The World Tomorrow

The Worldwide Flood

by Herbert W Armstrong

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Modern science is now just beginning to admit that there really was a worldwide flood some 4,500 years ago in the days of the Noah of the Bible. The flood really did happen and drowned everyone on earth. But the real question is, why would a God of love suddenly drown and put to death all of humanity, millions of people, all that were living on the earth except for eight people. Just Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives. I repeat, the question is – why would a God of love drown, put to death, all of the people on the earth except eight. And save only eight people alive to repopulate the earth.

There is a great deal of discussion right now in the United States about capital punishment; is it right or wrong for the government, the state, to put one criminal to death; either by some type of execution, by gas chamber in California; the electric chair in New York and other means, whatever. To understand we need to ask and to answer; why did God put humanity on the earth in the first place. Why are we here, how did we come to be here? How did humans come to be here?

Now we have the theory of evolution, that has been tried. And you know the scientists have said: "Give us sufficient knowledge and we will solve all human problems and we will eradicate all of our evils on the earth." Well we've had knowledge, knowledge has increased, knowledge doubled in the decade of the sixties. Modern science has produced a lot of knowledge but they haven't solved our troubles. And here we have a world of awesome progress and yet of appalling evils getting worse and worse every generation and evolution certainly has not solved the problems. We haven't come up with the answer at all, yet.

What about human life? What about death? If you don't believe the Bible you have to admit you are ignorant because science cannot give you the answer. And religion doesn't understand the answer. Science doesn't know the mystery of life or the mystery of death.

I have a booklet I'm going to announce at the close of this program – 'Life After Death?’ Is there any life after death? Science can't give you the answer, they've never seen what happens at death, if anyone goes anywhere except to bury them or cremate them, or whatever they do with a dead body. Science knows nothing about it.

So we either agree with the Bible as the Word of God Almighty, the Creator who put us here on the earth and what He reveals as to why He put us here, and where we're going; and why He put people to death in the flood or we admit we're ignorant and we don't know anything about it and we're just in a world of trouble with no hope ahead whatsoever except more and more troubles more and more evils.

Man Made In God's Likeness (PLAY FROM 04:00)

Now, the first mention of man or mankind in the Bible - the human life - is in the book of Genesis the very first book in the Bible; Genesis 1:26. "And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion..." (Genesis 1:26 KJV). "God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness." Now previously God had, it says here in the first chapter of Genesis verses twenty-four and twenty-five, God had made animals, each after the animal kind; cattle after the cattle kind; other animals after their kind like dogs, cows, chickens, elephants, whatever - each after his own kind. But now: "God said, Let us make man after our kind." (Genesis 1:26)

Now going back to the first verse, the very first verse in all the Bible; the first verse in the first chapter of Genesis: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). In the beginning God.

Now that was written originally by Moses several thousand years ago and written in the Hebrew language. It wasn't written in English, there wasn't any English language then. But in the Hebrew language he used the word 'Elohim' translated into the English word God. Now God is just an English word but what does it mean? It came from the Hebrew word Elohim and Elohim is plural, like the word family or like the word church or like the word, well, team – a baseball team, a basketball team, whatever. More than one person, one team; more than one person but one family. Like the word, church - several people but one church - it's plural.

But now who is God that said, "Let us make man in our image"? And what is God like? In John 4:24, you will read that God is a Spirit; God is composed of Spirit. And then if you want to know a little more about God you find Him described a little better in the first chapter of John, John's gospel in the New Testament; chapter one verse one: "In the beginning was the Word [I've gone over this so many times on this program] In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1). This is so basic. It's so fundamental you need to understand it, or you must lack understanding; you don't know life, you don't know the purpose of your life, you don't know why you're here; you don't know where you're going; you don't know what it's all about; you don't know why the world's in trouble – what causes all of it. What's the cause of the things we see all about us in the world today?

