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“Genesis Chapter 10” – The Account of Shem, Ham and Japheth

17 Monday Jun 2013

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According the Genealogies Listed in Genesis Chapter 10, The Sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth Repopulated the World by Producing 70 Original Nations.

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. Genesis 10:1

The three sons of Noah were to be responsible for the repopulating of the world after the flood. All people on earth today descend from Noah’s sons. There were 70 original nations after the Flood.

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth…

Through Shem, the middle son, the “promised seed of the woman” (Messiah) would be transmitted. Shem was to be the father of the Semitic line of descent which comprised 26 nations including the Jews and Arabs. The middle son’s descendents lived in the middle nations. I believe that since the Bible is centered on God’s plan of redemption and the importance of Messiah, Shem is listed first in the introduction to Genesis chapter 10.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

According to Genesis 9:24, Ham was the youngest son of Noah. The Hamites or sons of Ham comprised 30 nations whose descendants became the Canaanites and the southern people of Africa. I believe that Ham is listed after Shem in the first verse of Genesis 10 because the Hamites occupied the lands immediately surrounding Judea.

Japheth was the oldest son according to Genesis 10:21. The Japhethites or the sons of Japheth comprised the 14 nations who became the northern peoples of Eurasia. Although Japheth is the eldest, he is listed last because the Japhethites spread to the ends of the earth.

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.) Genesis 10:2-5

From the Japhetites already named, the tribes on the Mediterranean descended and separated from one another as they dwelled in their lands. The islands in the Old Testament are the islands and coastlands of the Mediterranean, on the European shore, from Asia Minor to Spain.

Ezekiel 38:1-6, 18

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you..

This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD

This war lead by Gog of the land of Magog is prophesied by Ezekiel and is listed in chapters 38 and 39 of the book that bears his name.

The present day location of the descendants of Japheth’s sons, Magog, Meshech, Tubal and Gomer and his grandson Beth Togarmah are located in Asia Minor.

Magog Western Turkey

Meshech: Central Turkey

Tubal: Eastern Turkey

Gomer: East central Turkey

Beth Togarmah: The southeastern part of Turkey near the Syrian border

Modern day Turkey will lead in the prophesied war when Gog attacks the land of Israel.

The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. Genesis 10:6

The genealogy of Ham includes his sons, grandsons and great grandsons. Among Ham’s sons is Cush, whose descendants presently are the people of Northern Sudan and Ethiopia, and Put, whose descendants occupy Libya. These peoples will be part of the Ezekiel 38 invaders who attack the land of Israel.

According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:

“Some of the earliest sculptures yet found in Egypt represent the god Min. This god seems also to have been called Khem, a very exact Egyptian equivalent for Cham, Ham, the second son of Noah and the ancestor of the Hamitic people of Egypt. That Ham the son of Noah should be deified in the Egyptian pantheon is not surprising. The sensuality of this god Min or Khem also accords well with the reputation for licentiousness borne by Ham the son of Noah. These facts suggest very strongly a trace in Egyptian mythology of the actual history of the movements of Hamitic people.” Mizraim’s descendents presently occupy Egypt.

The descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, settled in the area that God later promised to give to the descendants of Shem. The Canaanites were Hamitic in origin, but they adopted a Semitic language and culture, as we know from both the Bible and archaeology.

The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan. Genesis 10:7

These five sons of Cush ended up being nations in southern Arabia. The sixth son was Nimrod. The five other brothers each became the founder of a people; but Nimrod did not and is therefore not included until these following verses.

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” Genesis 10:8-9

…he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”Genesis 9:25

Cush was Canaan’s brother. Nimrod was Cush’s youngest son. Cush apparently resented the curse of Canaan more and more as the years went on. By the time Nimrod was born, the resentment had become so strong that Cush gave his son a name that means the “Rebel,” or literally, “Let us rebel.” The implication is that from childhood Cush trained Nimrod to be a leader in a planned and organized rebellion against God.

Nimrod grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a hunter of animals, but he was also a hunter of men. The Rabbis teach that he began to display man’s power over the wild animals by hunting them, and then capturing them. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. The phrase, before the LORD implies antagonism against and opposition to God Himself. The Jerusalem Targum says that he was powerful in hunting and wicked before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the souls of the sons of men.

During the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist, or the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:8), will also lead a planned and organized rebellion against God. He, too, will be a hunter of souls.

The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Genesis 10:10-12

Nimrod was the first to establish kingdoms. As a mighty hunter and warrior, people followed him seeking protection and provision. Instead of trusting in God, they put their faith in a man who stood in opposition to God. In Genesis 9:1, God commanded Noah’s sons to multiply in number and fill the earth. Instead, Nimrod built cities where people clustered together.

