Transcript Is The Bible Reliable Scientifically?

Is The Bible Reliable
Scientifically?
Dr. Heinz Lycklama
[email protected]
www.osta.com/apologetics
Overview
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Scientific statements in the Bible
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Reliability of the Bible established by:
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Prophecy, history, geography, archaeology
Laws of science consistent with the Bible
Scientific statements/anticipation in the Bible
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Are they accurate?
Astronomy, geophysics, geology, hydrology
Meteorology, biology, physics
Alleged scientific errors in the Bible
Scientific disciplines established by Biblebelieving scientists
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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To Begin the Discussion …
•
In 1903, a British philosopher, Herbert Spencer,
made a profound scientific statement:
“Everything in the universe can be
explained by five basic things - space,
matter, time, force, and action.”
•
Spencer, an evolutionist, was a contemporary of
Charles Darwin, the British scientist credited with
popularizing the concept of evolution. He
(Spencer) was given a prestigious award by the
British Science Society at the time. This was
considered to be a major contribution to science.
And it is, until you realize that …
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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What Does The 1st Bible Verse Say?
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Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in
Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning (time) God (force) created
(action) the heavens (space) and the earth (matter).”
What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that
Moses was educated in the tradition of the Egyptians.
They believed that only the ocean existed at first. An
egg/flower appeared and the sun god was born. The sun
god had four children, of whom one was Geb (the earth).
They believed that the earth was a flat disk afloat on the
river of the ocean. None of this mythology of the time
was included in the book of Genesis.
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Some Common Misconceptions
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Skeptics and unbelievers think:
Evolution is Science
“The Bible is an antiquated religious book,
filled with scientific fallacies and
mistakes reflecting the naïve cosmology
of the primitive tribes of the Near East.”
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Even some professing Christians think:
“The Bible is a book of true religion
dealing solely with spiritual subjects and
that, where it seems to touch on matters
of science and history, it must be
interpreted spiritually or allegorically,
rather than literally.
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
Creation is Religion
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Can I Believe The Bible?
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Consider Ps. 103:12, “As far as the East is
from the West, so far has He removed our
transgressions from us.”
The psalmist used the words “East/West” not
“North/South”
When one travels west, one always goes
west and never gets to the east
When one travels south, eventually one
reaches the South Pole and goes north
These concepts are only true if the earth is
round!
How could the author have known this?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Can I Believe the Bible? - 2
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There are many evidences for the existence of
God and the truth of the Bible
However, for someone committed to naturalism,
no amount of evidence will do
“Apologetics is not for proving the Word of God
but simply for providing a basis for faith” (Josh
McDowell)
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1 Peter 3:15, “ … and always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear.”
True faith satisfies both the heart and the
intellect (mind)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Reliability of the Bible
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Strong Manuscript evidence – More ancient manuscripts than
any other historical book. New Testament Confirmed by secular
historians Josephus (before 100 AD), Roman Tacitus (120 AD),
Roman Governer Pliny (110 AD)
Archaeological evidence – Countless finds of Old and New
Testament cities, sites and relics
Prophecy – Several hundred fulfilled prophesies including the
time of Christ’s ministry, his birthplace, and method of death.
Destruction of Babylon by Cyrus, Progression of Kingdoms
from Babylon through Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire
and the Roman Empire, suffering of Jews under Antiochus IV
Epiphanes, Freedom for Jews under Judas Maccabeus and
Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Apostle Paul’s Experience
Acts 28:23-27, “… many came to him at his lodging, to whom he
[Paul] explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses
and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were
persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after
Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through
Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, "saying, ‘Go to this people and
say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing
you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have
grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they
have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them."'”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Arguments for God’s Existence
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The Cosmological Argument – everything has a
cause; God is the initial “First Cause”
The Moral Argument – our sense of moral
values points to the existence of a moral Creator
The Teleological Argument – evidence of design
and purpose in the world point to intelligent
creator, as a watch indicates a watchmaker
The Ontological Argument – the concept of God
as the greatest conceivable and necessary Being
Note that neither the Bible nor Jesus try to
prove the existence of God - they assume it
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Creation Shows God
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Romans 1:20, “Because what may be
known of God is manifest in them, for God
has shown it to them. For since the creation
of the world His invisible attributes are
clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”
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Knowing that there must be God obliges us to
seek Him
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What is The Absolute Truth?
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Arguments to Support the Bible
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The unparalleled reliability and accuracy of the
historical text of the Bible
Confirmation of the events, places, nations, and
people of the Bible by archaeology
It is unique in many ways (written over 1,500
year span, over 40 authors maintaining harmony
and continuity, survival through time, influence
on society, unique teachings, etc.)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Reliability of the Bible
