The Genesis Flood

The Truth of the Bible and of the Genesis Flood Account

Do you believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God Himself, consisting only of the truths that are in God? The Bible says that it is.

  • The apostle Paul repeatedly stressed that the word which he preached, taught, and wrote was the Word of God, “committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour” (Titus 1:3), “the testimony of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1), and given “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).

  • God makes these revealing statements in the Old Testament: “And these words, which I command thee this day” (Deuteronomy 6:6), and “the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses” (Leviticus 10:11).

  • Finally, 2 Timothy 3:16 says it so clearly that argument is hopeless. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Now, since the Bible is clearly God's Word, it must be true. For the Bible clearly states that God is truth, and so it follows that every word out of truth must be truth.

  • Psalm 146:6 calls God he “which keepeth truth for ever.”

  • Titus 1:2 refers to God as “God, that cannot lie .”

  • It is clear from Romans 3:4 that, if anyone is a liar, it is man: “let God be true, but every man a liar.”

  • Psalm 119:160 provides irrefutable Biblical proof that the Bible, in its entirety, is true: “Thy word is true from the beginning:: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”

But do you still refuse to believe? Do you still stubbornly say that one or more parts of God's Holy Word is not true?

  • “But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy..” (2 Chronicles 36:16)

Are you one of those mockers? Do you despise the Word of God and say of it's truths, “That's impossible!”? Heed the warning that has been provided; turn from your ways while there is still remedy.


Ephesians 6:17 calls the Bible “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Do you discredit some parts of this sword? Is it wise to chip away at the sword, and so weaken it through the removal of its precious parts?

Do you think that the Biblical, worldwide flood of Genesis never was? Or do you say that it was merely a small, local flood? Or perhaps you say that the flood story is merely a fable, a nice moral allegory. But the Bible does not say, “Once upon a time there was a man named Noah.” Rather, it says “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month” (Genesis 7:11). In fact, God is against fables! 1 Timothy 4:7 says tells us “But refuse profane and old wives' fables , and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.”


Do you still question the authority of God's Word? Do you call the flood “Impossible!”, or say of it, “Surely it never happened.”?

“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 3:5-7)

But know this for your disbelief: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

 

Significance of the Genesis Flood and Why it is so Ardently Opposed

The Genesis flood is significant for many reasons. Perhaps the most important of these reasons lies at the heart of the evolution versus creation debate. This is because the global Genesis flood could have—and would have—drastically changed the face of the earth, rapidly creating the geologic layers used by modern scientist to prove the old age of the earth (see Geologic and Fossil Evidence). These scientists say that the layers came about as a result of geologic “ages” and that they took millions and billions of years to create. This in turn provides evolutionists with the millions of years necessary for evolution to occur. However, if we say that all of these layers were formed rapidly in less than even a century, we take away the millions of years and thus evolution would not have nearly enough time to work itself out. Therefore it is the continual duty of evolutionists to oppose the flood and in so doing defend the millions of years necessary for evolution to occur.

Another good reason why one (especially Satan) might want to discredit the flood is that the flood is proof that God will not tolerate blasphemy and rebellion beyond a certain point. The flood is the story of how a very wicked and vile group of people perished by the wrathful punishment of the Almighty God. Naturally, Satan does not want us to know that God will punish us, so he hates the story of the flood.

Belief in the Genesis flood is also important because, if you can't even believe in a world-wide flood, then how can you believe that the Son of God Himself came down to earth to die for you the vile and wicked sinner, that He loves you and has mercy upon you despite all of your terrible sins, and that He rose from the dead after three days? Which is harder, to cause a world-wide flood, or to bind an all-powerful God within a wretched and weak human body, to kill Him, and then for Him to rise from the dead? Which is harder, the natural or the supernatural?

Also, by discrediting one part of the Bible, you might as well discredit the whole thing. For do we not, after learning that someone has murdered just one person, say that they are a murderer? Calling the Genesis flood a lie is calling the Bible a lie, and thus God a liar.

 

Support for the Truth of the Flood

There really is, despite popular opinion, a great deal of evidence for the global Genesis flood. Many books have been written on the subject, and there are many organizations and on-line websites that deal with the topic. Now let us explore some of this evidence.


Geologic Evidence

One creationist idea is that the mountains before the flood were much lower in elevation than the mountains of today. Then the flood came and drastically changed the surface of our dear planet. Dr. John Whitcomb says on Vision Forum B.C. CD number four (source one) that the mountains were probably no more than seven or eight thousand feet high. He then sites Psalms 104:8—which states that the receding floodwaters “go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them”—to say that the mountains then rose up and the valleys sank down, and that the waters followed the natural pull of gravity into the valleys, which became our modern ocean basins.

Naturally, such great reconstruction of the earth could easily explain all of the many layers found within the earth's crust. A more modern example of this is the formation of canyons after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens—all from just one eruption, not thousands or even hundreds of years!