Nimrod built his kingdoms in two stages. The first stage took place in the plain of Shinar where the Tower of Babel would eventually be built. The first city of his kingdom was in Babylon. Therefore, Nimrod laid the seeds of the Babylon captivity (Jeremiah 52:1-34; Daniel 1:1-2) and Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:1-18), the fountainhead of all false worship.

Then there was a second stage. As a result of the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, Nimrod went from the land of Shinar to Assyria (which is called the land of Nimrod in Micah 5:6). There he built several cities, the first of which was Nineveh, on the Tigris River, two hundred miles north of the city of Babylon. This became the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Therefore, Nimrod also laid the seeds of the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom.

Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. Genesis 10:13-14

The second son of Ham was Mizriam. Mizraim is the Hebrew word for Egypt. It literally means two Egypts and is referred to historically as Upper and Lower Egypt. He had seven sons and was the father of the peoples who would populate Egypt. Mizraim’s youngest son was Caphtor. Caphtor is another name for Crete and was the original homeland of the Philistines.

Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Genesis 10:15-19

We recognize many of the names of Canaan’s sons from the books of Exodus and Joshua.

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Exodus 3:8

These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. Genesis 10:20

While the sons of Ham comprised the nations whose descendants became the Canaanites and the people of Northern Africa, the Semitic peoples (Arabs and Israelites) descended from Shem.

Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. Genesis 10:21-22

Elam’s descendants became the people of Persia. Persia is modern day Iran. According to Ezekiel 38, Turkey, along with Iran, Lybia and Northern Sudan are all Muslim nations that will join together in an attack against Israel in these last days.

The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. Genesis 10:23

Aram’s descendants now occupy Syria. Damascus is the capital and the second largest city of Syria. Damascus is often claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.

An oracle concerning Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. Isaiah 17:1

This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. The phrase, “in that day” appears several times in this oracle and alludes to the “Great and Terrible Day of the LORD.”

Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Genesis 10:24-25

In the genealogy of Jesus that appears in Luke chapter 3, is a list that includes: Shem’s son Arphaxad, Shem’s grandson Shelah, Shem’s great grandson Eber and Shem’s great, great grandson Peleg.

Peleg became the ancestor of Abraham, the first to be called Hebrew, a word that is highly similar to the name Eber, Peleg’s father. The name, Eber (ay’-ber) and the word, Hebrew both denote a “region beyond” or “passing through” or “crossing over.”

The name Peleg comes from the Hebrew verb, (palag) which means, to split or divide. In his time the earth was divided.

Some suggest the continents of the earth were divided at this time. However, this seems unlikely. Such a process would have had to occur within a very confined time period. The resultant geological violence would be overwhelmingly catastrophic—like another Noahic Flood all over again. Any continental separation thus likely occurred during the Flood. The traditional interpretation, which seems more reasonable, relates this verse to the division of people/nations at the Tower of Babel event in Genesis 11. Just like the English word “earth” can have a variety of meanings, the Hebrew word, “erets” can also mean nation(s). The expression, “Erets Yisrael,” literally means the “Land of Israel” but also refers to the nation or people of Israel.

Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. Genesis 10:26-29

Joktan’s family of thirteen sons is the largest family of early Bible times. Only Joktan’s first generation lineage was recorded; Gen. 10:26-29; I Chron. 1:19-23. All later Bible history is based on Peleg’s lineage (Genesis 11) Peleg’s lineage has more visibility in the Bible because it led up to Abraham and the history of his descendants.

The total disappearance of Joktan’s people from the Bible narrative means that his family left western Asia entirely and migrated to another land far away. The earliest sojourn of the Flood survivors was eastwards of Babylon, across the Iranian plateau, requiring more than a century according to Gen. 11:10-16.

It could even have taken well beyond a century before Peleg entered Babylon. We know that Peleg migrated to Babylon because his descendants dwelt there including Abraham, but Joktan did not go with Peleg into Babylon. This pre-Babylonian sojourn is an important factor for it helps us to know the location of Joktan’s migration route. He must have separated from the caravan before they came to Babylon because he chose to go east.

The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. Genesis 10:30

The caravan migrating westward towards Babylon was already in the east, so Joktan’s decision to go eastward means that he separated from the caravan and turned towards the orient. It also makes sense that Joktan having the most sons listed in the Table of Nations would have the most descendants – the large population of eastern Asia.

These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. Genesis 10:31

The seventy nations listed in the Table of Nations descended from the clans of Noah’s sons.

