The book of Genesis, records how God cleansed the earth of unrighteousness. He did it by destroying any and all unrighteous people from the face of the earth. Unrighteousness is in the world primarily because of man’s disobedience or failure to follow the laws of God. God pleaded with man to change his lifestyles, but he refused. The only way to eliminate unrighteousness from the face of the earth was to destroy mankind. Needless to say, there were only eight people found worthy enough to have their lives spared during the earth’s cleansing and those eight souls was Noah and his family. God also preserved the animals by having Noah bring a male and female of each kind on the ark.
The method God used to purge unrighteousness from the face of the earth was by water. Notice, the method used of cleansing the earth of unrighteousness, did not destroy the earth itself; it only destroyed the inhabitants. The earth experienced torrential rain for forty days. True to God’s nature, he always gives mankind a period of time or opportunity to recognize the error of his ways and to initiate change. In this case he gave man 120 years; the amount of time it took Noah to build the ark.
At the appointed time, Noah and his family being the only righteous people, entered into the ark. When the rains came everyone else was destroyed; thus cleansing the earth of all unrighteousness. At that time, God established a covenant with mankind and with all the animals in the ark. He promised that he would never use water again to cleanse the earth. As a signature for this covenant God places a rainbow in the sky. Every time a rainbow appears in the sky it is a reminder of God’s promise to mankind and to the animals.
Obviously, the earth is full of unrighteousness again. It is inevitable that God will not allow this to continue and one day he will cleanse the earth the second time. The question becomes, what method will God use for the next cleansing of the earth? As often as we see the rainbow we are assured that the cleansing will not be by water; so how will God cleanse the earth of unrighteousness the second rime?
Many believe that the next time God rids the earth of unrighteousness that it will be by fire; 2 Pet. 3:10, “…the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” In the first cleansing, there were only eight righteous people, so an ark was sufficient for protection from the water. For the most part, we believe that today there are a millions times more people that are righteous on the earth. Is God going to require mankind to build some type of giant fireproof contraption to protect the righteous people from the consuming flames of fire? Please note, the water only consumed life; the fire will consume everything. How is God going to use fire to punish the unrighteous while at the same time protecting the righteous?
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2Pe 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.
According to scripture, and we do stand on the word, all unrighteousness will be burned up by fire. The earth will be cleansed by fire, but it isn’t the earth that will be burning; it is the elements or air that surrounds the earth that will be burning, (2 Pet. 3:10.) Remember it is Satan that is in control of the air; Eph. 2:2, “…in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” The air surrounding the earth is the domain of Satan; it is the works of Satan that will be burned. According to the book of Revelation, there are seven vials of wrath that will be administered upon the earth. The seventh and final vial of wrath will be poured into the air, which is the domain of Satan.
The next time God cleanse the earth of all unrighteousness, just as he promised, it will not be by water. It will be by fire, but not a fire that consumes the earth itself. This fire will burn the elements or air that surrounds the earth or Satan’s domain. The earth itself and all of the structures erected on the earth will not be harmed by fire. The fire will only consume the air or elements surrounding the earth, along with those that committed the unpardonable sin.
The definition of the word spirit means air, wind, breath, and breathe; therefore every living creature is breathing the spirit of God. Not only are they breathing the air (spirit) of God, but they are also breathing the air that surrounds the earth, which is the air (spirit) of Satan. It is these elements, the air of Satan’s domain that will be burned with fervent heat when God cleanses the earth of all unrighteousness the second time.
