Is the Bible's description of the Genesis flood a fairy tale or real history? Scripture presents the flood as an actual historical event that began at a real time and place. In fact, the Bible says much about the chronology of the flood. And as our Bible teacher, Dr. John Whitcomb, will show us today on Encounter God's Truth, chronology is the backbone of genuine history. Hello, I'm your host, Wayne Shepherd, and we're in the midst of a short teaching series called Catastrophism is the Key. Last time we saw that catastrophism is the key to the past, washing away the millions of years that are offered by the teaching of evolution. Today we will begin to learn that catastrophism is also the key to understanding the world that we see all around us in the present. Here to explain this important truth is Dr. John Whitcomb. Friends, I greet you in the name of our Creator, our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I invite you to join with me as we analyze Catastrophism the key to the present part one how that Genesis flood Transformed our whole perspective on how the world began Listen now to Genesis chapter 7 verse 11 in the 600th year of Noah's life In the second month, on the 17th day of the month, stop right there. Why such intricate, detailed chronology? The year of his life, the month, the very day. It's because God is saying that chronology is the backbone of genuine history. No history has ever happened or will happen without time sequences. And so we say, thank you, God, that it doesn't start like this. Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a man named Noah, which is another way of saying it's just a legend, a myth, there never was such a person. So I say, thank you, Lord, for the chronology here that puts an exact, specific time setting for what we're about to hear. Now, what happened that amazing day in his life? Listen carefully now. on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the sky were opened and the rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights global catastrophe now watch carefully all the fountains of the great deep the ocean basins did what they burst open remember what happened a few years ago in the indian ocean when an eastern segment of the indian ocean ocean floor collapsed maybe 15 feet and it created a shockwave since water cannot be compressed. And that shockwave swept across the Indian Ocean 500 miles an hour. Now, if you were in a ship on the sea when that happened, no problem, because the wave was not just moving 500 miles an hour, it was 500 miles long. So that ship, during that hour, would maybe rise about 15 or 20 feet and then sink back down to where it was. But the place not to be was on the shore. If you were on the shore, dear friends, in one of those 17 countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, you would see the ocean gradually retreat. You don't rush out and pick up shells. That water's coming back catastrophically, and thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. The animals had a premonition it was coming, and they fled, and most of them survived. And I say, amazing, Lord, to think that Noah's Ark was on top of crisscrossing tsunamis all over the ocean for months and was spared, protected by God through that global catastrophe. Two things happened. Notice the ocean basins broke up and the floodgates of the sky were open and that rain came down in torrents everywhere in the world. The upper vapor canopy that God lifted up on that second day of creation precipitated and collapsed in 40 days and nights of torrential, massive rain. And I say, well now Lord, Did that flood really cover the world? Well, I'm so sad to say, friends, that even many Christians are confused about this. They've not only been taught the gap theory, they've been taught the day-age theory and other theories that limit and minimize and neglect the magnitude and effects of the flood. So listen to what God says about this. Genesis 7, 17. Then the flood came upon the earth for 40 days. That's phase one of a year-long catastrophe. what happened the water increased and lifted up the ark watch those words the ark so that it rose above the earth verse 18 and the waters prevailed they were inescapable irresistible they prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth and the ark watch those words the ark floated on the surface of the water And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth. I mean, it was just an enormous catastrophe. So that what happened? Watch now. So that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. My, what would happen today? If a hill in Indiana, where I live, was covered with water for a week, just one hill, now think of it, for one week, it would have to have a similar depth all over this planet for that amount of time to maintain that depth in that place, and every coastal city from London to Shanghai to Rio de Janeiro would be wiped off the map. But that is not what the flood was. It wasn't one high hill covered with water for a week, friends. Now listen. All the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered for months. Really? Now listen to verse 20. Here's the climax. Here's the ultimate, the final statement. The water prevailed 15 cubits higher, that's 22 feet, and the mountains were covered. Now stop right there. How high was Noah's Ark? 45 feet high, so when it was fully laden with its precious cargo, it sank about half its height into the water, about a draft of 22 feet, 15 cubits. So in order for that ark to float over the whole world for all those months, every high mountain had to be covered by at least 22 feet of water there wasn't one square foot of this planet covered by less than 22 feet of water the flood covered the world well of course it did notice what God said about the ark the ark Why would Noah have been required by God to spend a hundred and twenty years building a gigantic barge to escape a regional deluge? Maybe the Tigris and Euphrates river valley, that's a popular idea, the only Mesopotamia was covered. Friend, that reduces the whole Genesis flood narrative to absurdity. 