The World That Was

The First Dispensation

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.
—2 Peter 3:6

Wade Austin

Almost all we know about the history of the world before the flood is described ..in the first six chapters of the book of Genesis. God apparently chose to preserve no more than a brief account of this time. Scholars term this era the antediluvian age, a word that simply means “pre-flood.” A few isolated Scriptures give the student of the Bible a little more information, but with so few texts to describe such a long period of earth’s history we are still left with more questions than answers.

The first chapter of Genesis describes the “days” of creation with almost no detail about the events. Even so what is revealed harmonizes with what scientists have discovered about the natural world, unless one insists on interpreting the Hebrew text in a way that ignores the laws of physics in favor of the supernatural powers of God. The next five chapters in Genesis are devoted to the history of mankind during the pre-flood period.

To reduce the geologic and biologic history of the earth into literal twenty-four-hour segments of time defies logic. Such an interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis seems to show a lack of interest in what science has revealed that is in harmony with the Bible. Such a literal interpretation requires the creation of both our world and the universe without following the laws of physics and nature as it appears God created them. Even an interpretation that the creative days were each identically seven thousand years long ignores the geologic evidence and fossil records. Students of the Bible who want to harmonize science and the Bible need to interpret the scientific evidence with a distinct emphasis on the impact of the flood, both on the history of man and the environmental impact that happened as a result of far-reaching changes in the earth’s atmosphere at that time. Most scientific explanations of the history of the earth are based on assumptions that do not account for the changes brought about by the alterations in the earth’s atmosphere after the deluge. The biblical account of creation and the flood can be harmonized with the laws of physics and nature only when assumptions used to formulate scientific theories take into account the drastic difference in the environment caused by a global flood.

The apostle Peter called this period of time, from the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the flood, a “world” when he wrote: “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: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 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” (2 Peter 3:5-7).

When Peter referred to the “world that then was,” he meant the social order and, to some extent, the environment. Certainly the literal earth did not perish, but environmentally the world did change. One theory is that a ring of water, seemingly cloud-like but much thicker than today’s clouds, blocked the sun’s direct rays and created a greenhouse effect on the surface of the earth. Such may have been the source of the flood waters “whereby the world that then was perished.” More importantly, nearly all mankind perished, leaving only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives. Different theories have been put forth about the source of water for the flood; nonetheless God’s promise remains, never again to destroy the earth with a flood. God gave the rainbow as a constant reminder of this promise (Genesis 9:9-17).

In Genesis chapter three we are told that Satan deceived Eve into believing that she would not suffer the consequences of disobedience by eating fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). Paul wrote: “Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner” (1 Timothy 2:14, NIV). Paul did not say Eve did not sin. He did say that although deceived, Eve was still disobedient. She sinned. Adam sinned immediately afterwards and they were both cast forth from Eden to experience the ultimate consequence of their sin, the penalty of death.

The Garden

God drove Adam and Eve from the garden so they would not eat of the “tree of life” and live forever (Genesis 3:22-24). This brief bit of information raises several questions about the “tree of life.” Was the fruit of this tree of such a miraculous nature that should they partake just once, they would live forever with no further need on their part to sustain their life by eating, sleeping, and otherwise caring for their sustenance? Would God impose death, the penalty for disobedience, and yet take the risk that that penalty might be circumvented if the two quickly ate the fruit of the “tree of life”?

God never told Adam and Eve they could not eat the fruit of this tree. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). Since Adam was not forbidden to eat of the tree of life, it must have been among the trees of the garden from which he freely did eat. It may have been a single tree or it might have been a grove of trees. The Hebrew word translated tree can signify a single tree or a number of them considered as a group. Surely Adam and Eve would have eaten the fruit of this tree occasionally. Would that mean they would now live forever? Surely not, because they did die. Undoubtedly the tree provided life as long as they were able to eat continuously of its fruit.

The fundamental source of everlasting life is obedience to God, not the properties of the food one eats. In a series of articles on the Garden of Eden, Albert Hudson explains that the real issue was not the nature of the fruit of the trees but the relationship of man to God based upon obedience (Bible Study Monthly, vol. 59, no. 1, p. 11). Obedience to God—not the miraculous quality of a given fruit—was, is, and always will be, the basis for everlasting life. Similarly, death results from disobedience to God and not the poisonous nature of fruit. Bro. Hudson also explains that it was impossible for man, having sinned, to take of the tree of life. He suggests that Genesis 3:22-24 be translated something like this: “The man was like one of us to understand good and evil. But now, this (the sin) being so, he shall not put forth his hand and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. So the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken.” (Bible Study Monthly, vol. 59, no. 4, p. 79).

