5 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: 6 Whereby the
world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 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.
These verses are often used by adherents of belief in a gap
between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 usually called The Gap Theory. Regarding these
verses as applying to Noah’s Flood, though, we have a connection to events we
can read about in great detail.
Genesis 6:17 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.
Genesis 7: 17 ¶ And the flood was forty days upon the earth;
and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the
earth. 18 And the waters prevailed, and
were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the
waters. 19 And the waters prevailed
exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole
heaven, were covered. 20 Fifteen cubits
upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.21 ¶ And all flesh died that moved upon the earth,
both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22
All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry
land, died. 23 And every living
substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and
cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were
destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with
him in the ark. 24 And the waters
prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
The heavens, the first two of our atmosphere and outer space
whose creation is described in Genesis, suffered great devastation when God’s
judgment was poured out at the center of the universe, earth. We can see the
results of this judgment on earth as in the fact that sedimentary rock, rock
laid down by water action, covers the surface of the earth although it makes up
only a small percentage of the crust, covering as a layer the igneous and
metamorphic rocks below. It was laid down by this Great Flood. The Bible says
in this great event while theoretical scientists who reject God say this
happened over billions of years in keeping with the uniformitarian idea
mentioned previously that all things remain the same as they were since the
beginning.
We also have fossil fuel which is thought to be what is
remaining of the great biomass that covered the earth at one time, all life
estimated by some at being 500 times what we have today covering the entire
earth in a tropics environment as evidenced by discoveries in the colder parts
of our current earth. This great biomass was crushed and held under great pressure
and we tap the product created by it and run our civilization on it. It is not
likely that God will ever let us escape that connection to the world before the
Great Flood no matter how hard we try. Again, the atheist theoretical scientist
believes this happened over billions of years.
We have evidence in the heavens of great destruction and
discussions about how Mars lost its magnetic field and why Venus has the atmosphere
it does and why it spin backwards, or why Uranus seems to roll on its side continue
among astronomers. We have no evidence from Scripture connecting these things
and many others to the cataclysm on earth but it is an interesting thought,
nevertheless.
The twin ideas that everything has gone on from the
beginning as it is now without miracle or interruption, and that, as a result,
these events had to take billions of years, is unproveable and if you believe
in the God of the Bible and His power and sovereignty over every event then
those twin ideas become nonsense.
What we live in now is awaiting the fire of God’s judgment.
8 ¶
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Compare that to these verses.
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as
yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Ecclesiastes 6:6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice
told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?
There were six days of creation. Christ came two thousand
years ago, four thousand years after the creation, as many Christians believe.
Note this, as Jesus appeared to His disciples in the fourth watch.
Matthew 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus
went unto them, walking on the sea.
The fourth watch was from 3am to 6am so it was near dawn.
And when He returns for us it will be like a thief in the
night. (1Thessalonians 5:2 and later in 2Peter 3:10).
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe 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 Noe 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. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall
be taken, and the other left. 41 Two
women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other
left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the
house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Remember that Satan rules this world as its god at present
(see 2Corinthians 4:4), it is his house and we are told to wait expectantly for Christ’s
return (Titus 2:13) to take control (Revelation 11:15). Jesus said when He
walked on earth that the night was coming.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me,
while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light
of the world.
The spiritual night we live in was coming beginning when
Judas left to betray Christ.
John 13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall
give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it
to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27
And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That
thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at
the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had
the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of
against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went
immediately out: and it was night.
Paul wrote;
Romans 13:12 The
night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
1Thessalonians
5:5 Ye are all the children of light,
and the children of the day: we are not
of the night, nor of darkness.
Peter wrote;
2Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up.
As Christ’s resurrection was revealed in the morning, we are
waiting for Christ’s return for us, for the morning light to peek over the
horizon;
Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Psalm 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and
give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his
favour is life: weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 130:6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they
that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
2Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark
place, until the day dawn, and the day
star arise in your hearts:
So, while these cross-references do not clearly tell us the
date of Christ’s return for His bride, the church, they do give us the
impression that with a thousand years being like a day and a watch in the
night, with it being spiritual night now without Jesus bodily present, and the
morning being the time of His return, we do get the idea that it will be soon.
Since Paul tells us that the translation of the church will
take place at the last trumpet, which is the seventh trumpet in Revelation;
1Corinthians
15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
We would do well to look over the events leading up the that
last trumpet to see what the church will be called to endure. Read Matthew 24
and the book of Revelation. Even if you disagree with me completely about when
this will happen or its order and progression or even if there will be a
translation, which is popularly called the Rapture, understand that you
personally must always be ready to meet your Creator face to face.
John 7:6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet
come: but your time is alway ready.
No one has a guarantee of tomorrow on this earth.
Job 7:1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon
earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
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