Does the Bible Anticipate Modern Science?

Some popular writers think they have found many anticipations of modern science in the Bible.  Harry Rimmer, for example, wrote that ‘it is possible for the careful student of science and Scripture to discover literally scores of such anticipations’.  See also Gaussen, Divine Inspiration of the Bible, 261ff.

Examples:-

1.  Modern undulatory theory of matter, Gen 1:2.
2.  Wireless telegraphy, Job 38:35.
3.  Parallax, Jas 1:17.
4.  Nuclear physics, Heb 1:3; 11:3.
5.  Motor-cars, Nah 2:3-4; aeroplanes, Isa 31:5; submarines, Rev 9:1-11; radio, Eccl 10:20; television, Rev 11:3-12.
6.  Modern geological theory, Job 14:17-19.
7.  Spherical earth, Job 22:14; Prov 8:27; Isa 40:22.  See also Mar 13:35-37.
8.  Earth suspended in space, Job 26:7.
9.  Air has weight, Job 28:25.
10. Water cycle, Job 36:27f.
11. Modern meteorology; water cycle, Eccl 1:6-7.

We think, however, that this approach demonstrates a grave misunderstanding of both the nature of Scripture as the word of God, and of the individual passages cited.

There is an illuminating discussion in Bernard Ramm’s seminal work, The Christian View of Science and Scripture (pp86-95).