THE PARALLELITIES OF NOAH & THE ARK, AND CHRIST & HIS CHURCH

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Author: Mr. Robert Arthur

 

PREFACE

The Church of Living God Ministry is a Body of Christ who meets to commune and fellowship together in spirit and in truth. The church is pious in the restoration of the original plan of God of saving the world through His church, by studying to show ourselves approved as a workman of God and upholding high the Apostles' Doctrine – Acts 2:41-47, 2 Tim 2:15.

Our priority is to preach nothing but the whole truth. Equipping men to know what it takes to become good Christians. Finally, making people candidates of Heaven is our hallmark.

This book touches on the most topical issue in the Christian world, ‘the promised, prophesied and the prepared Church of Jesus Christ’. It draws our attention to the antecedents that unfolded prior to the destruction of Noah’s world and links us onto the era of Christianity. It traces the ‘Church’ by comparing its features to that of the Noah’s Ark. In

After reading this book one gets to appreciate the fact that “theArk is antitype of the Church”

The purpose of this book is to set the honest and sincere minds of its readers to know what the True church of God is like and its importance to be part of it.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

* The Parallelities of the Ark and the Church

* What’s in a Name?

* The One True Church

* Why is Church Attendance Important?

 

THE PARALLELITIES OF NOAH & THE ARK, AND CHRIST & HIS CHURCH

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all”Luke 17:26-27.

This was a categorical statement Christ made in response to a question posed to him by the Pharisees with regards to the coming of the Kingdom of God. He answered them by alerting his disciples of the end time.

Christ pointed to them about the chronicles or happenings that unfolded in Noah’s days which will reoccur in the days of Son of man (our days).

Let us take a flashback and refer to the Old Testament for a fuller comprehensive of Noah’s history.“For whatsoever things werewritten aforetime were written for our learning, that we throughpatience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” Rom 15:4

CHRONICLES OF THE DAYS OF NOAH

“And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed…. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth” Gen 5:28-32

The days of Noah were characterized by corrupt and perverse generation. People were morally depraved which was abhorred and detestable in the sight of God. It caused God to wipe out the whole earth clean.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said my spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years…..And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it grieved the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it grieved me that I have made them…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” Gen 6:1-7, 11-12

Surprisingly, Noah lived a righteous life and found favor (grace) from God to prepare an Ark for his family’s salvation. Gen 6:8-9, 13-14.

“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”Heb 11:7

Any discretions of architectural and carpentry intelligence and ortechnical knowhow of Noah were left out in this case, only thedivine orders from the Supreme God must be strictly adhered to in making the Ark that will savethem.   A specified wood was mentioned, calculatedmeasurements stipulated, acovenant made and occupantswere named. Gen 6:14-21.                                     

Noah, the righteous preacher had no options, no alternatives than to comply with the stipulated pattern (design, blueprint) of the Ark, if he really needed salvation from the great deluge “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” Gen 6:22.

 

The patience of Almighty God dwelled upon Noah while preparing the Ark (assigned task). Immediately after the completion of the Ark, the Lord God could bring damnation or destruction to the sinful world. Why then?Because the way to escape such deluge is fully equipped and prepared for the household of Noah’s salvation. This is possible only to those who shall heed to the clarion call (warnings) and enters the Ark.

 

Genesis 7:1-24 recorded the great deluge (flood): “And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and thy entire house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation…I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood…In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that crept upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters…. And all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.  And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; andthey were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive , and they that were  with him in the ark...”

 

SUMMARY:

1. The generation of Noah’s era was corrupted, morally depraved and perverted.

2. God regretted of His created beings and decided to destroy the entire universe.

3. Noah lived a righteous life and found favor before God.

4. God commanded Noah to build an Ark to save himself and his household from destruction.

5. Those that rejected the call to enter the Ark perished in the deluge.

6. Only eight occupants inside the Ark were saved.

 

A lot of lessons could be deduced from this antiquity of Noah’s days:

1. The purpose of God ordering Noah to build an Ark was to savemankind.

2. The Ark could not havesurvived (floated) on the waters if the measurements were shortchanged. And that could have been a disastrous adventure if Noah had dared otherwise.

3. Those outside the Ark were perished and drown under the waters.

4. The eight souls who faithfully remained in the Ark were saved.

 

“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” 2 Pet 2:5.