These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood. Genesis 10:32

Isaiah 56:7

…these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

The temple in Jerusalem was to be a house of prayer for all nations.

“‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect.” Numbers 29:12-13

The Feast of Tabernacles begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and lasts for seven days. On the first day thirteen bulls are sacrificed, on the second day twelve bulls, on the third day eleven bulls, on the fourth day ten bulls, on the fifth day nine bulls, on the sixth day eight bulls and on the seventh day seven bulls (13+12+11+10+9+8+7 = 70) for a total of seventy bulls were sacrificed during the Feast of Tabernacles – one for each nation. Yahweh’s House was to be a house of prayer for all the nations of the earth.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Revelation 7:8-12

God’s Blessing, God’s Covenant with Noah, and Canaan’s Curse

17 Monday Jun 2013

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God’s Blessing, God’s Covenant with Noah, and Canaan’s Curse

God blessed Noah and his sons. God promised that never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood. Cursed were Canaan and his descendants.

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. Genesis 9:1

The command to be fruitful and multiply was given to both the man and the woman in the Garden of Eden. After the flood, the command was given only to Noah and his sons and not to their wives. After sin entered into the world, part of the curse was that the husband would rule over the wife. Man was given authority over the household. He was not only to take on the responsibility of fathering children but then to provide for and protect the family.

God blessed Noah and his sons by saying that they should have children and populate the earth.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

Although Scripture emphatically asserts that children are a blessing from God, today many men are impregnating women and then pressuring them to abort their unborn children. Another tragedy occurs when these unplanned pregnancies do come to full term, but men fail to fulfill their duties as fathers. The children born to an unwed mother are under a curse.

A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD. Deuteronomy 23:2

When a child is conceived by unwed parents, the pregnancy is a result of an act of lust and not love. A child conceived by parents who love one another enough to sanctify their relationship through holy matrimony will more likely protect and provide for their child. When an illegitimate child is birthed, demons of lust will follow all children of this line.

The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Genesis 9:2

In the Garden of Eden before the fall of man, the animals were docile and ate plants. Adam and Eve had dominion over the animal kingdom but could rule them with gentleness and love. After the flood, in order to protect the reestablishment of mankind on earth, God puts the fear on man upon the all the animals. Animals can be domesticated because of their fear of man. The animals then can serve as modes of transportation by being ridden, as sources of labor for plowing or treading out grain, and for companionship as pets.

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. Genesis 9:3-4

Both clean and unclean animals were taken upon the ark. There was a distinction made concerning animals that were deemed fit for sacrifice to God and those which were not. God declared that all animals would be food for man after the flood. Yet, there would be a future distinction made between God’s Chosen People and those who were not His. The diet of the Israelites who would descend from Shem would be restricted to clean animals while the diet of Noah’s other two sons would include unclean animals.

The restriction concerning not eating meat with blood in it was later stated as a command of the Torah according to Leviticus 17:11-12: For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.”

Deuteronomy 12:23 states: But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

The life of both men and animals is in their blood. The animal to be sacrificed was to have its life blood drained out to be poured upon the altar. Therefore, the Israelites and any foreigners residing among them were forbidden to eat blood.

Concerning prohibitions for the new Gentile believers the Jerusalem Council restated the restriction according to Acts 15:20: Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

The prohibition against eating blood originally spoken to Noah and his son’s was later given to the Israelites and to the Church.

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” Genesis 9:5-6

Once again, the restrictions and penalties that were given to Noah and his sons were reinstated in the Law of Moses:

“‘If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. Leviticus 24:17-21

The phrase, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth represented a principle and was not actually required nor is there any record of it have been literally carried out. The concept was that the penalty should fit the crime and not exceed the offense. The penalty is not a matter of extracting vengeance but of administrating true justice.

When an animal belonging to another person was killed, the offender made restitution by replacing the animal with another of equal value or paying the price for the animal. But when a man who was made in the image of God was murdered, the offender was to be put to death. There is no price that can equal the life of a man except the life of another man.

“As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” Genesis 9:7

God’s blessing to Noah and his sons was so important that it is also restated as a direct command to them.

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:8-11

The promise of God clearly evidences that this was not a local flood. Never again will ALL life be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the EARTH. If it were only a local flood as skeptics claim, why didn’t Noah and his family just move to another location? If it were only a local flood, why were the dimensions of the Ark so large that it could accommodate such a large number and variety of animals?

