As we navigate the 21st century, it is impossible not to be awestruck by the advancements our race has made in science and technology. We have charted the farthest reaches of our planet, journeyed to the moon, dispatched satellites beyond our solar system, and even captured an image of a black hole. Smallpox, a disease that once claimed more lives than any war, has been eradicated. We can now see each other’s faces in real time, no matter how far apart we are. We can traverse the globe in mere hours. And we have created a virtual reality that rivals our wildest fantasies. Artificial intelligence has even surpassed us in certain tasks, such as painting and chess.
With all these achievements, many scientists boast of their wisdom. Their ego and pride lay in their education and degrees. However, what would you think if all this knowledge had been written in a very old book thousands of years ago?
Anatomy and Physiology
Elements of Our Body: The knowledge that our body has the same elements as the earth’s crust required the collaborative efforts of scientists over time and in various disciplines. One of the earliest works was of Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist often called the “Father of Modern Chemistry.” He identified oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and other elements as fundamental components of living organisms. Starting from this point, different research followed, and the fact that we are made of the dust of the ground was established by the late 19th and early 20th.
However, the Bible has shown us this truth for many years: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7. (See also Genesis 3:19; Job 4:19, 10:9, 34:15; Psalm 103:14; Ecclesiastes 12:7)
The Blood: Although the fact that blood is the essence of life might be common knowledge, it was not established in science until the early 17th century. An English physician named William Harvey suggested that blood circulates continuously around the body, pumped by the heart. This was published in 1628. It took a few more centuries to establish that blood carries oxygen and nutrients.
However, ignorance about the importance of blood continued. Until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, physicians believed that removing blood from a patient’s body was beneficial, thinking it would stop the spread of disease within the body. This was typically done by cutting or puncturing a vein. This treatment led many patients to die of loss of too much blood, including the first American president, George Washington.
Meanwhile, the Bible tells us that the blood is the essence of life. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” Leviticus 17:11 (See also Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:14; Deuteronomy 12:23)
Genetics: The concept of genetics, which states that genes determine our physical characteristics, started with the work of Gregor Mendel, an Austrian biologist, in 1868. Many studies followed, and the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. Through these discoveries, it was found that it is possible to know what the baby will look like, even before cells show human form.
The Bible indicates this fact as follows: “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:16 (See also Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1)
Biotechnology: Research on DNA editing is still ongoing. In the early 1970s, Paul Berg, an American biochemist and molecular biologist, pioneered the development of recombinant DNA technology.
The Bible shows us a successful case of human DNA modification. “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 instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Genesis 2:21–22
However, the Bible also clarifies that this belongs to God’s power, warning against genetically modified organisms. “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.” Deuteronomy 22:9 (See also Leviticus 19:19)
Medicine
Sanitization Techniques: French chemist Louis Pasteur developed the idea that germs cause diseases in the 1860s. The handwashing policy was first implemented by Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, in 1847 after he observed medical students assisting pregnant women right after touching cadavers in the lab downstairs. It was only in 1865 that Joseph Lister, a British surgeon, first introduced antiseptic surgery.
Long before their discoveries, The Bible teaches the right sanitizing techniques to stop the spread of diseases caused by bacteria, such as isolating patients with leprosy or bodily discharge, burning or washing the clothes, vessels, house, etc. “And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.” Leviticus 15:11 (See also Leviticus chapters 13–15)
We can also find the example of cleaning the wound with alcohol. “And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” Luke 10:34
Anesthesia: For centuries, surgeries were done without anesthesia. The first surgical operation using anesthesia was in 1842 by Crawford Long, an American physician and surgeon. James Young Simpson, a Scottish obstetrician, who discovered chloroform anesthesia in 1847, reported that he took inspiration from the following verse:
“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 instead thereof.” Genesis 2:21
Psychology: When did scientists make a formal exploration of the connection between physical health and psychological factors, such as stress, emotions, and personality traits? The pioneer work is found in the late 19th century. George Beard, an American physician, introduced the idea that stress can exhaust the nervous system. Sigmund Freud, the popular Austrian physician, developed a theory on the unconscious mind and laid the groundwork for understanding the psychological determinants of physical health. And finally, in the early 20th century, Walter Cannon, an American physiologist, introduced the term “fight or flight response” to describe the body’s physiological reaction to stress.
What does the Bible say? “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 14:30, 17:22 (See also Proverbs 4:22-23, 16:24, 18:14; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7)
The Shift in Medical Paradigm: Until the late 20th century, physicians’ main interest was defeating disease, not caring much about a patient’s mental and spiritual state. The holistic approach, which involves understanding the patient, merged around 1986 when the Ottawa Charter was published.
However, Jesus showed the concept thousands of years before. “And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. . . . But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.” Luke 5:20, 24
For more detail on this topic, please read The Reformation Messenger, May/June 2023, p. 19–23
Sanitation: Until the 19th century, Europeans used to throw their excretions into the street from their windows. This often caused a huge outbreak of numerous infectious diseases such as Typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, etc. Finally, in 1854, John Snow, a British physician, identified the cause, further leading to public health measures.
Once again, the Bible was far ahead of human science. “Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee” Deuteronomy 23:12–13
Biology
Taxonomy: The work of modern taxonomy started with Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, who classified living organisms into species, genera, families, orders, classes, phyla, and kingdoms.
