say that these physical evils existed long before the Fall. Jesus said that when he returns to judge the world, it will be as in the days of Noah, when ‘the flood came and destroyed them all’ (Luke 17:26–27). Peter also likened the coming destruction of the universe by fire with the destruction of the world by Noah’s Flood. This makes sense only if the Flood was worldwide and truly catastrophic. He prophesied that scoffers would come in the last days who would be wilfully ignorant of the creation