Now we can confidently come home to our lesson from the flashback of Noah’s days. Christ answered his critics by drawing those great parallel lines of His second coming days and that of Noah’s and the features of His Church to the Ark. All those precedents will sequentially take place prior to the end of the world.

 

Our world today is deeply depraved morally, corrupted and perverted religiously, politically and secularly than that of Noah’s days. False christs and false doctrines are on the rise within the Christendom. Paganism and witchcrafts engulf our thinking. A generation full of wickedness and injustice.

 

The need to save mankind was pronounced by Christ through His church: “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven….” Mat 16:18-19.

The pattern of the church has been properly laid out “see that thou make all things according to the pattern” Heb 8:5

BUILDING AND ESTABLISHING THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

As was in the days of Noah so shall it be in Son of man, the church which is intended to save the world from eternal damnation has to be fully built in accordance with its divine pattern. Apostle Peter used the key on Pentecost Day to unlock the door to theKingdom of Heaven which is theChurch of Christ and ushered in three thousand souls on that same day. Col 1:12-13, Heb 12:28, 1 Cor 15:24, Lk 9:26-27.

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren,what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in theapostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers… And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” Acts 2:37-47.

 

SUMMARY:

1. Our world is on the bleak of its destruction.

2. Christ Jesus was born to save mankind through His church.

(A). “And thou shall call his nameJESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” Mat 1:21.

(B). “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,According to the eternal purposewhich he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him”Eph 3:9-12.

3. The church is built on a solid rock. Its foundation is strong and unshakeable.  1 Cor 3:11 says“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” Refer Mat 16:18

4. The church can survive any test of hurricane if its memberships uphold the Apostles’ doctrine and rightly divide the word of truth. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship”Acts 2:42 Read 2 Tim 2:15.

5. People shall only be saved if they heed to the clarion call of Christ and accept his invitation. They must faithfully remain inside His church.

Christ is mandated to save only those inside the church which is his body. “For…even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so 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….even as the Lord to the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church”Eph 5:23-32.

 

Things we must know:

1. God’s plan of salvation through Christ Jesus includes His Church.

2. The church is established tosave mankind from this untoward generation.

3. To change the pattern of His church renders it blemished and spotted.

4. The saved were added to the church. Acts 2:47

5. Christ Jesus saves only those in His Church. Eph 5:23

6. So what happens to thoseoutside the church? Is a million dollar question which should be answered with honest and sincere approach to the Bible?

 

“… And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” Acts 2:47

 

PARALLELITIES:

The parallel lines of the Days of Noah and the Days of Son of Man are clearly drawn.

1. The days of Noah and the days of Son of man were clearly marked as morally depraved. Gen 6:5, Acts 2:40

2. God intended to destroy both generations, formerly by flood and latter by fire. Gen 6:7, 2 Pet 3:7

3. A chosen avenue to escape both destructions outlaid. Noah built an Ark and Christ built hisChurch. Gen 6:14, Mat 16:18.

4. Time for preparation was allowed in both dispensations, but it was a matter of urgency.

Formerly, over hundred years:“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 Pet 3:20.

And latter, till the end of the world: “For he said, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Cor 6:2.

5. Both received salvation formerly inside the Ark and nowin the Church. Gen 7:23, Acts 2:47

6. Those outside the Ark perished likewise those outside Christ church shall. Gen 7:23.

 

CONCLUSION:

The purpose of this lesson is to draw our attention to the fact that man has no way to save himself, than to follow God’s scheme of redemption.

Thus, as all those outside the Ark got perished, so shall all those outside the church established by Christ shall be condemned.

Many denominations today claim to be Christians, but find themselves rather unfortunate outside the one true church.

The quest as Christians in the Christian world is to ascertain the fact that we are in the Body of Christ, which is the church of the living God.

We confidently conclude our lesson by saying “Christ and His Church is the antitype  Noah and the Ark”.

 

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leaded unto life, and few there be that find it” Mat 7:13-14.

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Does name really matter or is name really important? This question would be answered without hesitation and in boldness YES! Indeed yes we all agree with the answer. Everything has a name nothing in the world is without a name. Names identify, differentiate and distinguish between two or more things.

Name is so important that God gave Adam authority to name all what He had created. Gen 2:19-20

There are several other people God himself changed their names or perhaps gave them new names.

