52 Weeks in the Ark with Noah and Family (WEEK 33) – What Remains below and above the Flood Waters: The Fate of All Clean and Unclean Creatures
“And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon after its kind; every raven after its kind, the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.”
WEEK 33 (9th to 15th of Tevet, the 10th Month, in the Hebrew Religious Calendar)
We discussed partly why Elohim sent the Flood to kill wicked land-creatures, who were not pure and organic humans or animals but fallen, angel-designed beings. We know that the Nephilim manifested the image of fallen, mixed-angel-human seeds that perverted and corrupted the original and organic Creation of Elohim. The hybrid animals embodied, likewise, the image of faulty-mixed-animal seeds that diluted and weakened the perfect interrelationship among humans and animals, as well as among animals themselves. Monstrous beings, both depraved humanoids and animal hybrids, filled and stained the face of the Earth during Noah’s time. Even today, fossilized remains of those drowned-and-forgotten creatures continue to confound and deceive millions of humans. (Note that fossil remains of giants and other weird animals species have been kept from the public view and consciousness, in general. Why is this so? And yet, these strange creatures continue to live and rule in the lore of many nations, both in traditional and contemporary forms. The operative word used to explain them is “alien”.)
The above scenario clearly describes in modern vocabulary and rough scientific terms the condition of pre-Flood Earth. Add to that the remaining 8 pure souls and seeds that Elohim had preserved for the renewal and the refreshing of Creation. The 52 weeks we have been chronicling show us why and how the rebuilding was being done. Though many people may not agree with much of what we have laid down so far, future events will justify our general premises and conclusions. For we have as foundation the words of Enoch and Noah, as revealed by Ruach Ha Kodesh. We cannot go wrong with 3 very reliable witnesses.
Imagine then all those wicked creatures and their abominable deeds that corrupted the entire Earth. They ignited Elohim’s fierce anger and to the commissioning of the Ark and the condemnation of all land creatures through the Great Flood. Drowning all living things upon the Land, except for Noah and his companions, thus, satisfied the mighty wrath of Heaven. TO KILL AND BE FILLED WITH THE SATISFACTION OF JUSTICE IS A DIVINE PREROGATIVE. It was so in the Garden when Havah and Adam sinned; it was so when humans rebelled so many times since then and throughout history. It will also be so during the final days of this world.
6 Millennia of Global Rebellion and Uncleanness
After almost 6,000 years of human history full of rebelliousness and disobedience to the basic principles of Creation, particularly in reproduction – that is, the divine process of producing abundance on the Earth — we see the undeniable tendency of humans (or those who came out of Noah’s seed and many of his offspring’s corrupted seeds) to reject divine guidance. In general, even believers deny the idea of angel-human hybrids; and most people laugh at the insinuation that unclean animals can still wield the powers of unclean spirits, as they had done in the past. For unclean animals are unclean because of their spirits; and the spirit ruling this world rules over the spirits of such beings, human or animal. (1 John 4:4 – New Living Translation)
Yes, undoubtedly, we all love dog, cat and horse tales of heroism and love displayed toward humans. But is this a triumph achieved by humans as a result of divine will and guidance, or a triumph of animals manipulated by some wicked spirits for a long-term agendum concocted back in the past? (Not some flimsy conspiracy theory we might think; but a primeval State-of-the-Universe when Creation was placed under a curse and given over to Satan’s rule until a time of reclamation by Yahusha’s death.) Disney movies indeed enchanted us with such charming and inspiring stories of tame and wild animals back in the 1960’s up to the 1990’s; but it seems it was all designed to captivate the minds and lives of people, especially children, to Hollywood’s sinister agenda now being uncovered and rejected by many awakened viewers.
How Yah’s Servant Handled Uncleanness
Noah and his family dealt and lived with the issue of unclean animals. So did Moses and the Israelites throughout the long history of their nation under the Law given by Yah on Mt. Sinai. Even the Apostles dealt with the same issue, as we discussed previously when Peter preached the Gospel then converted the first Gentile believers. KILL AND EAT IS A DIVINE COMMAND TO SATISFY DIVINE WILL TO SAVE SINNERS. It also satisfies human compulsion to understand the incomprehensible word and work of Yahuah. Hence, the need for Yahusha to DIE (yet He lived); and for us to EAT Him, not as real flesh and blood but as spiritual food we virtually ingest into our lives through faith and obedience.
