1	Evidence for a Global Flood Dr. Heinz Lycklama heinz@osta.com www.osta.com
2	Evidence for a Global Flood? Flood theories The Biblical record Changes after the flood Biblical evidence for a global flood Non-biblical evidence for a global flood Flood legends Archaeological evidence Conclusions
3	Flood Theories Evolution: myth or local flood Theistic evolution: local flood Day-age theory Gap theory Progressive creationism Creation: global flood
4	Stages of “Heaven and Earth” Five Stages: Creation of heaven and earth, Gen. 1:1 Curse, Gen. 3:17 Flood, Gen. 6:13 Millennium, Rev. 19-20 New heavens and new earth, Rev. 21-22
5	Changes in God’s Creation Two changes imposed by God: Curse Flood Curse changed the basic nature of all processes by imposing a universal internal principal of decay on them Flood changed the structure of the earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere: Cataclysmic change in rates and external behavior of processes Flood marks hiatus between original world and present world
6	The Noahic Flood The Scripture is clear on global nature of the flood Geologic “column” formed after the fall of man Fossils speak of death, 1 Cor. 15:21, “ … by a man came death …” Evolution depends on fossil record interpreted in terms of vast geologic ages Many “evangelists” insist that Genesis be reinterpreted in terms of a local flood Local flood vs. global flood Uniformitarianism vs. catastrophe Evolution vs. creation
7	The Genesis Record “And God said to 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.” Gen. 6:13. “And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.” Gen. 6:17.
8	The Genesis Record - 2 The fountains of the deep broke open (Gen. 7:11) The windows of heaven were opened - 40 days and 40 nights (7:11-12) The waters lifted the Ark [450 feet long] (7:17) The waters prevailed and increased greatly (7:18) The waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth (7:19) The waters covered the highest hills by 22 feet [15 cubits] (7:19-20)
9	The Genesis Record - 3 All flesh died that moved upon the earth (7:21) All in whose nostrils was the breath of life died (7:22) Every living substance was destroyed (7:23) Only Noah and his family survived (7:23) The waters prevailed upon the earth 150 days (7:24) The flood lasted 1 year and 11 days (7:11, 8:14)
10	The Genesis Record - 4 God caused a wind to pass and the waters subsided (8:1) And the waters receded from off the earth continually (8:3) Five months after the start of the flood, the Ark came to a rest upon Ararat (8:4) God made a covenant with Noah and all creatures on the Ark (every beast of the earth) – all flesh (9:9-11): “… 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.” (9:11)
11	Overflowed With Water Gen. 7:11-12 “... 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 forty days and forty nights.” 2 Pet. 3:5,6 “... through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.”
12	Water Source “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.”, Gen. 1:7.
13	Subterranean Waters Large quantities of subterranean water in the past: Ps. 42:2, “… He founded the earth upon the seas …” Ps. 33:6-9, “… gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses …” - water was kept in the storehouse for later use during the flood. Ps. 104:3 “… lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters …” II Peter 3:5, “ the earth was formed out of water …”
14	Subterranean Waters Erupted The subterranean waters erupted and steam burst forth bringing on the flood: Gen. 7:11-12, “… the fountains of the great deep burst open … and rain fell …” - these events are in cause and effect order Job 38:4-11, “… the sea bursting forth, it went out from the womb; when I made a cloud its garment …” Prov. 3:20, “… the deeps were broken up and the skies dripped dew …” Job 12:15, “… the waters … He sends them out, and they inundate the earth …”
15	Mountains Formed The mountains were formed as the flood waters receded: Ps. 104:5-9, “… the waters were standing above the mountains … at the sound of Thy thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down.”
16	Changes After The Flood The oceans were much larger since they now contained all the waters that were “above the firmament” and in the reservoirs of the “great deep” Land occupied less area than before the Flood, therefore less area available for habitation Thermal vapor was dissipated resulting in: Strong temperature differentials Gradual buildup of snow and ice in the polar latitudes
17	Changes After The Flood - 2 Mountain ranges uplifted after the Flood emphasized the more rugged topography of the postdiluvian continents Winds, storms, rains, snows were now possible, thus rendering the environment less congenial to man and animals Harmful radiation from space no longer filtered out by the vapor “canopy,” resulting in gradual reduction in human longevity after the Flood
18	Changes After The Flood - 3 Tremendous glaciers, rivers, and lakes existed for a time, with the world only gradually approaching its present state of semi-aridity Crust of the earth became unstable because of the collapse of the subterranean caverns and the post-Flood uplifts, resulting in: Recurrent volcanic and seismic activity all over the world for many centuries and continuing to some degree to the present Lands were barren of vegetation, until plant life could be reestablished through the sprouting of seeds and cuttings buried beneath the surface
19	Biblical Record of Global Flood 1. Height and duration of the flood: Gen. 7:19-20, mountains Gen. 8:5, ten months Mt. Ararat is about 17,000 ft. high [today] Local flood? Doubtful
20	Biblical Record of Global Flood 2. The need for an ark: Gen. 7:3, not required for a local flood Gen. 6:15, 522 standard RR cars Spent 120 years to build Why not migrate to higher ground?
