As we walk through the Torah, I will be reviewing certain principles over and over again because they are absolutely essential to a proper understanding of the Bible.
One of these principles is the one I have titled the “As-in-Heaven-So-on-Earth“ principle.
Again, this principle simply means that certain objects and events depicted in Scripture are the physical manifestations of spiritual truths in the heavens.
And Yeshua was the perfect example: “He who has seen me has seen the Father (in heaven).”
In Genesis chapter 8, which we are studying now, we also encounter a few interesting examples of this “As-in-Heaven-So-on-Earth” principle in action.
God’s Spirit manifesting as wind:
In verse one, it says that God sent a wind over the earth to push back the waters. Now the Hebrew word for wind here is “Ruach” and it actually means “spirit”. Maybe you are familiar with the term the “Ruach Ha-Kodesh”, which means the Holy Spirit. So here is another demonstration of the “As-in-heaven-so-on-earth” principle.
God’s spirit is manifesting Himself physically as wind.
The Raven and the Dove:
After 40 days pass, Noah opens the door of the ark and sends out a raven. The raven is a scavenger that feeds off the flesh of the dead However, the raven does not return. So Noah lets seven days pass and then sends out a dove that soon returns. Noah lets another seven days pass and sends out the dove a second time. It returns again but this time with an olive tree leaf in its beak. Noah sends out the dove a third time and this time the dove does not return. The time to leave the ark and begin a new life on earth had arrived.
There is some interesting symbolism expressed through the raven and the dove.
The raven is an unclean bird and is considered to be a symbol of evil.
In contrast, the dove is a clean bird and in Scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the characteristics portrayed of the raven. The Scripture says that the raven went forth “to and fro” and never returned. Who else in Scripture is described as roaming the earth to and fro? None other than Satan himself. Second, the raven is a bird that feeds on the flesh of the dead. In similar manner, the unbeliever who knows not God nor the things of the Lord goes through life aimlessly, deriving futile pleasures from things that have no life in them.
Now, whereas the raven was only sent out once, the dove was sent out three times. Although, I don’t quite agree with their interpretation, Christians point out that that the dove being sent out three times is a reflection of the triune nature of God. That point aside, there is no doubt however that the number 3 holds a special Godly significance in the Scriptures. For example, Noah had three sons, Yeshua Himself was raised on the third day, and the ark of the covenant contained 3 sacred objects and there are many other examples.
In comparing the raven with the dove, it should be noted that while the raven was able to derive satisfaction from the dead fleshly things of the world, the dove wasn’t able to and thus returned. When the dove came back a second time, it had an olive tree leaf in it’s beak.
Christianity and Judaism both agree that the olive tree symbolizes peace.
Let us consider some interesting facts about the olive tree.
First, olives themselves have been known throughout the ages for their nutritional and healing value.
In the Bible, olive oil has played a significant role in anointing kings and high-priests and was used to light the menorah in the Holy Temple.
The national emblem of the State of Israel is olive leaves cradled around a menorah.
The symbol for the Israel Defense Forces is a sword wrapped by an olive branch. The meaning being-“we seek peace but we are prepared to defend against our enemies”.
Im helped
Oh my. This is wrong, to me. The Raven flew “to and fro” which to me means she continually went back and forth. Being an unclean animal, she had her mate on board the ark. Since Ravens are with us today, she did not stray too far. In fact, she was sent out until the waters were completely dry. It was the dove who flew away and didn’t come back. Her job was to see if the waters were abating, quickly moving off the ground. Her job was finished earlier than the Raven.
The dove could represent the chosen race of the Israelites who were, for a time, chosen. Yet the whole time there have been prophets and Messengers who have been sent betimes rising up early to warn. Christians today continue that same spiritual lineage. Notice the dove went by sevens, but the Raven went day by day. As Paul said, some people keep every day alike, some esteem one day more than another.
