Let us continue our journey towards truth – whether hard or easy.
Did Jesus clearly ‘know about time zones’ and ‘talk about time zones’? Let’s take a look at the Bible in Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:33-36 (pasted at the bottom for your convenience):
The argument against the flat earth model with these scriptures is that Jesus is ‘clearly talking about time zones’ which therefore implies that Jesus knew about time zones and therefore was heliocentric in his cosmology (that was a partial joke). I believe this argument is very weak and assumes on scripture that isn’t there because Jesus did not say ‘time zones’ or refer to them at all. The bullet points of what he is saying in these scriptures are:
- some people will be in the middle of what they are doing (sleeping, working, whatever) when it happens
- it is a unified event at one point in time
- no one knows the day or the hour
- In Matthew it doesn’t specify daylight or dark hours but calls it ‘day’ which has both light and dark hours in a 24 hour day
- In Luke it specifies both day (Luke 17:30) and then a few verses later night (verse 34)
Instead of assuming that God is talking about a globe earth time zone it would be better to assume only what is written which is that the coming of Jesus will occur while people are going about their daily lives.
In addition, when these scriptures were presented to a few people unbiased on the helio/geocentric models) around me as ‘proof for a time zone globe earth’ they immediately said “Well how do they know that the women aren’t grinding at the mill on a night shift?”
The answer is ‘we don’t’ and ‘they could have been’.
Because Jesus isn’t focused on cosmology in these scriptures but instead warning us to be ready wherever we are and in the middle of whatever we are doing.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Plus, these scriptures work just fine on both a globe earth and a flat earth model. In the globe earth it’s a time zone but on the flat earth the sun has simply moved away so it’s dark on one part and light on the other.
Matthew 24:36-42
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Luke 17:33-36
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two [women] shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two [men] shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.