We all love to see cute, young animals play or romp, whether in the wild or at home. Elohim created all animals to be lovable, tame, obedient and caring. Until they were re-created to become otherwise by fallen beings as alternative creatures on the Earth – this we must fully realize. Hence, we must not forget or neglect this dark history of animals in the hands of wicked beings. For even humans were created to be lovable, intelligent and loving. But do we love all humans or all our neighbors? No! Why? Because the fallen angels corrupted human seed and we all are now children of Noah who bear the stain of sin because of the corrupted seed within us. Unless that destructive seed thriving in our bodies and lives is eradicated, we will not have the right to face the Creator as clean or purified creatures.
Why Living Beings Have to Die
Present historical developments merely continue what we read in Yah’s Word. We are in Noah’s Days Part 2, remember? The reason we all die is for sin to be eradicated. The dead no longer sin. Yet, there is a death, as we discussed, that removes sin without us dying or being dead forever. Yahusha provided that means of escape. “KILL AND EAT”, as revealed by Ruach, is a spiritual process of dying to sin daily that we may live eternally unto righteousness through repentance and forgiveness in Yahusha.
Yahusha Himself ate only clean animals: lamb, goat, dove and fish. He was not doing it as a Jew only but as a human and as the Creator Himself. His example is primary. But He did allow us to eat all kinds of meat when He told Peter to KILL AND EAT. Removing the blood and spirit of unclean animals purifies them as food for humans. It pictures our own salvation through the unblemished death of Yahusha and the Holy Ruach living in us through the washing of regeneration, as prophesied and pictured by the blood of clean animals sacrificed under the Old Covenant.
Rebirth, a pure rebirth, is the only way of escape for us humans. (1 Pet. 3:1-22) The Ark carried clean and unclean humans that would provide literal rebirth to a condemned and dead world. Noah and his family populated the barren Earth with good seed, the same way that Adam and Havah had done in the beginning. Spiritually, the Earth had a rebirth, as we have highlighted through many weeks of cosmic, geologic and historical illustrations. Yet, the Earth has grown old, decadent and weak. It needs a final and total rebirth and purification. Will you be part of that? We will consider what that is in the next week in Noah’s journey. We now present a parable to highlight how Noah, in plain and clear terms, exactly knew and dealt with both kinds of animals.
Parable of the Crow and the Dove
A crow flew out of Noah’s hands to search for land on a flooded, desolate Earth. The raven or crow, after a year of eating nothing but dried fruits, beans, nuts and shoots, must have craved for the taste of dead animals which it had learned to savor as a kind of bird before the Flood. Its eating habits as an unclean bird put it in the same category as vultures, hawks and owls. It is said that it did find land and searched for food. Finding some plant shoots and grasses and knowing it was supposed to carry a blade of grass or a leaf back to Noah, it tarried to look for meat instead. It found the rotten carcass of an animal among the plants and started eating with abandon.
The crow ate so much that it could hardly move or fly. It fell asleep among the plants and remained there looking for more food, forgetting to finish its task.
Noah then sent a dove to look for land. It found a laurel tree with fresh leaves budding out in the sunshine and plucked out a twig to bring back to Noah. It did not even tarry to look for food, much less eat, but immediately flew back after it had finished its task. The dove is a docile, obedient and lovable clean bird. (Leviticus 11:13-19).
The saying “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell what kind of person you are” also applies to animals and how we treat them or relate with them. And so, all the wicked humans and animals remained lifeless in the flood waters while some clean and unclean animals remained safe with Noah and his family inside the Ark that floated calmly, just waiting to touch the ground soon. On the tenth month (around Week 43), the mountain tops would appear. Yet, even before that, Noah had sent the crow and the dove to scout around for dry land.
But why did Noah send the crow first and not the dove? We know there was only one pair of crow in the Ark. If that crow had died searching for land and drowned, we would have no crows today. (Or it could have died but had left some hatchlings in the Ark. Noah would not have risked such a dire scenario.) Still, there is the possibility that it did survive but did not return as it was told. It is not for us to judge or condemn a lowly creature for its misgivings or failures. But remember that humans sinned because of an animal. Our parable signifies the love of the Creator for those unclean spirits, not just of animals but also of humans, that would spawn on the surface of the Earth long after the Ark would have landed. Just as Adam and Havah were given the choice to eat 2 kinds of fruits, we are given 2 kinds of creatures or humans we must deal with in our lives as individuals as well.