Reading comprehension please. The Raven was did not want to help Noah like an Evil Heart so therefore never returned and Noah could not rely on the Raven to let him know how the waters were only the Dove could he depend on to survey the situation.
Noah knew what each birds assignment was.
The raven could eat dead things on water and go back to the ark since there is no place to land. The dove represents finding life and would bring a part of a leave to represent land being dry and ready to leave ark.
Don’t forget that the prophet Elijah was fed by a raven.
The crow is not an evil heart. The raven and the dove refer to different bible periods.
the third time the dove was released her mate was also released and so they did not come back
Genesis 7:2-3
“Of all the clean beasts take with you seven pairs, a male and his female; and of the beasts that are unclean two, a male and his female; >>>and of birds of the heavens seven pairs, male and female<<<, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth."
Berĕshith (Genesis) 7:2-3 TS2009
Respectfully, I disagree. The raven, a scavenging bird probably found something to feast on. Genesis 8:17 states… Noah was to “bring out with him every living thing of all flesh that is with you: BIRDS and cattle etc. etc., therefore, the ravens mare would’ve been released At that time.
Malachi 3:14 + Malachi 4:2-6 + Matthew 3:1-8
Through Noah and the two birds, the Raven and the Dove God makes a promise; He will send two people one will be His messenger, and the other His Son. When it comes to the time between Malachi and Matthew God simulates the time when Noah and His family enter the ark by stopping interacting with His people for a season; to many it is as if God no longer existed, to those fighting the fight of faith the presence of God is very real. The whole world is covered in violence and dominated by constant warfare.
The Jews were slowly losing their OT Jewish identity because of a new language and new social ideals and customs. The Jews of the Old Testament times and the Jews of the New Testament times were very different. Only those who were really committed to YHWH remained faithful. Many of the Jews in theses New Testament times had become Hellenised and had taken to wearing capes and wide brimmed hats after the style of the Hellenistic Greeks; also many were involved in sports and gambling, they were quite the dandies! This was Israel at the time of John-the-Baptist’s appearance Divorce is rampant, Temple Sacrifices have become corrupt, and the worst animals are offered to God. Tithing is almost non-existent, Sorcery of all kinds is practiced by laity and priests alike, adultery is rife throughout the land, financial corruption by the High Priest is evident, and all manner of social injustices like oppression of the orphans, foreigners, and the poor is both blatant and rampant in all Israel. God is being openly mocked, many of the people are saying quite publicly it is a waste of time to serve YHWH; what has God ever done for me? This kind of attitude is dominating all Israel; it is as if all Israel were just dead bodies. Israel was dead in their sin, in fact, Israel is in no fit state to receive their Mashiach, and something had to be done.
Remember Israel are dead in their sin, the Jewish scriptures say ‘The word sent out the Raven’, it like John-the-Baptist was sent by God to minister to those dead in their sin; so the Raven goes to and fro between the dead bodies. The Raven continues to return to the ark; the Hebrew word used here for return is shuwb pronounced shoob. It means to return, to repent, to restore, to come back or to go back and it is never used in any English translation; the Raven continues to go back to the ark until it suddenly disappears off the scene. Just as eventually John-the-Baptist suddenly disappears off the scene.
Mark 1:1-10
In Genesis 2:7 God both makes and creates Adam, and then breaths the breath of life into his nose and Adam lives. In Genesis 2:21-22 the Lord causes a deep sleep to fall on Adam, the Hebrew word for deep sleep means to be Anesthetised and all though we do not realise it then; it becomes symbolic of the time Noah is in the ark. But although God takes Eve out of Adam He never breaths the breath of life into Eve even though she becomes a living being. Adam becomes symbolic of the Jew and Eve becomes symbolic of the Bride of Christ that comes out of Judaism.