120 years to build an ark to escape a regional flood all he was all he needed was a one-day warning he could have moved with his family far from the danger spot to say nothing of the rest of humanity and the animals and birds of the world but you see the ark the ark that's the key that ark was the only bridge from which pre-flood air breathers people and animals could move to the present world and survive. We've seen pictures of Noah's Ark, haven't we? Funny cartoons, bathtub-shaped thing with maybe a couple giraffes sticking their necks out the top. But it was no laughing matter for those people, friends. It was the unique 100,000 square foot bridge for antediluvians to move alive to a post-deluge world in which we now live today. No laughing matter at all. And I say, Lord, I'm amazed at the ark. Well, I'm sure that Noah was amazed, too, when God told him to build it. Turn back to Genesis 6 and listen to what happened to the ark and Noah, who had built it. Just before the flood struck the earth, God said to him, Genesis 6, 19, of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark. Keep them alive with you. They should be male and female. of the birds after their kind, and the animals after their kind. Now watch this, of every creeping thing on the ground after its kind, that would include every reptile, lizard, and dinosaur that God ever put on this earth. Wow I'm sure by now Noah's heart was sinking 120 years to build how am I gonna collect all these animals? impossible so thank God for the final words of this command now listen two of every kind shall come to you Noah they'll come to you don't have to go get them they'll come to you to keep them alive what a miracle of God and so friends during those final seven days before the flood struck the earth While the door of the Ark was still open, God marvelously, yes miraculously, led to each of the air-breathers of the world in a magnificent parade to the Ark. And the godless world watched in astonishment, in a state of shock, Knowing, as they see these animals moving to the ark, they must have had a premonition, they thought, of a coming catastrophe. So let's get out of here. We're out of here. Let's climb the hills. Surely this catastrophe is limited and localized. Famous last thoughts. The higher they climbed, the higher the water rose and picked them off by thousands and millions. Dr. Henry Morris estimated there could have been a billion people on the earth at the time of the flood. Hundreds of millions of people were picked off by the rising waters and drowned. I've always hoped, I've always hoped that just like the dying thief on the cross who had no hope of escape, some drowning people who had heard Noah preaching believed and were saved before they died. You remember what God said through Peter about the ark? The long suffering of God continued while the ark was being prepared. What a spectacular visual aid that ark really was. And I say, dear friends, that those people who drowned in the final days before the flood wiped out the world were extremely depraved people. Now, look back at Genesis chapter 6. The Lord was sorry, verse six, that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. And the Lord said, now here's a loving God who loves the world. Remember that he gave his son to die for us. Here's what the world was like before the flood. And the Lord said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals, to creeping things, to birds of the sky, for I am sorry I made them. Why? Because in verse 5, the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth. Now listen, that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. My, how can anyone be that bad? And I say, Lord, thank you for your common grace that protects the human race today from being as bad as it wants to be, as it could be, especially with demonic influence. And I say, Lord, I just can't imagine how awful that world was. But wait, one man found grace. Noah found grace and favor in the eyes of the Lord. And here's the records of the generations of Noah. And here, read this now, listen now carefully. Genesis six, verse nine. He was a righteous man. That doesn't mean he was sinless and perfect. Neither are you and I as believers. He was blameless in his time and he walked with God. He exhibited to some extent the grace of God in his life toward his family and toward the whole world. Now, the amazing thing about this, dear friends, and I'll share something of my experience too about this. It says in verse 11, the earth was corrupt in the sight of God and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked on the earth and behold, it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. And God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me for the earth is filled with violence because of them. And behold, I'm about to destroy them with the earth." The earth was corrupt, corrupt, filled with violence, filled with violence. We can't even imagine how awful that world was. And I say, now, Lord, it reminds me of an experience I had as a soldier in the Second World War, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a troop ship. We were warned, don't ever get up on this deck at night and strike a match to light a cigarette or something. Don't ever do that. Why not? Because out there in that water are German submarines, U-boats, with periscopes circling the sky to watch for a light to flash on. They would aim a torpedo at that light, knowing that that light wasn't sitting in midair, but was on a deck with