21	Biblical Record of Global Flood 3. The destruction of the earth: Gen. 2:5, no rain before the flood Gen. 6:13, “... I am about to destroy them with the earth.” Gen. 7:11, fountains of the deep Gen. 7:12, forty day downpour Job 12:15, waters overturned the earth
22	Biblical Record of Global Flood 4. Expressions of universality in Genesis: Gen. 1:7, water above the atmosphere Gen. 2:5, no rain on the earth must have been worldwide condition Gen. 2:10-14, Edenic geography no longer in existence Gen. 5:5, longevity of antediluvian patriarchs 30 references to “global” nature of flood in Gen. 6-9 Gen. 6:13, God decided to destroy both earth and man Gen. 6:15, Ark too large for regional animals Gen. 6:20, animals of all kinds migrated to the Ark Gen. 7:21, every man died on the earth
23	Biblical Record of Global Flood 5. God’s unbroken promise: Gen. 8:21; 9:11,15, no more flood, or destruction of all flesh, rainbow as sign of promise - promised three times Is. 54:9, “… For I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth …” God will never again “smite every living thing”
24	Biblical Record of Global Flood 6. Testimony of Christ and His apostles: Matt. 24:37, the days of Noah like those when Christ comes Matt. 24:39, the Flood took them all away Luke 17:26-27, the flood came and destroyed them all 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:6, the world at that time was destroyed, i.e. global Heb. 11:7, he condemned the world
25	Biblical Record of Global Flood 7. The testimony of other Scripture: Gen. 2:5, no rain before the flood Job 12:15, the waters overturned the earth Ps. 104:6-7, “… The waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled. …” Is. 54:9, “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me …”
26	Size and Shape of the Ark
27	Was There Room On The Ark? 522 box cars in size 1.5 million cubic feet of space Adequate for holding one pair of each kind of land animal and provisions for one year Small number of beetles could have sired the 290,000 species of beetles existing today All of today’s species did not have to be on the Ark A pair of wolf-like animals can be the ancestors of the coyote, the jackal and the fox, for example
28	Summary of the Biblical Evidence The Flood was a worldwide flood All flesh with the breath of life perished All the high hills were covered The need for an Ark The plain reading of the text Word usage [catastrophe/inundation] Population statistics and geographical area
29	Scientists Who Believe in Global Flood Kurt Wise Ph.D. Paleontology Steven A. Austin Ph.D. Geology John Morris Ph.D. Geology Elaine Kennedy Ph.D. Geology Donald B. DeYoung Ph.D. Physics Russell Humphreys Ph.D. Physics Keith Wanser Ph.D. Physics John Baumgardner Ph.D. Geophysics Danny R. Faulkner Ph.D. Astronomy Duane T. Gish Ph.D. Biochemistry Jay Wile Ph.D. Nuclear Chemistry Lane P. Lester Ph.D. Genetics Linda K. Walkup Ph.D. Molecular Genetics Ray Bohlin Ph.D. Molecular Biology Gary E. Parker Ph.D. Biology Raul Lopez Ph.D. Atmospheric Science Larry Vardiman Ph.D. Atmospheric Science Charles Taylor Ph.D. Linguistics (O.T.) Robert Cole Ph.D. Semitic Languages
30	Natural Evidence for Global Flood Worldwide distribution of Flood traditions Origin of civilization near Ararat-Babylon region in post-Flood time Near the arks’ landing site “… upon the mountains of Ararat.” Gen. 8:4 Convergence of population growth statistics on date of Flood Dating of oldest living things at post-Flood time
31	Natural Evidence for Global Flood Population statistics suggest only thousands (not millions) of years for population to build up Radiocarbon (C14) dating age distribution analysis shows large “spike” of death about 5,000 years ago Written history appears suddenly 5-6,000 years ago Pottery, agriculture, domestication, metallurgy, and cities date to less than 10,000 years ago Tree ring studies of oldest living trees (Bristlecone Pines) date to ~5,000 years ago
32	Natural Evidence for Global Flood Uniform physical appearance of rocks of different “ages” Wide distribution of recent volcanic rocks Worldwide occurrence of raised shore lines and river terraces Universal occurrence of rivers in valleys too large for the present stream Absence of any physical evidence of chronologic boundary between rocks of successive “ages” Occurrence of all rock types (shale, limestone, granite, etc.) in all “ages” Absence of meteorites in geologic column
33	Natural Evidence for Global Flood Worldwide occurrence of water-laid sediments and sedimentary rocks Numerous exceptions exist in the “standard geologic column” (e.g. out-of-order strata and different “age” fossils found together) The earth’s geologic features and surface forces a catastrophic flood explanation Sedimentary rock formations (water deposited, such as sandstone) cover continent-sized regions There are large coal, oil, ore deposits (not forming today) Great fossil beds exist – they required rapid burial Fossils of warm habitat plants/animals are found near the poles