1 Peter 3:18-20
When Noah sends out the Dove for the first time the Hebrew scriptures do like they do for the Raven, they also say it is the ‘Word’ that sends out the Dove; the Raven is still going to and fro, which indicates that Jesus Christ the Son of God appears on the scene at the same time as John-the-Baptist. Genesis 2:9 says the Dove could find no rest and Noah reaches out his hand and takes the Dove into Ark. That first outing of the Dove is indicative of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and as the Dove returns to the Ark so Christ is crucified. The fact that Noah takes the Dove on his arm identifies God’s protection of Christ’s body not allowing it too see corruption. Noah waits seven days; seven is God’s Spiritual Perfection that seven days is indicative of the three days and three nights Jesus Christ is the grave; Jesus is made alive in His Spirit and visits those spirits held in bondage. Just as a side note the three days and three nights (3+3) =6: then x 7 (spiritual perfection) = 6×7 =42: Forty-two again it means after a period of probation, comes redemption, renewal, and being born again becoming a new creation; your dominion has been enlarged. While all this is according to God’s Perfect Divine order, when 6×7 is a factor of 42, it involves a connection to the Anti-Christ.
John 20:19-22 + Romans 11: 16-24
Genesis 8:11-12 the Hebrew scriptures tell us the ‘Word’ sent out the Dove again; it comes back in the evening with the leaf of an olive tree in its beak. Evening signifies the end of a season; the olive leaf is full of prophetic significance.
According to the Biblical story, after the great flood, Noah sends out a dove to see if the waters have subsided. The dove returns with a fresh olive leaf in her beak and since then the dove has became a symbol of peace. It is generally accepted that the olive branch is not food for the dove but is a symbol of freedom, because he who the Son sets free is free indeed. The Dove, which is seen by the world as a symbol of peace, is in fact that very peace itself; the Son whom the Dove represents is a symbol of freedom. The Olive branch is the Shalom of the Mashiach, and is used even to this day as peace offering to settle differences. The Hebrew word for Dove is linked to wine and that is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, thus in the same way the Dove also represents the third Person of the Godhead; this is emphasised when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily shape as a dove upon him. The primary meaning of the Olive Branch is Israel; the wild olive represents the Gentiles. The olive branch also represents the Shalom of the Mashiach. Olive oil used to anoint kings and priests was taken from the olive tree; when the dove returned with an olive leaf and gave it to Noah it was symbolic of the time Jesus was explaining to His disciples that He would be returning to the Father. Then as the Dove / Mashiach returns to the Father in the ascension; the disciples filled with the Shalom of Christ and in obedience to Jesus could continue God’s colonisation programme. That would naturally include gentiles becoming one with Israel
👁
Wow! Excellent interpretation!
Excellent exegesis of the WORD.
Thanks for the kind words Berney. Be blessed and SHALOM!
I have been wanting to know for some time why in the end the Dove left them all (her mate, Noah (man) and his heirs (descendants).
I thought Doves mated for life.
I think Berney as well as Joseph below were referring to the Bryen Gaskell comment.
Thank you. That was awesome
I am so blessed with this piece.
I gained a lot.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Be blessed and Shalom!
First of all, with all your permission, I wonder why no body commented on Bryen Gaskell exposition!
Secondly, we have to be very objective when we try to explain any part of the Scriptures in a very simple and Hermeneutical way, and
Thirdly, we have to be carefuly WHEN WE TRY TO SIMBOLYZE EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN THE WORD OF GOD, or SPIRTUALYZE ANYTHING OUT OF IT.
Rich, the more of your stuff I read, the more I like it. You use silple statements from the texts to let them alone illustrate what you are trying to make clear. You do not pretend to have special insight, knowledge or understanding, that isn’t available to anyone willing to look, and do not seek to make yourself out as more important than anyone else seeking a better understanding of the word.
You remain in my prayers. It must be difficult to find a Torah based fellowship where you are.
gertoshav@gmail.com
Thank you for your warm comment Ger. It was very encouraging. Yes, I’m just blogging through the Torah one verse at a time and trying to be as objective and humble as possible. If you read my posts from the very beginning to today, you can see how I’ve adapted my thinking as I received kind insights and corrections from others.
