Biblical Forensics©


“Deliverance before Judgment”

Part 13 & 14 Combined


In this segment of “Deliverance before Judgment”, we are about to deep dive into the Typology of Noah and the Ark. But to do so, we have to go outside the Genesis 7 account and see what the New Testament has to reveal. The key in the New Testament is in Matthew 24; Luke 17; and 2nd Peter 2.

The Bible emphasizes that the people were acting as if LIFE WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL, “they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day” -(Matthew 24:38. In other words, the world was taking no note of the coming judgment).

The Great Tribulation that is coming now IS also a time of judgment, and DURING that judgment, life will NOT be normal. Over half the world will be killed at first: a quarter of the people on the Earth will die –(Revelation 6:8), and then a remaining third die –(Revelation 9:15). Men will be tormented for five months with pain from the plague of the Mark of the Beast –(Revelation 14:11, 16:2). Men will try to kill themselves, and not be able to do so –(Revelation 19:6). During this time period, supernatural beings such as the Antichrist and the Two Witnesses will be present on earth. They both will have the power to command fire to come down from heaven –(Rev 11:3-5; 13:11-13). This, you must admit, is not a description of normal life.

Note, Peter speaks of deliverance revealing that God will “deliver the godly out of temptation” -(2nd Peter 2:9). This statement parallels Noah’s experience during the Great Flood. It also points forward affirming that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture will deliver the righteous before the Great Tribulation.

What was Noah’s experience? Was it like those saints of the Great Tribulation who will face martyrdom and persecution? NO! Was Noah being persecuted by the wicked during the time of judgment? NO! Did Noah have to endure the Great Tribulation of the judgment and swim hard or hold his breath underwater in the SAME ENVIRONMENT as the wicked? NO!

What was Noah’s experience? As we will see, Noah went into the ark, the place where God was and God shut the door behind him. Noah floated above the waters which brought about the judgment that came upon the world of ungodly people of Noah’s time. Likewise, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture will take believers up into heaven, through the “open door”, to be in the place where Jesus Christ is above the Earth to keep them from facing the judgment that will come upon the entire world of ungodly people.

Let’s look at how the example of Noah teaches us through the lens of Biblical Typology pointing to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Here is where we really begin to see how God uses “Biblical Typology” to communicate His overall plan for mankind.

God called Noah into the ark, and “Seven” days later, the flood came. Noah is a “Type” of the Rapture before the “Seven” year Great Tribulation. Afterwards all of God’s enemies are destroyed at Armageddon, just as in the flood.

He went into the ark when the Lord told him to enter. Controversy arises when people forget that Noah was the type to obey God. In verse 13 where Scripture makes reference to the same day that the rain fell, people presume that Noah entered the ark on the same day. The only way to assume that Noah went into the ark late would be if one concludes that Noah did not obey the Lord for a period of “Seven” days. Does it seem realistic to believe that Noah, after spending 120 years building an ark,(1) would even consider disobeying a direct command from God for a period of “Seven” full days right before the world was destroyed? Keep in mind that this idea would be in direct opposition to the Scripture in verse 5? I don’t think so! It does not make sense whatsoever.

The “selfsame day” in verse 13 refers to the action phrase which takes place at the end of verse 16, “as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in”. “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and their three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;” -(Genesis 7:13). “And they that went in, went in male and female of the flesh, so God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.” -(Genesis 7:16).

Returning to Genesis 7:1, we read that God was calling to Noah from inside the ark saying: “to come into” the ark. This is similar to the language used at Revelation 4:1 where John hears a voice say: “Come up hither”. The door of the ark is also a strong symbol for the Rapture:

The parallel becomes even stronger when we appreciate that Noah’s ark is a Type representing heaven. Noah’s ark is also like the Ark of the Covenant, in that God’s presence is in both. Remember, God told Noah to “come into” the ark? This indicates that God was already in the ark. –(Genesis 7:1). God’s presence was also in the Ark of the Covenant: “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel”. -(Exodus 25:22).