Now "In the beginning [that's before man was created, before there was any man] was the Word [that was written in the Greek language and Logos was the word that was used - L-O-G-O-S -Logos, which means a spokesman, a word, that's a person], and the Word was with God [now God is a person – another person, so now you have two persons], n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Well, how could that be? You could say, well, in the beginning was John and John was with Smith and John was Smith. Well John you see could be Smith's father or John could be Smith's son. Smith is the family name; they're two persons but they would be one family. And in this case God is a Family and the Word and God formed a Family.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made [and then] In him was life [in verse four – John 1:4) in him was life." (John 1:2-4)

He had life, He lived, the Father lived, God Almighty lived. "And the Word [you read in verse fourteen here] was made flesh and dwelt among us, and became Jesus Christ." (John 1:14 paraphrased)

Man Created In God's Image (PLAY FROM 08:28)

Now, they lived, how did they live? Well, they had an occupation; you know what they occupation of God is? He is Creator. He is not a destroyer. He is not One who receives, who takes who gets; He is One who gives. And He creates and He gives life; He has life, He has life inherent and He gives life. He is composed of Spirit. (John 4:24)

Now in Hebrews 7:3 we read that He was "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life" (Hebrews 7:3). Not like we, He has always existed; always. Your mind can't conceive of that neither can mine. Life had to come from life, life cannot come from the not living and that is the first principle of science. But life cannot come from dead matter it cannot come from the not living, only life can impart life. And life came from God. He had life and He had life to give and He created. And in Ephesians 3:9 you will read that "God created all things by Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:9), and the Word is the One who became Jesus Christ, a human being and dwelt among us.

Now then again let's go back to Genesis 1:26: " "And God said, Let us [you see why He said let us] make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26), because there was God and there was the Word. And they two, the Word did everything that God said. The Word became Christ, and when He was Christ on Earth He said, He spoke not of Himself, He said He spoke nothing of Himself, He spoke only what God told Him to say and to speak. (John 8:28)

And yet He said: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) . Let me explain that a little later. He made man and He made man in His own image; or they made man in their own image. God said, "Let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26), more than one person, there was God and the Word. But now I want you to notice in the second chapter and verse seven, in Genesis:

"And God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [just air in and out of your nostrils - the breath of life] and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7)

In other words, man, made of the dust of the ground became a soul. The dust of the ground - matter - became a soul; soul then is made of matter and not immortal. And man had only temporary chemical physical life; just the same as animals, the same life as animals. Now let me explain one thing here. The two - God and the Word - were one, one God. God formed a man, He intended the man to reproduce.

I said, Winston Churchill had said to the American Congress that there is a purpose being worked out here below. That purpose is that God is reproducing Himself. He said, "Let us make man in our image after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26), and all the way through the Bible you begin to find that God is going to make man into His own children; born of God until we finally become God. Our children born of us become human just like we're human. And God's children born of God will become God just like He is God.

You know for years I thought that was blasphemy to believe that until I saw it so many places revealed in the Bible and all through especially in the New Testament. But it's either believe it or say I don't believe God and very few do believe God anyway. It's just a matter of will you believe God. You can't understand your own existence; you can't understand the world, the conditions in the world; you can't understand life as you see it on or at the present time; if you don't believe God and you don't find it in this Word - the Holy Bible - which is the revelation of God to His people and I don't say to the world because the world cannot understand it anyway.

Man Created Physical (PLAY FROM 13:10)

Now, God created man after His own image but He made him with temporary life like animals. Now He made a man, He intended the man to reproduce but the man was not complete. It's like a woman baking a cake and she hasn't put the icing on, it's not finished yet. And so God had not completed creation when He made just the man out of the dust of the ground so He took a rib out of the man and made a wife out of him. And they two became one, in the same way that the Word and God became one. But, man made the wrong choice. And so you will read in the fifth chapter of Romans and verse twelve:

"Wherefore, as by one man [that's that man Adam] sin entered into the world [because he disobeyed God, he disobeyed and "...sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4); and it's the law of God that he transgressed]; sin entered by one man into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)

And so death passed upon all men. Then again you read in Hebrews 9:27, after Adam had made that decision and had rejected life and just took to himself life and took to himself the spiritual knowledge of what is right and what is wrong.

