Summary

This topic is about one of many amazing hidden treasures in the scriptures that has probably eluded all of us until we learned to question cases where there are scriptural details are included that seem to be possibly incidental. 

In the case of Noah and his family's experience on the Ark, which had to be traumatic, frightening and full of anxieties, why did the Holy Spirit want us to know the exact day of the 17th of the 7th Month for when Noah's Ark rests on the Mountains of Ararat?  If any of us were on the Ark for 370 days, then we would be excited when the Ark was resting on dry land for the first time, but this is more than that first conclusion. 

The answer to the question on why the 17th, is knowing what other dates in scriptural history had something else occur that could have special meaning.  In this case, there is an extraordinary event that ties both dates that the writers of the scriptures could not have planned, coordinated and most likely even recognized at the time of the writing.  Obviously, the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit for the over 40 authors of the 66 books spread out over centuries of the Bible had this planned, required, proof and for teaching all of us.

The two events that happen:

1. Noah's Ark rests on Dry land on the 17th day of the 7th month.  The 7th month is the month of Nissan.  For Noah this date had to symbolize the end of the cleansing of the Earth, and also the start of a new beginning for the entire world.  While Noah and his family have not left the Ark yet, they had to have faith and hope since the Ark has rested on top of a mountain.  God was there to comfort them and let them know what was happening.
2. Jesus Christ steps out of the tomb, on the 18th day of Nissan, which is the next day.  His Resurrection, is a new beginning for the entire world for those who would recognize Him as their Savior. The 17th was the end of the three days in the Tomb.

Ark Rests on Mountains of Ararat

According the scriptural passage of Genesis 8:4, the Ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month on Mountains of Ararat.  One part of the verse that is often overlooked is the word "mountains".

The Great Flood is not over but as often quoted when coming out of any tough situation, this was "a new beginning" as the common cliché that is often sited.  What makes this day special is the next day is Jesus Christ's Resurrection.  It is the Feast of First Fruits.

God gave us the information of the 7th month and 17th day, so we can simply look up on the calendar what day this is along with if this day corresponds to any other events in history. 

• The seventh month on the Jewish Calendar is the month of Nisan.  (See calendar chart below.)
• Nisan is known as the month of miracles.  In the Hebrew, the word implies "miracles of miracles".  In some Levitical sources, there is information that indicates it was meant to be known as the month of future miracles, which would be ever greater than those of the Exodus from Egypt.
• It is very interesting that God uses "Seven and other Patterns" in countless places in the Scriptures.  The use of a count of seven is always conveying completeness, perfection and fullness.
• The 17th of Nissan was the last day that Jesus Christ was in the Tomb before the Resurrection.  This completed Jesus Christ's first mission to Earth for the purpose of making a payment and to cleanse the sins of the entire world that only requires us all to accept Him and His Payment as our Savior.

Exodus Passover Event

To help us understand God's use of Patterns, we need to recall the Exodus Passover Event with its purpose and the dates.  There was a calendar change during the Exodus.  Israel's calendar originally started with the month of Tishrei and ended at the month of Elul.  This was changed in Exodus 12:1-2 by God after the Egyptian Captivity.  The month of Nissan became the first month of the Jewish Year Calendar.

Besides the calendar change, there was a celebration meal instituted by God in Exodus 12:5-6, that commemorated the Passover Event of the death Angel which killed the first born in Egypt except for those who has blood from a lamb or goat put on the door post of their home, Exodus 12:7.

It is the opinion of some Biblical Scholars that God made the change to the Calendar because the family of Israel went into Israel and came out as a nation, where this was a very special event that signifies the beginning of Israel the Nation.

The Old and New Calendar

The month of Tishrei is the month that Adam and Eve were created according to Biblical Scholars, and it was the first month in the calendar prior to Exodus 12:1-2.  Besides the Scriptural passages, there is are other notes from commentaries that give us the following theories:

• Creation of the Universe by God occurred on the 25th of Elul according to the Midrash notes.  This occurred when God created the Divine Light by saying "Let there be light" in Genesis 1:3.
• Hebrew Sages reasoning, by the use of Gematria principles, for the word Yehi, "let there be", is 25 and that man was created on Rosh Hahanah.  If this is true, then the actual first work of the creation began on 25th day of Elul.  This is of course highly speculative.
• The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 38b) has Adam and Eve created six days after Rosh Hashanah which would then be Tishri 1.
• One part of the reason why some of the ancient commentaries give the theory that Adam was created on Tishri 1 is because of the transposing the Hebrew letter of the first word of the Hebrew scripture.  "In the beginning" = bershit and "on the 1st of Tisri" = aleph b'Trishri.  This is believed to be the 6th day.

This chart shows the ancient calendar of months with the change of ordering along with other notes:

1. Long Day of Joshua, and
2. 2 Kings 20 event. 
   

Jesus Christ's Resurrection Day

The following in an excerpt from the Day Jesus Christ is Crucified:

The following chart pieces together the timeline that the crucifixion occurred on the 14th of Nissan, Wednesday, where the death occurred at 3pm.  In three more hours, it would be 6pm and the start of 15th of Nissan, Thursday, the Passover Meal.  Jesus Christ became the Passover Event Lamb. 

As detailed in the Day Jesus Christ is Crucified, the Jewish day starts after sundown and ends at the next sundown, which can be thought of as 6pm to 6pm.  The world has adopted the midnight to midnight as a standard.  When looking at the chart:

• The Last Supper was on the start of Wednesday, after 6pm but before midnight.  In our current standard, we would consider this to be Tuesday evening.  Once it is 6pm, it then is the start of 14th Wednesday. It is dark and Jesus has the Last Supper with the 12 Apostles.
• During the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot is exposed by Jesus Christ, where Judas leaves to go to the Sanhedrin for Jesus' eventual arrest later that evening, with trials throughout the night hours of the 14th before the day time.  The Sanhedrin's motivation was to get Jesus Christ trials done with time during the day hours of the 14th for His execution.  All of this, by Jewish Levitical laws as detailed in Day Jesus Christ is Crucified, had to be done before the Passover Meal after 6pm, which is the start of the 15th of Nissan.
• The Passover Event, crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the Lamb for the payment of sins of the world, happens on the 14th during the day hours.
• Jesus Christ is put into the tomb before 6pm on Wednesday, as the Passover meal and Feast of Unleavened bread begins after 6pm on the 15th of Nissan.

• The Noah's Ark rests on the Mountains of Ararat on the 17th of Nissan.  The seventh month in Genesis 8:4 is the Month of Nissan.  

  Genesis 8:4

  and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Could the Ark hold all of the Species of the Earth?

The obvious answer to the Christian is yes.  To get more information, read the topic on the Noah's Ark.

Did the Great Flood Cover the Entire Earth?

Yes, the Great Flood did cover the entire Earth as indicated by the scripture passages and also the geological evidence.  For more information see the Great Flood topic.

What to read next?

See: (a) Time and Time Travel, (b) Time Domains, (c) Kingdom of God, (d) Singularity and the Big Bang Theories, (e) E=mc²,  (f) Ten Dimensions of the Universe, (g) Age of the Earth, Periods that Developed Life, Heavens, (h) Gap Theory of Genesis 1:2 - Earth formless for billions of years; (i) Patterns and Double Prophecies; (j) day of the week that Jesus Christ died.