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-17

A sign is of a covenant was a visible seal or an emblem that served as a reminder of the covenant commitments and promises. Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant and the Sabbath day was the sign of the Sinaitic Covenant made with Israel. The rainbow was the sign of the Noahic Covenant. Since there have been many local and regional floods since the days of Noah, the rainbow must be a sign that there will never again be a worldwide flood.

and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Genesis 2:5-6

There were no rainbows before the Flood because the earth had never experienced rain until God’s judgment. Up until the time of the Flood, the earth was watered by underground streams.

The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. Genesis 9:18-19

Shem means name or renown in Hebrew. In fact, observant Jews not wanting to use the name of the LORD in vain will refer to Yahweh as HaShem which, when the Hebrew is translated, literally means “The Name.” Shem would be renown since through his line would come both the nation of Israel and the Messiah.

Ham means “warm” and may be prophetic name because many of the descendants of Ham would occupy Africa as well as the land of Canaan.

Japheth means “to enlarge.” Japheth was indeed “enlarged” to an exceptional degree in his descendants, both in the number of nations ultimately derived from his family and in their very wide spread over the face of the earth.

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father’s nakedness. Genesis 9:20-23

Nakedness in the Old Testament was from the beginning a thing of shame for fallen man. As a result of the Fall, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, and knowing they were naked, they covered themselves. To them as sinners the state of nakedness was undignified, shameful and vulnerable. The covering of nakedness was a sound instinct for it provided a boundary for fallen human relations. Nakedness thereafter represented the loss of human and social dignity. To be exposed meant to be unprotected; this can be seen by the fact that the horrors of the Judah’s exile to Babylon are couched in the image of shameful nakedness.

Nakedness is also a punishment to be meted out to the enemies of God:

You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. Habakkuk 3:13

Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked. Lamentations 4:21

To see someone uncovered was to bring dishonor and to gain advantage for potential exploitation.

When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” Genesis 9:24-25

The curse of slavery was upon Canaan and his descendants. The curse would rest upon the Canaanites who dwelled in ancient Palestine, Phoenicia, and Carthage. The Canaanites detestable practices included idolatry, fornication with temple prostitutes, divination and child sacrifice. The prophecy was fulfilled when the Canaanites were enslaved because of their wickedness by the ancient Israelites – first by Joshua (Joshua 9:23) and later by Solomon (1 Kings 9:20-21). Afterwards, the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Egyptians were enslaved by the Persians, Macedonians and finally the Romans.

But why was Noah’s grandson Canaan cursed because of the sin of his father Ham? I think that there are at least two reasons that the curse fell on Canaan. First of all, God foreknew Canaan’s wickedness and how Ham’s disrespectful and dishonoring attitude would wax even worse in Canaan. Secondly, children are to be a blessing and are to honor their parents. Just as Noah’s son Ham did not bring Noah honor but shame, so would Canaan bring dishonor to Ham and not blessing.

He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.” Genesis 9:26-27

Noah blessed the LORD who would be the source of Shem’s blessings. The blessing was stated as, “May Japheth live in the tents of Shem,” which is an idiom for, “May Japheth share in the blessings of Shem.” Shem and Japheth were blessed for honoring their father by loving him enough to not ogle at his nakedness but to cover it.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died. Genesis 9:28-29

There are a number of proposed explanations for the decrease in human life spans after the Flood. They range from an increase in the amount of harmful radiation reaching the Earth’s, to changes in the atmosphere’s pressure or composition, or a combination of these factors.

Noah, who was born 600 years before the flood, lived only 350 years after the flood but had a total life span of 950 years, which was only 19 years less than Methuselah. His son Shem, who was born only 98 years before the flood, lived 500 years after the flood but had a total life span of only 598 years, or about 2/3 the life span of his father. This data suggest that the level of physical body maturity at the time of the flood may hold the key to understanding the long life spans of antediluvian mankind. In other words, children remained children for much longer, reached puberty much later, and their bodies stayed much healthier through a greatly extended adulthood.

Support for this assumption comes from the Bible chronology and the notations of when pre-flood men fathered their first offspring. Observe in the “Book of the Generations of Adam” (Genesis chapter 5), the age of listed men and how old they were when they fathered their first children: Seth 105 years, Enos 90 years, Cainan 70 years, Mahalaleel 65 years, Jared 162 years, Enoch 65 years, etc. The pattern tends to indicate that men did not become sexually mature until at least 60 or 70 years of age. Pre-flood men of the age of 50 to 60 years were physiologically equivalent to today’s teenagers.

The Book of Genesis gives us insight on knowing the end from the beginning. Knowing about the Garden of Eden and the life spans of the patriarchs before the Flood will give us insight into the lives of people living during the Millennium.

