Will Declare To You - John 16:12-15

John 16:12-15 ESV 

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Jesus did not say all that He wanted to say because they would not be able to understand. They were not capable of understanding for they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. It takes the Spirit to guide us into the truth of God. His Spirit is able to declare the word of God to our spirit. Jesus spoke words our ears could hear. The Spirit speaks the word to our spirits. The word spoken is the same word, the word of God. 

Offspring - Galatians 3:16

Galatians 3:16 ESV 

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

So are we the offspring of Abraham? Yes. Why? We are the body of Christ and have become Christ in the world. We are the one because we are one in Christ. 

Will Send Him - John 16:5-11

John 16:5-11 ESV 

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;

concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

God the Father sent the Son. The Son sends the Spirit. The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in the Son. The Spirit is the fullness of God. The fullness of God is pleased to dwell within us even as we are pleased to dwell in His body. 

Emmanuel was God with us. The Spirit is God with us. When Jesus returns, God will be with us. 

Jesus did not come to judge the world, but the Spirit will convict and judge, and the final separation has begun. The light will make all things visible. 

The Hour Is Coming - John 16:1-4

John 16:1-4 ESV 

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Their hour has come and they are with us. They despise Jews and Christians alike. They seek to kill us in the name of their god. 

They do this out of ignorance for they do not know God or His Son. The Spirit of truth can overcome the great deceiver and deliver us from the ignorance of the world. 

Light will overcome darkness, even as the darkness fails to understand.  Let the light shine in the world through us. 

Will Bear Witness - John 15:26-27

John 15:26-27 

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

God has provided two witnesses of His glory. Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

One we saw and the other we experience. Both are present and living, just as our God is present and living, for they are God. 

They still give witness, but through us. We have the Spirit and we are the body of Christ. Others look to the Christ in us. The Holy Spirit binds us together in truth. 

As He Had Promised - Genesis 21:1-7

Genesis 21:1-7 ESV 

The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.

And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.

Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The Lord remembered Sarah. He did not overshadow her as He would Mary. Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah, where Jesus was the Son of God, not conceived by human effort, but by the will of God. 

Abraham would give Isaac his name. God would name His Son. 

Laughter was heard when the promise was given by the Lord and laughter was heard at the miraculous birth of the promised son. Jesus would bring much joy into the world. Many would be reborn from above. The promise of the Lord continues to be made and fulfilled with each believer. 

God Remembered Abraham - Genesis 19:29

Genesis 19:29 ESV 

So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

God did not remember Lot and save him. It was because of Abraham that Lot escaped the fate of Sodom, for Lot was part of Abraham's house. Who is able to perceive and understand the power and impact of a righteous man?

Circumcision - Genesis 17:9-14

Genesis 17:9-14 ESV

And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,

both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Circumcision of the flesh is only skin deep. This prefigures the coming law which changed what was seen on the outside, but did not change the heart. True circumcision is in the heart. The sword of the word from the mouth of the Lord is the instrument of this cutting of the final covenant. 

Just as flesh precedes the birth of the spirit of man, so does the circumcision of the flesh come before circumcision of the heart. 

Old Testament circumcision was a teaching device used by the Lord to prepare the way for the New Testament circumcision, just as the sacrificial system prepared the way for the sacrifice of Jesus the Lamb of God for the sin of the world. 

The unfolding of the light of the Lord continues, bringing us to the point where we can take in the light. 

I Give - Genesis 15:17-21

Genesis 15:17-21 ESV 

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Using cut animals in covenant making was a common practice of that day, but there was something different about this occurrence.

It is a covenant of the Creator of the all creation. Usually a covenant is made between two parties which involves action or promise by both sides. Here only the Lord confirms a vow. Abram does not pass between the carcasses or swear an oath. The Lord has done something similar for those who place their faith in Him today. He vows salvation for those who believe. 

The Lord is signified by the passing of two representations which speak of two of the Holy Trinity. Two give witness to the covenant, but they are of the One Lord

The fire pot may signify Jesus Christ Who contained the fire of the all consuming God and would provide a burnt offering that would rise as a fragrance pleasing to the Lord. The flaming torch may represent the Spirit like the seven torches before the throne of God in the heavenly vision. Both will come and abide within the believers in the New Covenant, in the deepest part of these new creatures.