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When compared against classical
literature, the historical reliability of
the Bible is outstanding
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Number of manuscripts: NT 24,000;
Iliad by Homer 643
Time between when written and earliest
copy: NT 25 years; Iliad 500 years
OT accuracy verified by the Dead Sea
Scrolls and the Ebla Tablets
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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It’s A Matter of the Heart
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Einstein said “Science without religion is lame; religion
without science is blind.”
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by
the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”
Psalm 139:13-16, “For You formed my inward parts; You
covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I
am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your
works, And that my soul knows very well. … ”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Be Sure of Your Facts
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There are no historical or scientific errors in the Bible
There are no scientific errors because God cannot lie
We believe in the full, verbal inspiration, inerrancy
and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures
The Bible is written in everyday language
Bible writers used the language of appearance, e.g.
sunrise, sunset, dew
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When the sun “rises” would you say
“my what a beautiful earth rotation”?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Be Sure of Your Facts - 2
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Science has never disproved any statement in
the Bible, but it has proven and demonstrated
the truth of hundreds of things which the Bible
anticipated, e.g.
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Gen. 1:1 – space, matter, time, force, action
Ps. 103:12 – as far as the east is from the west
We must be sure of
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Our scriptural facts,
Our scientific facts, and
What we heard
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Scriptural Facts
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Dr. Criswell advertised that he would give anybody
$1000 if he could show him a scientific inaccuracy,
mistake, or error in the Bible
Woman called to say:
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Apples cannot grow in the Mesopotamian Valley
Apples only grow in OR and WA
I know it’s true because my professor told me so!
Gen. 3:2-3, ”And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We
may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the
fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch
it, lest you die.'"
Lesson – check your facts!
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Scientific Facts
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Dan. 12:4 , “But you, Daniel, shut up the words,
and seal the book until the time of the end; many
shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
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An explosion of knowledge in the last days
90% of all scientists are living today
Increased knowledge
> 100K scientific periodicals, many specialties
> 2000 words per minute are being added
Earth satellites collect 10^12 bits of data per day
No one can claim to be an “authority” in general
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Scientific Facts - 2
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Much new knowledge obsoletes old
knowledge
Scientists or liberals may try to harmonize
teachings of Genesis with contemporary
science
What if we updated the Bible in accordance
with the latest scientific theories and
discoveries?
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The Bible is constant
Science changes theories based on
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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What Did We Hear?
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Communication, especially
miscommunication, can lead
to misperceptions
Story of the cake decorator:
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Bride told her to put the
words of 1 John 4:18 “There
is no fear in love …” on cake
Decorator heard John 4:18
and put these words on cake
“you have had five husbands
…”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Should We Change The Bible To
Agree With Science?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Laws of Science
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Law of biogenesis - life can come only from life
1st Law of Thermodynamics – the law of
conservation of mass / energy (E = mc2”)
2nd Law of Thermodynamics – the law of entropy,
(in a closed or open system):
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Spontaneous processes lead to a decrease in order
Energy moves to a lower potential, becoming less
available to do work
Things move in a direction from order to chaos
Law of Cause and Effect – Every effect must have
a cause. The effect cannot be greater, in size or in
kind, than the cause
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Law of Biogenesis
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Life comes only from preexisting life
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Experiments run over two centuries
Louis Pasteur, Redi, Spellanzani
Spontaneous origin of life impossible:
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Miller’s experiment made
wrong assumptions about
early earth’s environment
Organic molecules
oxidized by oxygen
Probability of protein formation by chance is less
than 1 in 10**130, i.e. ZERO/ZIP/NONE
Simple cell requires 100’s of protein molecules in
a specific order
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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st
1
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Law of Thermodynamics
Gen. 2:2-3, “on the seventh day God ended His work
which He had done. … in it He rested from all His work
which God had created and made .”
Neh. 9:6, “.. You have made heaven, The heaven of
heavens, with all their host, … And You preserve them
all. …”
Col. 1:16,17, “For by Him all things were created that
are in heaven and that are on the earth … All things
were created through Him and for Him. And He is
before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Heb. 1:2,3 “… by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of
all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being
the brightness of His glory … and upholding all things by the
word of His power, when He had by Himself …”
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@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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2
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Ps. 102:25-27, “Of old You laid the foundation of the
earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all
grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change
them, And they will be changed.”
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Law of Thermodynamics
Consistent with entropy – everything runs down
Is. 51:6, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on