You own this page richoka? If you do, I just wanna say that all this was helpful and educational especially because I’m a catholic!
Glad you’re enjoying this study!
Praise the Lord. The bible says my words will never come back void. Read all of chapter 9 in john because you will see that the blind man said I was blind but now I see I write this because I was raised catholic
Bonjour
Jaime beaucoup votre façon de voir et diffuser votre savoir
.cependant vous parlez peu des musulmans. Est ce voulu ? Ou. Sont ils hors sujet
Merci beaucoup
I would say slightly off topic
Yes, I have to agree with the previous comment: your insight is awesome, and I love it! Thank you so much for doing this. And thanks be to God for so guiding you.
One thought that I’d like to add on this particular post, though. You define the raven as an unbeliever, who “feeds on fleshly dead things”. Although I do not disagree with this interpretation, I feel it is only partially true. Consider digging a little deeper:
After the true doctrine of Christianity was handed over to the Gentiles, the teachings of the Messiah have suffered an onslaught of different cultures, interpretations, versions and perversions. In our present day, we must not overlook the reality — and predominance — of dead faith (“dead” being the key word here). “Having the appearance of godliness, but denying it’s power”: no fear of God that the people first felt on Mt. Sinai, and thus no deep appreciation for the greatness of his son’s sacrifice (it seems to exist more as a theory, almost as if “owed” to us). And consequently this spirit of dead faith goes to and fro all over the earth (powered by Satan, the spirit and the promoter of spiritual death, no doubt), feeding on dead things: unchecked fleshly lusts, love of the world that comes before the love if God, freedom from the Law that is taken to the point of it’s complete abandonment (i.e. “lasciviousness”), etc, etc, etc.
When people who do not profess themselves to be Christians live like this, it is normal and natural (as in, consistent with the fallen human nature). But when there is no difference between the life (and the feelings) of these “normal” (aka “worldly”) people, and someone who believes he/she is a Christian, we’ve got a great deception going, because dead faith leads to death, contrary to popular belief.
It is easy to write off God’s teaching contained in the image of the raven in this verse as something pertaining to non-believers. However, I think it is a lot more vital warning against being deceived by the spirit who roams widely around the whole earth, going to and fro, feeding on dead faith and dead fleshly things that our nature has an inclination to (after the fall) – but never returns the the ark (or the right sheepfold as described later)
Lena, Awesome comment and insight and I think right on. Yes, I believe you’re right. The raven can also symbolize a dead faith as well. Thanks for sharing and shalom!
We are studying Genesis in Bible study and no one could give me an explanation re the raven. Christianity as you so rightly stated only seems to take note of the dove. I now understand the meaning of the raven as the personification of evil i.e. satan.
Thank you for the clear message which I intend to pass on at our next meeting.
Shalom and God Bless.
Thanks for your comment Louise! I’m happy you’re enjoying this study. Please share! Shalom.
I must thank you bro. Because I learning things from this,
From India
Don’t forget that the prophet Elijah was fed by a raven 🤣🤣
In ur explanation u made me 2 understand that ravens are symbols of evil, but if so why did God used them 2 feed Elijah?
Hmm, interesting question. Not quite sure why. But I know God can use any part of creation He wants to bring about His Will.
The reason why God specifically sent a Raven , has to be analyzed in the the context of the entire story!
At this point, Elijah did not trust as much as he should in the Lord, understanding that the Almighty God would take care of him, no matter what .
Ravens (males) are known by not taking care of their children!
No matter what , raven males never provide any food in any circumstances even to their little ones! Ravens are very very selfish, and, obviously they take care of nobody!
But, here, no one can go against the Lord’s will, and the Lord always prevails no matter what!