"Then as it was appointed unto men once to die, but after that the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27 paraphrased)

So God done up the foundation of the world, made it "appointed that men once, to die, but after that the judgment." Now this life is only a physical, physio-chemical temporary existence; it is not real life. But it is appointed to all men once to die and then is going to come a resurrection and a judgment, and you read about that in the fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians about the resurrection.

Now at the same time, the foundation of the world, and you read in Revelation 13:8 that Jesus there called the Lamb of God was slain at the very beginning of the foundation of the world; in other words, it was decreed that He would be slain. It was understood between Him and God that He would come, be born of a human virgin, Mary, that He would live on the earth without sin, that He would die to pay the penalty of man's sin in man's stead because the first man began to sin.

Now that man and woman had a son, his name was Cain; they had a second son, his name was Abel. But they hadn't trained their children properly and there was a Satan around who got to them while they were even infants and children growing up, put a wrong attitude, a wrong spirit in them. Cain killed his brother Abel and then lied to God about it. And so all have sinned and it's come that way on down to you and me today and the world is full of sin and "...sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). And God's law is love; it's the way of giving, it's the way of helping and cooperating, the way of love; out-flowing good, out-flowing concern for the good and welfare of others instead of jealousy, or envy or competition, strife or vanity for your own self. And man has lived that way, transgression of the law of God ever since.

The Gospel Of Christ (PLAY FROM 17:19)

Now it was decreed then that Christ would come as the Lamb of God to be slain for the penalty of our sins, to pay it in our stead. Now on Adam's sin the Holy Spirit was shut off; God closed up the Tree of Life which was merely a symbol of the Holy Spirit. He shut off the Holy Spirit from mankind until the kingdom of God should be ordered upon the earth. God was going to create His Kingdom; He was going to reproduce Himself. In other words, His begotten and born children becoming His Great Family would become the kingdom of God and would govern and rule the whole world and ultimately the entire universe as God is the Creator and does govern and rule the entire universe.

Now what Gospel did Jesus bring when He came? He was called the second Adam (I Corinthians 15:45) and Jesus proclaimed the gospel that you find in Mark the first chapter and I have spoken of that time and time again on this program.

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ". [Mark 1 verse 1] "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;" (Mark 1:1). Then it speaks about John the Baptist preparing the way before Him "...and after that John was put in prison [verse 14] Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [but what gospel? Not the gospel you been hearing my friends, but] the gospel of the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14). And that is the family of God governing the whole world, the rulership in the hands of that family governing with the law of God and that law is the law of love which produces peace and joy and happiness and production and everything good; everything wholesome, everything wonderful.

"... after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled [because Jesus had just overcome Satan and qualified to rule in that kingdom and set up that kingdom] and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye therefore, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15)

How can people believe a gospel that has not been preached to them for 1,900 years? From 70 AD on that Gospel was not proclaimed unto the world; it now is proclaimed and you're hearing it by my voice this second. And it was not proclaimed for 1,900 years; they proclaimed a gospel about Christ, but a message about the Messenger; Christ was the Messenger God sent to the earth. He was the Word, the Spokesman, He came speaking the gospel, Jesus came with the gospel. They preached a gospel, or a message rather, about the Messenger. But the gospel is the message that the Messenger brought and that was about the kingdom of God; about the coming kingdom, or government or family of God, into which we may be born.

Now this world began with Adam. This world began really with the first Adam and he chose to take to himself the knowledge of good and evil. He disobeyed God; God wanted him to take of the Tree of Life, God wanted him to have life inherent, eternal life as God has but he rejected it and he rebelled against God. He disobeyed and he sinned. And so all have sinned and so finally all were sinning.

Noah And The Flood (PLAY FROM 21:23)

Now we go to the sixth chapter of Genesis, and if you will notice now beginning in verse one - Genesis six. This is about fifteen hundred or so years after the creation of Adam, after the creation of man.