One Flock
We have shown how Yahusha dealt with the “unclean Gentiles” with love and compassion by bringing them into His fold; “and there will be one flock with one shepherd”. (John 10:16) Sinners or non-Jews must not be seen or classified as unclean or unchosen, as many still believe today. All humans have been called to the Presence of Yah. Likewise, we have seen how Ruach had liberated the Jews from the issue of eating-unclean meat, an issue we must now all see as applying to all humans and not just believers. Cultural or dietary choices aside, we say this as a principle established by the Creator Himself, liberating us from restrictions or taboos and giving us the freedom to eat or not to eat; hence, without compulsion nor judgment upon anyone’s choice.
As to the care of unclean animals, we have this final statement: The image of Yah in us is pure and holy. Infants, children and the young, in general, bear the character of innocence and purity they eventually lose in a gravely-fallen world. The present uncleanness of Creation arises from the existing “powers and principalities ruling in heavenly places”; in short, Creation is ruled by wicked spirits waiting to victimize and devour the simple and gullible individual. All the systems and institutions of the world have been coopted, one way or another, by these spiritual rulers. They have managed to survive in our world which has remained, in a way, “above the Flood Waters”. Yes, when the mountain peaks appeared, it meant anyone that stood or landed on it had been given hope of living again and having another chance at achieving abundance on the Earth, through Noah’s work. Yet, many abuse that rare and precious privilege.
The crow also had that chance. Same with the dove. Yet, we use the dove to symbolize hope and peace. We use the crow to symbolize destruction and death. But that is an oversimplification of a complex matter. Crows, like other unclean animals, have their role to play in ecology and in human circles. They can provide many positive benefits within the entire biodiversity of any locality, without regard to its so-called “spiritual character”. When Elohim cursed the Earth, they did so with alterations in the once-perfect world that would allow both clean and unclean beings to co-exist, until the time of renewal would arrive. And we have shown the basis for why the prophets and the apostles considered some creatures as unclean. Denying their overall role within the whole structure of Creation denies our own responsibility to act wisely as stewards of Yah’s blessings, while being mindful of the pitfalls around us.
Conclusion
And so, we can and must care for all living “creatures, great and small”, as Noah did. But we must recognize the responsibilities and dangers each one of them brings, whether we talk of the clean or the unclean. Assuming all animals are equal is the first step into the enemy’s trap. Or even thinking they are greater than humans! Why do you think the Egyptians worshipped animals? Was it because they merely loved animals or was it because animals, specifically unclean ones, are Satan’s tools to enslave humans? Thus, those who drowned in their wickedness remain in the filthy Flood Waters underneath our feet (yes, they are still there and all around us). The Ark was also immersed in the waters but came out with living humans and animals, washed by pure waters from Heaven but floating above the deep, dark and deathly Flood Waters. For we, likewise, have to rise above the place of judgment through faith in order to survive. This is what Peter talks about when he used the Ark and the Flood to teach the real significance of Yahusha’s death and resurrection in 1 Pet. 3:18-22. More on this next.
In a parallel way, while all humans are creatures of Yah and worthy of love, honor and compassion, they can either have innately-good hearts and capable of great goodness or they can have inherently-evil hearts and capable of so much evil. We, along with all these other magnificent creatures of Yah, remain above the ground for now. Those who remain underground – including those who had drowned in the Flood Waters that have long subsided from the face of the Earth — like all of us today, will also await the final judgment on the last day.
All water that exists took part in the Great Flood, whether we recognize it or not. In one year, even the water that lay above fell upon the Earth and has returned continually. Nothing can escape the influence of water, just as nothing escaped the judgment of the Great Flood. The Ark was immersed in the waters: below, above and all around it. Yet, the breath of life remained in Noah and his family and all the creatures with them, signifying the life-giving Ruach promised and given by Yahusha Masshiak for the salvation of those who believe. Is there still anything not literally true and accurate about the story of Noah and the Flood that so many still look at it as myth or allegory? Yet, we will continue on behalf of those who refuse to open their eyes. Until then, we must strive to avoid the deadly stains of this world.