Great Flood and Noah |
Created Date: 3-May-2019 |
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Last updated: 25-Oct-2020 |
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The Great Flood was an event that most likely everyone in the world today knows the story about it. What many people may have not known is the Great Flood was the second time that the Earth was completely covered with water. This is important to know because this gives information that there is enough water even today if the depth of the oceans were not as deep and the earth's topology on land was different.
The first time the Earth was completely under water is when God comes in Genesis 1:2 to move over the surface of the Earth, which is covered in water, to first separate the water and create land, Genesis 1:9.
Genesis 1:2 | 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. |
Genesis 1:9 | 9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good. |
From the scriptures, prior to the Great Flood, the earth did not have rain. Many Biblical Scholars and Creationist have theories, based on Genesis 2:5-6, that the Earth had:
Genesis 2: 5-6 | 5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground. |
Isaiah 14:17 | Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' |
Two Scriptural passage are too often overlooked when dealing with the Great Flood as the source of the Water. In the beginning after what is often discussed as the Gap Theory, the entire Earth was covered in Water before God moved on the Earth to restore it.
In Job 38:4-8 the angels shouted for joy at the foundations of the earth so the Earth had to be absolutely beautiful but something changed, which the Gap Theory expresses the theory the Earth changed from consequences caused between the war God had with Lucifer. The Earth remained baron until God moved and recreated the Earth, where the Earth could have been formless and void for billions of years to prove Lucifer couldn't create anything.
There is also an interesting verse that has been overlooked in all Biblical Commentaries, that this author has read, dealing with source of the ocean, which is Job 38:8 where God announced there are doors for the seas which the water busted forth. This "bursting forth", indicates a great amount of water, and also notice that "from the womb" indicates a birth (a creation) from God. This is not a reference dealing with the Great Flood, but lets us know that God created the seas where God had the waters come from them. In Revelation 21:6 there is something similar where God has created a spring that the water of life flows.
Job 38:4-8 | 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? 6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; |
Revelation 21:6 |
He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost
from the spring of the water
of life. (Ezekiel in 47:1-12 is the companion verses of the spring that becomes a river.) |
In Genesis 1:2, the scripture informs us the entire Earth was covered in water.
Genesis 1:2 | Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. |
In Genesis 1:6, the scripture informs us that God separates the water and puts water in the sky, "vault from the water above it". Today we know that the sky always has moisture in it, even when we do not see clouds. When there is storms, the sky can contain great amounts of water.
Genesis 1:6-8 | 6 And God said, Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water. 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault sky. And there was evening, and there was morning the second day. |
The other parts of the water where separated into seas or what we call oceans. Notice in verse 10, that there was no land at this time where God created the land. Recently, there is scientific research stating there are vast oceans of water, that are larger than the oceans on the surface, which are in the Earth being stored in a plasma state in what is called ringwoodite.
Genesis 1:9-10 | 9 And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good. |
Therefore, the entire Earth was changed from being covered in water to containing land, which then enabled God to continue with the rebirth of the Earth and the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. This water was always present, is still present and at that time was used later as the source of the Great Flood.
Some theories is when God broke up the fountains of the deep, this created the "fault lines" that earth quakes can now occur. Furthermore, there have been calculations that if the earth's surface was flat, then there is enough surface water to cover the entire surface.
Genesis 7:11-12 | 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. |
In Genesis 6, we learn that the Earth was full of corruption, but God found favor in Noah. There was something particular about Noah, and his family, that is identified in one of the scriptures. In Genesis 6:9 the scripture speaks about "perfect in his generations", where the actual Hebrew word "perfect" is "tamiym" which means without blemish, sound, healthful, without spot or unimpaired is used to describe Noah's family.
Genesis 6:9 | These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God. |
The question to ask ourselves is why did God want us to know this about Noah and Noah's family? Many Biblical Scholars state this reference is identifying a problem that was occurring during this time period on the Earth, which Noah's family was not affected. The problem is identified later in the Book of Genesis as the Nephilim, and is also confirmed in several other scriptures in the Old and New Testament, which is discussed in detail in the Nephilim topic.
Genesis 6:2 | that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. |
Genesis 6:4 | The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown. |
Genesis 6:2 and 6:4, informs us that the Nephilim were a hybrid type of human-being that was the offspring of the intermarrying by the Fallen Angels and Earth born women. The Nephilim were "mighty men that were of old, the men of renown", which we might think of as similar to a sport's champion or war hero. The Nephilim were only men and of additional height. A scriptural reference regarding height is 1 Samuel 17 which is dealing with Goliath, who was a descendent of the Nephilim and from the tribe of Gath, at over 9 feet tall.
Many Biblical Scholars believe the reference to "perfect" meant the mixture of the fallen angel's sexual fornication had not happened to anyone of Noah's genealogy, which is what the "perfect in his generations" inference is indicating.
