The Apparent Motion of the Sun
A correspondent finds fault because the SIGNS says, “Apparently, the ‘sun revolves around the world from east to west’” (October 9, page 7, November 6, page 16); and says, “When I ask you to explain a question for me, ‘I want the truth. I do not want what it seems to be.’ But that is just what the SIGNS told the writer. ‘Apparently the sun revolves around the earth from east to west;’ really the earth revolves on its axis from west to east. The language of the Bible is often the language of appearance. It speaks of ‘the rising of the sun,’ ‘the going down of the sun,’ the sun’s ‘going forth,’ etc. A well-known and thoroughly up-to-date astronomer writes us:— EDITOR SIGNS OF THE TIMES: I have just read on the last page of number 45 of the SIGNS concerning the motion of the sun and the earth, and the SIGNS is right! The sun does, apparently, move round the earth, and the Ptolemaic system, which was accepted for 1,400 years, and the system of Tycho, just as fully account for all the motions of the sun and some other celestial bodies as the true, or Copernican, system. Even practical astronomers speak of the celestial bodies rising and setting, and moving from east to west. B. Surely there is no need for misunderstanding or criticism in any of this.