that He was in full control of human affairs, including Job’s life! When God finished His series of questions, Job exclaimed: “I had heard You with my ears, but now I see You with my eyes.”

Job finally learned the meaning of his severe trial. He learned that its loving purpose was to give him a clearer understanding of God that he might realize a deeper and eternal purpose to life. He speaks of this clearer understanding as “seeing” the Lord, instead of merely having heard about him. Since he had gained such deep insights of God, Job’s brief period of suffering was a most valuable experience.

Besides restoring Job’s health, “the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” Job 42:12-15.

The Lesson of Job for Us

Perhaps like Job, in utter misery you have cried out to God—even questioning his justice. Some write off the history of Job as Old Testament folklore. Whoever heard of God talking to a man! These are hand-me-down tales! However, the account of Job cannot be gainsaid.

Whatever the method of communication used by God, the astonishing facts cannot be refuted. These scientific facts recorded in the book of Job concerning the Pleiades, Orion and Arcturus anticipated scientific discovery by nearly 3,000 years. Scientists only discovered these startling facts in the 20th century, yet they were recorded in the book of Job nearly 3,000 years ago. What an awesome confirmation of the Bible! Who can doubt it is the inspired word of God? Yes, the book of Job has a powerful, exclusive lesson for modern man. Modern  science proves God’s Word, the Judeo-Christian Bible, is true. The Bible does contain the answer to why God permits evil.

Honest Doubt

Job 2:10 states: “In all of this Job sinned not with his lips.” How does this harmonize with Job 30:21-31 where Job accused God of being unjust? Where there are facts, there can be no doubts. But our relationship with God is by faith, not facts—“the just shall live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:4. Where there is faith, there is room for doubt. We saw the drama of Job’s struggles to a mature faith. Job had doubts, but he did not try to inflict his doubts upon others. While doubting he lacked trust, but still had belief in God. So he took his doubts where we should take our doubts—to his God. And God dramatically answered Job’s doubts and developed in him a full assurance of faith.

We will have doubts in our journey of faith. At such times we must copy the example of Job, and take our doubts to the Lord in prayer. If our heart is sincere, God will answer our doubts. He will speak to us. And He speaks to 21st century man through His Word, the Judeo-Christian Bible. In God’s providence the book of Job was especially written for our time.

Much of the scientific probing of Chapters 38 through 41 can only be fully understood in the light of modern scientific discovery. God in his foreknowledge knew that the cunning deceptions of humanist philosophy and sophistry would reach their zenith as a challenge to faith in this post-modern philosophical era which challenges the very existence of God.

How do we know there is a God? How do we know moral standards are important? Where do we find the answer to—Why does God permit evil and suffering? In the book of Job, God is telling us:

Just as I answered Job’s questions and doubts, I can answer your questions and doubts. My answer is found in My Word, the Bible. How do you know the Bible is My inspired Word? Many of the startling scientific facts I caused to be recorded in the book of Job nearly 3,000 years ago were only discovered in the 20th century. This is My assurance to you that the Bible was written under My direction. Yes, the Bible inspires a logical faith and hope. Accept the challenge of Job’s journey to faith.