the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away
like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment, …”
Rom. 8:20-22, “ … For we know that the whole
creation groans and labors with birth pangs together
until now.”
1 Pet. 1:24-25 “”All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of
man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its
flower falls away, but the
word
of the Lord endures forever.” 26
@ Dr.
Heinz Lycklama
Law of Cause and Effect
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Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.”
The First Cause of the Universe must be
an infinite, eternal, omnipotent,
omniscient, omnipresent, personal,
volitional, holy, loving being!
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Biblical Reliability on Science
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We trust the Bible for spiritual truth
Do we trust it for truth in other areas?
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History - events corroborated by
historians
Archaeology, geography – verifiable
facts
Science - astronomy, geophysics,
geology, hydrology, meteorology,
biology, physics
there are many Biblical references to nature
and natural processes
 authors use everyday language
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@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Astronomy – The Sun
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Ps. 136:7-9 “To Him who made great lights,
...the sun to rule by day, ... the moon and stars to
rule by night ...”
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Scientifically accurate
Gen. 1:16, “Then God made two great lights: the
greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to
rule the night. He made the stars also.”
Ps. 74:16 “... You have prepared the light and
the sun.”
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Did God create the light separate from the sun in
the beginning?
Gen. 1:3, “Let there be light’; and there was light.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Astronomy – The Moon
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Job 25:5, “If even the moon does not shine ...”
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Ps. 89:37, “It shall be established forever like the
moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.”
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The moon itself is not a source of light
Moon rocks filled with titanium, a better reflector
than diamonds
The moon itself is not a source of light,
but a reflector of light from the sun
The moon is not a source of light
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Astronomy – Size of Universe
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Is. 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, …”
Job 22:12 “Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!”
Jer. 31:37 “… If heaven above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth searched out
beneath, …”
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These three verses indicate the size of the universe
Written around 700 BC
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Astronomy – Diverse Stars
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Jer. 31:35-36, “…Who gives the sun for a
light by day, the ordinances of the moon and
the stars for a light by night …”
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Defines the precision of orbits
Praise to the Creator, contains no scientific error
1 Cor. 15:41, “ … for one star differs from
another star in glory.”
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Variety of stars, no two stars alike
God calls them by name (Ps. 147:4)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Number of Stars
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Gen. 15:5 “... count the stars, if you are able to number them.
… so shall your descendants be.”
Gen. 22:17 “… and multiplying I will multiply your
descendants as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which
is upon the sea shore…”
Jer. 33:22 “ … as the host of heaven cannot be numbered,
nor the sand of the sea measured …”
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Ptolemy counted 1056 stars; Johannes Kepler counted 1005
Total number of stars visible to the naked eye is about 4000
These three verses seemed to be in scientific error until …
… the telescope
Today scientists estimate there are more than 10**22 stars
(about the same order of magnitude as the number of grains
of sand on the earth)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Stretched Out The Heavens
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Job 9:8, “He alone spreads out the
heavens”
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Ps. 104:2, “… Who stretch out the heavens like a
curtain. …”
Is. 40:22, “ … Who stretches out the heavens like
a curtain, … “
Is 51:13, “ … Who stretched out the heavens and
laid the foundations of the earth; … “
God stretched the heavens out in the past, and still
stretches the universe out today
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@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Constellations
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Job 38:31 “Can you bind the cluster
of Pleiades, or loose the belt of
Orion?”
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God told Job in ~ 2000 BC that the
seven stars of Pleiades were bound
together and the stars of Orion are not
Pleiades used to be called the “seven
sisters”
We learned [20th century] that the stars
of Pleiades are gravitationally bound
and the stars of Orion are not
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Geophysics – Floating Spherical Earth
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Job 26:7,10 “He stretches
out the north over empty
space; He hangs the
earth on nothing. … He
drew a circular horizon on
the face of the waters, at
the boundary of light and
darkness.”
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Indicates a round earth,
not resting on a pillar,
consistent with
observation
Written at a time when
many thought the@ earth
Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Spherical Earth
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Prov. 8:27, “... When He drew a circle on the
face of the deep.”
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Is. 40:22, “It is He who sits above the circle
of the earth ...”
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Indicates that the earth is a globe
“chuwg”, Hebrew word for arc, sphere
Ocean has 8 inch (20 cm.) per mile curvature
Ps. 103:12, “As far as the east is from the
west …”
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Consistent with the shape of the earth
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Floating Rotating Earth
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Job 38:12,14, “Have you commanded the morning since
your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place,
… It takes on form like clay under a seal, and stands out
like a garment.”
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The dawn rolls across the earth as it rotates
A cylindrical seal rolled over soft clay -> conveys the rotation
of the earth on its axis
Job 26:7; 38:6, “He stretches out the north over empty
space; He hangs the earth on nothing.”; “To what were
