Jon Gary Williams

Though the Genesis flood was one of the world's most dramatic and awesome events, few have taken time to give it the serious attention it deserves. Because of this many professed Bible believers have found it difficult to respond to questions asked about the flood, and in some instances has led to a weakening of their faith in the Bible. However, it should not be this way. Christians are to be ready to respond to those who ask about their "hope" (II Peter 3:15). However, the hope by which Christians live is measured by their confidence in God's word. The greater the confidence in the word of God, the greater the hope.

When one has a proper understanding of the facts surrounding the flood, questions asked about this great event are easily answered. One of the most frequently asked questions has to do with the scope of the flood: "Was the Biblical flood really worldwide?"

- The Bible states that "all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered" (Genesis 7:19). The worldwide extent of the flood could not have been made clearer.

- In discussing with those who doubted the second coming of Christ, Peter compared that great and final event to the catastrophic, worldwide flood, saying, "the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (II Peter 3:3-7). Without question, Peter, by inspiration, understood the flood to be universal.

- The Geneses record specifically declares, in prophetic expression, "all flesh" that had "the breath of life" was to be destroyed "from under heaven, and everything that is in the earth shall die" (Genesis 6:17). Since death would reach the world over, it logically follows that the flood was to be universal.

- If, as suggested by some, the flood was only local, there would have been no need for the animals to be saved within the ark. The flooded area would have been easily repopulated from surrounding regions. And likewise, if the flood was only local there would have been no need for the building of an ark itself! God could have directed Noah and his family to relocate to a location outside the flood area.

- Geology itself abundantly testifies to a universal flooded condition of the earth. Throughout every quarter of the globe, skeletal and fossil remains of animals are found in mass quantities within fissures (giant slits in the earth) high on mountain sides as well as in other elevated locations. Within these fissures are found the remains of such animals as elephants and horses -- animals that could not possibly have scaled to such heights. Also, these remains are of a wide variety, representing animals which did not share the same habitat, thus showing they were brought together by some powerful, unnatural means. The question is, how could such expansive animal remains have been collected in these remotely elevated locations?

There is only one rational explanation - water, and lots of it! At some point in time water levels must have risen above the elevation of the fissures. As the water drained back into the earth, the bodies of multiplied millions of animals were crushed into these openings with devastating force. Since this geologic phenomenon exists the world over it must be concluded that a flood of enormous magnitude extended worldwide.

Additionally, in many places throughout the world are found giant strips of coal deep beneath the earth's surface. Mining of such coal beds is called "strip mining." These deposits are the result of huge quantities of vegetation which have been compacted together into the earth's crevices, forming coal.

How could such vast quantities of vegetation have been brought together? Again, the obvious answer is massive amounts of water! There is no other explanation for such unbelievably large amounts of vegetation to have been accumulated. As water was forced into the earth's crevices, giant, floating islands of vegetation were deposited into the earth.