The world of Noah was barely different from the world around you and me. Men and women were pursuing their diverse interests, commerce was exploding, sex was a preoccupation, and the world of spirits was intermingling with the daughters of men. Every trend of our day was evident in Noah’s day. Jesus Christ was careful to draw a comparison of these two generations over 4,000 years removed from each other. He stated, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39)

It’s exciting to study the ark in Genesis chapter seven and then note the numerous times that Bible writers refer to this historic occasion. Nothing establishes a truth in Scripture more clearly than when other inspired writers relate that truth to other truths. The Bible interprets itself when we will simply allow the unity of truth to emerge. When you view the entire Scripture reference to the ark that God commanded Noah to build, it becomes a powerful prophetic type of the Person of Jesus Christ and the protection and hope which we are invited to enjoy in Him. The ark is a beautiful picture of the Son of God as Redeemer and Deliverer to every generation. Its final fulfillment is the Rapture of the Bride of Jesus Christ just before the final judgment.

Jesus Christ And The Ark Of Noah

The entire First Testament is written with a concealed presence of the coming Messiah. Every great truth in this Hebrew book is a prophetic preparation and foundation for the entrance of the Son of God into the human stream. Jesus stated in the Gospel of John, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)

The Scriptures they were to search was the First Testament. Nothing else was available at this moment of Christ’s ministry. We will never know the full power of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis to Malachi) until we have eyes for Jesus alone.

Apostle Paul made reference to this in writing to the Corinthians. He spoke of the Jewish blindness, but I find the church world is not much different, except for a few clear passages. Listen to Paul speak of this blindness, “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:14-16) One primary purpose exists in the revelations of the First Testament and it was the coming of the Prince of Peace.

The ark of Noah was one of the strongest revelations of the coming Prince in this great First Testament. The text itself is saturated with His living presence in this ark. “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.” “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 7:1; 7:16; 8:4)

Three great expressions in the text reveals the presence of the Lord in a personal way. First, He spoke from within the ark, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” This ark may have looked massive sitting upon the ground beside Noah’s home, but when it was afloat upon a world covered with water, it would have been but a shadow. When we see that it was more than a physical ark; the dwelling place of the Divine Redeemer; it becomes breathtakingly miraculous. The Lord invited them into His glorious presence for safety. He didn’t say, “Go in.”He said, “Come in.”

Second, it was the Lord that shut them in. They were not at the mercy of those that would seek to enter by force once the storm was raging. The God of the universe was manifest in His presence as Lord to be the Shepherd of those sheep inside His provision. The words, “and the Lord shut them in,” indicates more than slamming the door from the outside. He did not become the door of the sheep in St. John chapter ten. He was the door of the sheep in Genesis chapter seven. He has always been the door of His sheep and always will be. This ark was more than a tossing ship out on a lonely sea. It was the hiding place of those chosen to escape the rages of the storm. The language reveals the Great Shepherd of the sheep riding with them in the storm and taking all fear from their hearts.

Third, the ark rested on Nissan the seventeenth, the very day that Jesus would be resurrected centuries down the road. It was also the eighth day or the day after the Sabbath. The number eight is “New Beginning” and carries the power of incredible promises from the Creator. The children of Jesus would cross the Red Sea as they left Egypt on the eighth day and on Nissan the seventeenth. The Holy Ghost would be poured upon the church on the eighth day. It is clear that nothing relating to this ark was done by chance. The God that orders His universe certainly was in control of His chosen servants and of his family and the Messiah-type was being perfectly shaped for the day of fulfillment. It’s incredible to see the living presence of this God-man as His powers are manifest in this First Testament revelation.

The Ark Represents “Rescue” From Danger

The Second Testament writers made it clear that the ark was a Biblical type of “rescue” from the impending danger of that hour. The historic truth of this event was unquestionable to these Holy Ghost inspired writers. Peter stated, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:20)

The word that Peter used in his original Greek language suggested “rescue” and “escape.” Noah and his family were about to perish with the hordes of godless men and women that populated the earth. The Heavenly Father expressed grace or unmerited favor toward Noah and spoke to him to build the vessel of that grace for his deliverance. The grace and the ark were inseparable.