its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone?”
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Earth out there in space, gravitation among the planets
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Geology
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Job 14:18-19, “But as a mountain falls and crumbles
away, and as a rock is moved from its place; as water
wears away stones, and as torrents wash away the soil
of the earth; … “
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Rock erosion
Job 28:9-10, “He puts his hand on the flint; He
overturns the mountains at the roots. He cuts out
channels in the rocks … “
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Man’s efforts in mining
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Geology – Snow, Frost, Ice
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Job 38:29-30, “From whose womb comes the
ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
The waters harden like stone, And the surface of
the deep is frozen.”
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Glacial period
2 Pet. 3:4, “And saying, Where is the promise of
His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning
of creation.”
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Warning of Uniformitarianism?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Principle of Isostasy
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Is. 40:12, “Who has measured the waters in the
hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span
and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a
balance?”
Ps. 104:5-9, “Who laid the foundations of the
earth …”
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According to the Principle of Isostasy, the level of the
Earth's crust is determined by its density; lighter
material rises, forming continents, mountains, and
plateaus, and heavier material sinks, forming basins
and ocean floors
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hydrology
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Eccl. 1:7, “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.” [Written by Solomon in 935 B.C.]
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The hydrologic cycle has been understood by man only in
recent years -> ~ mid-1800’s
World’s food supply is made possible by the distribution of
water
Is. 55:10, “For as the rain comes down and the snow
from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth,
and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to
the sower and bread to the eater.”
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Hydrologic cycle
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hydrologic Cycle
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Ps. 135:7; Jer. 10:13, “… He causes the vapors to
ascend from the ends of the earth, He makes
lightning for the rain … ”
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Evaporation occurs after “a multitude of waters in the
heavens” descends
Prov. 8:26, “While as
yet He had not made
the earth or the fields,
or the primal dust of
the world.”
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Condensation nuclei
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hydrology – Clouds, Mist, Water
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Job 26:8; 37:11,16, “He binds up the water in His thick
clouds, yet the clouds are not broken under it. … Also with
moisture He saturates the thick clouds. … Do you know
how the clouds are balanced … “
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Job 36:27-28, “For he draws up drops of water which distill
as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour
abundantly on man.”
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Condensation from the clouds, which hold water mysteriously
Precipitation explained
Job 28:10, “He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye
sees every precious thing.”
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Run-off explained
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Water Reservoir, Snow, Hail, Frost
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Ps. 33:7, “He gathers the waters of the sea
together as a heap; He lays up the deep in
storehouses.”
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Job 38:22, “Have you entered the treasury of
snow or have you seen the treasury of hail …”
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Oceanic reservoir
Snow and hail
Ps. 147:16, “He gives snow like wool; He
scatters the frost like ashes.”
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Snow and frost
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hydrologic Balance
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Is. 40:12, “Who has measured the waters in the
hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span
and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a
balance?”
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Describes the hydrologic balance
Job 28:24-26, “For He looks to the ends of the
earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to
establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the
waters by measure. When he made a law for the
rain, and a path for the thunderbolt.”
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Describes the hydrologic balance
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Meteorology
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Eccl. 1:6, “The wind goes toward the south and turns around
to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and comes
again on its circuit.”
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Is. 40:22, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out
the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to
dwell in.”
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Circulation of the atmosphere, not
discovered until much later
Wind circuits impact airplane flight times
Protective effect of atmosphere
Job 28:25, “To establish a weight for the wind, … “
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Air has weight – proven about 300 years ago
Relative weights of air and water needed for hydrologic cycle
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Meteorology - 2
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Eccl. 1:7, “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.”
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Oceanic origin of rain
Jer. 10:13, “… He makes
lightning for the rain,
He brings the wind out
of His treasuries.”
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Relation of electricity to rain
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Oceanography
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Ps. 8:8, “The birds of the air, and the fish of the
sea that pass through the paths of the seas.”
Matthew Maury undertook research project based
on this Scripture verse (1841-1861)
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There are paths in the sea
Also aware of “wind circuits” in Eccl. 1:6-7
Concluded that there must be “currents in the ocean”
Plotted wind circuits and ocean currents as an aid to
navigation of the seas
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Paths in the Sea
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Gulf stream is a “path in the sea”