The Lord is the greatest Teacher, and the most Pedagogue of the Universe that ever existed.
theres a possibility God was showing Elijah that from bad things there can come something great!
shabbat shalom baruch HAShem Toda
baruch HaqShem, shabat Shalom
de bible said dat God made Adam nd Eve dey gave birth 2 Cain nd Abel, but Cain killed his bro. nd dere is no mention of other peple in existence except Adam nd his family and de bible also said dat Cain married. so where did he get the wife he married?
I already discussed this in another post. Obviously Adam and Eve had many other children besides Cain and Abel.
Thanks so much Richoka for clarifying the mysteries of the Word of God such as the raven and the dove! I have great respect for those who understands Hebrew and the Word. Learning the Hebrew alphabet and its meanings helped tremendously with the understanding of each chapter of the Bible! For instance, Alef is “A” meaning ox, leader, gentle, thousand, teacher and numerical value is one. Beth is “B” meaning tabernacle, temple, tent, body, within, and numerical value is two. Now, both a and b goes into each other like in John 17 when Christ prayed,”I in the Father and Father in the Son” That’s B in A, A in B. The body of Christ in the temple of God the Father, and He in our hearts, and so on. This really blew my mind!! Each letter of the alphabet took much of digesting!
Again, I want to thank you for blogging the real “Hidden Treasures” of Heaven!
Peace – Shalom
Cindy
Thank you for the positive feedback and reading Cindy. Be blessed and Shalom!
great interpretation
Thanks for reading!
Hi Richoka,
I would like to give you a different analysis on the raven’s role after the flood. I disagree with you when you say that the raven never returned, the Bible does not say such a thing. Many others commentators believe that Noah replaced the “alleged” failing Raven with the Dove. They should have more faith in the 600 years old patriarch and recognize that Noah had enough wisdom to properly select the first animal allowed to go out of the Ark and fly over the new recreated world. Once understood, one can only accept that the raven mission was as successful as the dove’s one.
What was the role of the Raven? To answer that with an explanation that make sense I need to expand first on Noah’s choice of bird.
Doesn’t it strike you that out of hundreds of birds available in the Ark, Noah took one so very white and one so very black? The contrast between these two birds does not stop there. I could develop this topic much more but for the sake of brevity, here are the 6 main contrasting points (appearance and character) between the Raven and the Dove.
Black-White
Strong-Weak
Impure-Pure
Cunning-Docile
Noisy-Quiet
Repelling-Appealing
Differences between any two animals are to be expected but Noah could not have chosen two birds so totally opposite without a powerful motivation. In the absence of any explanation from Noah, we have to relate to our own logic and make the appropriate deduction to find out why he especially chose them and what he learned from their flight.
The antediluvian world became so corrupted that God had to destroy it. Many don’t understand that the flood was not only an act of destruction; it was also an act of creation. There are many surprising similitude between Gen 1 and 8. Here are three examples among many others.
#1 (Gen 1.2 and the Spirit [RUWACH] of God was hovering over the waters
Gen 8.1 God sent a wind [RUWACH] over the earth [water].)
#2 (Gen 1.9 Water and land are separated
Gen 8.4 On the first day of the tenth month tops of the mountains became visible. Land and water
are separated).
#3 (Gen 1:24 Land animals are created.
Gen 8:17 Animals disembark from the Ark).
In the antediluvian world, the first two human to be born were Cain and Abel. In many instances, Cain showed the deficiency of his character and he became the first man to shed blood on earth. Abel, his youngest brother, is described as a righteous man with a pure heart.
After the flood, the first two living beings to leave the Ark and investigate the new world were the ‘impure’ raven followed by the ‘pure’ Dove. Isn’t it obvious now why these two animals were chosen? They were a type of Cain and Abel, to whom Noah gave a new opportunity to symbolically make their mark in the new ‘uncorrupted’ world.
