Dr. Jason Lisle
[Originally published as the second part of Untwisting Scripture: Refuting Flat Earth Falsehoods – Part 3]
This surface-of-the-earth reference frame is not only the reference frame and language we use generally, but is the reference frame God generally uses when describing things in the Bible. He inspired the writing of the Bible so that it would be understood by man. Therefore, God spoke to us in language we could understand. He utilized our common experiences (which have taken place on the earth) and the language we use to describe them as the most common means by which he would communicate with us.
This is why Scripture is also filled with phenomenological language. It too uses common surface-of-the-earth reference frame vernacular in describing the common experiences of those of us on the surface of the earth.
For example, look at Ecclesiastes 1:5:
The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
Now, I have yet to meet a FSIP (Flat-Stationary Interpretation Proponent) who takes this verse literally. Most of them believe that the sun rotates around a flat disk, which means they think the sun never physically rises, nor does it physically go down. It seems that they all believe that even though the sun appears to go down from one location on earth, there are other locations on earth where the sun is still shining (and yet others where it is rising).
The author of Ecclesiastes is describing his experience from his location on the earth. And everyone else who has ever seen the sun appear to rise or set understands what he’s talking about by common experience, no matter what their location is on earth.
Not only is the sun described as rising and setting, of going up and going down dozens of times throughout the Bible, but it’s also described as doing many other things that even FSIPs don’t believe that it literally does.
Take Psalm 19:
In this psalm David poetically describes the natural phenomena he experiences from his perspective on the surface of the earth. From that vantage point, as he looks up into the sky, he exclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
He then writes,
Their [the heavens] voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
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In this psalm we not only see David poetically describe the sun as rising, but as coming out of a tent like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and of running its course across the sky like a strong man running his race from start to finish.
When this kind of language is used, we’d state that the author is saying that the sun, from the perspective of someone dwelling on the face of the earth, appears to do these things.
As commentator H. D. M. Spence-Jones says, “The poet, like other poets, describes the phenomena as they appear to him. He does not broach any astronomical theory.”1
And Herman J. Selderhuis writes, “Now what is spoken here about the sun is not said according to the precision of astronomy—no more than many other things in Scripture—but instead according to external appearances and common judgments.”2
Other Astronomical Descriptions in the Bible
The sun is not the only celestial object that’s described this way. In the Bible the moon is described as having a face, as moving in splendor, and, along with the stars, as “coming out.” The sky/heaven is described as a circle, arc, vault, or dome because that’s what it looks like from the surface of the earth.
All of this is to say that by divine inspiration, the writers of the Bible frequently described events from the perspective of human beings dwelling on earth. That is, when describing events, their frame of reference was the surface of the earth.
This is precisely what Joshua is doing in this passage when he says, “the sun stopped in the midst of heaven.”
As Dr. Lisle says, “The Scriptures use the earth as a convenient reference frame. Notice that the Bible gives the reference frame explicitly when it states that the sun stopped in the middle of the sky. The sky is the visible arc of heaven as seen from the surface of earth. The sun and moon were said to stop their daily motion in earth’s sky.”3
From the perspective of everyone on the ground, the sun stood still in the midst of the sky. This is an historically accurate description of what Joshua and everyone else observed and experienced that day.
Notice also that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still at Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Aijalon (Joshua 10:12). These would be the locations of the sun and moon as observed by Joshua. But from experience we know that the sun and moon appear in different locations in the sky as seen from different locations on earth. Thus, the Bible is clear that the reference frame is the surface of earth where Joshua stands. That’s a perfectly legitimate reference frame (although it is non-Newtonian since the earth rotates). But the Bible nowhere says that it is the only possible reference frame.
Dr. Lisle continues, “Since all motion is relative to a specified reference frame, Joshua’s command makes perfect sense in light of his position on the surface of earth. Again, modern astronomers do this all the time. We say things like, ’What time does Saturn rise tonight?’ or ’The sun sets early this time of year.’ In no way are we suggesting that the earth does not rotate relative to the rest of the universe. Neither does Scripture.”
Donald K. Campbell writes in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, “[Joshua] was using the language of observation; he was speaking from the perspective and appearance of things on earth. People still do the same thing, even in the scientific community. Almanacs and journals record the hours of sunrise and sunset, yet no one accuses them of scientific error.”4
The FSIPs are capriciously imposing their interpretation on the Bible despite the Bible. They’ve inconsistently presupposed an oxymoronic “absolute Newtonian” reference frame when the text itself specifies the reference frame as earth and the particular location where Joshua was standing.
The Newtonian physics going on behind the event never appeared to cross Joshua’s mind. And why would it? It’s utterly irrelevant to Joshua, the narrative, and his purposes in describing it… just like with the rest of the miracles in the Bible.
