The Flat Earth Theory

Is the Earth flat? Is the shape of the Earth a salvational matter? What does the Bible say? What counsel has God revealed to Ellen White about the flat earth theory?

What Was Ellen White Instructed by God to Say to Those Who Believe the Earth is Flat?

“When at one time a brother came to me with the message that the world is flat, I was instructed to present the commission that Christ gave his disciples, ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. . .and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end.’ In regard to such subjects as the flat-world theory, God says to every soul, ‘What is that to thee? follow thou Me.’ I have given you your commission. Dwell upon the great testing truths for this time, not upon matters that have no bearing upon our work.” EllenG. White, Gospel Workers (Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1915), 314.

“I learn by letters from New York that Brother Brown has accepted and is now preaching the flat world theory. Is it possible that this theory has been brought by Brother Wilcox from England and that you have accepted it and are teaching it? My brother, our work is to teach the third angel’s message. Stick to the message. It is a weakness of Elder Wilcox to get hold of hobbies and to stick to some things that he had better let alone.”  21MR 412.6

“I am pleased to tell you the Lord strengthened me on Sabbath to bear a decided message. To His name be all the glory. I know the impression was made by His Holy Spirit. On Sunday afternoon I urged the truth with more decided firmness and power. A man was present who had expressed a desire to see me and talk with me in regard to the round and flat world. I sent him a message that when Christ gave my commission to do the work He had placed upon me, the flat or round world was not included in the message; the Lord had taken care of His house, His world here below, better than any human agency could care for it, and until the message came from the Lord, silence was eloquence upon that questionI then said to the congregation that I had to present to them the science of higher education. Luke 10:17-24.” 21MR 414.2-4

I had one come up to me and want me to give information about a round or flat world. Said I, I have no such burden on my soul at all. I have nothing to say to you or to anybody else about a round or a flat world. What we want is a round character. We have altogether too much of a flat character, and we want now to think of building a character that shall be round and perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, and we want that every talent that you have should be in exercise. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, that you may go forth, and—what says Christ? Teach them all things about a round world? No. That I have commanded you. That is what we are to teach. Teach the lessons that Christ gave in His life practice.  And I want to tell you that somebody will rush up every little while with something new and strange, as though that was to take your minds captive. Tell them that you have the old, old story of the cross of Christ, of the life of Christ, and when it comes to these little items that they shall bring out, we have the solid foundation for our feet. It is the solid platform that we want. If you work with Christ, Christ will work with you, and we are getting ready, fitting up for the future, immortal life. Jesus says, I will be with you to the end of the world. Then we will believe Him, and we will work diligently for Him.” 19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 79-19LtMs, Ms 155, 1904, par. 80

Is Ellen White's Counsel on the Flat Earth Her Own Opinion?

“If the preconceived opinions or particular ideas of some are crossed in being reproved by testimonies, they have a burden at once to make plain their position to discriminate between the testimonies, defining what is Sister White’s human judgment, and what is the word of the Lord. Everything that sustains their cherished ideas is divine, and the testimonies to correct their errors are human—Sister White’s opinions. They make of none effect the counsel of God by their tradition.” —Manuscript 16, 1889.  . 3SM 68.2

Is the Shape of the Earth Salvational?

I have had matters presented to me to give to our peopleAn urgent request came to me from a man who desired to discuss with me in regard to the round world, to him a very important matter. My answer was, I have a message to this people in regard to the life they must live in this world, to prepare them for future life which measures with the life of God. We have nought to do with the question whether this world is round or flat. [The important thing] is to serve God with full purpose of a renewed heart, sanctified and made holy by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.” {Ms 145, 1904, par. 3}

“I hope Brother Wilcox will be a truly converted man. This is his great need at the present time. He wants meekness, he wants humility, he wants genuine piety, and without it he is as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. His soul and your soul need the indwelling of Jesus. Whether the world is round or flat will not save a soul, but whether men believe and obey means everything.”–Letter 43, 1887.

“The great question is, What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? This is the science of what constitutes the higher education, and when this question is properly adjusted, the capabilities of the whole man are called into full exercise. There will be no agitation of the question whether the world is round or flat, but the whole burden of the soul is: What shall I do to inherit eternal life? We need now to make every talent that God has given us to be employed to His name’s glory.”  — 21MR 414.5

“Every issue will be brought in in various places by some persons who are not worked by the Spirit of God. Last night the Lord gave me words to speak to the people. Satan has a multitude of questions to bring in through various minds and ingenuity as all-important. Take the Word, plainly stating the truth for 1904; and the messenger that was sent of God had a message the same as the people need now. He was John the Baptist. –21MR 421.4,5

 

“There will be no agitation of the question whether the world is round or flat, but the whole burden of the soul is: What shall I do to inherit eternal life? We need now to make every talent that God has given us to be employed to His name’s glory.”  {21MR 414.5}

What Did Ellen White Say About Earth's Revolution and Orbit?