Even the construction ratios are proportionally nearly the same: 4 to 5. Noah’s ark is 30 to 50 –(Genesis 6:15). The Ark of the Covenant is 1.5 by 2.5 cubits -(Exodus 25:10). The Ark of the Covenant is a symbol of perfect heavenly things. “For Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” -(Hebrews 9:24). The noted ratios are mathematically perfect for vessels that float on water. Noah’s ark was 350 L. x 50 W. x 30 H. cubits. Naval ship designers note this ratio to be perfect or ideal for buoyancy of a large floating vessel especially when considering the need to remain upright during heavy seas.

Thus, the ark Noah went into, like the Ark of the Covenant, is also a symbol of heaven, like that of the heavenly bridal chamber,(2) which the groom prepares in his father’s house in preparation for the wedding to his bride. Similarly a parallel exists when we look at Noah entering into the ark “Seven” days prior to the beginning of the Great Flood so that Noah and his family could be in a protected place where God was waiting for them and then God shut the door behind Noah. This parallel with Noah and his family represents or is a symbol for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture where believers will also be protected prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Remember, the “Seven” days here are comparable to the day for a year pattern totaling “Seven” years. A day represents a year when considering a length of time for judgment depicted in this “Type”. See Moses and Ezekiel in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 below. “Seven” being God’s Covenant number, and its associated significance is revealed in Part 8 of the series “The Season of the Rapture”.(3) (I would be remiss not to point out that the ‘day for a year’ pattern does not always follow true elsewhere in Scripture.)

There are additional insights that pre-figure the timing of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. An interesting verse is found at Genesis 8:13, “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth.” As outlined in Part 1 of “End Time Events”, the general rule for interpreting Scripture is to allow Scripture to interpret itself.(4) We have insight for this passage at Revelation 17:15: “And he saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

As the first day of the first month of the calendar year, it supports the Feast of Trumpets as the date of the Rapture. The Feast of Trumpets takes place on the first day of the 7th religious month, which is the same day as the first day of the first calendar month of the New Year. The Feast of Trumpets is part of the Mosaic Law Covenant. The rules for this Feast can be found at Numbers 29:1-6, “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.”

Thus, if the waters represent people, and the waters “were dried up from off the earth” on a certain day, then this indicates the Rapture for Noah and his family took place on “the Feast of Trumpets” which is also known as “Rosh HaShanah”. ‘Waters’ and the ‘Sea’ are recognized symbols for ‘’many people” in Scripture. There are several excellent works on Bible Typology where one can see the implications alluded to here. Perhaps one of the best is Kevin Conner’s book ‘Interpreting the Symbols and Types’, published in 1996.

Another important aspect depicting the word ‘waters’ as a Type is that Christians carry the ‘waters’ of the Holy Spirit within them. The symbol of ‘waters being dried up after the Great Flood’ is a similar symbol picturing the Holy Spirit or the “removal of the restrainer” referred to in 2nd Thessalonians 2:6-7. In this latter case, the removal of the “Holy Spirit” will occur after the Rapture just as the “waters” were dried up after the Flood.

By the early part of the 20th century, “Biblical Typology” for the most part was forgotten in the church because European schools of higher criticism began to gain power over American theological institutions. As a result, it has caused a famine for deeper understanding of the Word in America’s churches. This situation has been brewing for over a century now. Because of the existing shortage of comprehensive Biblical understanding, most people today know very little about “Biblical Typology” let alone grasp how to interpret the many insights God has woven throughout His Word. The use of “Typology” has largely become a lost interpretive tool. This is particularly true of virtually all mainline Protestant denominations. It is certainly just as true among Roman Catholic and Orthodox Catholic bodies as well. This famine for the Word is noted in Amos 8:11 and elsewhere. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” This phrase occurs some 23X times, but it is used only once to describe a famine for hearing and understanding the Word of God. Today, we have clear evidence referencing present day circumstances involving qualified teachers of God’s Word. Unfortunately, this sad state of affairs became the norm as far back as the early 1900’s.

Critics of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture are oblivious to many of the deeper meanings of Scripture in the Bible. As this study continues on “Deliverance before Judgment”, it is hoped that readers will be able to recognize that their arguments fail to gain traction among those who are capable of gleaning depth in the ways God has revealed His Truths in the Bible. Proverbs 25:2 is one of my favorite passages because of the challenge made to the reader of the Bible. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.” The passage subtly suggests that God has truly hidden “diamonds and nuggets” within His Word. In fact, God has used over 200 grammatical and linguistic devices to convey these hidden treasures for our mining if we but make the time to dig for them!