1. Abram was changed to Abraham – Gen 17:5

2. Sarai was changed to Sarah – Gen 17:15

3. He named Isaac before he was born – Gen 17:19

4. Jacob was changed to Israel – Gen 32:24-28   

The list goes on and on. Therefore we all reecho our voices that God attaches much more importance to names.

Ironically, when it comes to Christianity a sizable number of religious people attach little importance to names. Some say names are not so much important, others say it does not matter.

The New Testament attaches greater and valuable importance to names that;

1. The Messiah was named before his birth – Isa 7:14, Mat 1:18-21

2. John the Baptist was also named by the Angel of God – Lk 1:8-13

It would have been a suicidal to have shortchanged such a warning by the Angel and gave either of them different names. Lk 1:57-65

Much in the same vein Christ church is not exempted from calling it by the true names or designations clearly pronounced in the scriptures.

It should not surprise us that the one true church and its membership were given a name or designation by God. Isa 62:2

The church which was promised, prepared, and established by Christ (Isa 2:2-4, Mat 16:18) was called;

1. Church(es) of God – 1 Cor 1:2, 1 Cor 11:16, 1 Thess 2:13-14

2. Church of living God – 1 Tim 3:15

3. Church of the saints – 1 Cor 14:33

4. Churches of Christ – Rom 16:16

5. Church of firstborn – Heb 12:23

6. Church of the Lord – Acts 20:28 (ASV) etc.

Its members wear wonderful names as used by Christ and his apostles and not some other unscriptural names.

They are sometimes called;

1. Saints – Acts 9:13, 32, 41, Rom 1:7  

2. Christians – Acts 11:26, 1 Pet 4:16

3. Brethren – Acts 11:27, Rom 12:1 

4. Disciples – Acts 14:21-28; 19:1  

5. Believers – Acts 5:14, 1 Pet 1:21

6. Children of God – Rom 8:16-21etc.

All these above names honor and glorify Christ Jesus; they also give a broader and fuller comprehensive view about God’s church and its memberships – Col 3:17

My simple and humble question is do we have the prerogative to just name or call our churches by any name that might sound good or suit us or name them after the prominent and affluent people in the midst of our churches.

If your church wears any other name apart from these wonderful names then you are not of God, but rather a man-made church – Mk 7:6-9, 2 John 9-10, 1 Tim 6:3-5. And it shall be uprooted by Christ at the end – Mat 15:13-14

For all what we do and practice in Christianity must solely conform to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles – Acts 2:42, 1 Pet 4:11, 1 Cor 4:16

 

“And the Lord added to the church daily those He wants to save” Acts 2:47

 

 

THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

Many misunderstood the word “church” for many things. Some say it’s a meeting place; others say it is a building in which the congregation meets.
The word church means a call-out. Those who are called out of the world by the gospel of Christ are the church. Mat 28:18-20, Col 1:13, 1 Thess 2:12-14.
In order to perfectly understand what the church is. Let us briefly learn some likeness Christ and His Apostles liken the one true church to.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH LIKE?

1. The church is like a School with Christ as the Teacher - John 13:13, Mat 28:18-20, Lk 6:40, Acts 1:1                                                                     Christianity is a religion of teachings. Therefore the church is a school of teaching the gospels and principles of Christ Jesus. The Bible, the word of God is the textbook, where the Apostles’ doctrine serves as the syllabus of the school. 1 Pet 4:11, Acts 2:42.
Each and every student must study hard to be approved in the end by the master teacher. John 12:47-48, 2 Tim 2:15, 1 Tim 4:16

2. The church is like a Body with Christ as the Head -
Eph 1:22-23, Col 1:18, 1 Cor 12:12-27      Apostle Paul depicted the one true church as the human body. Indeed the church is the spiritual body of Christ. Every part of the body has to work well, so the whole should effectively work. "... grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, make increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love". Eph 4:15-16

3. The church is like a Family (Household) with Christ as the Family head - Eph 2:19, Acts 17:28-29                                                                                          It is better to understand that the church is also the household or family of God. Each family member must respect the “customs and traditions” of God than that of men. Mk 7:6-9. The whole household ought to know how to conduct themselves properly even if the head is absent from home. 1 Tim 3:15