“God’s glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, “the balancings of the clouds,” the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night—all were open to the study of our first parents.” PP 50.3

“It is not by inherent power that year by year the earth yields its bounties and continues its march around the sun. The hand of the Infinite One is perpetually at work guiding this planet. It is God’s power continually exercised that keeps the earth in position in its rotation. It is God who causes the sun to rise in the heavens. He opens the windows of heaven and gives rain.”  MH 416.3

What Did Ellen White Say About the Shape of the Earth?

“In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe.” SC 68.1

“Jesus opened the fountain of life in the midst of the world and every soul who knoweth the Father and the Son are to be laborers together with God and to repeat the words in fullness and power, “Come.” All are to stop their fretting with one another, all are to combine their living, sanctified influence, and with one voice, say “Come, send the word along.” “Come,” all along the lines a chain of living voices united with determined effort ring around the globe, and the whole church is to awake from the death like slumber and say, “Come,” and to act in character the invitation they make, “Come.” 7LtMs, Ms 2, 1891, par. 13

“God rested on the seventh day, and set it apart for man to observe in honor of His creation of the heavens and the earth in six literal days. He blessed and sanctified and made holy the day of rest. When men are so careful to search and dig to see in regard to the precise period of time, we are to say, God made His Sabbath for a round world; and when the seventh day comes to us in that round world, controlled by the sun that rules the day, it is the time in all countries and lands to observe the Sabbath. In the countries where there is no sunset for months, and again no sunrise for months, the period of time will be calculated by records kept… The Lord accepts all the obedience of every creature He has made, according to the circumstances of time in the sun-rising and sun-setting world. . . . The Sabbath was made for a round world, and therefore obedience is required of the people that are in perfect consistency with the Lord’s created world.”–Letter 167, 1900.  {3SM 317.1,2} 

 

“God rested on the seventh day, and set it apart for man to observe in honor of His creation of the heavens and the earth in six literal days. He blessed and sanctified and made holy the day of rest. When men are so careful to search and dig to see in regard to the precise period of time, we are to say, God made His Sabbath for a round world; and when the seventh day comes to us in that round world, controlled by the sun that rules the day, it is the time in all countries and lands to observe the Sabbath. In the countries where there is no sunset for months, and again no sunrise for months, the period of time will be calculated by records kept… The Lord accepts all the obedience of every creature He has made, according to the circumstances of time in the sun-rising and sun-setting world… The Sabbath was made for a round world, and therefore obedience is required of the people that are in perfect consistency with the Lord’s created world.” – Letter 167, 1900.  {3SM 317.1,2} 

 

“As the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe, so God designs that the light of the gospel shall extend to every soul upon the earth.” ChS 18.5-ChS 18.6

“As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example”. 6T 18.2

“In the days of Christ, selfishness and pride and prejudice had built strong and high the wall of partition between the appointed guardians of the sacred oracles and every other nation on the globe.” MB 42.2

“Christ is working in their behalf in the heavenly courts, sending out His messengers to all parts of the globe, to the assistance of every suffering one who looks to Him for relief, for spiritual life and knowledge. ” 7BC 968.2

“The weakness of our Government is fully open before other nations, and they now conclude that it is because it was not a monarchial government, and they admire their own government, and look down, some with pity, others with contempt, upon our nation, which they have regarded as the most powerful upon the globe.” 1T 259.1

What Did the Seventh-day Adventists Pioneers Believe About the Shape of the Earth?

JAMES WHITE:

Is it one of “the latest assured verdicts of science” that the earth did not rotate on its axis till the fourth day? If the earth did rotate, did it not do so once in twenty-four hours, as it still does; or did it then go so slow that it took it ages upon ages to make one rotation? The latter cannot be so, as we believe that it is “the latest assured verdict of science” that it is entirely to its rotary motion that the earth owes its oblate-spheroidal form.” SITI December 16,  1886, p. 759.4

“The universality of a kingdom could be no more strongly asserted in human language than is this dominion of the king of Babylon. No spot on the round globe, where an animate being dwells, that is not included in his ample dominion.” {ARSH May 30, 1854, p. 145.10}

 

JN ANDREWS:

The earth continues its revolution on its axis, and in its orbit; the moon also, and the planets continue their usual course, impelled by the power of God; the rain falls, vegetation continues its growth as usual, and God watches over, and preserves the lives of men.” JN Andrews, RRCS 20.6

 “The days of the week are measured off by the revolution of our earth on its axis; and hence our seventh day, as such, can come only to dwellers on this globe.” JN Andrews, SITL 6.2-SITL 6.3

 

JOSEPH BATES:

“Is it not plain then that this same earth and sea, which constitutes the whole dominion of Jesus, will as regularly and as precisely, and minutely continue to make one thousand revolutions round the sun, (in accordance with this prophecy,) as it has the six thousand in the past.” SLG 11.1

“When this earth shall have performed six thousand revolutions around the sun, man will have had 313,071 holy days, or 857 years of holy days set apart and sanctified by God for his special benefit.” SLG 22.1

 

WILLIAM MILLER:

“Night, in the natural world, is that portion of time in which the face of the natural sun is hid from us, or that part of our earth on which we dwell, in accordance with certain infallible laws of nature, such as light and the vivifying influence of the sun, or the revolution of our earth upon its axis.” MWM 384.11

 

EJ WAGGONER:

“The day is not made by the sun but by the revolution of the earth on its axis, and the earth could revolve if the sun and moon, it did not shine, the language indicates that this was the case. There was “the first day,” “the second day,” and “the third day.” Each of these days was composed of a period of darkness succeeded by a period of light, but the sun did not shine. And the sun and moon were made to be light-bearers, to rule the day and night. The sun was made to rule the day. What day? The day which was already formed by the revolution of the earth on its axis, and which could henceforth be more distinctly marked than before.  

“It is a mistaken idea that the sun was not created till the fourth day. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The sun and moon were created “in the beginning,” on the first day, but were not made to be light-bearers until the fourth day. And probably they were not made to assume their present shape until that time.” SITI May 26,  1887, p. 311.4-SITI May 26,  1887, p. 311.5 

“But the question is presented, “How could there be days before there was any sun?” Such a question implies ignorance, or at least forgetfulness, of what forms the day. The day is made by the revolution of the earth on its axis. Each complete revolution makes one day. As a matter of fact, the sun has nothing whatever to do informing the day. If it should suddenly become a body of darkness, instead of a body of light, it would be days just the same, and they would be just the same length that they now are. So there were days before the sun was appointed to rule the day. This appointment was not made until after the earth had completed three revolutions, or until three days of time had passed. The very statement that God set the two great lights in the firmament, “to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness,” shows that there were days independent of the sun. These great lights were to rule in the day and then the night, which had been arranged before they were given their office.” SITI December 29,  1887, p. 795.2

“Notice now the steps by which the Sabbath was made: First, God made the heavens and the earth in six days,—six days such as we are familiar with, composed of a dark part and a light part, caused by the revolution of the earth upon its axis, and each completed in twenty-four hours. Second, God rested on the seventh day. Third, he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested. Then it became God’s holy Sabbath day.” FACC 350.3

“In the question under consideration, however, the claim is that since the calendar has been changed, it cannot be known with certainty which day is the Sabbath. To this it is only necessary to say that no change that man may make in the calendar can affect the revolution of the earth on its axis, which alone governs the division of time into days.” PTUK November 24,  1898, p. 739.7

“This succession of light and darkness is caused only by the revolution of the earth on its axis.” SITI March 17,  1887, p. 168.13

“It is only by means of our senses, after all, that we are able to realize the fact that the earth is round, and that it revolves on its axis and moves through space.” SITI July 21,  1887, p. 438.6

“Astonishing! But we would like to ask if the day has been measured by the revolution of the earth around the sun at any time since the sun was created. If we are correctly informed, the day is measured by the revolution of the earth on its own axis, without reference to the sun, and that could be done before the sun was made as well as afterwards. The sun was made to rule the day that already existed; but the earth would revolve on its axis once in twenty-four hours, forming the day, if the sun did not shine at all. Who has the next astro-geological “reason” to bring against the commandment of the Lord?” SITI September 29,  1887, p. 608.13

 

JH KELLOGG:

The earth turns upon its axis at the rate of seventeen miles a minute, while it moves in its orbit around the sun at the rate of nineteen miles a second. Think of this! Try to comprehend the meaning of this enormous speed – the earth revolving upon its axis at the rate of seventeen miles a minute – seventeen times as fast as the lightning express, and we clinging to its surface like flies revolving on a spinning top. But this is a slow rate compared with the rate at which it moves through its orbit, more than sixty times as great… The sun travels faster that the earth. It travels at the rate of twenty-seven miles a second. And the earth and all the planets are traveling with it. So here is another still more rapid movement in addition to the earth’s movement on its axis and in its orbit. Not only the earth and the sun, but every sun in the universe (and all the stars are suns), with their planets revolving about them, are moving, doubtless, at equally rapid rates. The mind staggers at the thought of the immense expenditure of energy necessary to keep all these gigantic suns and worlds in orderly movement.” GCDB February 19,  1897, p. 82.1,3

 

AT JONES:

“Neptune receives only one-thousandth as much as we do but the wonder is that it receives any at all. Again: these all revolve round the sun, and they not only revolve round it, but the sun with his whole system, revolves round other grand central systems, and systems of systems till we are overwhelmed with the immensity of the firmament, and these planets and systems rolling in their orbits at a rate of speed that is almost incredible. The earth revolves on its axis at the rate of more than one thousand miles an hour it rolls forward in its course round the sun sixty-four thousand, eight hundred miles in an hour, more than one thousand miles a minute, eighteen miles in a second.” SITI April 18,  1878, p. 113.8

“It  was by believing that the earth is round, against the dogma of the Catholic Church that it is flat, that Columbus ever discovered Cuba and the western continent. Of course every American schoolboy knows that before Columbia discovered America the Catholic Church insisted that the earth was flat. But it is too sadly true that along with this the impression is left, if not  actually inculcated, upon the minds of the school-children that at that time all the world supposed the earth to be flat. But that is a great  mistake. All except the Catholic world knew then that the earth is  roundThe  ancients knew that the earth is round. The Jews knew it always.  Aristotle taught it; so did Ptolemy the Geographer. Indeed, this was a familiar truth among the people of those times. It was the  church fathers who, with the many other falsehoods of the great  apostasy, brought in the dogma that the earth should be flat. The chief of the church fathers, and the chief author of the dogma that the earth was flat, was Augustine—the father also of the Inquisition—tho in point  of time Lactantius preceded him in advocating the dogma. Lactantius lived in the time of Constantine, and was one of the important factors in forming the union of Church and State, having so much of the favor of Constantine that Constantine gave him a place in the imperial family as tutor to the emperor’s eldest son. Augustine lived from 354 to 430. He  became a churchman in 386. Thus the period in which lived Lactantius and Augustine was the very period  in which the church of the apostasy got full control of the power of the  State, and used that power to compel all, even to the penalty of death,  to conform to her dogmas, Augustine consecrating the whole scheme by his final proposition that it is “by the rod of temporal suffering,”  that dissenting parties “attain the highest grade of religious  development.” The apostasy having full control of the imperial power, and compelling all to conform to her teaching, and two of the chief factors in the creation of this Church-and-State combination being the chief authors of the dogma that the earth is flat; thus in that time and onward through the consequent Dark Ages, the truth that the earth is round was forced out  of all the realm which the church controlled.” {SITI January 11, 1899, p1.3-9}

 

URIAH SMITH:

“The record stands in its native strength and simplicity. The six days of creation were such days as we now have, ruled by the sun, determined by a revolution of the earth upon its axis. The seventh of these was devoted by the Creator to rest.” SYNPT 74.2

“The second vial throws the sea into the most infectious and deadly condition that can be conceived of; it becomes  like the blood of a dead man. If this applies to the oceans of our globe, as there seems to be no reason why it may not, each one’s imagination may be left to grapple with the problem, what the condition of the earth would be with three quarters of it enveloped in this deadly substance.” LUJ 253.5

“It is said that in Germany the ladies are rather ignorant of the geography of the earth. One of them in conversation asked if Christmas did not occur in the summer in the United States, as it came in the winter in Germany (if my memory is correct). This reminds one of the objections some people raise against the Sabbath, on account of the spherical form of the earth.” ARSH July 3,  1860, page 55.3

 

GEORGE STORRS:

“There are many points of doctrine that a few years ago passed for truth, that are now rejected. That this is the case in science, generally, no one will doubt. How long is it since men were satisfied that the world is round and revolves on its axis? Those who advocated such a theory, no doubt, were thought to be stark mad! – To the minds of their opponents, it was as clear as the light, that the world was flat – their fathers had always believed so; and all the reservoirs of water would have been emptied long ago, if the world turned over! – Copernicus, it is said, was compelled, by public opinion, to keep his discovery of the true solar system to himself more than thirty years. And Galileo, for avowing his belief in the same system, was cited to appear before the Pope, and condemned to prison, while his writings were publicly burned in the streets at Rome.” SSII 122.2

 

ELDER C:

“But the days are measured off just as accurately as here, and the week has its apportioned place, together with the Sabbath, which can be found and kept in the arctic regions, if any one wants to keep it there. The north star and the ‘dipper’ give the earth’s revolutions as plainly as the sun does to us.” – “Tabernacle Lectures,” p. 178. RCASDA 43

Doesn't the Bible Refer to the "Ends of the Earth?"

“the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth;
1 Samuel 2:10

What does the Bible mean by “the ends of the Earth?”

“But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Romans 10:18

For he looketh to the ends of the earthand seeth under the whole heaven;” Job 28:24

He shall have dominion also from sea to seaand from the river unto the ends of the earth.” Psalms 72:8

From the ends of the Earth” = “into all the earth… unto the ends of the world,” “under the whole heaven” and “from sea to sea.” 

The “ends of the Earth” is not to imply the Earth has “ends” but is a poetic expression incorporating the entirety of the world as the phrase “the ends of the world” is used synonymously with “all the earth.” (Rom 10:18)