maybe a thousand soldiers in that ship. and they'd all go to the bottom of the ocean. Guess what, friends? We all cooperated. Not one soldier died crossing the Atlantic. merchant ships by the hundreds yes a troop ship never we zigzagged we had airplane coverage we we obeyed that warning because here's the point a little light can be seen a long ways off if the darkness is deep enough and before the flood noah didn't have to be that wonderful a person but he was absolutely conspicuous because he was a little light in the midst of a deep deep darkness of human depravity And so you see friends, God didn't just wipe out the world by a flood for no reason. No, we can't imagine how bad the situation really, really was. And so, friends, as now Noah and his family, with amazement, saw these thousands of birds, mammals, reptiles, including dinosaurs, under God's protective hand and direction, coming into the ark. How in the world is he gonna feed all these animals? How is he gonna take care of them? And I'm sorry to say, friends, that many people say that proves the flood was impossible. But wait a minute, wait till God tells you what happened. Look at the last verse of chapter seven of Genesis. Genesis 7 24 and the water prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days five months of global catastrophe surely surely by now Everyone in the ark was either dead or wish they were wrong listen to what happened Genesis 8 1 but God Now you know that's true of you and me today isn't it friends things look hopeless. We're in despair What's going to happen to the world, but God but God God has a plan now. What was the plan now listen carefully? But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. He remembered them. You say, well, what does that prove? I'll tell you what it can't prove. It can't prove that God was so busy bringing the flood that he temporarily forgot Noah and the animals and then woke up and said, oh yes, there they are. And he remembered them. That borders on blasphemy. You mean we worship a God who can't think of two things at once? No, every Jew knew what that verse meant. God remembers, zakhar, special Hebrew verb that means what? That God takes care of people, makes every provision for people whom he remembers. Just like the thief on the cross, that Jew, in his dying moments said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you enter your kingdom. And he certainly didn't mean recall I was here. What comfort would that have brought him? He meant, meet my total need. And you know what Jesus said to him that moment? This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. I heard your prayer. I have met your need totally and forever. So let's look back at that verse as a Jewish reader would read the Hebrew Bible. Are you ready? Genesis 8, 1. But God took total care of Noah. and took care of all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. How do you think God took care of those animals? As those thousands of animals came into the ark, they found the food that Noah had been told by God to provide for them in these cages and boxes and rooms, and they gorged themselves on the food provided, and then God put them to sleep in a hibernation experience from which they did not awake until the flood ended a year later. You say, really? How do you know that? Well, listen now carefully, friends. The animals went into the ark two by two, and a year later they came out two by two including the rabbits. There was no multiplication of animals during that year. Hibernation, what an amazing phenomenon that is. We were given a guided tour one time of Mayo Clinic Animal Experimentation Lab a few years ago. Thousands of animals in cages and boxes in these rooms for experiments. And our guide said, folks, there's two things we'll never understand about animals, migration and hibernation. And he told us about animals that migrate across the world, how in the world do they get to where they're going, But he said, you know, hibernation is even more amazing. A gigantic bear stuffs himself with food in the autumn, waddles into a cave, practically drops dead. Heartbeat, pulse, yes, almost totally motionless for months. Come spring, he wakes up, goes out of the cave, life begins again. Don't you try that, friend. That is an amazing, provision of God for many animals in the animal kingdom. But on this special occasion, during that year of the flood, Noah and his family didn't have to let a single finger to take care of those out. They couldn't, even if they had wanted to. God took care of the animals. I agree. I agree with our guide who said, God can do this. God can do this. Thank you, Lord. And that, of course, is confirmed by Genesis 8, 17, isn't it? Listen to this statement. When the flood finally ended, 371 days later, God said to Noah, bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that three things will start happening now. One, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, not in the ark. See that point? And be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. And when they came out of the ark, they all totally obeyed God's direct, no animals disobeyed God, just people do. And they began ever widening concentric circles of repopulating the world, moving across continents and islands of the sea. And it's amazing how that migration has continued to this very hour. You remember in the late 1700s, the British first arrived in the Hawaiian islands with Captain Cook. The natives murdered him. The rest of the crew finally got back to England and told their story. What kind of animals do you think they found on those islands? Animals that evolved? No, nothing has ever evolved anywhere ever. Animals that were created? No, because every created animal in the world was destroyed except those in the ark. They came by