Flood
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manifestation of God’s power had but a momentary influence upon
them. For seven days these animals were coming into the ark, and
Noah was arranging them in the places prepared for them.
And as the doomed race beheld the sun shining in its glory, and the
earth clad in almost its Eden beauty, they drove away their rising fears
by boisterous merriment; and by their deeds of violence seemed to be
encouraging upon themselves the visitation of the already awakened
wrath of God.
Everything was now ready for the closing of the ark, which could
not have been done by Noah from within. An angel is seen by the
scoffing multitude descending from Heaven, clothed with brightness
like the lightning. He closes that massive outer door, and then takes
his course upward to Heaven again. Seven days were the family of
Noah in the ark before the rain began to descend upon the earth. In this
time they were arranging for their long stay while the waters should
be upon the earth. And these were days of blasphemous merriment
by the unbelieving multitude. They thought because the prophecy
of Noah was not fulfilled immediately after he entered the ark, that
he was deceived, and that it was impossible that the world could be
destroyed by a flood. Previous to this there had been no rain upon the
earth, A mist had risen from the waters, which God caused to descend
[69]
at night like dew, reviving vegetation and causing it to flourish.
Notwithstanding the solemn exhibition they had witnessed of
God’s power—of the unnatural occurrence of the beasts’ leaving the
forests and fields, and going into the ark, and the angel of God clothed
with brightness, and terrible in majesty, descending from Heaven and
closing the door; yet they hardened their hearts, and continued to revel
and sport over the signal manifestations of divine power. But upon the
eighth day the heavens gathered blackness. The muttering thunders,
and vivid lightning flashes, began to terrify man and beast. The rain
descended from the clouds above them. This was something they
had never witnessed, and their hearts began to faint with fear. The
beasts were roving about in the wildest terror, and their varied voices
seemed to mourn out their own destiny and the fate of man. The storm
increased in violence until water seemed to come from heaven like
mighty cataracts. The boundaries of rivers broke away, and the waters
rushed to the valleys. The foundations of the great deep also were bro-
ken up. Jets of water would burst up from the earth with indescribable