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:27-29

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4

Jesus promised his disciples that at the renewal of all things, all those who have left family or possessions for His sake would receive a hundred-fold as much and inherit eternal life. The Garden of Eden was shut off to mankind and eventually destroyed in the worldwide flood of Noah’s day. Even the oldest person ever to live, Methuselah who lived for 969 years, died short of a thousand years. But when the Lord returns, He will set up His kingdom on earth and we, who are born-again from above, will reign with Him. At that time:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. Isaiah11:6-7

During the Millennial Reign of Christ, the holy mountain of the LORD will be the location of the renewed Garden of Eden. For a thousand years, Nation will not take up sword against nation (Isaiah 2:4), because the Prince of Peace will rule with a rod of iron from Zion (Psalm 2:6, 9). For a thousand years, the sovereign LORD declares that Jerusalem, which has been the location of over fifty wars, will finally be a “city of peace.”

I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Isaiah 65:19-21

For a thousand years, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9b). For a thousand years, the elect will receive a hundred-fold blessing as we rule and reign with Christ.

From Adam to Noah – Man’s Wickedness, Nephilim and the Flood

17 Monday Jun 2013

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From Adam to Noah – Man’s Wickedness, Nephilim and the Flood

This is the account of Adam’s line from Adam to Noah. Men increased in number. Before the flood, Nephilim were on earth which became full of violence.

This is the written account of Adam’s line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man.”

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.

When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.

When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.

When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.

When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.

When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.” After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.

After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth. Genesis 5:1-32

Adam: Adam’s name means man. He was the first man. The Hebrew word for Adam is closely related to the Hebrew word for red clay. The potter has the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use (Romans 9:21).

Seth: Adam’s son was named Seth, which means appointed. In Genesis 4:25 Eve called his name Seth. She said that God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

Enosh: Seth’s son was called Enosh, which means man or mankind in its frailty and weakness – mortal, frail, or miserable. It is from the root anash, to be incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness.

Kenan: Enosh’s son was named Kenan, which comes from the verb (qin), meaning to chant a dirge. Kenan can mean sorrow, dirge, or elegy.

Mahalalel: Kenan’s son was Mahalalel, from Mahalal which means blessed or praise; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means the blessed God.

Jared: Mahalalel’s son was named Jared, from the verb yaradh, meaning shall come down.

Enoch: The name Enoch comes from the verb (hanak) meaning dedicate, begin. The name Enoch means initiate, teach or make wise.

Methuselah: Enoch was the father of Methuselah and walked with God after he begat Methuselah. Apparently, Enoch received the prophecy of the Great Flood, and was told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld. The year that Methuselah died, the flood came.

The name Methuselah consists of two elements. The first part is (mat), which is one of a few words to denote man or mankind, and used most often to indicate a male capable of combat. There is an obvious and grim connection with the word (mut), to die; corpse. The second part comes from the verb (shalah) meaning send, send out, let go. The charge of the verb becomes clear in the meaning of the derivatives: (shelah), a sort of weapon that was thrown, like a javelin.

Methuselah can be literally translated to mean “a man with a javelin” or “man with a mission.” Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads, “When he is dead it shall be sent.”

Lamech: Methuselah’s son was named Lamech, a root still evident today in our own English word, lament or lamentation. Lamech suggests despairing.

Noah: Lamech was the father of Noah. Noah comes from the verb (nuah) meaning rest. This type of rest may be related to the Hebrew word ??? (nacham) meaning comfort. Lamech named his son Noah because Noah was to bring comfort in their toil and labor to work the cursed land.

NAME/MEANING

Adam/Man

Seth/Appointed

Enosh/Mortal

Kenan/Sorrow

Mahalalel/The Blessed God

Jared/Shall come down

Enoch/Teaching

Methuselah/His death shall bring

Lamech/The Despairing

Noah/Rest and comfort

The genealogical listing means: Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing comfort and rest.

When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4

When “men” began to increase on earth, “daughters” were born to them. It seems clear from Scripture that these daughters of men were of human nature. On the other hand, the term, “the sons of God” (B’nai HaElohim) has had two major interpretations.

Some believe that the “Sons of God” are deemed to refer to leadership in the line of Seth while the term “the daughters of men” refers to the line of Cain. If the meaning of the text was to contrast the sons of Seth and the daughters of Cain, why didn’t it say so? Seth was not God (his offspring were supposedly called the sons of God), and Cain was not Adam (Cain’s offspring were supposedly called the daughters of men). Procreation by parents of differing religious views (godly and ungodly lineages) does not produce unnatural offspring. Believers marrying unbelievers do not produce abnormal creatures such as the Nephilim.If Seth’s righteous line survived the flood but Cain’s line and the mixed blood line was destroyed, why were there Nephilim still on the earth after the flood? The Sethite view of the “sons of God” cannot be substantiated.