migration. Animals that could swim or fly or float on rafts. Amazing phenomenon, animal migration. And I say, Lord, thank you for giving me these amazing insights into the magnitude of the flood. how you took care of Noah and the ark and the animal kingdom that survived to repopulate the world. Help me to have the key in my heart and mind of this tremendous catastrophe, the like of which there will never again be in the history of this world. Thank you, God, for what you've told us. That is author and theologian, Dr. John Whitcomb, and you are listening to Encounter God's Truth in a series called Catastrophism is the Key. I'm Wayne Shepherd reminding you that you can hear this message again at sermonaudio.com forward slash Whitcomb. And in fact, Dr. Whitcomb, I have a question for you that is directly related to today's teaching. In Genesis 6, we have a very interesting passage that talks about the sons of God marrying the daughters of men. Can you explain all of that for us? Wayne, this is my answer to a very difficult question. Who were the sons of God in Genesis chapter six? Now listen to what God tells us. Now it came about when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took wise for themselves whomever they chose. Who are these people? Well, friends, you can tell immediately there's something wrong here. These aren't spiritual men. They're not righteous angels. Of course, you understand that in the Old Testament, sons of God, Bnei Elohim, always means angels, direct creatures of God. They had no moms or dads. They were directly created by God, like Adam was. These sons of God were angels, but what kind of angels is the question? They were not good angels, because you see what they did? They came to mankind, saw the daughters of men, and took wives for themselves, whoever they chose. Doesn't sound like a loving relationship, does it? Something's wrong. In fact, we know something is wrong, because the next verse says, then the Lord said, my spirit shall not strive with man forever, Because he is also flesh, he's carnal, he's self-centered, he's evil. Nevertheless, his days should be 120 years. That's the probation time. for the building of Noah's ark until the coming of the Genesis flood. And then it goes on to add more things that seem very complicated. It says in verse four, the Nephilim, that means fallen ones, were on the earth in those days. And also after when the sons of God, these are these fallen angels, came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them, those were the mighty men who were of all men of renown. and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Now, friends, I believe we need to start with the New Testament, where we find in Jude and 2 Peter reference to the certain angels that kept not their first estate, but went after strange flesh, are consigned in pits and chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. not all demons did this certain very very wicked angels that have no further access to mankind because they did this thing went after strange flesh are consigned to pits and chains of darkness you know when jesus came to the world demons who were not consigned to the pit came to him and said, do not torment us before the time, don't cast us out before the time. In other words, like you did those demons back there at the flood because of what they did. Now friends, people will say immediately, angels can't marry humans. Right, that is why I believe they were demon possessed men that took these women. In other words, the demons had to have an instrument, a human male body, to dominate a human female. And that happened when Jesus was here. Many times, demon possession was evident. You remember in Mark chapter 5? They came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. No one was able to bind him anymore with a chain. He had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken to pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. And constantly, night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out. And Jesus said, what is your name? and he said to him my name is legion for we are many he was possessed by thousands of demons i can't even imagine such a thing but the point is he could not have broken those chains he couldn't have said those things without the demons using his brain and his mouth demons can't do anything friends without a human body to use and that is why back in genesis 6 i believe it is clear that demons attempted under satan to completely corrupt the human race by dominating wicked men who then dominated wicked women, and the results were horrible to imagine. God has sort of brought a veil over the whole situation. He doesn't want us to see the awful details. And we say, Lord, thank you for helping us to see the possibilities here of how bad, how corrupt, how depraved mankind became before the time of the Genesis flood. Well, those are sobering words from Dr. John Whitcomb. But as you know, our goal here on Encounter God's Truth is simply to declare the Word of God, which is true from the beginning to the end. Please pray that we will continue to do that faithfully. And also be sure to encourage the station in which you hear our program and let them know if you're blessed by this broadcast. Encounter God's Truth comes to you each week from Whitcomb Ministries. We hope you'll visit us online at whitcombministries.org. And we would be honored to have you like our Facebook page at facebook.com forward slash Whitcomb Ministries, where we provide the very latest information about how the Lord is working through our ministry. Next week we will conclude this message, Catastrophism is the Key to the Present. Until then, we pray God's richest blessings upon you as you continue to Encounter God's Truth. I'm your host, Wayne Shepherd. Thanks for joining us today.