Again, Peter spoke of this ark, saying, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” (II Peter 2:5) In this instance, Peter moves beyond simply escaping from the storm and gives the prophetic picture of a prophetic meaning. He stated that God “spared not the old world, but saved Noah.” Peter then moved to the type of the Rapture where the ungodly will be left to perish and the righteous will be delivered to His presence. Peter showed that the coming hope of the church is to be delivered from God’s judgment of the wicked. Peter proceeds to state, after noting that Noah and his family were saved (delivered), that God brought “the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” It has never fit the nature of God to judge the wicked and the righteous together. To consider such an idea is to completely miss the nature of our Father and His eternal relationship with His chosen family.

Apostle Paul Gives An Equally Beautiful Picture

The ark of God and the flood certainly played a beautiful part with the New Testament writers. It always appears to loom large in their minds as they considered the grace of God, the coming judgment, and the promise of escape by the Rapture. As Paul wrote to the Hebrews, he stated, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)

Paul mentions several points that we should consider. “Being warned of God of things not seen as yet” certainly suggests that this preacher of hope was viewing the total picture. No writer described the Rapture more pointedly than Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. Can we easily believe that he was thinking of the coming Rapture when he spoke of things “not seen as yet”? The words “moved with fear” are no less powerful. Then he declared that this ark was the “saving of his household” and the condemnation of “the world.” (These remarks do not fit the present day interpretations of Matthew chapter 24.)

Even so, I believe that the faithful saints of this generation that refuse to give up the expectation of His return to deliver from “judgment to come” are equally condemning this godless and hopeless world. No wonder many persons get angry when we will not cease to preach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the saints. Much of this church generation that have lost this Biblical truth are not even civil toward those who still hold to this “hope.” No subject that I discuss on radio causes the reaction, condemnation, and attack as does this wonderful subject.

 

Jesus Establishes The Credibility Of Noah

As Jesus taught His great Olivet Discourse, He places the story of Noah and the ark right in the middle of these transcending truths. There can be no question that the ark was established by the Lord as a type and picture of both the mood of the generation in which He would appear and the method He would use to separate the Godly from the ungodly. The very day of Noah becomes a descriptive picture of His day when He would begin the process of the end.

Jesus stated, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:37-42)

The setting of this great statement has confused a host of the enemies of the Rapture as well as some who believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. He was certainly speaking to the Jewish people and warning of their Day of Trouble. Some of this Olivet Discourse deals with Israel and the Roman destruction in AD 70. Some of it deals with the Seven-year Tribulation as Israel shall certainly experience; but I’m convinced it also deals with the church and, especially, the hope of both born-again Jews and Gentiles in the beginning of the end. Just before Jesus speaks of Noah and the parallel of his day and type of the Ark, he states, “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36) This sets those verses concerning “one taken and the other left” apart as a parenthetical statement to describe our hope to miss the sorrows He had previously described. Hallelujah!

Let’s Analyze These Incredible Words Of Hope

Again, remember He has described a day of coming sorrow and great tribulation. The judgments He describes are catastrophic and terrible. The earth will experience great consternation and multitudes will be swept away in the flood of deception and destruction. But, there is hope for the watchful.

“But as the day of Noah was,” Jesus warned, so would the days of this coming hour be. We are to discern the time of this hour by the signs that we read in the seventh chapter of Genesis or in Noah’s generation. It is not too hard to see the perfect parallel. Every day our world becomes more like Noah’s world, if not worse. It is a time of fullness of bread, ample time for fun and frolic, an unprecedented preoccupation with sex, and an intermingling of the spirits of men with the spirits of the fallen gods (angels). There is also an incredible power and organization against truth as Noah preached and as His faithful servants are preaching today.

Two In The Field, One Taken And The Other Left

When you study this great text, together with the words of Paul in the book of Hebrews and Peter in I and II Peter, the truth springs to the front. Those eight in the ark were rescued, while the world was destroyed in judgment. Peter said, “saved Noah, . . . bringing in the flood upon the world.” Paul said that Noah “condemned the world and saved his own house.” There is no way to interpret this text and leave the righteous on the earth, while removing the wicked in judgment. It does not fit one other passage in Scripture that relates to the subject of the ark.

