Troublesome Topic: PHASE 7.2 AFTER THE FLOOD
Lesson 19 of 20SILENCE
The muffled sounds of earthquakes and volcanoes that had been transported into the ark through the water and then through the ground on which the ark settled, ceased. Also, there was no rain, no lightning, no wind. The silence was so different from what they had experienced almost non-stop for the last year; the silence was loud. It forcibly proclaimed to them, “the wrath of God has been spent and His judgment on man is finished.”
THEY HAD BEEN RESTING ON THE GROUND AND WAITING FOR 7 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS!
Are you shocked by how long they waited? I was. Here are the details. Genesis 8:4 says they came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (of year 600 of Noah’s life). Genesis 8:14 says that the earth was completely dry by the twenty seventh day of the second month (of Noah’s 601st year) and then, in verse 15, God told them to come out of the ark. From the seventh month through the twelfth month are five months, and then to the second month makes seven months. Day seventeen to day twenty-seven is ten days. So they sat on the side of the volcanic mountain for seven months and ten days before they could leave the ark.
When we add the seven days plus forty days they waited at the beginning of the flood event, we see that the ark was resting on the ground for around 70% of the time they spent in the ark!
Following God often involves long periods of waiting, which is something none of us enjoy and not very many of us do well.
THE REASON A RAINBOW WAS NECESSARY
Actually, there was a high rate of volcanoes and earthquakes for about 700 or 800 years after the flood, however, I envision God pausing the rain cycle and pausing the earthquakes and volcanoes in order to show Noah that it was over.
He also showed Noah a rainbow and promised to never again judge the earth with a world-wide flood. This promise was necessary because there would be fierce storms, strong earthquakes, and large volcanic eruptions in the future but God wanted Noah to know that they were not additional judgement from God.
At some point after Noah’s sacrifices were fully burned up, the rains came again. They were heavy but intermittent. Noah did not fear the rain because of God’s promise.
THE FLOOD WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ICE AGE
Contrary to the models of the evolutionists, which suggest several ice ages, each of which lasted 10,000 years or more, the best interpretation of the evidence we observe is that there was only one ice age which lasted 700 to 800 years. It happened shortly after the flood because the warm oceans created the perfect conditions for an ice age; in fact, the conditions left by the flood demanded an ice age.
WILL WE EVER FIND THE ARK? HAS IT ALREADY BEEN FOUND?
Even though some people think the ark has been found, I am confident that the answer to both those questions is an emphatic NO!
The ark was made of wood, Wood burns. The hull of the ark was covered inside and out with pitch. Pitch makes things catch fire more easily. They landed on the shelf of a volcanic mountain. Volcanoes spew lava at temperatures between 1,300 and 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. The earth had lots of volcanic activity after the flood, so Mount Ararat has probably erupted many times since Noah’s day. We can be sure that, if even a small chunk of hot lava touched the ark, it would have ignited and been totally consumed by fire. The likelihood of the ark being set ablaze by falling lava or flowing lava is extremely high.
What’s more, lightning is known to catch things on fire as well. Tall things are known to draw lightning strikes. The ark would have been the tallest object on the level part of the mountain. The likelihood of the ark being set ablaze by lightning is also very high. But lightning is usually seen in conjunction with rain. Thus, if the ark was ignited by lightning, the fire could have been extinguished by the rain, leaving behind a partially consumed ark just waiting for the next time it caught on fire.
Therefore, I am convinced that the ark was consumed by fire within the first 100 years after the flood event, possibly much sooner. I am also convinced that some of the charred remains of the ark were washed away by rains, but the parts that were too heavy to be washed away are probably buried under meters of hardened lava and ash.
If we do find any part of the ark, it will not look like a big boat; the only things left to find might be some pieces of metal that were melted into unrecognizable lumps. The guy who pulls a chunk of metal out of the ground and says “Hey, look, I found the ark!” has more credibility in my mind than someone who finds something that looks like a big, buried boat.
The next lesson in this study series is SPIRITUAL TAKE-AWAYS FROM THE PROGRESSION OF THE FLOOD.