Throughout Scripture we never see anything other than basic observational descriptions of miracles from the perspective of those who experienced them. They’re all true and transpired exactly the way the writers describe, yet the writers never attempt to describe how they happen. That’s because the physics of the event isn’t relevant to the account or purpose of the author.
So too here in Joshua. He’s testifying to the Lord’s faithfulness through this miracle. And so, all we’re told is that the sun stopped moving relative to the earth so that Israel could complete their mission.
As Dr. Danny Faulkner says, “We are given a very bare description and no physical explanation of what happened in Joshua 10:12–14. Whatever the nature of the cosmology and the miracle it required, it is a true description that the sun did stop for about a day.“5
What then happened from the perspective of a Newtonian inertial reference frame? How did the sun stop from the Newtonian physics point of view? Enquiring minds want to know (because they want to use this text as a prooftext for their presupposed cosmology).
If we’re still asking the how question (from a Newtonian inertial reference frame), we might still be missing the bigger point here. The point isn’t about the physics. In fact, trying to figure out the physics of a miracle is irrational. Think about it. In essence, we’re trying to understand the physics of a metaphysical event. We’re trying to detect the natural reasons for a supernatural occurrence. It’s nonsensical. Further, it’s distracting us, causing us to focus on speculations rather than the beauty, meaning, and message of the text.
The point of the passage is the providential love and power of the Lord through performing a breathtaking miracle of unfathomable proportion. The Lord is that powerful!
Unfortunately, this fixation on making Scripture fit their preconceptions has actually led some FSIPs to minimize God’s miracle-working power. I’ve witnessed numerous FSIPs argue that if the world stopped spinning from a Newtonian-motion reference frame, the miracle wouldn’t have been possible because the momentum would’ve caused everything on earth to spiral out of control. That’s a sad argument, isn’t it? It is as if they think God would stop the earth’s rotation but forget to stop all the structures on its surface. God is not required to follow the natural laws which merely describe the normal way God upholds His creation. Besides, God is all-powerful and, according to F. G. Marchant, “omnipotence, if it be that at all, can know no effort.”6
Marchant also remarks, “Even if the revolution [sic] of the earth on its axis actually ceased in response to Joshua’s prayer, which miracle was the greater, the ’standing still of the sun and moon,’ or the feeding of the five thousand by Christ? Which of us knows? If we are not prepared to let go our faith in the miracles altogether, we shall do well to guard against the naturally strong temptation which too readily besets most of us, to explain them away, or tone them down, as we become oppressed by what seems to us their unusual magnitude.”7
Stopping the motion of the world and everything on the world simultaneously would be NO MORE difficult for God than stopping the sun, or a baseball in mid-flight, or a feather from falling to the ground.
As Robert Jamieson says, “Doubtless it was within the compass of omnipotence to stop the movements of the great machinery of nature, or any part of it; and as the Creator cannot be bound by the laws He Himself thought fit to impose upon matter, He must be considered free to suspend them, whenever the interference may seem to His infinite wisdom necessary for the promotion of His glory or the good of His people.”8
Conclusion
To summarize, the text of Joshua 10 doesn’t say anywhere that the world was moving or stationary in some kind of Newtonian-motion reference frame sense. Neither does it address the events in light of a Newtonian-motion reference frame at all.
As Dr. Lisle says, “the Bible does not address the topic of Newtonian reference frames, and thus does not endorse or deny either Geocentrism or heliocentrism.”9
This passage depicts the events from the reference frame of those on earth. The sun did indeed stand still and the moon stopped. The FSIPs’ insistence that Joshua is using some kind of “absolute Newtonian” reference frame is simply an arbitrary and contradictory notion that they’re imposing on the Bible. And all because of their a priori need to have a prooftext that “justifies” their cosmological position.
Footnotes
- Spence, H. D. M. and J. S. Excell. 1909. The Pulpit Commentary (Psalms vol. I) (p. 129). New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
- Selderhuis, H. J. (Ed.). 2015. Psalms 1–72: Old Testament Volume 7 (Reformation Commentary on Scripture) (p. 145). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
- Lisle, J. 2015. Understanding Genesis: How to Analyze, Interpret, and Defend Scripture (p. 200). Green Forest, AR: Master Books.
- Walvoord, J. F. and R. B. Zuck. 1985. The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament) (pp. 350-351). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
- Faulkner, D. 2019. Falling Flat: A Refutation of Flat Earth Claims (pp. 215-216). Green Forest, AR: Master Books.
- Marchant, F. G. 1892. The Preacher’s Complete Homiletic Commentary: Joshua (p. 210). New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
- Ibid. (p. 211).
- Jamieson, R., et al. 1984. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments (vol. II, p. 28). London: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
- Lisle, J. 2015. Understanding Genesis: How to Analyze, Interpret, and Defend Scripture (p. 329). Green Forest, AR: Master Books.
