A Vessel of Deliverance!

The Rapture Theory, Part 3 of 7

"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" (Matt 24:37-39).

Probably the most identifiable object in the days of Noah was the Ark which he built via God's instruction. This Ark was God's master plan to deliver His people. For some reason, we often fail to take this Ark into consideration when discussing the coming of the Lord. Why is that? As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. As it was, not different. As it was, not a limited and/or barren replication. How were Noah and his family preserved during the storm? They were not taken in judgment as the wicked were, so how did they survive? Let's observe the coming fulfillment of this truth, concerning the Ark...

In the days of Noah, God was at work - He was not just idly watching! While men were living in gross sin, God was expertly communicating His will to His chosen man - Noah. He was preparing a vessel of deliverance, and such will be the case for the return of the Lord Jesus too! Even now God is inhabiting and preparing a similar vessel of deliverance - the sons of God (Rom 8:18-20; Gal 4:19)! And how can we be sure? Because as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be!

The directions God gave to Noah concerning the Ark were very specific. This was no accident, for this ancient Ark speaks of something far greater in the redemptive plan of God, even the living temple He is now measuring and building by His precious Spirit (Eph 2:19-22). This habitation of God through the Spirit will indeed become a mighty vessel of deliverance in these last days. It may be a laughing stock to carnal men, as it was with Noah, and maybe even scorned by the religious community, but that does not matter. It may be a strange looking vessel when compared to the perverse ecclesiastical orders of our day, even as Noah's was. But again, that does not matter. All it must do is serve God's purposes.

The Ark's specific dimensions and instructions can be found in Genesis 6:13-16. The numbers God used here were very specific. Was this by accident? Did the Holy Spirit just flip a coin? Of course not (Ps 90:12). Everything God does and says is for a divine purpose, and it's our honor to search it out (Prov 25:2; Isa 45:15). God is using these dimensions of the Ark to communicate to us a deeper truth about the sons of God, the overcomer company who shall be joined together in the last days to form a glorious vessel that will house the very fullness of God, and bring like deliverance to all of humanity! Hallelujah!

In short, the dimensions of the Ark communicate to us that this coming vessel will be (1) of supernatural origin, to bring supernatural deliverance, (2) composed of a remnant of sons, (3) fully filled with the Spirit of God, (4) fully restored and walking in the fullness that has been promised them (Eph 1:13-14), and (5) composed of a mature, prepared company of sons who have the authority and dominion of God!

"Now all these things [Old Testament occurrences] happened unto them for ensamples [Greek: "types"]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor 10:11). Perhaps we should take heed to Paul's admonition..

Let's observe...

300 Cubits in Length..

Genesis 6 tells us that the Ark was 300 cubits in length (vs. 15). In Scripture, the number 300 is repeatedly used in connection with complete deliverance, a faithful remnant, and divine victory in conflict. For example, in Judges 7, we see the Midianites utterly defeated by a small 300 man army, composed of those whom God had separated unto Himself. In the natural, it looked like a suicide charge. However, God doesn't need our strengths; He doesn't want mere numbers - He simply wants quality. How interesting that, like Noah's Ark, this small remnant of men were to be the complete deliverance of Israel! All of God's people were going to receive deliverance, but the vessel of deliverance was the 300! Even so shall it be with the many-membered Ark that God is building in these last days, "a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isa 32:2).

A similar example is found in 1st Chronicles 11:20: "And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three". Here was yet another case of supernatural deliverance involving the number 300. A mighty deliverance was wrought in Israel by a single man, Abishai. Today, we see a similar need for the church, and for all the world. And thankfully, God is bringing forth His vessel, a company of blood-bought, Spirit-filled overcomers having the very glory of God, and bringing supernatural deliverance: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising" (Isa 60:1-3).