Thousands of years before him, the first man had already done it: “And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:20
Linnaeus believed in the possibility of classification because of the fixity of species. This is also shown in the Bible as “after its kind.” (See Genesis 1:11, 21, 25)
Astronomy
Ordinances of Heaven: God asked Job, “Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?” (Job 38:33), indicating that there are principles of physics that run stars and planets.
Little by little, scientists started finding these laws, mostly since the 17th century, such as Kepler’s Law, Newton’s law of universal gravitation, Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, Hubble’s Law, The Laws of Thermodynamics, etc. Yet, there is more to discover.
Number of Stars: Until modern astronomy came into place around the 16th and 17th centuries, scientists insisted that the number of stars was around a few thousand. Nowadays, it is reported that there are a minimum of 100 billion stars found, and scientists are continuing to discover more.
The Bible said, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.” Jeremiah 33:22 (See also Genesis 22:17)
Pleiades and Orion: Job 38:31 says “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” The Bible says God bound the Pleiades together and disconnected the bands of Orion. For a long time, scientists laughed at this verse, believing the Pleiades, also known as seven sisters, are only stars, not clusters. They also argued that the three stars at the center of Orion are connected, forming a band.
However, research from the late 18th to early 20th centuries has classified the Pleiades as a star cluster, meaning they are bound together. It was also around the 19th and early 20th centuries that astronomists realized that the stars in the constellation of Orion’s Belt are physically unrelated and located at vastly different distances from Earth.
The Size of Space: The realization that the size of the universe is essentially immeasurable began to emerge in the early 20th century. Until then, different cultures and astronomists had their own estimations of its size.
However, the Bible states clearly: “Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:37 (See also Isaiah 55:9; Job 22:12)
Sphere Earth Suspended in Space: Ancient people suggested different ideas about the shape and state of the Earth, such as the Earth being flat or on the back of a turtle. The first people who suggested the Earth as a sphere and suspended in space were Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle in the 6th to 4th centuries BC.
However, way before these discoveries, the Bible states as follows: “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.” “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:” Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22
Earth Science
The Circulation of the Air: One of the earliest known figures to propose the concept of air circulation was Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, in the 4th century BC.
Centuries before, the Bible reports as follows: “The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” Ecclesiastes 1:6 (See also Isaiah 55:10)
The Atmosphere as a Shield: In the 17th century, the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal was one of the earliest proponents of the idea that the atmosphere serves as a protective shield for Earth. Later, John Tyndall and Joseph Fourier discovered the greenhouse effect in the 19th century. G.M.B. Dobson and Susan Solomon discovered the protection of the ozone layer against ultraviolet radiation in the 20th century.
Regarding this, the Bible says: “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.” Isaiah 40:22
Sun Causes Wind: The wind is caused by the difference in air temperatures caused by the sun. This fact was discovered by French mathematician and physicist Pierre Simon de Laplace in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
What does the Bible say? “By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?” Job 38:24
The States of Water and The Hydrological Cycle: One of the earliest known descriptions of the states of water comes from ancient Greek philosophers, such as Empedocles and Aristotle. Robert Boyle and Joseph Priestley started the systematic study of the different states of water in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Bible states centuries before: “When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.” Jeremiah 10:13 (See also: Job 38:30, 37:10, 36:27–28; Psalm 135:7; Ecclesiastes 1:7; Isaiah 55:10; Job 36:27–28)
Oceanography: In the 1950s and 1960s, Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen used data collected from echo soundings to create detailed maps of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and other underwater features. Their work revealed the presence of submarine mountain ranges, rift valleys, and other geological formations previously unknown to science.
However, the Bible shows us that there are paths under the deep water, where humans’ eyes cannot see: “The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:8 (See also Job 38:16; Proverbs 8:28; Psalm 33:6–9)
Uniformitarianism: The Bible also states that there will be a rise of false scientific theories. The Bible prophesized that at the end of the time, there will be people who believe in uniformitarianism, which is the assumption that the same natural laws and processes that operate in our present-day scientific observations have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe.
“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 the creation.” 2 Peter 3:4
Physics
Molecular Vibration: The fact that every matter vibrates at a molecular or atomic level was discovered in the 19th and early 20th centuries by many scientists such as Joseph Fourier, Louis de Broglie, James Clerk Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and Peter Debye.
The Bible says: “And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:27
Radiation: Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium in 1898, which are radioactive elements. Who would have known that there could be a stone that shines?
Well, the Bible did. “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:14
Technology
Shipbuilding: The ratio of height, weight, and length of the ship is the core of shipbuilding techniques, as these determine stability. This has been developed over centuries.
The Bible shows us the perfect ratio. “And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.” Genesis 6:15–16
In 1992, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials experimented with the stability of Noah’s ark. Scientists made 1/50-size model arks according to the ratio indicated in the Bible and 12 models with different ratios. The result showed that Noah’s Ark is 13 times more stable than the standard of the American Bureau of Shipping. It is reported that many scientists involved in this experiment converted after witnessing these tests.
Conclusion
There are many more discoveries in the Bible. The history of Noah’s flood explains much about fossils, dinosaurs, oil, and geological change. The history of Babel explains the origin of different languages. In regards to Eve, it was in the late 1970s when Allan Wilson discovered through mtDNA that all humans came from a common maternal ancestor. There are many more verses like these.
If we extend our studies to the testimonies, we find even more. For example, Sister White warned against smoking when doctors advertised its use. There might be many more discoveries to be made in the future, only to come back to simple verses in the Bible.
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 1 Corinthians 3:19–20
Amen
By Makoto Matsumoto