Lesson 27
Introduction
Was the Flood local or global? The answer to this question is vital to our understanding of the Genesis account of Creation. If the Flood was only local, then we must adopt the evolutionary theory with its supposed billions of years of geological history. Also, we must dismiss the Bible as a collection of myths and stories that have no place in the modern world. There are many in the Christian world that has adopted the local Flood theory, but there are several logical reasons why this cannot be supported by Scripture. If the Bible teaches a global Flood, then we have a foundation to how we interpret the world around (geology, topology and the fossil record.) Here are several reasons for accepting the Flood as being global:
How the Flood began
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). We read here of great disturbances on the seafloor as underground pressure increased until the water literally exploded onto the land. Localised flooding is always caused by strong winds, storms and high tide.
The depth of the water
"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." (Genesis 7:19-20). Notice that the waters "prevailed exceedingly" upon the earth. In its initial stages the water had to be deep enough to "bare up the Ark" (Genesis 7:17). This is more than a river overflowing and causing damage to the local population. Also, everything under the whole heaven was covered by the water. This can only be understood in a universal sense since that water was 22.5 feet above the highest mountain. The Ark floated at 17,000 feet for 5 months. This is impossible if the Flood was local.
The duration of the Flood
"And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth … And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days" (Genesis 7:17, 24). The rains continued for 6 weeks and the water remained on the earth for a further 16 weeks. After 150 days the water began to decrease off the earth until the Ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:4). No local flood continues to rise for 150 days. It took 10 weeks before anything could be seen. Apart from the mountain peaks, Noah could only see water. God did not allow those on the Ark to disembark until the land was dry. This meant a further 21 week wait for Noah. They were in the Ark for 371 days. How could a local account for the need to stay in the Ark for such a long time?
The need for an Ark
Why bother with a boat that took over 100 years to build if the Flood was only local? It would have been simpler just to travel to a distant land. Animals flee away from danger not directly into the eye of the storm. Again, it would have been easier to move the animals to a safe zone rather than have them spend over a year in a floating zoo.
The total destruction of the human race
God's purpose in judging the earth with a Flood was to rid it of sinners. "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:12-13). If just one sinner is left then God's plan failed. We are informed that only Noah and his family were saved from the judgement because of Noah's faith and righteousness (Hebrews 11:7 & Genesis 7:1). If others survived in lands unaffected by a local flood then God's idea of righteousness is meaningless.
Mabbul and Kataklusmos
These are the Hebrew and Greek words used in Scripture to describe the Flood. They are only used in connection with the Flood. The Hebrew has other words to describe a local flood, but the Bible does not make use of them with regards to the Noahic Flood.
The Rainbow Covenant
"And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:20-22) … "And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth" (Genesis 9:11). If the Flood was localised then this promise has been broken repeatedly by God. The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant with mankind to never destroy the whole earth again with a flood.
Go forth and multiply
"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth" (Genesis 9:1-10). If the Flood was not global, not only was there no need for the Ark, there was no reason in commanding that the earth be replenished. If other people were alive then the command is meaningless.
The testimony of Peter
"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" (2 Peter 3:3-7). Peter reminds us that the day would come when people will reject any notion of Christ's Second Coming. He points to two events from the past: the Creation of the world, and its destruction by the Flood. Will the last judgement, by fire, only be localised? If so, which country deserves such a judgement? We understand the final judgement to be universal, and this is exactly the way Peter saw the Flood judgement.
Universal terms
Over 30 times in Genesis 6-9 expressions involving the universality of the Flood are used. As we note the context of words like "all", "filled" and "every" we realise that they can only refer to a global Flood. Since all men were sinners, it follows that only a global Flood could destroy them. From Adam to Noah was about 1,656 years. During this time mankind had become immensely corrupt, violent and sinful as the earth's population increased (Genesis 6:11). The entire earth, including all flesh and all that had breath died in the Flood.
The Lord Jesus Christ accepted the global Flood
Jesus Christ used the Flood to speak of the worldwide judgement of the earth when He returns. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39 [see also Luke 17:26-27]). If Noah's Flood was not global, then the Second Coming of Christ does not affect the entire earth. Once again, the idea of a localised flood renders the word of God null and void.
Other Biblical Writers accepted the global Flood
See Job 12:15, 22:16; Psalm 29:10, 104:6-9; Isaiah 54:9; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5, 3:5-6; Hebrews 11:7.
Conclusion
If we are going to be truthful in our dealings with the word of God, then we must allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves. Critics of a Global Flood always base their suppositions upon the evolutionary theory. We expect the unsaved to do this, but those who call themselves believers have no real faith whatsoever. As Christians we must accept that the Bible is true from Genesis to Revelation. If Jesus Christ believed in a global Flood then we better beware taking an alternative point of view.