Many people today read the Bible in quick spurts almost as a chore while failing to pursue research on their own. They often prefer to follow along in their Bible during Church services, relying solely upon their particular denomination’s minister through Church sermons opting for this method of teaching them what they need to know about the Bible without ever pursuing a closer examination beyond the doors of their pastor’s sermons. Many church leaders can and do discourage personal reading of Scripture explaining that it is far too complicated for the average laity to understand. Some religious cults discourage any research outside the approved publications produced and sold by their specific organization. Further, laity is often taught to be suspicious of ‘outside’ published works that aid in teaching these hidden truths, fearing anything they say might lure the unwary and uneducated away from the fold. Consequently most Bible study is empty, devoid of those wonderful “diamonds and nuggets” all because of the lack of personal, disciplined examination and application of the Holy Scriptures.

There are a couple other references to Noah that can be noted. These communicate the salvation message indicating God’s warning to Noah promising that obedience would provide him and his family with Deliverance before Judgment. 1st Peter 3 reveals the consequences for those who were disobedient despite the fact that God was patient and long-suffering. Note that Noah believed and trusted God. He took action immediately. Unbelievers watched for 120 years while Noah prepared the ark and preached to them, but they failed to believe that God would act and so they perished. “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 which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” –(Hebrews 11:7). Another interesting passage on Noah is found in 1st Peter 3:20: “to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water).”

The verses in Matthew 24:40-42 and Luke 17:34-37 also contain some examples about who is “taken” and who is “left” To further illustrate the suddenness of his return, Jesus pictured “business as usual” in Palestine - the men out working in the field; the women doing domestic chores such as grinding grain. Jesus’ Second Advent will happen so suddenly that in the blink of an eye, one of those people may be taken and the other left. The reason? One was ready and one was not. Believers must be on guard and alert, constantly ready for him to come at any time. Christ’s return will be swift and sudden. There will be no time for last-minute repenting or bargaining. Luke records an interesting analogy of what to look for, “where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together”. The disciples fully understood from the Savior's words that His Second Advent would be catastrophic judgment from heaven on an apostate world. So they asked the Lord where this judgment would fall. His answer was that wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. The eagles or vultures symbolize impending judgments. The answer therefore is that judgments would swoop down on every form of unbelief and rebellion against God, no matter where found. These two examples also teach the contrast between those who believe and those who are unbelievers. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture offers ‘Deliverance before Judgment’ for anyone who believes in Jesus and repents but for those who don’t have faith in Jesus, they will suffer the consequences.

I strongly believe that much of the confusion about the Word of God resulted from centuries of cultural and historical misinterpretation. I have yet to bring to bear the Scriptural basis of God’s “mercy” into the scope of understanding about “Deliverance before Judgment”. To briefly note: the word “mercy” is found over 270X times and this theme of “mercy” will be dealt with in greater depth later on. The crux of the matter is to point out that many of the negative views and fear-mongering that has swirled about with regards to God’s Word has resulted from centuries of shaming influences perpetuated by Roman Catholicism; and subsequently by cults such as the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists. These religious bodies have historically, used fear and intimidation as a tool or method to control their members. Further, by controlling and publishing their own study materials while discouraging an examination of ‘outside literature’ they are easily able to control the type of information their members regularly feed on and digest, thereby molding and shaping beliefs while solidifying and securing a position of authority within the ranks of the laity.

Using the example of a half-full glass of water, why is it that some people will say the glass is half-full while others will say the glass is half-empty? The optimistic person sees the glass as half-full, whereas the pessimist sees it as half-empty. Research has found that seeing the glass as half-full not only makes one feel happier, it makes you healthier and wealthier as well. Optimism creates opportunity, while pessimism thwarts it. A study was conducted on attorneys ten years after graduating from law school. It revealed that the optimistic attorney was earning $32,667 more than their counterpart pessimist attorney. The point is that personal attitudes and beliefs as well as choices and life experiences will influence how a person reacts and responds to Scripture. The positive expressions and words in the Bible run three to one in favor of the positive side of the scale. The Bible has been analyzed many times in many different ways. This oddity reflects the extent to which the general public fails to appreciate its unfathomable depths or how it can improve not only outlook on life but circumstances in life just by reading it with a desire to draw closer to God. An often over-looked point is that one’s mood affects one’s perception. Without side-stepping the possibility that one’s bias can be influenced by their mood along with a wide array of other factors, the acknowledgement is simply made to point out that Scripture itself amply presents a general message of “Deliverance before Judgment” and this is indeed good news!