Just as the offspring of Abram would inherit the land described in verses eighteen through twenty one, the sons of God will receive an inheritance that is God Himself as foreshadowed by the priests and Levites in the Old Testament. 

How Am I To Know - Genesis 15:7-11

Genesis 15:7-11 ESV 

And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.

And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

Abram seeks understanding and assurance of what the Lord is doing. The Lord will give him a sign. 

The animals chosen for this covenant will later be used for the burnt offerings of the sacrificial system introduced by Moses. The animals were cut, the birds were not. 

The offerings to God would put the people in right standing with the Lord. They would be protected from their enemies just as Abram drove away the birds of prey that would feed on the carcasses of the covenant. The hand of Lord would be on chosen people. 

I Have Lifted My Hand - Genesis 14:17-24

Genesis 14:17-24 ESV 

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

and blessed be God Most High,

who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Abram returns and meets two individuals in the valley of kings. These kings represent the choice between the Lord and the world. Melchizedek is the priest of God Most High, while the king of Sodom is king of that city identified with the wickedness of the world. 

Abram chooses between the two. One promises the riches of earthly gain, but it is the blessings of the Lord that Abram sees as the more desirable. He recognizes that his earthly gains are provided by the Lord and only hint at the blessing to come. 

Melchizedek points to the coming Christ just as the tabernacle in the wilderness points to the tent of tabernacle as manifested in the form of the believer, the building stones of the new temple of the Lord. 

Arise, Walk - Genesis 13:14-18

Genesis 13:14-18 ESV 

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

After Lot leaves, the Lord tells Abram to lift his eyes. This is different from when Lot lifted his eyes, for Abram lifted his eyes at direction of the Lord. Doing so, Abram views his inheritance from the Lord. 

He walks the length and breadth of the land. Christians also walk in the land that will become the new earth in these mortal tents which will turn into immortal mansions in the city of God. 

Then Abram moves his tent to this promised land where he will offer sacrifices to the Lord. He confirms his decision to live according to the word of God. In a sense, Abraham walks in the kingdom of heaven by entering and remaining in the promised land. We have entered the kingdom of heaven trusting in the promises of the Lord. What He has promised has already been given. We live because He lives. 

A Name For Ourselves- Genesis 11:1-4

Genesis 11:1-4 

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

The tower is under constant construction as man places trust in his own name. Empty words are empty of life, however impressive or how well they are strung together. The word of God endures while the impotent words of man fall short of lofty visions and boasts, only to crumble to the ground. 

The words of life are given by one man. It starts by the command for light to be given to the world and ends with the incarnation of that light. That light is the light of the world. 

Salvation only comes through one name, that of the one Begotten Son of the one God. He has given to us His own name, far above any other name. 

Lifted Up His Eyes - Genesis 13:8-13

Genesis 13:8-13 ESV 

Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.

Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

Abram and Lot part ways. Lot chooses the land pleasing to his eyes, just as the forbidden fruit was pleasing to the eyes of Eve in the garden. The separation of light and darkness continues as these kinsmen no longer sojourn together. Lot pitches his tent in the land of Sodom, a city of great wickedness. 

Lot lifted up his eyes, but his vision stopped short in being lifted to God. The glitter of the here and now obscured the light from the treasures of heaven. 

Your Very Own Son - Genesis 15:1-4

Genesis 15:1-4 ESV 

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”

Abram would have an heir and Abram believed the Lord, but doubt would creep in with Abram unable to see how and when this would be accomplished. This tells us that Abram was a man not much different from us. 

The Lord assures him that His word is true. 

We are in a similar situation as Abram. The Lord has promised a new man, a son of man in a sense, that will come from every believer. This new man is the heir to the promise of the Lord and this inheritance includes every blessing of heaven. 

We have become sons of God as we become like Jesus, the Son of Man. As sons of God we become a son of man as did Jesus. God enters our flesh and we participate in the incarnation of the Word. 

Of His Kingdom - Genesis 10:6-14

Genesis 10:6-14 ESV 

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.”

The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and

Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

The first kingdom on the earth is mentioned, with Nimrod as the founder. His name means "rebellion or valiant. 