If you are having trouble seeing how the flood could possibly change the earth so drastically, just think of the destruction caused by the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. During the Genesis flood the “fountains of the great deep” broke open. In other words, the ocean basins broke open in huge earthquakes with springs of water flowing up from beneath. The 2004 tsunami catastrophe involved just one “fountain of the great deep” breaking open; the Bible says that all of the fountains of the great deep broke open during the flood. “...The same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up...” – Genesis 7:11.1


The flood and possible mountain uplift explains the the presence of sea life fossils on top of mountains. It also explains the mountaintop presence of sedimentary rock, which can only be formed in water.2



Fossil Evidence

Despite popular opinion, there is actually quite a lot of fossil evidence for the flood. This evidence ranges from fossil positioning to fossil preservation.

Many fossils seem to cry out loudly of sudden, catastrophic death, such as could be had through the flood, perhaps in a tsunami-like situation. One example of this is the discovery of mammoths in Northern Siberia and Alaska that died so suddenly that there was still food in their mouths!

Fossils have also been found of land creatures that died in swimming positions with their heads thrown back as if they were in the very throes of death. Now, how often does one see a land animal drowning? When was the last time you heard of a rabbit going for a swim?

Another evidence for the flood is the high quality of preservation found in many fossils. To become a well-preserved fossil, an animal needs to be buried quite rapidly after death; otherwise, scavengers and decomposition would destroy the creature. The flood would provide this opportunity for rapid burial.3



Historical Evidence and Ark Sightings

One of the strongest evidences for the flood is the fact that almost every culture has a tradition of a great flood in which all but a few of the people perished. An example of this phenomenon is the flood story in the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which a man survives a flood with his family and livestock, just as in the Biblical story.

The Toraja people of Sulawesi, Indonesia, meanwhile, believe that Noah was one of their ancestors and that he and his family of seven others landed in the Toraja area. They build their homes in the shape of a boat raised up upon beams, as if they were boats resting upon the water.4

So now we can ask the question, How would ancient cultures half-way around the world from Noah's homeland possibly know of the flood story unless they had heard it from their ancestors? And how would their ancestors have heard it unless they were descended from those who first knew the story? So we see that it makes sense to assume, then, that all people are descended from those with whom the flood story first began.


There are also many accounts of ark sightings. A number of ancient scholars wrote about the ark completely as if it were a fact. These men include Berosus, Josephus, Theophilus, Epiphanius, John Chrysostom, Isidore, and Marco Polo. They repeatedly mention the visible remains of the ark on Mount Ararat, and Berosus wrote in 275 BC that people would even go and scrape the pitch off the sides of the ark.3

But these are just historical sightings and acknowledgement; there have been many modern sightings. These reports come from people and groups ranging from the local people of Mount Ararat to government officials.

All of the sightings of the ark have been on Greater Ararat (the larger of the two mountains both called Ararat), and there is evidence to support the idea that the ark remains concealed within the rocks and gorges of the volcanically active mountain for most of the time. For instance, one sighting was reported after a powerful earthquake struck the mountain in June of 1840, opening up a huge gorge in the mountain. Another sighting occurred on May 2, 1883 when an investigative team was sent by the Turkish government to survey the damages after another earthquake. This team reported that they had found a gargantuan structure locked in ice, with one end protruding about twenty to thirty feet. They estimated the height to be about forty or fifty feet, and, upon entering the vessel through a broken corner, discovered three compartments each about ten to fifteen feet high. The rest of the structure was filled with ice and was thus unexplorable, though it is likely that the rest was also partitioned off. This story was published in the newspaper, but the government refused to release the official document.3

There have also been many other sightings, coming from Russian soldiers, American airmen, and locals who tell of being taken to see the ark as children. And, amazingly, all of the stories are remarkably similar. They all describe a huge, long, linear structure with a large window along the top. This structure is always resting upon and surrounded by numerous rocky ledges and is somehow obscured by the landscape. Many reports also state that the ark seemed as hard as rock, as if petrified. Incidentally, Mount Ararat is volcanically active, and volcanic ash is one of the best ways to preserve and petrify wood.5



Ark Facts

Building the Ark

The plain facts of the ark show clearly that it would have been possible for Noah and his three sons to build and prepare the ark within 100 years and for every kind of animal to have fit on the ark. The facts also show that, as the Navy discovered from testing with a scale model, the ark was extremely seaworthy and could have withstood the worst of waves without capsizing.

The details of the ark's construction from the Bible, together with the assumption that four men could build about fifteen cubic feet of the ark a day, leads to the conclusion that Noah and his sons would have had plenty of time to build the ark. The Bible says that they had 120 years to complete the construction. Building 15 cubic feet of the ark every day, 6 days a week, every year, they could have accomplished 4,680 cubic feet in a year and finished the ark in just 81 years. That leaves them with 39 more years to pitch the ark inside and out and warn their neighbors of the flood.3




Enough Room for the Animals?