From a practical point of view, the first animal chosen by Noah to leave the Ark should have been the ‘pure’ Dove. After all God had just cleansed the whole world, what was the point to send the impure raven first? Also an important fact to consider, if Noah only wanted to know if the vegetation had started to grow there was no need to send a raven, the Dove was fully capable of providing this information without help. It appears that whatever the raven had to do, it didn’t involve bringing back something to the Ark. So we are left with two specific questions: Why did Noah send the ‘impure’ raven first and what information did Noah get from the Raven that he couldn’t have deduced from the flight of the Dove?
At the time the Raven started its mission the flood water level was still going down. That mission lasted 28 days (from my own chronology) and it ended when the water level stabilized. (See Gen 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.)
Why did the raven kept coming back to the Ark (going to and fro) instead of flying away as expected from an animal able to feed from carrion? The only explanation is that it didn’t find any food outside the Ark. It is an accepted fact that the raven is a very intelligent and opportunist animal, therefore Noah’s raven knew that by going back to the Ark it would receive food. And this is exactly what Noah was hoping to see the raven do. By regularly coming back to the Ark ‘i.e. going to and fro’, day after day while the water was going down, the raven was communicating to Noah that no corruption (carrion) had materialized on the newly exposed patch of land. Noah had one preoccupation: to make sure that the ‘pure’ dove, once released, wouldn’t be exposed to decomposing flesh. Fortunately that hazard disappeared as soon as the level of water became stable. The raven had successfully accomplished its mission.
The raven and the Dove used by Noah were not supernatural animal doing thing that they wouldn’t normally do. For instance, it was normal behavior for the Dove to return to the Ark after each flight, the Ark had been its home for almost a year. This explains why the Dove brought back a leaf or an olive branch to the Ark. It was trying to build a nest.
There is much more to say. In my essay ‘The surprising flight of Noah’s raven’ I show how the Raven and the Dove established a path that lead to John Baptiste and Yeshua.
Yves P.
Ref http://www.ezekielmasterkey.com
Thank you! This explanation makes complete sense. After reading through so many others I was still confused. Doing a little research myself on Doves, this explanation cleared my confusion as to why a Raven and Dove were sent.
I enjoyed reading your post, Rabbi. It helped clarify the symbolic interpretation of the passage. All the insightful comments provided by other readers were greatly helpful also. It feels good to find people who know that Christ is the Messiah, and who understand that studying the Torah and Old Testament is necessary for knowing the truth of our Messiah. Too often, I meet Christians who seem to regard the books of the Israelites as being wholly or partially “refuted” by Christ.
Also, a note on your interpretation of “to and fro”. You wrote that this meant the raven did not return. I did some research using Strong’s Concordance and found that the Hebrew word “יָצָא, yatsa”, translated as “to”, means “to go out”, while the word “שׁוּב, shuwb”, translated as “fro”, means “to return, to come back”. [Gen. ch. 8 – https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/8/1/ss1/s_8001; yatsa – https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3318&t=KJV; shuwb – https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7725&t=KJV%5D
This suggests that the raven went out from and came back to the ark repeatedly and did not simply leave. This has been mentioned several times in the comments, but I wanted to bring it up again, since nobody referenced the original Hebrew and since you never directly addressed this in your replies. I would like to hear what you think.
P.S.: Could you link to your discussion of the early patriarchs’ wives? An earlier commenter brought this up, and you commented that you had written on this elsewhere, without linking to the actual blog post.
Hi Samuel, I must let you know that I am NOT a Rabbi (far from it actually). I am a lay believer who just loves the Scriptures and am just sharing what I’ve learned over many hours of personal study, prayer and meditating on the Scripture. Your interpretation of “to and fro” sounds solid to me. By no means am I posts always 100% correct. Regarding my discussion of the early patriarchs’ wives, I’m not exactly sure which post you’re referring to. Do you have the specific Scripture reference? Shalom.