A kingdom on earth replaces the kingdom of heaven. Its focus is on itself rather than on God. This is the mission and goal of Satan, to turn man from God and to elevate self as the divine. 

The rebellion of yesterday continues through the present and into tomorrow. The wicked will seem to prosper until their end is revealed to them. The righteous know the end from afar. 

Those who deny that Christ is the Son of God will be judged by Him, for all judgement is His. They trade life for death. 

Disciple's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9-13 ESV 

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

My Father I call out to you. I am your son. I am flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone. I partake in the wine and bread of the new covenant, which signifies the flesh and blood of Christ in the New Covenant. 

hallowed be your name.

How awesome is your name and worthy to be praised. Holy, Holy, Holy are You my God. With joy I sing of your mercy and grace. 

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

May your kingdom grow within me and your will become my own. May heaven and earth become one in me. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

Let the bread of heaven be broken for me that it might satisfy my hunger, that I may be broken to feed those around me. 

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Help me live in your love and forgiveness as I share your love and forgiveness with others. 

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Your rod staff, they comfort me. 

Keep me from harm and let me rest in the peace your arms.

Bringing the prayer to a more personal level. It applies corporately, but we must make it our own. We enter His body, but we must also enter a relationship with Him. We must add following Jesus to our belief in Him. He has healed you. Don't remain on the side of the road as He passes by. Get up and go with Him. This is discipleship. 

I Will Show You - Genesis 12:1

Genesis 12:1 

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

Every believer in Christ is called to do the same as Abram. We are called to leave the way of the world for the way of God. It is a journey of faith to an inheritance He will show us. 

Jesus calls us to leave everything behind for Him. We do this by putting Him first in our lives. Doing this we become the first fruits of His life. 

From his seed would come a great nation on earth, Israel. From his seed would also come a great nation built on faith, the Church; the body of Christ. 

Jesus would tell His disciples, "Come and see".

A Man Of The Soil - Genesis 9:20

Genesis 9:20 ESV 

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

Adam was formed and placed in the Garden to work the ground. Noah became a man of the soil, a tiller of the earth. Jesus was the word sown in the earth of humanity. 

Israel is described as a vineyard planted and cared for by the Lord. It might be viewed as a type of "garden" like Eden where God would work through man to accomplish His purpose. It did not produce the desired effect. In Noah's case it was the source of drunkenness. In Israel's case the fruit of God's vineyard went bad in the weeds of idolatry. 

Jesus would successfully work the earth in sowing the seed of heaven. The receptivity of the ground would vary, but the outcome is certain. A remnant will be redeemed. 

This Is The Sign - Genesis 9:12-17

Genesis 9:12-17 ESV 

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:

I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds,

I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

This covenant is between God and all flesh on the earth. Never again would all the flesh of the earth bear the wrath of God for the sin of man. Sin would be overcome in the flesh of one man, Jesus Christ. He alone would bear the wrath of God that sin brought into world. 

The rainbow signifies an everlasting covenant never to be superseded or replaced by a better covenant, and it stands in effect to this day. It would help pave the way to the grace and mercy of the coming Son. A bow would be part of the throne room as described by John in Revelation. 

It is a significant sign from the Father. It contains the promise of mercy and the promise of a new beginning. It solely rests on God in the making and fulfillment, just as all creation and its purpose. 

Cleft Of The Rock - Exodus 33:18-23

Exodus 33:18-23 ESV 

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,

and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

God chooses Moses to proclaim God and set His people free from the slavery in Egypt, but does not allow him to see His face. This would not be possible until Jesus appeared on earth and we choose to be like Him, as sons of God. 

Man must die to self to live in Jesus. A man that does not die to self will just die. The man that chooses Jesus will never die.  

He then hints to Moses of His coming mercy and grace that would come through the Son and would be available to the whole world. We can take comfort in the fact He has chosen to be gracious and merciful to all that would choose Him. 

He is our rock and we find safe passage to God when we enter the body of Christ which is the rock of our salvation. He covers us with His cleansing blood until the wrath of God passes by. 

We will see Him face to face and we will be like Him.

In Love - Ephesians 5:1-2

Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Love is the operative word in these two verses. To follow God, to imitate love, means to receive the love by God in such a way that love becomes our way of life. We are beloved children. As we experience and understand our "beloved" reality, our walk of life will more and more imitate Christ our Lord. 