“Watch Therefore”

The closing statement of this great parenthetical teaching fully supports the escape of the righteous, “Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” The wicked certainly are not watching. He is speaking to the righteous for He continues saying,“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44) We are to be watching and ready for the ark to sail again. Just before the storm shakes this earth, the Lord will appear to rescue His chosen that have found “grace in His sight.”

Joseph R. Chambers

No event that has ever occurred will be more spectacular than the Rapture of the saints. On every front it will defy the wildest imagination of men. Most of this world laughs at the idea of the supernatural powers of God and discounts the possibility. The Book of Genesis’ account of creation has mostly been replaced with some form of natural evolution, even by the church world. But this glorious Rapture will occur and it will be shock and awe. The earth’s population at the time of this event will never forget the display of power and the change it will create.

Nature, as it is presently understood, will begin the process of being totally altered. The physical realm between heaven, the earth, and beneath the earth will be completely changed. Presently there is a gulf or separation between these separate entities, but that appears to vanish almost immediately. The many events during the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation will bring God’s world back to a form of openness similar to what we see in the Genesis picture of creation. The Spirit/spirit world, both from above and beneath, will be open on the earth.

Saints in Heaven will be directly involved in events on the earth. Evil spirits will arise out of the deep and do great harm to the wicked population. The evil characters which are portrayed in a growing number of films, books, and games are Satan’s preparation to make you comfortable with his “coming world order.”

Not only is the Rapture an incredible display of Holy Ghost power, it is a picture of nature as we now know it turned on its head. Of course, what really occurs is that even nature is going to be redeemed and the new natural world will be completely transformed to a pure and transcending one. The Rapture is actually the beginning of this exploding process. Isaiah saw this picture and prophesied of it occurring. Look at his words of hope, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:19-21)

When you consider that the natural results of sin is death and the complete decay of those dead bodies and then we look at the graves losing all power against the righteous dead, it presents a new day. The dust of decayed dead bodies appears to start singing while the resurrection is occurring. When you understand that our DNA, as now understood by scientists, has proven that each cell of a body has the entire code for that entire body, it is not hard to believe this Scripture.

We now see the earth as capturing the body of the dead and returning it to dust, but Isaiah saw the future when the earth “shall cast out the dead.” The whole earth was created to be a supernatural world, but sin reduced nature to be a slave to death. When that slavery is broken, even the earth will echo the praises of God just as Heaven now is filled with His praises. This prophecy by Isaiah is just a little picture of how all creation is going to become a source of His divine will instead of a cursed place. It begins at the Rapture, but will be completed by the end of the Tribulation Period when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom.

Isaiah’s prophecy shows clearly that the entire picture of sin will be changed during this period. People are able to hide sin for a season and appear to escape its consequences. Blood is often split and some people never get caught but that day ends at the Rapture. I repeat the words, “The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain.” That’s breathtaking truth, my friends. When the “Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants (the wicked) of the earth,” there will be no more hiding. It is said that even the natural earth will “no more cover her slain.” As earth experiences redemption, it will refuse to be a hiding place for the wicked. It was said concerning the wickedness which Israel faced when conquering the promise land “that the earth vomited out the inhabitants.”

This pure earth will become so delightful that “the reapers will overtake the sowers.” The curse with which our earth is presently defined, is already showing desperate signs of travail. Apostle Paul spoke of this to the Romans. “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:21-23)

When you harmonize statesman Isaiah’s prophecy with Apostle Paul’s inspiration, you see an emerging picture of a new world. It is a world where sin is so unwelcome that even nature exposes its rebellion. The Scripture states clearly, “… the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9) It also states that nature refuses rain for anyone that does not properly worship the King of Kings. (Zechariah 14:17) This old earth is very soon to be a praise to its Creator.

All Wicked Spirits will be exposed and judged. The world of fallen angels is soon to be utterly opened and revealed for this world to experience and witness as they are judged. The Rapture removes the saints that have been faithful overcomers and Godly in their lifestyle so the world can be exposed to God’s perfect wrath and judgment. The very central events of the seven years of wrath will be against Satan and his horde of wicked spirits. They must become visible for the world to see so their destruction can be plain and known to all.

