Arial view of the Durupinar site showing the outline of Noah’s Ark.
Do you know there’s credible evidence regarding the discovery of Noah’s ark? In 1959, a Turkish army captain and pilot, Ihan Durupinar, noticed what appeared to be the outline of a large ship near Mount Ararat on the eastern edge of modern-day Turkey. His pictures of what appeared to be the shape of a large seagoing vessel, encased in mud, attracted worldwide attention, led to the investigation of the site by experts, and attracted thousands of visitors to the site.
Rick Renner, in his book World Before the Flood, provides the evidence that resulted from the analysis of the site. The length and width of the ship precisely match the dimensions of Noah’s Ark recorded in Genesis 6:15-16. Through the use of advanced technology, we know the buried seaworthy vessel had three levels, which also matches the Lord’s instructions to Noah.
Furthermore, those investigating the site discovered twenty-six huge drogue stones near the site, which ancient sailors used to stabilize ships and to keep them from capsizing. The number and size of these stones found near the site of the ark fit with what it would have been needed, given its size and weight, to survive the tumultuous beginning to the Genesis flood and the aftermath of a worldwide flood.
The location of such a large ship also confirms that it’s Noah’s Ark. The nearest body of water, the Caspian Sea, is about 500 hundred miles away.
Although the site didn’t receive much if any attention until 1959, the Kurds who live near the site claim that Noah’s Ark emerged from the mud because of an earthquake that impacted the area in 1948. According to my research, there was a strong earthquake in nearby Kumukh, Russia, on June 29, 1948, that could’ve impacted the site causing the form of the ark to become visible.
A Coincidence?
In His Olivet Discourse about the end times, Jesus predicted the reemergence of Israel as a nation and warned about life resembling the days of Noah. How can it be a coincidence that today, we have visual evidence of Noah’s Ark along with the miraculous rebirth and existence of Israel? And if the Kurdish people are correct about the timing of the ark’s reappearance, both happened in 1948.
I believe that the reappearance of Noah’s Ark is yet another warning that we live in the time Jesus’ described in Matthew 24:37-39:
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Unaware
Despite Noah’s preaching, those living in the pre-flood era remained unaware of God’s approaching judgment. It wasn’t until Noah’s family entered the ark and the rain began falling that they knew their end had come. The people of Noah’s day ignored God’s warnings and believed nothing could interfere with wicked lifestyle, until it was too late.
Does this not sound like today? The vast majority of people fail to recognize the time in which we live. They plan their lives as though nothing can possibly interfere with their future aspirations.
Sadly, most Christians also fall into this camp. Many of them sit under the teaching of those who teach that the Lord won’t return until end of the age to judge the dead and inaugurate the eternal state. Such preaching contradicts what Jesus taught in Matthew 24-25 and turns the eyes of those in the pews away from the mountain of evidence confirming that we live in the last days. As a result, their view of what lies ahead for them in this life differs little from the unbelieving world.
Life as Usual
Another striking aspect of Jesus’ description of Noah’s day is that life continued as usual up to the very end. Right up to the time the rain began falling and the flood waters came, they “were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” His words emphasize the normality of life that accompanied their unawareness of impending destruction. Is this not also like our day?
It’s not that we do away with our routines and schedules, but that we keep in mind what lies ahead for us and the world. We live in the season of Jesus’ appearing, which means the normality of life on earth might quickly disappear at any moment, perhaps today.
I believe Jesus’ comparison to the days of Noah is with the Rapture and the judgment that will soon follow it. By the time of the Second Coming, life on earth will be lightyears away from normal. After the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, life on the earth will be anything but ordinary among those who somehow manage to survive these cataclysmic events. The Lord earlier described the years leading up to His return as the worst that the world had ever seen as humanity neared the point of extinction (Matthew 24:21-22).
Scoffers and Other Naysayers
Do you know that the Apostle Peter faulted the latter-day scoffers with overlooking the message of the Genesis 6 flood? In 2 Peter 3:5-7 we read:
For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
It's significant that the apostle criticized these scoffers because of their failure to understand the significance of Noah’s flood. They might not deny that the flood happened, but they “deliberately overlook” its relevance to their understanding of Bible prophecy and hence to the day in which they live.
As a result of their failure to understand the comparison of Noah’s day to ours, they regard the Day of the Lord prophecies about a future time of God’s wrath upon the earth, the seven-year Tribulation, as symbolical of another reality. They interpret the judgments of Revelation in various ways, but don’t regard them as future prophecy.
The scoffers of our day don’t believe God will judge the world as He did in the days of Noah. He will not flood the entire earth, but His wrath will be felt just the same. In many ways, our days resemble the days of Noah. I have just touched on a few of them in this blog post.
The evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the huge seaworthy vessel, discovered near Mount Ararat, is that of Noah’s Ark. What other explanation could there be for such large ship so far from a body of water large enough to sustain it?
And given Jesus’ words comparing the last days to those of Noah’s day, it’s highly unlikely that the ark’s reappearance and the attention drawn to it are just coincidences.
My new book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, is now available for on Amazon. In it, I take the reader on a journey showing how the words of Scripture verify our beliefs in not only the restoration of Israel, but also our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home to glory. Jesus’ appearing is the pre-Tribulation Rapture.
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