40 miles wide, 2000 feet deep
Flows from Gulf of Mexico up through the Atlantic
Many other paths in the sea discovered since
Monument erected in Maury’s home state of VA
“Matthew Fontaine Maury, Pathfinder of the Seas, the
Genius Who First Snatched from the Ocean and
Atmosphere the Secret of Their Laws. His Inspiration,
Holy Writ, Psalm 8:8, Psalm 107:23-24, and
Ecclesiastes 1:6."
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
50
Springs, Fountains, Valleys

Gen. 7:11, “ … on that day all the fountains of
the great deep were broken up, and the windows
of heaven were opened.”


Gen. 8:2, “The fountains of the deep and the
windows of heaven were also stopped, … “


Source of flood waters started
Source of flood waters stopped
2 Sam. 22:16, “Then the channels of the sea
were seen, the foundations of the world were
uncovered, … “

Valleys in the seas
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
51
Biology

Gen. 1:26, “… let us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness; …”


Gen 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your seed and her Seed; …“



The uniqueness of man
A female possesses the “seed of life”
Not common knowledge until a few centuries ago
Prov. 16:24, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Psychotherapy
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
52
Biology – Nature of Flesh

Gen. 1:11,24-27; 3:19, “In the sweat of your face you
shall eat bread till you return to the ground; for out of it
you were taken, for dust you are, and to dust you shall
return.”


The chemical nature of flesh is evident from this
1 Pet. 1:24-25, “… all flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass
withers, and its flower falls away. But the word of the
Lord endures forever.”

Man returns to dust and his body is gone
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
53
Biblical Kinds

Gen. 1:11-12, 21, 24-25, “…herb that yields seed
according to its kind, …, beast of the earth according to its
kind.”



Indicates stability of different kinds
Biogenesis, each producing after its own kind [used 10 times]
What does the fossil record suggest?


Stasis – most species show no directional change;
morphological change is limited and directionless
Sudden appearance – species do not appear gradually
by steady change of its ancestors; they appear all at
once and “fully formed”, e.g. “Cambridge Explosion”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
54
Circulatory System

Gen. 9:4 “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life,
that is, its blood.”



Life is in the blood, a medical statement
Blood circulatory system, and importance of blood to life,
were scientifically discovered by William Harvey in 1616
AD
Lev. 17:11,14 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood
...”
“For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified
with its life.” [Written by Moses ~ 1400 BC.]


Blood circulation, life in the blood
Used to “bleed” a patient to remove a disease
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
55
Painless Surgery

Gen. 2:21, “And the Lord God caused a deep
sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He
took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its
place.”



God knew that the key to painless surgery was to put
the patient to sleep.
Until the 1800’s surgery was performed without
anesthesia – perfected by William Morton ~ 1846,
inspired by Gen. 2:21.
Anesthetic gases were discovered in early 1800’s.
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
56
Germs Cause Infection

Lev. 11:40 “He also who carries its carcass shall
wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.”



God told Moses to wash after handling dead things
(~ 1400 BC.)
Until the 1800’s doctors handled the dead and then
treated patients without washing.
Phillip Semmelweiss proved that disease can be
transferred by not washing after handling dead things
(~ 1846 AD.)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
57
The Immune System

Gen. 17:12, “He who is eight days old among
you shall be circumcised, every male child in
your generations, he who is born in your house
or bought with money from any foreigner who
is not your descendant.”