34	Natural Evidence for Global Flood Recent uplift of major mountain ranges Marine fossils on crests of mountains Mountains are found made of “ocean-bottom” rocks Ocean fossils are found on continents’ interior mountains Fossils record catastrophic burial and rapid lithification of fossil deposits Worldwide distribution of all types of fossils Sudden extinction of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals
35	Flood Legends Almost every ancient culture has legends of a traumatic flood Sources include Greek historians, Babylonian records, cuneiform tablets Other sources include mythology and traditions of different nations This event seems to be familiar to distant nations - Australia, India, China, Scandinavia, America Only a few humans survived in a large boat Many common elements Suggest a common historical source Left a vivid impression on the survivors of the flood catastrophe
36	Archaeological Evidence Ancient ark reports Josephus (Jewish historian) and Berosus of the Chaldeans mentioned that the Ark existed in their writings More than a dozen Christian and Jewish leaders wrote that the Ark was still preserved during the period of 200-1700 A.D British scientists Team of 3 skeptical British scientists and 2 Armenian guides climbed Mt. Ararat to demonstrate that the Ark did not exist Ark was supposedly found, but guides were sworn to secrecy
37	Archaeological Evidence - 2 Sir James Bryce, a British scholar and traveler, found four foot long piece of hand-tooled wood on Mt. Ararat in 1876, that he believed was from the Ark Ed Davis, a sergeant in the U.S. army, was led to the Ark by members of the Lourd tribe in July 1943 Found Ark broken into two parts Petrified wood, used wooden pegs Door opened outward, hinged at the bottom
38	Other Natural Evidence Shells on mountains Every major mountain range contains fossilized sea life Water above the mountains Ten times more water than there is land above sea level Most mountains consist of tipped and buckled sedimentary layers Sediments initially laid down through water as nearly horizontal layers Mountains must have pushed up after the sediments were deposited Enough water on the earth to cover the smaller mountains that existed prior to the flood
39	Explanation of Earth’s Features Catastrophe resulting from waters erupting from worldwide, subterranean, and interconnected chambers With an energy release exceeding the explosion of millions of hydrogen bombs Mid-oceanic ridge, 40,000 miles long, wrapped around the earth Frozen mammoths found in Siberian ice Overthrusts Strata The Grand Canyon and other canyons Mt. St. Helens demonstrates speed of natural processes
40	Hydroplate Theory Earth had a large amount of subterranean water in a layer about 1 KM thick under six miles of crust, sitting on top of a basalt layer Water heating to 250 degrees F with pressure increasing, resulting in four phases: Rupture phase Flood phase Continental drift phase Recovery phase
41	Summary & Conclusion Large amounts of water are needed to produce widespread deposits of: Marine fossils on the continents The same rock type on the continents Turbidites on the continents The geological evidence can be interpreted to support a young earth Liquefaction Turbidites Long ages are not necessary
42	All Mixed Up More ocean sediments than terrestrial sediments on continents. What are marine fossils doing on the continents?
43	A Titanic Earthquake! In 1929, an earthquake near Newfoundland caused a flow of sediment that snapped 13 underwater communication cables The sediment covered 40,000 sq. mi. in 13 hours, even reaching the wreck of the Titanic
44	Turbidites on Land? Sediments deposited by underwater turbidity currents are called turbidites Thousands of turbidites have been discovered on the continents Were the continents once covered by water?
45	Contact Lines The line between sedimentary layers (contact line) shows the amount of erosion More time should result in more erosion
46	Contact Lines Scientists are finding flat contact lines which cannot be explained by millions of years of exposure Could these layers have been deposited rapidly?
47	Summary of Scientific Evidence Marine sediments on top of terrestrial sediments on top of marine sediments Turbidites on the continents Smooth contact lines in some places
48	“Explaining Away” the Global Flood 1. Local Flood Theory Only covered the local mountains Inconsistent with duration of flood and need for an Ark No local flood continues to rise for 150 days It was a year before the occupants could leave the Ark 2. Tranquil Flood Theory Worldwide tranquil cataclysm Mild, gentle, geologically impotent Oxymoron
49	Global Flood - Conclusions Recorded by Moses as a historical fact Accepted as a fact by: OT writers Jesus and the Apostles Verified by: Scientific evidence Flood legends Archaeological evidence