Here are a few other instances where the number 300 is used in relation to supernatural deliverance by a faithful remnant. Friends, these are no mere coincidences:

- Enoch walked with God after living for 300 years (Gen 5:22). After, and not before, he passed through the veil into the very presence of God. He was supernaturally delivered from the power of the grave.
- Solomon had 300 shields of beaten gold (1 Kgs 10). And what are shields for? They're for an army to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph 6:16); the shield of faith is to supernaturally deliver the bearer from evils.
- Mark 14:3-6 tells the story of the woman who anointed Jesus with spikenard worth 300 pence. She was anointing Jesus for His coming trial. Soon, Jesus would hang upon His cross, bringing supernatural deliverance to the entire human race!

Reader, this Ark of deliverance will be a supernatural one. It will be composed of a faithful remnant of sons who strive for quality above mere quantity. As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be!

50 Cubits in Breadth..

Genesis 6 also tells us that the breadth of the Ark was to be 50 cubits (vs. 15). In Scripture, the number 50 represents liberty, freedom and Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; Lev 23:16; Num 8:25; etc). Simply said, this company of sons will be fully anointed by God's Spirit (and thus at liberty), for the number 50 refers to the anointing, both at Pentecost (the firstfruits), and then the fullness of the Spirit without measure.

Leviticus 25:8-11 says, "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed".

Notice what it says about the 50th year. After 49 full years, there was to be a year of Jubilee. The land would rest, all debts would be cleared, all slaves made free, all bondages loosed, and every man's rightful possession would be returned to him. In short, this was the fullness of what the Feast of Pentecost was only a promise of, and it was the year of restoration! Similarly, those who compose this last day Ark of deliverance will likewise possess the fullness of the promise, and the restoration promised to the sons of God: "the land is as the garden of Eden before them" (Joel 2:3). The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former! The spiritual year of Jubilee will be when the purchased possession is redeemed and given to the remnant of God (Eph 1:13-14). Notice what the Amplified Version of Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "[We have been] stamped with the seal of the long promised Holy Spirit... That Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance, the first fruit, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage, in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring complete possession of it, to the praise of His glory"! Wow!

Peter goes on to tell us that this "full inheritance" and "final salvation" is ready to be revealed, and will be revealed "in the last time", a.k.a. the days of Noah (1 Pet 1:4-5, AMP)! Friends, shouldn't we put our hope in this truth? Let's stop waiting for some premature rapture to rescue us.. Rather, let's readjust our attention to King Jesus and ask Him "to bring to full salvation those who are eagerly, constantly and patiently waiting for and expecting Him" (Heb 9:28, AMP)! Yes, the fullness of God's Spirit, the fullness of salvation is coming into the vessel He has chosen! Hallelujah!

30 Cubits in Height..

And finally, Genesis 6 says the height was to be 30 cubits (vs. 15). In Scripture, the number 30 represents full stature, maturity, and authority to rule. Joseph was 30 years old when he finally stood before Pharaoh (Gen 41:46). David was 30 years old when he began to reign (2 Sam 5:4). In the Levitical tradition, a man must be 30 years old before he could enter the priesthood (Num 4). In fact, Jesus Himself was 30 years old before His public ministry began (Lk 3:22-23). All of these men, and more, were 30 years of age when God placed them in their respective positions of power, authority and dominion. Why then is this the height of Noah's Ark? Simply because God is showing us that His end-time vessel of deliverance will be a company of sons who have come "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:13; Heb 6:19-20; Eph 3:19; 1:23)! Hallelujah! Let others beg for the weak, lukewarm, indifferent and immature church to be hastily raptured away.. as for me, I am looking forward to a glorious company of sons, without spot or wrinkle, coming forth in the power, authority and full-stature of their Forerunner - the precious Lord Jesus (Gal 4:19). They will put every enemy under foot, and will be God's vessel of deliverance: "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass" (Mic 5:7)!

Therefore, in the light of all we have seen, let us ask yet again... do we still want to be "taken" prematurely?

To Be Continued...