I agree with the ancient rabbinical sources and the early church fathers that the term, “the sons of God” of Genesis chapter 6 refers to fallen angels.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. Job 1:6

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Job 2:1

In the first two chapters of Job, the term “the sons of God” refer to angelic beings.

In Job 38:4 the LORD questions Job by saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” God is speaking of the creation account in Genesis chapter one. Then in verse 7 the LORD declares to Job… When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

The angels are definitely referred to as the sons of God in the book of Job. The angels shouted for joy before man was created. Although Christian men and women are called “sons of God” or “children of God” in the New Testament, the term “B’nai HaElohim” found in the Old Testament only refers to the angels.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. 1 Peter 3:18-20a

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 2 Peter 2:4-5

The spirit beings or sinning angels who disobeyed God during the time that Noah was building the ark were imprisoned and are being held for final judgment. But what was the nature of their sin?

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:6-7

The angels who abandoned their home during the days of Noah had left heaven to dwell on earth. Their sin was sexual immorality and perversion (seeking after strange flesh as did the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah).

When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Mark 12:25

Although the angels in heaven evidently are not sexually active this does not mean that they lack reproductive ability. Fallen angels may also be able to introduce genetic alterations into the human gene pool through demon possession of susceptible individuals, evidently especially women. In one way or another, one particular group of fallen angels apparently “possessed” human males or perhaps in some way had direct sexual intercourse with human females.

The Bible basically states that biology allows that human females may be and have indeed been impregnated by spirit beings, a fact of course made ultimately evident in the conception of Jesus Christ. Mary, a daughter of man, was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit (a supernatural being).

When the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them, the end result was that a race of giants, the Nephilim – “the fallen ones” – was brought into the world prior to the Flood. The Nephilim lived before and after the flood of Noah. Before the flood they are mentioned in Genesis 6:4 and after in Numbers 13:33.

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:5-8

The genealogy using the text of Genesis 5 adds up to 1,656 years from Adam to the death of Methuselah. Over 1600 years is more than sufficient time to completely fill up the earth with people. A conservative population growth calculation would place the population at the time of the flood as 7 billion people at least. The earth and its people were subject to the out pouring of the wrath of God when the population of the earth was as it is again in our generation.

This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Genesis 6:9-10

Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the LORD. While the rest of mankind acting wickedly and their thoughts were evil, Noah was righteous and walked with God

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. Genesis 6:11-13

God’s coming judgment and the outpouring of His wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth was in response to the great wickedness of the human race, the corrupted character of the people and the violence of mankind.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:3-8

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37

The Second coming of Christ will be preceded by great violence like in the days of Noah including an increase in war where nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. The wickedness and corruption of mankind will be again judged by an outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants.

So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. Genesis 6:14

Noah’s ark was the provision to escape the coming outpouring of God’s wrath. The Hebrew word for atonement is kapar. It means literally, “covering.” Noah’s ark was covered with a coating of pitch, making it a watertight craft. Following Noah’s time in a similar vein, the Mosaic Law had sin “temporarily covered” by the blood of sacrificed animals. Kapar contains the same consonants as the quite similar word koper, which is translated as “pitch.” The pitch covering protected Noah and his family from the floodwaters of judgment, as surely as believers are protected from God’s final wrath by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. Genesis 6:15-16

The length of a cubit was based on the distance from the elbow to the fingertips. Using a short cubit (18 inches), the ark was to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. God instructed Noah to build an ark that was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. This is a ratio of 30 to 5 to 3 (length to breadth to height). These dimensions are the perfect ratio for a huge ship built for seaworthiness and not for speed. It is the optimum design for stability in rough seas. The Ark, as designed by God, was virtually impossible to capsize. It would have to have been tilted over 90 degrees in order to capsize!

“I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” Genesis 6:17-21

The Ark would have had an internal volume of 1,518,750 cubic feet, or the equivalent of 569 standard railroad boxcars. Noah’s Ark was said to have been the largest sea-going vessel ever built until the late nineteenth century when giant metal ships were first constructed. Assuming the shape of the Ark to be rectangular, there would have been over 100,000 square feet of floor space which would be more floor space than in 20 standard-sized basketball courts.God only provided the Ark for the protection of humans and land-dwelling, air-breathing creatures. A huge number of animals would not need to be taken aboard the Ark because they are water dwellers such as mollusks, fish, amphibians, aquatic reptiles and mammals.

