Was Nicolaus Copernicus right in claiming that the earth revolves around the sun?
Or perhaps the Bible has preserved the truth, presenting the earth as a stationary, grounded, and central part of creation?
In times when science and faith are increasingly pitted against each other, it is worth examining what the Holy Scriptures really say about the structure of the world.
Does the sun move, or does the earth move?
Does the earth have pillars and a vault?
In this article, we will analyze the Biblical verses, compare them with Copernicus’ heliocentric model, and ask the question: who is telling the truth?
Before that, Reader, familiarize yourself with or recall the arguments from the first part: „Is the earth a sphere or flat? What does the Bible say? – Part 1”:

https://jesu.pl/is-the-earth-circular-or-flat-what-does-the-bible-say-part-1/

So let’s move on to the fourth point…

4 – Sun and stars

Creation of the sun, moon, stars:

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse/firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.’” – Genesis 1:14

“And let them be lights in the expanse/firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so.” – Genesis 1:15

Creation of the greater light, the sun, and the lesser light, the moon:

“And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.” – Genesis 1:16

“And God set them in the expanse/firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.” – Genesis 1:17

The phrase “in the expanse/firmament of heaven” (בִּרְקִיעַ) means:
• a location within the structure, not above it.
• the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars) are in the firmament itself, not above it.
• only the waters are above the firmament (Gen. 1:7 – “and He divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament”).

The sun moves across the sky above the earth – from one end to the other:

“The sun 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.” – Psalm 19:5–6

Cyclic movement, the sun returns to its place – this emphasizes circular, constant movement:

“The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.” – Ecclesiastes 1:5

The sun can be stopped by God – it is not an independent force:

“He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals up the stars.” – Job 9:7

The description suggests that these bodies have real, physical light:

“The sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.” – Isaiah 13:10

5 – Was Copernicus right? Is the earth still?

This verse is key to the Biblical model – the earth does not rotate, but the sun does:

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon! And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped…” – Joshua 10:12–13

Comparison: Biblical Model vs. Copernican Model

Element	Bible – geocentric model	Copernicus – heliocentric model
Earth	Immovable, established, not moved (Psalm 104:5, 1 Chr 16:30)	It orbits around the sun and rotates on its own axis
Sun	It moves in the sky (Psalm 19:6–7, Eccl 1:5)	Motionless, in the center of the solar system
Moon	It rules the night, he also moves (Genesis 1:16)	It orbits around the Earth
Heavens	Spread out like a tent upon the earth (Is 40:22, Ps 104:2)	Bodies/cells move in infinite space
Key Event	The sun and the moon were stopped (Joshua 10:13)	The movement of the sun is apparent, it is the earth that rotates
Model	Earth in the center, covered by a vault	The sun in the center, Earth is one of the planets

The Bible describes a stationary earth, a moving sun and moon, and a firmament above the earth. This is a picture consistent with the structure designed by God. Copernicus, based on mathematical calculations and astronomy, reversed this picture – proclaiming that the earth revolves around the sun.

6 – How is the earth placed?

The Earth does not physically rest on anything visible:

“He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.” – Job 26:7

Earth placed on pillars:

“The pillars of the earth are YHWH’s, and on them He has set the world.” – 1 Samuel 2:8

“He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars/supports/columns/posts(H5982) tremble.” – Job 9:6

“You established the earth on its foundations, so that it should never move forever and ever.” – Psalm 104:5

“Though the inhabitants of the earth tremble, I have made firm its pillars.” – Psalm 75:3 (in some translations 75:4)

From this one concludes that the earth can be moved – but that does not mean that it is constantly moving.
The sky also has pillars:

“The pillars/columns/props/supports of the heavens tremble and are astonished at His rebuke.” – Job 26:11

The earth has pillars on which “the world is set” (1 Sam 2:8), and which can be moved (Job 9:6). The heavens also have their pillars (Job 26:11), which tremble under the power of God’s command. At the same time, the whole thing—the earth together with the firmament—is “suspended on nothing” (Job 26:7). This means that the entire structure does not rest on any physical foundation in space. It is not suspended on ropes, it does not rest on pillars reaching to infinity—but is held in place solely by the power of God, beyond the known physical mechanism.

In this way, the Bible presents the world as a closed, permanent, functioning structure:
• with pillars of earth and heaven,
• and with the entirety suspended above the void.

7 – The Earth has four corners or angles

“And He will raise a banner for the nations and will gather the outcasts of Israel, and the dispersed of Judah He will gather from the four corners/ends/borders(H3671) of the earth.” – Isaiah 11:12 “Son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners/edges(H3671) of the land!” – Ezekiel 7:2

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(G1137) of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind might blow on the earth or sea or against any tree.” – Revelation 7:1

“And will go out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners(G1137) of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.” – Revelation 20:8

In at least four places, Scripture uses words that represent physical angles/corners of the earth—not in a figurative sense, but in a geometric sense. These are not “ends of the world” in the poetic sense—but clear, defined boundaries.

The verses speak of the earth having four distinct corner points, which does not fit the spherical model.

…
I invite you to the next part of the description of the earth created by God. This time we will deal with the topic: heaven.