Hell in the heart of the earth is presently a prison of the wicked, including demons bound for the past millenniums When the gates between the abode of these diabolical creatures and earth are flung wide, no one will doubt the depth in which Satan’s army has fallen. These creatures chose to leave their abode of righteousness and praise to the great God and to follow Satan in his pride and rebellion. There is no bottom to sin and this crowd will represent the worst of the evil one. As they are turned loose on this planet, they will cause the earth to be become a wasteland of immorality and brutality. The Rapture of the saints actually prepares the earth by removing the “Bride in waiting” and the restraining powers of the Holy Ghost. This removal opens the door for the revelation and the manifestation of the wicked one.

Apostle Paul describes this preparation for wickedness.“That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (II Thessalonians 2:2-8)

We must tell the world of these wicked days that cannot be far in the future; in fact, they could begin any day. The only lack of preparation for this horde of evil beings to invade this earth is the “removal of the saints and the resurrection of the righteous dead.” The earth cannot be stripped of the embedded powers of wickedness until the Godly saints that have died are removed out of her grip.

Satan and his fallen angels are a lot more involved in natural phenomena than most people imagine. Nature was created perfect and every act of nature was designed to enhance the lives of mankind. The travail and natural catastrophes of all nature are the results of sin. Satan alone kills, steals, and destroys. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17) After the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the natural earth will see the ultimate acts of a system turned loose to manifest its final throbs of death. “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.” (Acts 19:20) This is our God intervening to cleanse and purify the physical systems that were created as part of His earth.

The Antichrist will have such control prior to the Father’s intervention that He causes fire to come down upon the earth. Note the words of John the Revelator, “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And, he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:12-15) It appears that for a brief time Satan will have almost complete control of earth’s natural powers and will use them to try and make himself “god.” He certainly has been cast out of Heaven at this time, but will still have paranormal powers to use nature for his evil design. As great as deception is present, it will be much greater in this final episode.

The Evil Spirits Will Be Loosed for a Season

Revelation chapter nine is a final picture of these diabolical beings turned loose. Please understand that the natural world is presently preserved with a clear limitation imposed on these dark creatures. The entire picture of the “Restrainer” that holds wickedness at bay so that it cannot overrun the earth is a present reality. As dark as Satan’s powers are presently, they are restrained. But, the glorious Rapture changes all of this truth. The “Restrainer” cannot be anyone but the Holy Ghost. This has been one of his offices for all of human existence. Isaiah clearly describes this office. “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)

When the Restrainer is removed at the Rapture, then nature will experience an upheaval. The enemy has longed for a day in which he can be the god of the world with a free hand. He is already the “god of this world,” but he does not have a free hand. In his end time vision John saw this evil serpent, Satan, as he is cast down to this earth for this short period. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Rev. 12:10-12)

I wish I could paint a picture to show these hordes of spirits arising out of hell on this earth. I’m preaching a sermon on the title, “The Rapture: Turning Hell Loose on This Earth.” Look at this picture as described in Revelation. “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Rev. 9:1-6)

These creatures, which are described as “locusts,” are given in the language of types. The locust insect is a type because of the utter destruction they cause. They strip whatever they attack and leave nothing behind. The Scripture states clearly that these spirits from hell are turned loose to attack the Antichrist kingdom. An amazing thing is that Satan’s activities become his own destruction. This has always been true, but now we see it in the final form. There will be servants of God that have washed themselves in the blood of the Lamb and they will have the seal of God in their forehead. While they cannot be attacked by these locust demons, they will certainly be terrorized by a world in which such action is commonplace.

The entire Tribulation Period is so horrible that Jesus Christ warned us to be careful and diligent to escape this dark day. He stated that if not for the shortening of these days no one would escape. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22)

Luke recorded his words of warning that we might escape. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36)Listen to the apostate crowd that says going in the Rapture is a piece of cake if you want to be careless but only at your peril.

Conclusion

This old earth is running down. Its depletion is clearly causing travail in nature, weather patterns, and certainly in the dire warning you hear by the environmentalist crowd. It is impossible not to feel the sense of looming crisis and trouble. Nature is still in God’s ultimate control but He is allowing warning to suggest the coming change. It’s the best of times for the saints and the worse of times for the careless and the godless.

Lift up your heads if you are ready and quickly surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ if you are not ready. It is very clear in Scripture that He is coming for the saintly that have forsaken all to follow Him. Apostle Paul said it best. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)The Bride will be the great company of people who rejected the appeals of the world and were faithful to Him alone.

Joseph R, Chambers