God uses “Biblical Typology” for specific purposes: to teach doctrinal truth, to mute negative biases and to silence Lucifer’s minions. This is why unpacking the Scriptures dictates that “context” trumps all other. Whether it be the context of the verse, the paragraph, the chapter or the book the simple truth is: context filters out predisposed personal bias. This is an important point. Few in ministry today are fluently familiar with Greek and Hebrew texts. The particular use of a word in English may not be what it is thought to mean in the context of the Greek or Hebrew, which tends to be far more specific. For example, our word “love” has no less than five meanings in the Greek, and accordingly, five different words reflecting specific meaning. This means that interpreters of Scripture have to be careful in their choice of words to communicate the correct meaning intended. Psalm 34:17 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles”. God has not given us the right to look at His timetable, but He has vowed an assured promise that all of the problems believers struggle with will one day be history. The Bible says a great deal about deliverance: deliverance from the wrath of God, deliverance from the penalty of sin, and deliverance from the judgment of God. This opportunity is available at least for those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer. The “IF” here is the choice point. The right choice clearly leads to Deliverance before Judgment”.

If you have not yet bowed your knee before God and confessed your sins or repented of them, changed your heart and mind, or put your trust in Jesus Christ, you have not been delivered yet. Instead you can expect to be delivered into the hands of an angry God, and this will occur when you are not expecting it. None can escape this judgment after death except for those who have repented of their sins and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the ones who have been and are yet to be delivered and these are the ones who are seen as already being seated with Christ in the heavenly places, as Paul states in Ephesians 2:6.

Eventually all people will be judged at Christ’s return, as it is described at the Great White Throne Judgment –(Revelation 20:12-15). God’s wrath will “pass-over” believers because they have put their faith in the atoning work of Jesus at Calvary where He shed His blood for those of us who believe! Jesus Christ was the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world, as John the Baptist said in John 1:29.

Next, we will be examining the “Biblical Typology” for “Deliverance before Judgment” as we take a closer look at the Exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt and how God delivered His people from the bondage of slavery. The “Typology” found in the Exodus event presents a faith building picture of how God delivered the Israelites from certain death and judgment to provide a new life of freedom, but not without weathering their wilderness journey first. The historical Exodus journey has been confirmed by many researchers such as, Ron Wyatt, Dr. Lennart Moller, author of ‘The Exodus Case’, and Jim and Penny Caldwell who produced the DVD “God of the Mountain”. How does this experience picture a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and “Deliverance before Judgment”?

Scripture events provide a backdrop containing an underlying theme that is woven into its interconnected parts that are found throughout the pages of Biblical stories. This thread or theme is sewn like a crochet pattern manifesting in the history and culture of Israel, in the birth and life of the Church and all pointing to Christ. This interwoven theme is developed and expressed through the levels and layers of personal lives, historic events, literal physical experiences, and the prophetic messages pointing to the future Grand Plan. When one becomes cognizant of this treasure, it is apparent that, like peeling an onion, each layer unveils a deeper insight to an incredible tapestry revealing a truly loving Creator.

Given the state of world events today, what person in their right mind would not want to jump at a chance for a “reset” in their life? Maybe by now you are able to visualizing the larger picture of God’s Master Plan for redemption and restoration!



Pastor Bob

Notes:

  1. https://answersingenesis.org/bible-timeline/how-long-did-it-take-for-noah-to-build-the-ark/

  2. Biblical Theme of the Bride Parts 1-22: http://www.jesusisthewaythetruththelife.com/node/22

  3. Season of the Rapture Part 8: http://jesusisthewaythetruththelife.com/node/86

  4. End Time Events Part 1: http://jesusisthewaythetruththelife.com/node/93


Commentaries:

Life Application New Testament Commentary

Believer’s Bible Commentary

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