The phrase “corners of the earth” appears several times throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. This imagery conveys the idea of the farthest reaches, edges, or boundaries of the world. When we read this term in Scripture, it’s important to understand it within the ancient biblical context, and not impose our modern understanding of the earth’s shape onto the text.
In ancient times, the prevalent cosmic geography was that the earth was a flat disc floating on the primeval waters. The ancient Hebrews pictured the world as having four corners or ends, north, south, east and west. Similar to the four points of a compass. So when the Bible refers metaphorically to the “four corners of the earth”, it’s describing the whole span of the world – from farthest north to farthest south, and farthest east to farthest west.
The phrase “corners of the earth” in the Bible is an idiomatic expression denoting geographic extremes, not a scientific statement about the earth’s shape. The biblical writers were simply using imagery their audience would understand to depict the distant reaches of the world known to them at that time. It’s important we don’t impose modern expectations onto ancient texts.
Old Testament References
There are several verses in the Old Testament that use the “corners of the earth” idiom. Here are some examples:
Isaiah 11:12 – “He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
This prophecy speaks of a time when God will regather his people Israel from the distant lands of exile. The “four corners of the earth” represents any place they have been scattered.
Isaiah 24:16 – “From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One.”
This verse poetically depicts how songs of praise to God echo from the farthest reaches of the world.
Ezekiel 7:2 – “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.”
Here the four corners refer metaphorically to the whole span of the Promised Land of Israel, not just literally four corners.
Job 37:3 – “Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth.”
Describing God’s thunder and lightning flashing across the sky from horizon to horizon.
So in the Old Testament, this idiomatic phrase often depicts the global scope of God’s reign and actions. He is Lord over all the earth, from end to end, including the distant places beyond what was known to ancient peoples.
New Testament References
The New Testament continues using the “four corners of the earth” idiom. Again, its meaning is the extremities of the known world from the vantage point of the biblical authors.
Matthew 24:31 – “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Echoing Old Testament language, this describes the gathering of God’s people from the whole world, from every distant place on earth.
Acts 10:11 – “And saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.”
The sheet in Peter’s vision is described metaphorically as bound at the four corners, meaning all edges were gathered together.
Acts 11:5-9 – “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending…It was let down to earth by its four corners, and it came into my vision.”
The sheet lowered from heaven in Peter’s vision is again depicted as gathered from the four corners, or from all sides.
Revelation 7:1 – “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth.”
The four angels are pictured as stationed at the farthest reaches of the world, holding back destructive winds from being unleashed.
Revelation 20:8 – “And will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle.”
Depicts armies gathered from the whole span of the world for a final epic battle.
So in the New Testament, this idiom continues to refer to the distant extremities of the earth as understood by the biblical writers and their audiences. It’s used to depict things like the global scope of God’s power and the worldwide preaching of the Gospel.
Other Biblical Imagery About the Earth’s Extremities
Besides the four corners analogy, the Bible contains other symbolic language to represent the earth’s extremities and farthest reaches. Here are some examples:
– Ends of the earth (Psalm 61:2, Isaiah 26:15, Acts 13:47)
– Remotest parts of the earth (Psalm 65:5, Acts 1:8)
– Uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8)
– End of the horizon (Ecclesiastes 1:5)
– Ends of heaven (Mark 13:27)
– Four winds (Ezekiel 37:9, Revelation 7:1)
– Four points of the compass (Isaiah 11:12)
Again, all this is metaphorical imagery used by biblical authors to represent geographic extremities and the distant horizons of the world as they perceived it. This language should not be taken as a scientific statement about the earth’s shape, but as ancient phenomenological descriptions understood and accepted in that cultural context.
The Meaning and Significance Today
When we read verses today about the “four corners of the earth”, the main significance is what this imagery represented to the original audiences – the uttermost parts of the world, the whole span of the global horizon from their perspective at that time.
Though we now know the planet is spherical instead of flat, this ancient imagery is still meaningful. It conveys the sense of the earth’s wide expanse, the extremes of north, south, east, and west, and the most distant reaches imaginable. No matter where we live on the globe, these verses remind us of God’s omnipresence and omnipotence, ruling and filling the entire earth from end to end.
Some key points to remember:
- The biblical writers were describing cosmic geography based on ancient perceptions of the world common in their day.
- “Four corners of the earth” was an idiomatic expression not intended to teach the earth’s shape.
- We should be careful not to impose modern scientific assumptions onto ancient texts.
- This imagery spoke vividly to early audiences about the earth’s extremities and God’s global reign.
- Though its basis is outdated, the meaning it conveyed about God’s sovereignty over all the earth still resonates today.
In conclusion, the biblical imagery about the “four corners of the earth” was simply a metaphorical way for ancient authors to depict the global scope of God’s reign and the remotest inhabited regions from their perspective. Though not literally accurate, it vividly conveyed God’s omnipresence and the reach of his sovereign power and redemptive plan. When read through the lens of the original audience, this phrase remains meaningful even today, proclaiming that our great God rules over the whole wide world from end to end!