Eighth day is the only day in
the entire life of the newborn
that the blood clotting element
prothrombin is above 100%
Medical science has discovered
that this is when the immune
system is at its peak
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
58
Proper Nutrition


Gen. 2:9, “And out of the ground the Lord
God made every tree grow that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food.”
Ps. 104:14, “He causes the grass to grow
for the cattle, and vegetation for the service
of man, that He may bring forth food from
the earth.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
59
Value of Proper Nutrition




God designed plant life to be nutritional.
The Psalmist recognized the benefits of
the grass and herbs.
In the mid 1700’s James Lind discovered
the benefits of vitamin C.
In the late 1800’s Christian Eijkman
discovered the benefits of thiamine.
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
60
Physics


Heb. 1:3, “… upholding all things by the word of His power
…”;
Col. 1:17, “He is before all things, and in Him all things
consist.”


Mass-energy equivalence (First Law of Thermodynamics)
Heb. 11:3, “By faith we understand that the worlds were
prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not
made out of things which are visible.”


Mass is manifestation of energy
World’s basic elements are the electron, proton, neutron, neutrino
(not earth, air, water, fire - as thought by the early Greeks)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
61
Sources of Light and Energy

Gen. 1:14,17, “… let there be lights in the firmament
of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let
them be for signs and seasons, and for days and
years. … God set them in the firmament of the
heavens to give light on the earth.”


Source of energy for the earth
Ps. 19:6, “Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its
circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden
from its heat.”


Sun is source of energy for the earth
Sun moving at 600K mph around center of Milky Way galaxy
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
62
Radio Waves, Radiation

2 Pet. 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come as
a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass
away with a great noise, and the elements will
melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the
works that are in it will be burned up.”


Atomic disintegration
Job 38:35 “Can you send out lightnings, that
they may go, and say to you, ‘Here we are!’?”

Radio waves, electromagnetic radiation
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
63
Were You There?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
64
Alleged Scientific Errors in Bible

1 Kings 7:23 “And he made the Sea of cast
bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other;
it was completely round. Its height was five
cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its
circumference.”



A measurement in Solomon’s Temple
All engineers know that the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter
is pi, i.e. 3.1415923
Within rounding accuracy, this is true!
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
65
“Four Corners of the Earth”

Rev. 7:1 “… four corners of the earth
…”



The phrase “four corners” in the
Greek means “four quarters”
Translated this way in Rev. 20:8 and
other Scriptures
Common language used in
surveying and mapping today
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
66
The Circuit of the Sun

Ps. 19:6 “[The sun’s] rising is from one end of
the heaven, and its circuit to the other end, …”





Convention used by astronomers
and cartographers even today
We measure the motion of the
sun, moon and stars relative to
the earth
All heavenly bodies are in
motion relative to each other
Sun moves around center of
Milky Way galaxy at 600,000 mph
Sun does move within the universe
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
67
The Bible Is Unique



Unique among religious books of
antiquity in scientific accuracy
There is no “modern science” in the
Babylonian, Hindu, Islamic or Greek
sacred books
Even the Koran says that the moon is
higher than the sun in the sky
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
68
Scientific Disciplines Established
by Bible-Believing Scientists
Discipline
Scientist
Astronomy
Johann Kepler (1571-1630)
Bacteriology
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
Chemistry
Robert Boyle (1627-1691)
Computer
Science
Dynamics
Charles Babbage (17921871)
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
Electrodynamics Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
69
Scientific Disciplines Established
by Bible-Believing Scientists - 2
Discipline
Scientist
Electromagnetics Michael Faraday (17911867)
Natural History
John Ray (1627-1705)
Oceanography
Matthew Maury (1806-1873)
Taxonomy
Carolus Linnaeus (17071778)
Thermodynamics Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
70
Notable Discoveries by BibleBelieving Scientists
Contribution
Barometer
Biogenesis Law
Classification System
Law of Gravity
Scientific Method
Telegraph
Vaccination and
Scientist
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
Carolus Linnaeus (17071778)
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Samuel Morse (1791-1872)
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
71
Biblical Worldview Presuppositions






Nature is real, not imaginary
Nature is a “thing,” not a god
Nature is worth studying
Nature is unified and orderly
The natural order is mathematically precise
Human minds can discover and understand
the natural order
The Soul of Science, Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
72
Conclusions






The Bible is accurate when it speaks
on science
The Bible uses the language of the day
The Bible anticipates future scientific truths
Scientists have used the Bible to discover
scientific truths
Biblical worldview presuppositions are rational
Modern science is founded on the biblical
worldview
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.“ Is. 40:8
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
73