The Ark its self first represences the heaven a safe place Noah here is representing God the Father,notice that when he send Raven the bible never talked about the other partner of the Raven or Dove,The Dove represence the Holy Spirit of God it has 9 feather on its left and right wings one side representing the 9 ministries of Holy Spirit,and other side the 9beutitudes in the book of Matthew,and a Dove has 5 feathers at back representing the 5 fold ministries!
On case of the Raven I would say the devil was in the Ark rember the Ark symbolizes the heavens.God(Noah) sends the Raven and it went to and fro who else in the bible has this character of walking to and fro(Devil himself),read the book of Job .So I think the pic is clear now.
On this case the Raven symbolizes the Devil.
Rich, I must say that I am so thankful I stumbled into your website searching for true Hebrew meaning of a curse. I say God richly bless as it gave me a deeper meaning I didn’t have. However, I was not sure whether the divine can both mean The Divine One as well as the evil one.
Now, on this particular article, the Raven and the Dove was equally amazing. Thank you so much. Also, I believe that you are aware that not all Christians believe in the intriune nature of God, but rather as is written in Deuteronomy 6:4 among many other scriptures in both the Old and the New Testaments.
Finally, thankful to God I’ve found a website I can always turn to as the Almight Has given the understanding and a balanced approach in the Spirit and Truth, John 4:24
Thanks for the warm words Hilary. Be blessed and SHALOM!
Hi Rich,
I was reading Genesis 8 in my study this morning and found your website. I have a similar understanding of the passage with some differences regarding the symbolisms of the dove and its 3 sending forth events.
Like you, I believe the raven represents Satan who indeed is going to and fro the earth until the water dries up from the earth.
I believe the dove is representative of the Holy Spirit and the milestones of His presence on earth demarcated by the Lord Jesus Christ. The first time the dove is sent out represents the pre-Jesus sending out of the Holy Spirit whereby in the Old Covenant days, He would come upon certain humans episodically to accomplish specific tasks. But He could not perch on anyone because none was a worthy temple and so He always went back to the ark.
The second time represents when He found a worthy temple in Jesus Christ who carried the Holy Spirit on the earth. And this was replayed at the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan when the Spirit of God descended like a dove to alight on Jesus in the water. Hence, the olive leaf branch in the dove’s mouth as it had found One on the earth to perch on. However, it still had to return when that One left the earth also and went back to the ark.
But that One had also made provision through the cross for many, many, many more to become worthy of carrying the Holy Spirit in them always. And so, when the dove is sent out the 3rd time, representing Pentecost, it did not return. It stayed on the earth in the Body of the One.
The female dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, God The Mother, the wife of God The Father. The olive branch in Her mouth, symbolizes Her future spiritual children.
Helo Ric
Raven and Dove simply symbollises the “Two Witnesses” that is ‘Elijah’ and ‘Moses’
Isaiah 46:11 here the LORD promised to raise Ravenous bird, a man who will execute the LORD’S Counsel. So Raven symbolises Elijah himself because Elijah always comes first Matthew 17:10-11 Jesus comfirmed that Elijah comes first to restore all things.
Raven went to and fro meaning it reached everywhere restoring all things
Helo Ric
Raven and Dove symbolise the TWO WITNESSES That is ELIJAH and MOSES
Isaiah 46:10-11 the LORD promised to send a Ravenous bird, a man who will execute the LORD’S Counsel. Raven always comes first, Raven symbolises ELIJAH because ELIJAH Always comes first
Matthew 17:10-11 JESUS THE MESSIAH Comfirmed that ELIJAH must always come first to restore all things. So the Raven went to and fro restoring all things while DOVE that is MOSES reports back.
So educative now i understand what raven stand for.
It will be very good when we are making our point, let us back it up with bible reference for easy trace.
I am Magdaline from Kenya.I feel to share about the raven.l remember Jesus was anointed by a prostitute with very expensive oil and Jesus said that she will be remembered as a sign that Our load loves sinners but hate sin.so every one is welcome to the kingdom.A raven is a sign of a forgiven sinner in the process of mating because it was included in the Ark while many people went with the flood.
