Another Global Flood?
(Message delivered by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Feb 4, 07)
Text: Genesis 6:9-22
The weather has been quite unusual of late. Southern Malaysia suffered its worst flooding in a hundred years. Last December, Singapore recorded the third highest rainfall in 75 years. Environmentalists have attributed the freakish weather pattern seen all over the world to global warming. Yesterday (February 3, 2007), on the front page of The Straits Times, it was reported that the effects of global warming are “unstoppable.” The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted a bleak future for the planet. The 2,500 scientists from 130 countries say that the world could expect “Worsening killer heat waves and floods, devastating droughts, and stronger hurricanes and tropical storms, … Global temperatures and sea levels will also continue to rise.” Environmentalists warn that with the melting of the ice caps and ice sheets, the rise of sea level would trigger another ice age. Will we see another ice age? Will there be another global flood?
In the first place, was there ever a global flood? Atheistic scientists and theistic evolutionists deny that there ever was one. Then how do they explain Genesis, Noah and the Ark? Many today question the historicity of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. They reject the Genesis Flood as a myth or if it did occur, it was only a local flood.
Was there ever a global flood and will there be another one?
Once Upon a Time Yes
What does the Bible say when read and studied honestly? In no uncertain terms, the Bible tells us of a watery catastrophe of global proportions in Genesis 6–8 and 2 Peter 3:4.
In the book of Genesis, we read of the Flood and Noah’s Ark. The Genesis Flood covered every inch of the earth, and drowned every living creature save Noah, his family, and all the animals that were in the ark. God had decreed the complete decimation of the wicked and violent pre-Flood generation: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air… And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die” (Gen 6:5–7, 17). What are the biblical evidences of the Genesis Flood being a global and not local one?
The Bible speaks of the Flood in universal terms. Firstly, Genesis 7:19–20 says, “And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.” Note the universal expressions, “all the high hills,” and “under the whole heaven.” Since water must seek its own level, the Flood must have been global for all the mountains under the whole heaven to be covered.
Secondly, Genesis 7:11 and 8:13–14 tell us that the Flood lasted for 371 days. The Genesis Flood attained its maximum mountain-covering depth in six weeks, and remained at that level for another 16 weeks (Gen 7:17–20, 24). Such a long rain-spell could only have been caused by a supernatural puncturing of the pre-Flood atmospheric canopy (Gen 1:6-7). Furthermore, local floods do not last this long.
Thirdly, Genesis 6:13-16 reveals the size of the Ark. And God said unto Noah, “… Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.” The measurements tell us that the Ark was no sampan. Consider how big it was. One cubit could either be 20.4 inches or 17.5 inches. Whitcomb and Morris in their book—The Genesis Flood—based their calculation of the Ark’s dimension by using the shorter cubit. “According to this standard, the Ark was 437.5 feet long, 72.92 feet wide, and 43.75 feet high. Since it had three decks (Gen 6:16), it had a total deck area of approximately 95,700 square feet.” This would be equivalent to 80 five-room HDB flats! A whole point block! The Ark was thus not a small, family-sized boat for Noah and his family, but a large sea-worthy vessel. Surely the humongous size of the Ark which took over a century to build must point to a global deluge.
In Genesis 2:5-6, the Bible tells us that there was no rain upon the earth as a mist came forth out of the ground to water the plants. When Noah preached to his generation that a global flood would destroy the earth, he preached to a people who had never seen rain. It was Noah’s faith in God’s Word that caused him to build the Ark in preparation for the judgment to come. Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
But Never Again
It is also significant to note that there was no rainbow before the Flood. God gave the rainbow only after the Flood as a sign that He would not destroy the world again by water. Genesis 9:12–15 says, “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
So, will there be another global flood? No matter what environmentalists and meteorologists might say, the earth is no longer in danger of being totally submerged in water, not now, not ever. The rainbow is a constant reminder of God’s promise that He would no longer destroy the world by a watery cataclysm of worldwide proportions. God is true to His Word, and He always keeps His promises: “yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom 3:4).
Note that God did not promise that there would be no local floods; He only promised that there would no longer be a global flood. The rainbow undoubtedly points to a global flood. If the flood in Genesis was a local one, then God has broken His promise, for today we still see various parts of the world being hit by local floods especially after heavy rains. Whenever you see a rainbow, remember the global flood, and that God’s promise is true.
A Fiery Apocalypse Next
No more global deluge does not mean no more global destruction. In 2 Peter 3:3–7, the Apostle Peter used the Genesis Flood to warn the people of a future universal destruction by fire: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
What is in store for mankind in future? God is going to judge this world again. This time He will use fire. The world is not getting any better morally. Just like in the days of Noah, the world today is becoming increasingly wicked. “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim 3:13). Please do not think that since God has not judged this world since the time of the Genesis Flood, He will not judge the world again. The reason why God has not yet judged this world since He destroyed it 4500 years ago is because He is still waiting for men to repent and be saved. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
When Jesus finally comes, it will be sudden. It will take the world by surprise. 1 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” A thief comes at a most unexpected time, and unannounced. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” Isaiah 34:4 describes how “all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.”
Many things in this world can catch us by surprise. We can lose our job (eg, out of the blue, your boss calls you into the office and tells you, you’re fired), lose our money or goods (eg, the antique shop which lost a couple of million dollars when it was broken into and looted despite an alarm system), lose our home (eg, the floods in Johor which resulted into a multi-million dollar destruction to property), lose our life (eg, the university professor who collapsed suddenly on his desk and died of a heart attack). As believers, such things should not catch us by surprise. We should always be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, knowing that God is in control, and He takes care of us.
Similarly, the world may be unprepared for the coming judgement and destruction, but we believers are well prepared because we have been warned beforehand. We observe the signs of the times as revealed in the Scriptures, by reading the news, by observing the things happening around us, we can tell that God is going to act soon, and are prepared for Christ’s return and for a better world to come. That was why Peter was able to encourage believers with these words, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet 3:11-14).
Global warming is a warning! The world will only get warmer and warmer, hotter and hotter. God is going to destroy it by fire one day. Be saved from the wrath of God to come! The Ark of salvation is ready to take you to safety. The Ark of salvation is none other than Jesus Christ who died on the cross, and rose again the third day to save us from our sins. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Jesus Christ is coming soon, and the end is imminent. This is the last call. Board the Ark now, and be saved from the fiery judgement to come