Let us assume that there were 50,000 animals, far more animals than required, on board the ark. Remember that these need not have been the largest of their kind or even adult specimens. There are really only a few very large animals, such as the dinosaur or the elephant, and these could be represented by young ones. Assuming the average animal to be about the size of a sheep and using a railroad car for comparison, note that the average double-deck stock car can accommodate 240 sheep. Thus, three trains hauling 69 cars each would have ample space to carry the 50,000 animals, filling only 37% of the ark. This would leave an additional 362 cars or enough to make 5 trains of 72 cars each to carry all of the food and baggage plus Noah’s family of eight people. The Ark had more than enough space to accommodate all who came on board.

Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Genesis 6:22

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7

But God Remembered Noah & All the Wild Animals and Livestock

17 Monday Jun 2013

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But God Remembered Noah & All the Wild Animals and Livestock

As in the days of Noah, so will be the Second Coming of Christ. As God poured out his wrath in the days of Noah, so will 7 Angels pour out their bowls

if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others 2 Peter 2:5

God had poured out his wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants, but Noah and his family found refuge in the ark.

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. Genesis 8:1-2

Although this Scripture passage states that God remembered Noah, it does that mean that God had forgotten him. God is omniscient and all knowing. Even though we may think that “to forget” is to permanently delete some experience or fact from our memory; most often it means to treat with inattention, overlook, or to disregard. Such is the case when God’s promises not to remember the transgressions of those who have repented and placed their trust in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

Not remembering our sins does not mean that God deletes the memory of our sins from His mind. Since Jesus paid the penalty of sin for us, God chooses to overlook or disregard our sins by not counting them against us.

The statement that God remembered Noah means that the time of the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth was completed and God turned His attention and purpose to the survivors on the ark. The wind that God provided blew over the surface of the entire earth. This massive wind produced strong and sudden evaporation as well as caused the waters to recede from the land. After nearly six weeks of relentless and powerful rain storms and the up surging of subterranean fountains, the flow of water from above and below the earth had ceased.

The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Genesis 8:3-4

On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest. After the nation of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, the seventh month of the ancient civil calendar had been designated by God as the first month of Israel’s religious calendar.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Exodus 12:1-2

The Passover sacrifice was to be slain on the fourteenth day of that month.

Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Exodus 12:6

Jesus, the Lamb of God was crucified on the Passover.

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7b

Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. The day after the Sabbath marked when the Feast of Firstfruits was celebrated. Jesus was not only the “Passover Lamb” but also the “Firstfruits of the Resurrection,” having risen on the Day of Firstfruits.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus rose from the dead on the seventeenth day of Nisan which is the first month of the ceremonial calendar.

The first month of the Hebrew Calendar, which is in the spring, was originally the seventh month. Therefore, the day that Jesus rose from the dead and the day that Noah’s ark came to rest were on the same day and month of the Hebrew calendar. The ark provided protection so that its passengers survived through the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth and its evil inhabitants. The ark coming to rest is a prophetic picture of Jesus who took upon himself the full cup of God’s wrath and resurrected to life.

The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. Genesis 8:5

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth. Psalm 104:5-9

God acted to alter the earth’s topography. After the Flood, the mountains rose and the valleys sank down so the oceans can never again cover the whole earth. The collision of the earth’s tectonic plates would have pushed up mountain ranges and deepened the oceans. New continental landmasses bearing new mountain chains of folded rock strata were uplifted from below the globe-encircling waters that had eroded and leveled the pre-Flood topography.

At the same time, large deep ocean basins were formed to receive and accommodate the Flood waters that then drained off the emerging continents. As the new ocean floors cooled, they would have become denser and sunk, allowing water to flow off the continents. Movement of the water off the continents and into the oceans would have weighed down the ocean floor and lightened the continents, resulting in the further sinking of the ocean floor, as well as upward movement of the continents. The deepening of the ocean basins and the rising of the continents would have resulted in more water running off the land.

Today the surface of our earth is quite different than before the Flood. Although, nearly 70 percent of the earth’s surface is still covered by water; with higher mountains and deeper oceans, the earth will never again be totally covered by water.

After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Genesis 8:6-7

Forty days after the appearance of the mountain tops, Noah opened the window of the ark and let a raven fly out. Since it had rained for forty days and nights, Noah may have waited a period of forty days after seeing the tops of the mountains to be sure that the Flood was definitely at an end. The raven went out and did not return into the ark until the earth was dry since the mountain tops and the carcasses floating upon the water afforded both resting-places and food.

Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. Genesis 8:8-9

Though the mountain tops were visible, they were covered with mud and carcasses. As opposed to the raven, the dove would not touch dead flesh and returned to the ark.

According to the Torah, ravens are unclean birds and not acceptable for sacrifice or to be eaten. The raven who feeds on dead flesh is a black bird. Dark angels are unclean spirits associated with death.

On the other hand, doves are ceremonially clean animals that are suitable for sacrifice. Doves feed upon seeds and fruit. In the Bible, the word “seed” represents the Word of God and “fruit” speaks of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. The color white characterizes purity. At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove (Luke 3:22). A white dove therefore is a symbol used to represent the Holy Spirit.

He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. Genesis 8:10-12

Noah had waited seven days after sending out the raven to send out the dove for the first time. He again waited seven days to send out the dove for the second time. When it returned with an olive leaf in its beak, Noah knew that fruit trees began to appear above water. It is commonly understood that a picture of a dove carrying an olive branch to represents peace. When the dove was sent out for the third time, it did not return.

By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Genesis 8:13-16

Noah entered the ark in the 600th year of his life, on the 17th day of the 2nd month (Genesis 7:11-13). Noah left the ark on the 27th day of the 2nd month of the following year (Genesis 8:14-15). Judgment was poured out upon the wicked by the Great Flood while God’s people were protected in the ark to emerge unscathed. This is a prophetic picture of the rapture. This theme is repeated in the Exodus. The parting of the sea by Moses and subsequent crossing on dry land by a great mixed multitude, again pictures the coming rapture. In the same day that the Israelites were miraculous delivered out of the hands of their enemies, God poured out his wrath on the Egyptian army and their evil leader, Pharaoh.

The pattern of miraculous deliverance of God’s people followed by immediate judgment of God’s enemies is found elsewhere in the Bible. In the same day that Lot and his family were pulled from Sodom by angels, God rained burning sulfur on the wicked cities of the plain (Genesis 19:16–24).

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37

Noah and his family spent one year and ten days in the ark. Why not just a year? The 10 days are significant and speak prophetically of the Second Coming of Christ. There was a total of ten days which elapsed between the arrival of all the Israelites at Mt. Sinai and Moses ascending the mountain. King David (a type of Christ) married Abigail after her evil husband, Nabol (a type of Antichrist), was stricken for 10 days and then died.

Jesus appeared in resurrection power and was seen over a period of 40 days. He ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit came down in power on Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection). There was a period of 10 days between Jesus going up to heaven and the Holy Spirit coming down to indwell the church. Just as these ten days were significant in the First Advent when Jesus literally fulfilled the spring cycle of biblical festivals, so in His Second Coming is a ten day period significant in Jesus fulfilling the fall cycle of festivals.

There are then ten days between the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah /the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Religiously observant Jews know these ten days as the Ten Days of Penitence or the Ten Days of Awe.

I believe that on the same day as the great and terrible day of the LORD begins (the Ten Days of Awe begin), the Church will be raptured and the final plagues poured on the earth.

I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues —last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. Revelation 15:1

As in the days of Noah, when God’s people were protected from the outpouring of his wrath upon the earth, so in the last days the saints will be raptured as the seven angels pour out the bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth and its inhabitants.

The Rapture of the church on The Day of Trumpets will allow for three days of consecration (works passing through the fire) and a seven day wedding feast (traditional in Judaism). At the sounding of the seventh trumpet of Revelation, the Church is raptured and God’s bowls of wrath are poured upon the earth and its inhabitants. Ten days after on Yom Kippur, Jesus will triumphantly return Earth as conquering King to mete out punishment to His enemies, redeem Israel, and establish His throne on Earth.

Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.” So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another. Genesis 8:17-19

In Genesis 1:28, to be fruitful and multiply was the command that was given to Adam and Eve along with the dominion mandate over the earth and the animals. Here it is clearly expressed that the purpose for animal life being preserved on the ark was so the animals could emerge to increase in number upon the earth.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Genesis 8:20-21

The aroma of the sacrifice was pleasing to the LORD.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

After the fall, the Adamic nature was passed down to all mankind. Although humans have a deceitful and wicked heart, the LORD promised to never again to destroy all living creatures. The Father knew that Christ would come and lay His life down as a fragrant offering whose sacrifice would be pleasing to God.

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

During the duration of the flood, there was no seedtime or harvest. It was wet, cold and gloomy. It was even hard to discern day from night. Now God’s promise is an encouragement to Noah and his family who are to repopulate the earth.

As long as the earth endures is a statement that is an allusion to the fact that the earth in its present form will someday cease to endure. Again, the end is made known from the beginning:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1