Once man was alienated from God, it was not possible for man to draw upon the source of life, i.e., God himself, to sustain life everlastingly. Sin stood in the way of everlasting life for Adam and his posterity, and continues to stand in the way until the time sin has been erased, and access to the tree of life is restored. Having provided the redemption price for Adam, Christ restored the way to the tree of life for those who obey God’s commands as Revelation makes clear: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). It is not fruit from a literal tree that is described in this text, but the life-sustaining presence of God, in whose presence all will abide once sin has been eradicated.

Angelic Influence in the First Dispensation

Determining how much influence the angels had upon mankind during the first dispensation depends upon how one understands several Scriptures. Many believe that angels materialized before the flood in the form of men only and impregnated women of their choosing. Those born as a result of this illicit union were a hybrid race of “giants in the earth.” According to this understanding, the wickedness of the human race because of the influence of this hybrid race became so bad God decided to destroy all his earthly, sentient creation: man, beast, and creeping thing (see Genesis 6:1-7).

How could such a hybrid race come into existence and still be in harmony with the laws of the universe as we understand them? Pastor Russell, in a wonderful chapter entitled “Spiritual and Human Natures Separate and Distinct” (Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 1, pp. 173-204), clearly explains that the materialization of angels was not the same as an angel changing from spirit nature to human nature. Only one spirit being ever changed from spirit to human and back to spirit, and that was the Son of God. At each transition he went out of existence; God created a new being, while at the same time preserving his identity. Regardless of why the world became so wicked in such a relatively short time, there is no disagreement that the “world that was” did perish; we all await “new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

God does not coerce men to obey him. Free moral agency is an underlying principal of the relationship between God and man, and it is probably the single most defining principle of the first dispensation. God allowed Adam and Eve to choose to disobey. He allowed Cain an opportunity to acknowledge his mistake and overcome sin: “Then the LORD said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:6,7, NIV). Men and women who freely choose to obey God in faith are counted as righteous, and God rejoices in fellowship with those who are righteous such as Enoch, Noah, and others. They are described as “walking with God.” “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24, NIV). “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Genesis 6:9, NIV).

A Lesson For Us

The lesson for those who are “walking with God” today is to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV). We must hold fast to this hope in a world that has gone far astray from God. Peter used these words to describe the day in which we live: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts” (2 Peter 3:3). Peter’s words also describe the days of Noah: “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto 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” (Genesis 6:11-13).

God made a covenant with Noah that he would never again destroy all life on the earth with a flood, and he put a rainbow in the sky as a token of this covenant. A rainbow is produced by the laws of physics governing light. It seems reasonable that it appeared in the sky as a result of the changes to the earth’s atmosphere after the flood, and was thus a new, fitting symbol of the covenant God made with Noah never again to destroy all life on earth. Because of this promise, we can be sure as was Solomon, that “the earth abideth for ever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

With that assurance, how are we to interpret Peter’s words (in 2 Peter 3:7) that “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”? Here the words “heavens” and “earth” are symbolic of the religious and social institutions that will be destroyed in preparation for Christ’s kingdom. God’s word promises this future judgment, and he enlightens us through the prophet Isaiah: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Although God will never again destroy the physical earth, the Bible is clear that those not obedient to his word are reserved by that same word unto destruction, while those who are obedient are to be blessed: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

God’s word is in the process of creating new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). The apostle James wrote: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). The word “begat” means “to bring forth.” In other words the “word of truth” brings forth the new creation. The opening words of Hebrews reads: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1,2). The “worlds” were created by the “word” of God. It was not just what God spoke, it was through the first being God created, a being John identifies as “the Word” (Greek: Logos) that “became flesh” (John 1:14, NIV). John writes: “When all things began, the Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was. The Word, then, was with God at the beginning, and through him all things came to be” (John 1:1-3, New English Bible).

The great lesson of the Bible from beginning to end is that the universe and all that is within it was created by a gracious, loving God. All God asks of his intelligent creation, the human race, is that we obey his commands, not because we have no choice but because we love him. There are those who willingly do that now. We look forward to the time when Christ will reign in his kingdom, a time when the entire world of mankind will be resurrected to life on earth, and through instruction in righteousness come to the point where they will love and obey this grand Creator, our heavenly Father. Sin, which resulted in expulsion from the Garden of Eden, will be abolished and access to the “tree of life” will be restored. Praise be to God!