In relation to the sending of the raven and the dove by Noah (note: means “rest” and “comfort”) after the flood, the Holy Spirit is emphasizing the word ‘contrast’, which means ‘opposition’. A contrast, for example, is the difference between light and dark areas or colors within an image.

The Two Birds and the Day of Mercy

After the waters of the flood had gradually decreased, Noah decided to send two birds out of the ark to see if the ‘waters of righteousness’ had returned (see Genesis 8:6-8).

Genesis 8:6-8:
6 After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.

8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground.

 

It is no coincidence that Noah used the creation of the fifth day (note: in this case birds) to check whether the water of the time of judgment decreased (see Genesis 1:20-23).

 

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

23 And there was evening, and there was morning – the fifth day.

 

Through this sending of Noah, there was a so-called locating between the day of mercy and the day of judgment. It was the day of mercy that finished the judgment and announced the new day in creation.

This means in a prophetic context that Noah acted in the power of the grace of God (note: represented by the number 5) and sent out both birds after the mountain tops became visible on the 11th day of the biblical month ‘Av’ (note: means “fullness, fruit, father”).

Noah opened a new spiritual ‘window of time’ and by releasing the ‘contrast’ (note: raven => black plumage; dove => white plumage) created a new day of grace in the midst of the Father's fullness.

In this context the black raven with its wings represents the evening and the white dove with its wings represents the day. Both birds are an indication of a spiritual time frame of the Father's care.

It was the bird species of the raven that provided during a famine on God's behalf at the brook Kerith for the prophet Elijah. And it was the bird species of the dove, whose form the Holy Spirit chose to settle on Jesus during His baptism, so that he went full of the Holy Spirit into the desert for testing (see 1 Kings 17:3-4 i.c.w. Luke 3:21-22; Luke 4:1).
 

3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

 

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

 

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, …

 

It is the Holy Spirit through whom we proclaim the Father in the spirit of Christ's sonship (see Romans 8:15 i.c.w. Galatians 4:6).

Romans 8:15:
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:6:
6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

Accordingly, through Noah, God manifested a new time frame of His grace, which was covered with His fatherly fullness, because with God the day begins with the evening and Noah also sent out the raven first and shortly afterwards a dove (see Genesis 1:1-5).

Genesis 1:1-5:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.

 

 

God has linked the month ‘Av’ with His identity as Father to announce the day of His Son Jesus Christ, revealing His light, His love and His grace (see John 3:16 i.c.w. John 8:12; James 1:17; Titus 2:11-12).

 

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, …

 

 

Genesis 8:9 clarifies that the dove was sent out by Noah to find a settling place. But since it hadn't find a place to settle down at first, it returned to him.

 

The return of the dove is an indication of the need for a humble heart attitude in order to receive the grace of God (see Proverbs 3:34 i.c.w. 1 Peter 5:5b).

 

11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.

 

34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

 

… All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

 

In Genesis 8:10-11 it shows that the dove flew out of the ark again after another seven days and now brought an olive branch or olive leaf to Noah.

 

10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.

11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.

The dove still found no place to settle down, so she returned to Noah (note: symbolizes a constant walk in humility). It didn't try to settle convulsively on an olive branch, but realized that it wasn't the time of settlement.

 

Humility is the key to reaching the center of God's anointing. If we are humble, we will begin to find the oil of God. It begins part by part.

 

With the help of this explanation we can recognize an important aspect. The olive tree that appeared out of the water of “judgment” in the days of Noah wasn't immediately visible. But the dove had roamed the land in patience until it found a place in the olive tree (see Genesis 8:12).

 

12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

 

 

It was important to God that the sending of the raven and the dove should take place in the biblical month ‘Av’, with the emphasis on the movement of the dove by connecting 2 x 7 days with it.

 

The dove was sent out of the ark from Noah on the 11^th, 18^th and 25^th of Av. These three dates are a reference to the plan of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whom He designated as Trinity for His people Israel and the believers of the Gentiles (note: symbolized by the olive tree; see Romans 11:17-18).

 

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

 

 

At the time of Noah there was a different order of months, since the people of Israel did not receive the new order of months from God until the exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 12:2 i.c.w. Exodus 13:4).

 

2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.

 

4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving.

 

With the understanding of our time and the historical events relating to the people of Israel in the past, it becomes clear that the adversary chose exactly this time frame to harm Israel.

 

The biblical month ‘Av’ is a month with depth, because in that very month the following events in the history of Israel took place:

In the biblical month ‘Av’ the people of Israel fell into unbelief at Kadish-Barnea (note: discovery of the land of Canaan by the spies who were sent by Moses) (see Numbers 32:8-9). <= (note: The text in “=>” is based on a teaching by Dr. Robert Heidler from the book “A Time To Advance”, page 282, 283)

 

 

In this context, the biblical month ‘Av’ is the month of ‘contrasts’, as the raven and the dove.

 

The Hebrew word for ‘raven’ is ‘'ōrēb’ and comes from the root word ‘'äräb’ and means ‘evening’. Oreb was also the name of a Midianite prince who was defeated by Israel (note: Naphtali, Asher, Manasseh) under the leadership of Gideon (see Judges 7:25).

 

The Hebrew word for ‘dove’ is ‘jônāh’. Jonah was the prophet who brought repentance to Nineveh. (see Jona 3:2.4-5; note: part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible to the words “raven – 'ōrēb” and “dove – jônāh” with the word key number: 6282, 6283, 3205, 3206)

Based on these words we can see a clear contrast, which carries enmity and prophet hood as well as the triumph over the enemy of Israel and the message of the prophet along with his finally great result (note: repentance of the inhabitants of Nineveh).

 

The month ‘Av’ is the time frame when God points to His love, grace and righteousness in Christ Jesus, who became a curse for us so that we could receive the blessing of Abraham (see Galatians 3:13-14 i.c.w. John 2:19.21-22).

 

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written (see Deuteronomy 21:23): “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

 

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” …

21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

 

Further, it is the month ‘Av’, which God originally intended as the time frame for the people of Israel to enter the Promised Land. God's intention was that this month should be a time to celebrate His goodness each year.

 

It is important that, according to Genesis 8:6-12, we move in faith with the focus on the Jewish people in a state of perseverance as of the ‘raven’ and in humility as of the ‘dove’ in order to be able to be set in the Kingdom culture of His chosen people as followers of Jesus.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm

 

Übersetzung: Margit Kelly