"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth [now once again, humanity is multiplying – in other words not growing by mere addition but by multiplication, it's a population explosion, and that's what they were having at that time], Men began to multiply upon the earth [it was a population explosion] and daughters were born unto them." (Genesis 6:1)

"And God saw [verse five] God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the [Eternal] that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved, grieved him in his heart." (Genesis 6:5-6 paraphrased)

"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold it was very corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth." (Genesis 6:11-12)

All flesh had corrupted His Way but Noah found favor with God because Noah was perfect in his generations (Genesis 6:8-9). That is not spiritually but is physical generations; Noah was perfect and Noah did walk with God and God saved Noah and his family; had him build an ark (Genesis 6:14-16). Noah preached, he preached to the world and warned them for a hundred years. God did not drown the earth and the people on it until they'd been warned one hundred years. Noah and his sons, and Noah and his sons then entered the ark and then the flood came upon the earth.

And so we read now in the seventh chapter of Genesis, verse 17: "And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and they bare up the ark [and then verse 21] and all flesh died that were upon the earth [and then we pick up in verse 23 again] and all flesh died, except Noah [and then we see in verse twenty-three]; and Noah and his sons only were left alive on the earth. (Genesis 7:17,21,23 paraphrased) Otherwise, everybody else died.

Now God had decreed remember, that "It was appointed to men once to die and after that the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

Now then, we turn over to the fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians in the New Testament, and you read here beginning in verse 22: " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Corinthians 15:22)

Christ is the second Adam; who came to redeem man. God drowned men because they only had a temporaty existence. Now get this my people, get this point: God had only given man a temporary existence. At first they lived over 900 years. Ultimately God cut the span of life down to an approximate 70 years; some of us have lived a little longer than that. But that's about an average. So, you only have a temporary life anyway, it's a matter of how long do you live.

Another Judgment Coming (PLAY FROM 25:16)

Now God chose to cut the life short of that 900 years or even 70 years and He cut the life short of all who then lived in the flood because of their wickedness and it was bringing only violence upon the earth just as it is today. Jesus Christ said in our day it will be just as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37). Violence filling the earth, and it is today; once again we're in the very last days now. And this time another judgment is coming on the earth. So God simply took away this temporary life but as in Adam they all died. You will notice here in verse 22; "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive [every one of them is going to be brought back to life]; but every man in his own order; Christ the firstfruits; [He was resurrected over 1950 years ago] afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

The dead in Christ and those in Christ who are alive will be changed in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15: 52-53) from mortal to immortal, from human to divine, from matter into spirit; and will be caught up to meet Him in the air; but they only meet Him as He's coming to the earth (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) and His feet will touch that same day on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and where He is there we may be with Him also.

And then will start a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13); then will come the end and others a resurrection finally, and a judgment. Now in the judgment they're all going to give account for the way they lived on this earth (Romans 14:12). And they're going to be called guilty and the penalty is going to be death, but not that first death, the second death. Then they're going to be notified that Jesus Christ paid that penalty in their stead. He came, lived a perfect life, He never sinned, He died and "God so loved this world he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish" (John 3:16).

Those who died have not perished; they're going to be brought back in a resurrection, "...it's appointed to them once to die but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). As in Adam they died, In Christ they will all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Oh I tell you, you can't understand the wisdom, the mercy of God and His ways past finding out (refers to Romans 11:33).

Now just ... I see that I'm out of time and I want to tell you – I'd like to send you this booklet 'Life After Death?’ Is there life after death and what is it? People know almost nothing about it. What does God say, what does the Bible reveal? Either you'll accept that or admit you're ignorant, there's no other way; don't laugh it off it's the only, the only knowledge you can possibly have.

Another thing; 'Why Were You Born?. Another booklet – I'd like to send it to you – 'Why Were You Born?, for what purpose, why are you here for, where are you going, what is the way? You need this booklet because people just don't understand. There's no charge for the literature, no follow up, no request for money.

And so until next time, this is Herbert W Armstrong, goodbye friends.