According to Ernest Mayr, there would have been 35,000 vertebrates that would have needed the shelter of the ark. If you take 50,000 (a lot more than 35,000) animals the size of sheep, then only about 36 percent of the ark's capacity would have been filled! Add to this the possibility that most, if not all, of the animals on board could have been very young and not yet grown, and there is no problem at all with fitting all of the animals onto the ark!3 And as for taking care of the animals, it is possible that they all gorged themselves after their long journey to the ark and then fell into a deep hibernation. In any case, the Hebrew word for “remembered” in Genesis 8:1—“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark”—refers to taking care of someone or something, just like how a parent might say to a child, “Don't forget about your homework!”.6



Defense of Universality

The Bible clearly states in Genesis that the flood was global, covering the entire earth even unto the highest mountaintops. God said to Noah in Genesis 6:17 that the flood was “to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die...” Genesis 7:19 also says that “all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.”

Now there are some that say that the Hebrew word translated “all” is a misinterpretation and does not literally refer to every single one. They say that it is a case similar to how we might say of a party that “everybody was there,” though in fact the entire earth population was not there. Let them cast doubt, but how can you deny that “under the whole heaven” clearly indicates universality? Are not all living things, and the whole surface of the earth, “under the whole heaven”?

Still not satisfied? Then consider this question: Why on earth would God have given Noah 120 years to build a gigantic barge if he could have simply migrated to another area, along with all of the animals? It makes no sense at all! Also, if the flood really was only local, then God has broken His Genesis 10:11&15 promise to never send another such flood. For there have been very, very many local floods since Noah's time! Just think of the tsunami in Indonesia! But God never breaks His promises.


And All of the Mountains Were Covered

The Bible clearly states that all of the mountains were covered during the flood, even the very highest. Psalm 104:6 says that “the waters stood above the mountains.” Of course, there are those who argue against this by saying that it refers to the original creation rather than the flood. But verses 7-9 make it clear that it is actually referring to the flood: “At thy rebuke they [the waters] fled...Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.” So we see that Psalm 104 explicitly tells us that “the waters stood above the mountains.” Genesis 7:20 also tells us that “the mountains were covered.”

A closer look at Genesis 7:20 reveals that “fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail.” This does not mean that the water rose only to a depth of fifteen cubits, or about 22.5 feet. Rather, consider the fact that the 30-cubit-high ark, weighed down by it's great weight and the weight of its cargo, would have sank about fifteen cubits into the water. With this in mind, it would then be necessary for the mountaintops to be covered by at least fifteen cubits of water so that the ark could pass over them without harm. Thus we see that “fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail” means that the water prevailed about 22.5 feet up the sides of the ark and about 22.5 feet above the mountaintops.1

But where could all of this water, enough to cover even the tallest mountains with an excess of fifteen cubits, possibly come from? Well, did you know that if the earth as we know it was totally flat, the depth of the water over the earth at any given point would be nearly 10,000 feet! That leaves plenty of extra water to cover the mountains if we assume that they were only about 8,000 feet tall.1 Another major theory is that there was a thick vapor canopy around the earth at the time, and that all of the water in it precipitated as rain during the flood.

Now you might be asking, “But where did all of that water go?” Answer: It fills our oceans! Psalms 104:8&10 explains this by saying that “They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them...He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.” So we learn that the mountains rose up, that the valleys sank down, and that the waters followed the natural pull of gravity down “into the valleys,” our modern ocean basins.



Conclusion

So now we have seen that the Genesis flood story must be true, on the honor of God's Word. And we have also discovered a good deal of evidence to support our belief and prove that it is possible. From fossils to ark sightings and calculations, all of the evidence is there—plus much more that I have not written about! We can say with confidence that the Genesis flood really did happen.†



References

  1. Dr. John Whitcomb. “The Implications of the Genesis Flood on Earth History”. From BC: Twenty Lectures on the Ancient World. History of the World Mega-Conference. Vision Forum Ministries. 2006.

  2. “Noah's Flood and Dinosaur Extinction”. Sixdaycreation.com. http://sixdaycreation.com/facts/flood/june99.html.

  3. Evolution: Fact or Fiction?. Carolyn Wilde. Heartfelt Ministries, Inc. 1998: Foley, AL.

  4. Mary Stanton and Albert Hyma. Streams of Civilization: Volume One. From chapter one. Christian Liberty Press. 1992: Arlington Heights, Illinois.

  5. Dr. John Morris. “The Search for Noah's Ark”. From BC: Twenty Lectures on the Ancient World. History of the World Mega-Conference. Vision Forum Ministries. 2006.

  6. Dr. John Whitcomb. “A Defense of the Universality of the Genesis Flood”. From BC: Twenty Lectures on the Ancient World. History of the World Mega-Conference. Vision Forum Ministries. 2006.

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