Love becomes our offering back to God. We give ourselves up for Him as He gave Himself up for us. The perfection, or completion, of love is achieved when that connection is made, like a electric circuit made whole and allows the flow of electricity, but flowing in both directions. 

The purpose of creation takes shape and form in this union and exchange. We enter His rest and true life. 

More Than Conquerors - Romans 8:37-39

Romans 8:37-39 ESV 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those who conquer in this world give up everything when they die. Be it land, riches, or achievements, all things are relinquished when the grave receives the body which flowered for a short time. 

Those that conquer the world are more than conquerors. Instead of giving up everything when passing from this life, they gain everything. They are with the Lord. Their inheritance is realized in heaven. The mortal body which served them in this life will pass away, only to be replaced with a new and immortal body when He returns, when we return. Do you realize you will return with Him? We are the body of Christ. 

The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord has joined us with eternal life. We have overcome the world, making us more than conquerors. We are sons of God. 

As Many As Came - Genesis 9:8-10

Genesis 9:8-10 ESV as many as came

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,

“Behold, I establish my covevant with you and your offspring after you,

and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.

God makes a new covenant, but this one is with man and every other creature that came out of the ark. "It is for every beast of the earth." He cursed the ground because of man. He cursed the living that were drowned by the flood. From now on man alone would bear the curse of disobedience. 

God would carry that out in a most unexpected way through the Son of Man that would come for as many as would enter the the ark of the body of Christ. He alone would bear the sins of the world. 

It is for as many who will come to Him. 

It is the final covenant. 

Be Fruitful And Multiply - Genesis 9:1-7

Genesis 9:1-7 ESV 

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

“Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed,

for God made man in his own image.

And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

Echoes of the Garden are in these words spoken to Noah:  “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." Here is a new beginning with new ground rules. 

Why does God now give the flesh of every moving thing that lives in addition to the green plants as food for man? It is not explained here in these verses. The fear and dread of man would now characterize the world experienced by those animals. 

The life of a man resides in his blood. This is the case for all men after the fall. When the blood of Jesus is spilled His mortal life is given for all mankind. He makes it possible for us to trade the life contained in tainted blood for His life made available in the Spirit. He has given His flesh and blood as bread and drink from heaven. The man that eats and drinks from His body finds his life resides in God. That man becomes a truer image of God. 

She Did Not Return - Genesis 8:8-12

Genesis 8:8-12 ESV 

Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.

But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.

He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.

And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.

Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

Now a dove is released. Unlike the raven, it finds no resting place until the third time. The first time might correlate to the time before Israel when the dove finds no where to land. The waters provide no resting place. 

The second time it returns with a plucked olive leaf. The olive tree is symbolic of Israel. The Spirit of God chooses a people to bring the light into the world. 

The third time the dove is released and does not return. This might correspond to the giving of the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ and made available to rest of the world. 

To And Fro - Genesis 8:6-7

Genesis 8:6-7 ESV 

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made

and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.

Forty days is a re-occurring number appearing frequently in Scripture that represents a time of trial, such as the time Moses spent on the mountain, the Israelites wandering in the desert, or the temptations of Jesus during His time in the wilderness. 

Noah opens the only window which lets in the light after the rain and sends forth a raven. The raven goes "to and fro" on the earth, as Satan did in Job. This is the first of two birds released in this new world. One may be reminded that the earth was dark and formless before the appearance of light. 

It is God Who releases the birds. 

Satan will have dominion over the earth until the waters are dried from the earth and the sea is no more. The beasts of Satan rise from the waters of humanity to oppose God, but the dominion of Satan will disappear.

Breath Of Life - Genesis 7:22-24

Genesis 7:22-24 ESV 

Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

The breath of life is different from the breath of God. All living creatures have the breath of life, but only those which receive the breath of God enter the life of God. There is life on earth, but true life is in heaven. 

We who believe have received the breath of God, the Holy Spirit Who seals us in the kingdom. We breathe the air of life beyond life. We have become one spiritually with the Lord. 

The kingdom of heaven has invaded the earth. One day heaven and earth will complete that union as the sons of God receive immortal bodies that match their immortal spirits. 

No longer will the waters prevail.