4. The church is like a Farm with Christ as the Farmer -1 Cor 3:9    

Regardless of the type of seed planted on the farmland they all equally have to bear good fruits. Because the farmer hopes to harvest bountifully, he uses the right and good hybrid seeds in cultivating - Luke 8:11, 1 Pet 1:23

Failure in producing good fruits after every effort to supply them with manures will receive an uprootment. John 15:1-6, 16. Read Lk 13:6-9, Isa 5:1-5

5. The church is like a Sheepfold (Flock) with Christ as the Shepherd - John 10:1-16, 1 Pet 5:1-4                                                A fair study of the history of the Israelites tells us that the Sovereign God frequently referred to them as ‘sheep’ – Isa 53:6; 50:17, Ezk 34.                          

The Apostle Paul referred to the church of God as the ‘spiritual Israel’- Gal 6:16

In like manner the Christians who are spiritual Israel are depicted by Peter as sheepfold. "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now return unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" 1 Pet 2:25.
The flock must remain calm in their folds to be pastured by their Shepherd. The elders in the church must also protect the sheepfolds from external and internal attacks by savage wolves. Acts 20:26-29

6. The church is like a Bride with Christ as the Bridegroom - Rev 21:1-3, Rev 22:17                                                                The one true church of the living God is pure, holy andTheorned readily to meet her husband. The call-outs are pure virgins and undefiled, without any false doctrines or paganism.
They must be readily alert of any satanic influences in order not to soil their fine adornments. Isa 61:10, Rev 19:8. For the bridegroom is a jealous one.
Apostle Paul cautioned the church of God at Corinth “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin toChrist. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtly, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” 2 Cor 11:2-3.

7. The church is like a Kingdom with Christ as the King - Mat 16:18-19, 1 Cor 15:23-24, Heb 12:28, Col 1:13                    Finally, Christ and His Apostles used the word church and kingdom interchangeably and synonymously. In other words they liken the church to a kingdom.
"....I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven..."                             Peter used the gospel of Christ as the key to unlock the kingdom to convey people into it. Apostle Paul confirmed this by saying "...hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (conveyed) us into the kingdom of his dear Son" Col 1:13                                 

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.....And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" Acts 2:41, 47.

Every kingdom has certain features and qualities to make it a sovereign kingdom.

1. Territory.  2. King.  3. Subjects. 4. Laws.
All those features are found in the one true church.
• The church has its Territory - the World - Mat 28:18-20.
• It has a King - Christ -1 Tim 6:13-16.
• It has its Subjects - Christians who are ruled by the King - Rom 6:12-17.
• It has Laws to govern its Subjects (law of Love) - John 13:34, Rom 13:8-10.
Indeed these features make the church a kingdom.

 

WHY IS CHURCH ATTENDANCE IMPORTANT?

* The church is the house of God - 1 Tim 3:15, Eph 2:19
* Christ is the head of the church - Col 1:18, Eph 1:22
* God adds the saved to the church - Acts 2:47, Col 1:13
* The names of the saved are written in Heaven - Heb 12:23
* The saved are God's children and His servants - Gal 3:26-27, 2 Tim 2:24

PURPOSES OF COMING TOGETHER:
1. To be taught - Mt 28:20, 1 Pet 2:2, Acts 20:28
2. Observe the Lord's Supper - 1 Cor 11:23-26, Acts 20:7 
3. Sing - Col 3:16, Eph 5:19
4. Pray - Acts 2:42, 1Thess 5:17-18
5. Give - 1 Cor 16:2, 2 Cor 9:6-7
6. Have fellowship - Acts 2:42

EXAMPLES AND COMMANDS: 
1. Jerusalem church - Acts 2:42-46
2. Church at Troas - Acts 20:7
3. Corinthian Christians - 1 Cor 16:2
4. Hebrew Christians - Heb 10:24-26

IT IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE......
1. It will build you up - Acts 20:32
2. It will keep you from being led astray by false doctrine - Eph 4:14, Heb 13:9
3. It will help you grow to teach others - 2 Tim 2:2, Heb 5:12
4. It will make you feel part of the family of God - Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:1-13, John 15:1-8
5. It will provide you with opportunity to work and serve - Mt 25:14-30, John 15:1-8
6. It will protect you from deceitfulness of sin - Heb 3:13
7. It will prepare you to be disciplined - Heb 12:5-12, Isa 2:2-4