The writer of Ecclesiastes, probably Solomon, tells us that history moves in cycles. Perhaps I should say prophecy moves in cycles. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) The fascinating appearance of the word “waters” in the Old Testament shows us this. As noted earlier, there are seven separate events in Genesis that include this word.
The sixth event is the Flood account. Six is the number of man. Man was created on the sixth day of Creation. The Flood resulted from the rebellion of man against God. The Lord said that it grieved Him that He made man and animals. (Genesis 6:7) This sixth event contains eighteen occurrences of “waters,” and they are clearly divided into three groups of six (6-6-6). This is another confirmation that this event was about mankind.
The story of the Flood is a clear foreshadow of the Lord’s wrath in the End Times. During the Flood it rained for forty days and nights. Forty is the number of testing. Jesus was tested for forty days. The Children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years. The world will be tested during the Tribulation.
We are all familiar with the 6-6-6 of the Revelation, the number of the Beast. (Revelation 13:18) The Lord’s story of the Flood shows us several foreshadows of the Tribulation.
The eighteen times “waters” occurs are divided into three sections of six each; the Lord’s protection (Genesis 7:6-18), the destruction of earth (Genesis 7:19-8:3), and the return to the earth (Genesis 8:4-8:13). This follows the Pre-Millennial view of the Tribulation; (1) the Lord protects the faithful, (2) the world suffers His wrath, and (3) the faithful return with Jesus.
Before the time of the Exodus from Egypt, the months were counted from the fall harvest time (September or October). The Lord told Moses (Exodus 12:1-2) that He was changing this and the counting of the religious calendar would begin in the spring (March or April). So, the seventeenth day of the seventh month in the time of Noah would be the seventeenth day of the first month of the calendar as given to Moses.
The Ark rested on the top of a mountain on the seventeenth day of the seventh month of Noah’s time. This would be Nisan 17 on the Hebrew calendar. This is the day that Jesus, our Redeemer, rose from the dead 2,000 years ago. Noah and his family were redeemed on the same day. What a wonderful picture of redemption the Lord has given us.
There is also an interesting number of occasions the words “breath of life” and “life” appear in the Flood account. “Breath of life” is only found in the Flood account and in Genesis 2:7. In chapters six and seven of Genesis it appears three times. On the third appearance the word “spirit” is added, although it does not always show in the translated text. The three times this phrase occurs indicate the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The inclusion of the word “spirit” in the third appearance confirms this.
In addition, “life” appears thirteen times in the Flood chronicle. Thirteen is the number of rebellion. For example, the kings around Sodom rebelled against their sovereigns in the thirteenth year. (Genesis 14:1-4) In the Flood story all life is eliminated because of the rebellion of man.
This sixth event in Genesis containing a grouping of the word “waters” shows us the rebellion of man. The Flood might be called the First Tribulation. Through the 6-6-6 pattern of “waters” it also shows us the Lord’s pattern for the Second Tribulation; protection, wrath, return. The Lord tells us that He does nothing without informing us beforehand. (Isaiah 46:10) Praise His name!