Thanks for sharing. This is the first time I’m hearing this.
Interesting. John says in Revelation, there was no longer any sea. Perhaps when the sea (of affliction, that Isaiah said the wicked are like the tossing sea having no rest), that Jesus taught his disciples to tread upon and fish up men from, when that sea recedes, then it will be time for God’s dwelling to be will man. The dove’s appearance with the olive branch was Christ’s appearance. But he was (at the coming of Root of King David) and is (at the crucifixion), and is to come (glorified with the pillars of clouds and angels of God). Because at the third appearance, man’s heart is purified and refined; to bridle evil inclinations. Then the kingdom will be established on the earth and his holy people will enter the gates of the city. But there is a Zerubbabel testimony; a third appearing of Elijah before these things take place (John’s Little Scroll, which is the sickle). John was given a measuring reed, to measure the Temple; like Zerubbabel, who resumed construction and completion of the second temple (520-516). John will help build the Temple because he “must prophesy again” and Zerubbabel’s hands laid the foundation, his hands will also finish it; with a shaking of the heavens and the earth. As Jesus is both the Root of King David and the High Priest, John will likely be both Elijah and Zerubbabel. The signet ring of Zerubbabel is reminiscent of Joseph. And as Joseph (betrothed to Mary) was before Jesus, so Joseph, son of Jacob, will reveal and restore all things through Elijah’s testimony before Christ’s return to gather his elect. The capstone (Zerubabbel) and cornerstone (Jesus) complete the spiritual temple. These are the two anointed ones. Joshua (Jesus) and Zerubabbel (Elijah). The Elijah testimony will complete God’s prophecy of joining together the staff of Judah and the staff of Joseph. They will be one one in his hand to Shepherd the flock. The Gospel of Jesus and the fulfillment of the testimony of the bitter truth, God’s Promised scroll from the angel who stood with one foot on the sea and one foot on land; that being the shoreline. The very shoreline where the multitudes will stand holding palm branches when they themselves exit the sea of affliction; overcoming the false worship that is so prevalent today. The palm branches held are the testimony of John’s Little Scroll. With these branches, they honor their God and coming King, the morning star.
I don’t think Jesus made his teachings to be complicated. If the the little children were drawn to him. That was a indication to me that his teachings were simple language easy to understand. It probably became a big issues with the higher educational systems because they felt more scholarly. Then they became a bit prideful. It happens to the best of us. That is what he is still trying to convey today through his Holy Spirit working in us. Is that life doesn’t have to be complicated simply love God others and ourselves last. That equals JOY.
WOW!!
Love the depth this brings to the interpretation , true poetic justice
thank you.
Glad you found this edifying Gary. Be blessed! Shalom.
The bible didnt tell us that the raven did’nt return to the ark. Genesis 8:7 says the raven was sent and it went forth to and fro until the waters were dried from the earth. It is very misleading to add or subtract from the scriptures. It is better to remain silent rather than cause confusion through wrong interpretation. Proverbs 30:6 …. lest you be called a liar
Sad. This is what happens when we leave pure Biblical Exegesis and run off to biased Eisegesis.
The truth is, anyone can read or find the meaning they seek in any passage of the scriptures.
Why not focus on drawing out the now know sea traveling navigational reasons for sending out such flight birds?
Why force meaning where there’s none?
What the heck do you mean by pure “Biblical exegesis”?
There ain’t no such thing!
I feel sorry for anyone who restricts him or herself to only a fleshly or “logical” interpretation of the Scriptures.
Because the Bible contains much divine symbology and metaphor.
Read the Book of Revelations if you think I’m wrong.
And yes, the Holy Spirit will speak a certain interpretation through one verse…and then using that very same verse, communicate another interpretation to another person based on their specific situation.
The Holy Spirit and Scripture are much more pliable than you think!