After the fall of Adam and Eve, God made the first announcement of many that began to reveal a plan that there would be a seed to of the woman, that would be a reconciliation, restitution and forgiveness. The seed of the woman is a pointer to the virgin birth of Mary, through the Holy Spirit. The seed is also a biological misnomer and impossibility because a woman requires the seed of the man. Genesis 3:15 mentions the seed of the woman and also the seed of Lucifer.
Many Biblical Scholars have the theory that the Nephilim was part of Lucifer's plan to affect the Bloodline to the Messiah. God was not going to allow this to happen and have the bloodline tainted and blemished with anything dealing with Lucifer.
Genesis 3:15 | And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. |
The Nephilim infiltration was an attempt to stop the entire plan of God along with the further corruption of mankind. Many Biblical Scholars believe the infiltration of the Nephilim was over the entire Earth and this was the primary reason for the Great Flood. Unfortunately, many Christians are taught the Great Flood happened because of sin only, which is partially true but it was more than that.
Notice in Genesis 6:11-12 the part that states "the earth was filled with violence" and then reiterates the point that "the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt", where there can be no confusion that it was the entire earth. There also cannot be any question on the catalyst because of the scriptures verses that proceed these in Genesis 6:2 and Genesis 6:4. The entire "earth" is mentioned and not a geographical region.
Genesis 6:11-12 | 11 And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. |
Genesis 6:8-10 | 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. 9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. |
Ezekiel 14:14 & 20 | 14 though these three men,
Noah, Daniel, and Job,
were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by
their righteousness,
saith the Lord Jehovah. 20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. |
Regarding the time before Jesus Christ's return there is also the information, in Matthew 24:38, that people were carrying on with normal things in their lives and had not understood the purpose, with the warning about as the times of Noah was conveying.
The world will have other witnesses before the return, just as the time before the Great Flood had:
The comparison given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:37-39, "as the days of Noah", informs the reader to understand the scriptural text of Genesis 6 and other passages. God is always very precise in the scriptures, and is using the period of Genesis 6 for a reason for us to understand. God could have used many other horrible times in history, such as wars and famines but God specifically used the times of Genesis 6.
Throughout history, there world is replete with continuous wars, devastations of countries and even genocides against Israel. There is a belief that there are good people who will eventually change the whole world into a place without wars, crime and prosperity for everyone. This is impossible, according to the scriptures, until Jesus Christ rules the entire earth after His Second Coming, Revelation 2:27 for the Millennial Kingdom followed by eternity.
The scriptural conclusion is the Great Flood had two major evil problems:
Matthew 24:37-39 | 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. |
Luke 17:26 | 26 And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. |
1 Peter 3:20 | 20 that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: |
2 Peter 2:5 | 5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; |
2 Peter 3:5-6 | 5 For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; 6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: |
Joshua 13:12 | all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses struck them and dispossessed them. |
There are some people who believe the Great Flood in the Book of Genesis was only a local flood in one geographical area on the earth. This cannot be true as Genesis 7:4 informs us that the Great Flood was over the entire earth. Also, on Genesis 7:23, informs us that every living creature that walked on the earth, "face of the earth", died, which means all the creatures that were on the land died.
Genesis 7:4 | 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made. |
Genesis 7:23 | 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. |
In Genesis 8:4, the Ark of Noah rests on the mountains of Ararat. A local flood would have only let the Ark rest on possibly hills after the waters left and not a mountain. Using the directions that Noah and his family left off of the Ark, the location of the mountains (notice it is plural) is most likely in modern-day Iran's Zagros Mountains. This is discussed further in the Ark of Noah.
Genesis 8:4 | 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. |
After the Great Flood, God makes a covenant with mankind by the token of the rainbow that He will never destroy "all living creatures" by water in Genesis 8:21. The world has had many floods that have killed and destroyed large areas but they were never over the entire world. If the Great Flood was a local flood, then that would make God a liar and someone who could not be trusted because there have been many catastrophic local floods throughout history.
Genesis 8:21 | 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (This is saying God will never destroy in this method.) |
As previously stated, it is important to note that God states all creatures that were on land. It does not reference the creatures in the oceans or fresh water lakes, which is important to understanding and having faith in believing the Great Flood and Ark history.
Genesis 9:13-16 | 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. |
Science does confirm the Great Flood for these reasons and many others:
* Christian Scientists have proposed the "Canopy Theory" which states that the earth had a thicker water shield around the entire earth that created something like a greenhouse that gave a greater protection of life on the earth than today. Additionally, in this theory, the atmospheric pressures were greater that along with the canopy gave the longer life spans noted in the Scriptures, allowed animals to grow larger and even permitted pterodactyls to fly.
In many cultures around the earth, there are historical writings of a Great Flood occurring in the past. In these historical writings and sometimes spoken traditions, they all have similar information.
