What Does the Bible Say About the Shape of the Earth?
Discussions about the shape of the earth have resurfaced in recent years, with some suggesting that the Bible teaches a flat earth and others insisting that it affirms a spherical one. The truth is more nuanced. The Bible presents the world through a three-tiered cosmology—heaven above, the earth beneath, and the underworld below—but it does not intend to teach modern science. This means believers can affirm the authority of Scripture without requiring it to match twenty-first-century scientific descriptions.
Instead, the Bible uses ancient imagery to communicate spiritual truths: God created and rules over all realms, Christ is Lord over heaven and earth, and every knee will bow to Him—whether in heaven, on earth, or under the earth (Philippians 2:10).
1. Understanding the Bible’s Three-Tiered Cosmology
The Bible’s cosmology reflects the worldview of the ancient Near East, where the cosmos was pictured as a structured whole:
Heaven – The dwelling place of God and His heavenly host, pictured as above a solid sky dome.
Earth – The land where humanity lives, set on firm foundations and surrounded by waters.
Under the Earth – The realm of the dead (Sheol) or the place of spiritual beings opposed to God.
This framework appears in multiple passages, such as Exodus 20:4, which prohibits making images “in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth.” The same threefold pattern appears in Revelation 5:3, where all creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth are summoned to worship.
2. Ancient Descriptions of the Earth’s Shape
In Genesis 1:6–8, the heavens are described as a raqia—a solid expanse separating the waters above from the waters below. The Psalms speak of the earth having “foundations” (Psalm 104:5) and being “set on pillars” (1 Samuel 2:8). Job 38 describes the earth as if it were measured and laid out like a building.
These descriptions are not attempts at modern geography but reflect a poetic and theological worldview. In the biblical imagination, the shape of the earth is less about precise physical dimensions and more about its place within God’s ordered creation. The language served the purpose of reinforcing truths about God’s sovereignty and the stability of His creation.
3. The Bible’s Purpose Is Not Scientific
One of the most important principles in interpreting what the Bible says about the shape of the earth is recognizing that Scripture’s goal is not to give us a scientific map of the universe. The biblical authors wrote from a pre-scientific perspective, using the cosmological models common in their time.
This does not diminish Scripture’s truthfulness; it simply means the truth it communicates is theological rather than technical. When Moses describes the earth as having “corners” (Isaiah 11:12) or being “immovable” (Psalm 93:1), he is not contradicting modern science—he is poetically declaring God’s sovereign rule and the security of His people.
4. Spiritual Truths Communicated Through Cosmology
The ancient imagery of heaven, earth, and under the earth communicates profound spiritual truths:
God reigns over all realms – Whether in the spiritual heavens, the inhabited earth, or the unseen underworld, nothing is outside His dominion.
Humanity’s place is under God’s rule – The earth is where people live out their calling as His image-bearers.
Christ’s victory extends everywhere – Philippians 2:10 declares that every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow to Jesus.
By understanding the ancient worldview, we can better appreciate how biblical cosmology serves as a stage for God’s redemptive drama.
5. Why We Don’t Need to Believe the Earth Is Flat
While the Bible uses imagery consistent with an ancient flat-earth model, it never instructs readers to adopt this as a scientific belief. The descriptions were meaningful in their own time for theological purposes. Insisting on a scientifically flat earth today imposes a false expectation on the text.
Christians can affirm the authority of the Bible while also accepting the scientific evidence for a spherical earth. The two are not in conflict because the Bible’s descriptions of the earth’s shape are not meant as scientific claims.
6. New Testament Continuity of the Three-Tiered View
The New Testament writers also used the three-tiered cosmology in their theology. In Philippians 2:10–11, Paul affirms that Jesus’ lordship extends to every being in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Revelation portrays worship arising from all three realms (Revelation 5:13).
The point is not the shape of the earth but the universality of Christ’s reign. The same ancient framework used in the Old Testament is retained, not because it is scientifically precise, but because it is theologically rich and easily understood by the original audience.
7. The Gospel and the Shape of the Earth
When read in light of the gospel, the Bible’s cosmology points to the ultimate unity of all creation under Christ. The shape of the earth in ancient terms sets the stage for the good news:
Heaven above is reconciled to earth below (Colossians 1:20).
Death and the underworld will be defeated (Revelation 20:14).
God’s dwelling will be with His people in the renewed creation (Revelation 21:3).
The biblical story is not about mapping the earth’s physical features but about proclaiming the reign of God over all space and all beings.
8. How This Perspective Shapes Christian Living
Recognizing that the Bible uses ancient cosmology without intending to teach science helps believers:
Read Scripture with humility – We honor the text’s ancient context without forcing it into modern categories.
Focus on its theological message – The main point is God’s sovereignty, not earth’s geometry.
Live in light of God’s rule – Whether in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, all belong to Him.
9. Conclusion: Faithful Reading in Context
The Bible speaks of the earth in ways that reflect the worldview of its time, presenting a three-tiered cosmology that was never meant as a scientific blueprint. Rather than demanding we believe in a physically flat earth, Scripture invites us to see the world as the realm over which God reigns, in which Christ’s victory will be made complete.
By embracing the theological meaning of the Bible’s language about the shape of the earth, we can read Scripture faithfully, respect its context, and rejoice in the truth it communicates—that all creation will one day acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Bible Verses About the Shape of the Earth and God’s Sovereignty
Genesis 1:6–8 – God made the expanse to separate waters above from below.
Exodus 20:4 – No images of heaven above, earth beneath, or waters under the earth.
Deuteronomy 5:8 – Repeats the three-tiered structure in the second commandment.
Job 38:4–7 – God laid the earth’s foundations.
Psalm 104:5 – God set the earth on its foundations.
Isaiah 40:22 – God sits above the circle of the earth.
Isaiah 11:12 – References the four corners of the earth.
Philippians 2:10 – Every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow.
Revelation 5:3 – No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll.
Revelation 5:13 – All creation in every realm praises God.
