Prophets speak forth on God’s behalf. They are messengers. Sometimes they encourage. Sometimes they warn. Sometimes they reveal things about the past, present or future. They deliver the message God wants a certain person or people to hear at a particular time. When God speaks, whether through one of his prophets or otherwise, we should respond appropriately, depending on what he says.

The nature of prophecy is not to list out all there is to know about any random topic, but to communicate what someone needs to know in order to experience God’s grace in a specific way.

The Bible is not to be a scientific text book but a revelation of God and his plan of salvation throughout human history. When the Bible does talk about the universe it often uses poetic, not technical language. Even so, as scientific discoveries are made they are amazingly congruent with scripture.

Take for example Isaiah 40:22: “God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”

The point of this verse is not what it says about the universe but what it says about God. However, it does seem to be consistent with not only a round earth but also the Big Bang.