Noah’s first act on dry ground is to build an altar and offer
burnt offerings—the first time the word
mizbeach
(“altar”) appears in the KJV biblical text. However, Moses 5:5 records that Adam
offered sacrifices by commandment even earlier—and an angel explained that his offering was
“a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father” (Moses 5:7).
Sacrificial worship traces all the way back to the beginning; Noah’s altar continues a
pattern established with the first man. Worship and sacrifice are his immediate priority.
The JST corrects an important theological point: In the KJV, “the LORD said in his heart” (8:21).
The JST shifts this to Noah speaking—“he said in his heart” (JST 9:5–6)—and
adds that Noah “gave thanks unto the Lord, and rejoiced in his heart” (JST 9:4).
The olive leaf (8:11) is a universal symbol of peace. In temple typology, the olive
tree represents the covenant people, anointing oil, and the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Genesis 8:22 & the Moedim (Appointed Seasons):
The promise that “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter” shall
not cease is far more than a statement about weather patterns. The Hebrew concept behind
“seasons” is moedim (H4150)—literally “appointed times” or
“divine appointments.” This is the same word used in Leviticus 23:2 when God declares
“the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these
are my moedim.”
God is not merely promising seasons of weather—He is establishing that His
covenant calendar of appointed times will endure as long as the
earth remains. The paired cycles in Genesis 8:22 map onto the sacred rhythm of the
moedim:
- Seedtime & Harvest—The spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread,
Firstfruits, Shavuot/Pentecost) center on planting and firstfruits; the fall feasts
(Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles) center on the final ingathering/harvest. Note that
this same pattern continues today: Spring and Fall General Conference
mirror these ancient moedim, as gathered Israel once again assembles at the
temple/tabernacle to feast upon the word of the Lord, learn from the leaders of the Church,
and continue in a tradition that stretches back to the very covenant calendar God established
with Noah.
- Cold & Heat / Summer & Winter—The yearly cycle from the
spring moedim through the summer interval to the fall moedim,
mirroring Christ’s First Coming (spring feasts, fulfilled) through the current age
to His Second Coming (fall feasts, yet to be fulfilled).
- Day & Night—The daily rhythm of the tamid
(perpetual morning and evening sacrifices), anchoring every single day to covenant worship.
In this light, Genesis 8:22 is God’s promise that His
appointed times—His covenant meetings with His people—are
woven into the very fabric of creation and will never cease. The flood did not break the
pattern; it renewed it.
The 17th Day of the 7th Month & the Feast Days:
Genesis 8:4 records that the ark came to rest on the seventeenth day
of the seventh month—a date loaded with covenant significance:
- Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)—The 7th month (Tishrei) 15–21 is
Sukkot, the feast celebrating God’s sheltering presence
and dwelling with His people. Tishrei 17 falls right in the middle of this festival. The ark—God’s
vessel of covenant protection—comes to rest during the very feast that commemorates
divine shelter and tabernacling.
- Nisan 17 & the Resurrection—When God later shifted the calendar
in Exodus 12:2 (making Nisan/Aviv the first month instead of Tishrei), the original
“17th of the 7th month” maps to Nisan 17—the date of
Christ’s Resurrection, three days after Passover (Nisan 14).
Just as the ark emerged from the waters of judgment into a new world, Christ emerged from
the tomb into resurrected glory. This is also traditionally the date the Israelites
crossed the Red Sea—another passage through water into covenant deliverance.
Whether read through the lens of Sukkot (temple) or Nisan 17
(resurrection), the date in Genesis 8:4 ties the flood narrative
to the deepest patterns of God’s covenant calendar.
The 27th Day of the 2nd Month (Genesis 8:14):
The earth is finally dry on the 27th day of the 2nd month—and this date carries its own
layers of meaning:
- A Complete Solar Year—The flood began on the
17th of the 2nd month (Genesis 7:11) and the earth was dry
on the 27th of the 2nd month the following year. That is
one full lunar year (354 days) + 11 days = 365 days—a precise
solar year. God’s judgment was not arbitrary; it followed a divinely measured,
complete cycle from start to finish.
- 27 = 3 × 3 × 3—The number 27 is a triple expression
of divine completeness. Three is consistently associated with the Godhead throughout scripture,
and its cubed form (3³) intensifies the symbolism of divine totality and perfection
in the completion of judgment.
- The 2nd Month (Iyyar/Ziv) & Temple Building—In the later
Israelite calendar, the 2nd month is called Ziv. This is the month when
Solomon began building the Temple (1 Kings 6:1—“in
the month Ziv, which is the second month”). Noah exits the ark and builds an
altar in the same month later associated with temple
construction—a new creation inaugurated by worship.
- Pesach Sheni (Second Passover)—The 2nd month also contains
Pesach Sheni (Numbers 9:10–11), the “second chance” Passover
for those who missed the first. This resonates powerfully with the flood as God’s
act of giving creation itself a second chance—a
new beginning through covenant.
Taken together, the dates in the flood narrative are not incidental. They weave the story
into the fabric of God’s covenant calendar, connecting
the flood to temple, resurrection,
and the eternal pattern of judgment followed by renewal.