Normally, cultures in antiquity, may have legends and folklore but what makes the Great Flood story more prominent is the wide spread knowledge of it across the globe. Furthermore, as an example of the uniqueness of a shared world-wide awareness, consider that Native American Indians would not have picked up the knowledge very easily from any other culture because of isolation. This goes also for other cultures that were disconnected from other parts of the world and have the knowledge of a Great Flood. Here is a list of what is shared in many cultures:
This is a list of cultures by continent, which is not exhaustive, that have a shared history of a Great Flood:
Location | Cultures / Peoples |
North America | Anishhinaabe, Eskimo, Inuit, Hopi and many more indian tribes |
South America | Canari, Inca, Mapuche, Muisca, Tupi |
Asia | China's Yu the Great, Nuwa; India's Manu and Puluga; Korea's Mokdoryung |
Europe | Welch, Norse, Finnish |
Polynesia & Hawaii | Nu'u, Ruatapu, Tawhai |
From calculating the scriptural information and using the Hebrew Calendar, the Great Flood is presumed to have lasted approximately 370 days by the calculations shown below. Note that Noah's family was in the Ark for seven days before the Flood started so some Biblical Commentaries will give a figure of 377 days of the Great Flood, which is incorrectly adding 7 days.
The 370 days are based on the month estimations shown below based on a 30-day Hebrew Calendar. This author simply used the scriptural passages and a spreadsheet to total up the days, which might be different from some other commentaries on the Great Flood.
Genesis 7:11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. |
Genesis 8:5 | The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. |
Genesis 8:6 | After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark |
Genesis 8:10 | He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark |
Genesis 8:12 | He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. |
Genesis 8:13 | By the first day of the first month of Noah s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. (Note: This is key verse to show a new year is happening) |
A year and 20 more day have gone by since the 7th day of the previous year's 2nd Month. |
|
Genesis 8:14 | By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. |
Genesis 8:15-16 | 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. |
The following five points were used in the calculation:
Scripture |
Scripture information |
Days |
|
Notes |
Date |
Genesis 7:10 |
7 days waiting for the Great Flood to Start |
n/a |
|
Waiting 7 days |
|
Genesis 7:11 |
Fountains broken up and Skies opened up |
n/a |
|
START: 2nd Month and 17th day |
17th of Cheshvan |
Genesis 7:12 |
40 days of raining on the Earth |
40 |
|
|
|
Genesis 7:24 |
150 days of the waters rising |
150 |
|
|
|
Genesis 8:3 |
At the end of the 150 days |
n/a |
|
Points back to Gen 7:24 |
|
Genesis 8:4 |
Ark rests on Mount Ararat. 7th Month - 17th day |
n/a |
|
Same date (future) as last day in Tomb. Jesus' Resurrection next day! |
17th of Nissan |
Genesis 8:5 |
Waters decreased until 10th month 1st day |
n/a |
|
Mountain tops seen |
1st of Tammuz |
Genesis 8:6 |
40 days of waiting |
40 |
|
|
|
Genesis 8:10 |
7 days of waiting |
7 |
|
|
|
Genesis 8:12 |
7 more days of waiting |
7 |
|
Dove is sent out of Ark |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Start to Finish days |
Days |
Cumulating |
Notes |
Date |
|
Noah is 600 Years old |
In Flood |
|
|
|
2nd Month |
17th of Cheshavan - Flood Starts (30 - 17) |
13 |
13 |
START: 2nd Month and 17th day |
17th of Cheshvan |
3rd Month |
Chisleu |
30 |
43 |
|
|
4th Month |
Tevet |
30 |
73 |
|
|
5th Month |
Shevat |
30 |
103 |
|
|
6th Month |
Adar |
30 |
133 |
|
|
7th Month |
Nisan |
30 |
163 |
|
|
8th Month |
Iyar |
30 |
193 |
|
|
9th Month |
Sivan |
30 |
223 |
|
|
10th Month |
Tammuz |
30 |
253 |
|
|
11th Month |
Av |
30 |
283 |
|
|
12th Month |
Elul |
30 |
313 |
|
|
|
Noah is 601 Years old |
|
|
Noah birthday - turns 601 |
Teshrei 1st |
1st Month |
Teshrei |
30 |
343 |
|
|
2nd Month |
Cheshvan - God tells Noah to leave on 27th day |
27 |
370 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total |
370 |
|
|
|
When thinking about how long the Great Flood lasted, we can think of it lasting 12 months and 10 days, where the Calendar months of 30 days is used as explained in the Biblical Year topic.
Disclaimers when looking at other calculations found in books and the internet:
There are other Biblical Commentaries, from other authors, that have:
Other related topics
Could the Ark of Noah have actually taken all of the Species of the World and is the Ark going to be found?
The Great Flood had the benefit of also burying and destroying the Garden of Eden so that the location with the Tree of Life could never be found.
Some other links
https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/global/worldwide-flood-evidence/
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/there-evidence-flood-was-global
https://biologos.org/articles/flood-geology-and-the-grand-canyon-what-does-the-evidence-really-say
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flood_myths
What to read next?
See: (a) Time and Time Travel, (b) Time Domains, (c) Kingdom of God, (d) Singularity and the Big Bang Theories, (e) E=mc , (f) Ten Dimensions of the Universe, (g) Age of the Earth, Periods that Developed Life, Heavens, (h) Gap Theory of Genesis 1:2 - Earth formless for billions of years