Prophecies about Jesus: The only way of salvation

There have been four shark attacks in NSW this week. A boy died after he was attacked at Shark beach in Vaucluse in Sydney harbour. A man was bitten at Manly beach. The other incidents were at Dee Why beach, and at Point Plomer near Port Macquarie. This follows fatal attacks at Sydney’s Long Reef and near Taree in late 2025.

There have also been six drownings recently. Two at Kaluna Creek near Townsville, two near Bellingen, one at Fraser Island (or K’gari) in Queensland and one at Lake Cargelligo in central NSW. Because of this danger, a new system of video cameras and AI is watching rock fisherman at Blowhole Point at Kiama and Little Bay in Sydney.

Water activities and aquatic life can be dangerous. But that’s nowhere near the biggest drowning tragedy that has occurred. According to the Bible, millions of people were drowned when God caused a global flood when Noah was alive about 4,500 years ago (Gen. 6-9).

The flood was sent because of the widespread evil and wickedness across the world. Noah built a large barge (it only had to float) and warned people for 120 years of the coming judgment (see Appendix). Only eight people survived because they were on the barge. Did you know that this event was a pattern prophecy of how God would save people from their sinful ways? Such hidden prophecies of the Messiah, which are only evident in hindsight, are also called “types” or “typology” or “shadows” or “figures” or “pictures”.

Explanation

The floodwater depicts the judgment of God (1 Pt. 3:18-22). The barge depicts Jesus Christ. In particular, His death and resurrection. The barge was the only way of salvation. When the devasting flood came, only those who were onboard were saved; all those outside drowned. So, this teaches us that through His death and resurrection, Jesus is the only way of salvation. There is no other way to be rescued. There is no plan B.

The flood’s fury fell on the barge, but it did not sink it. It floated because of the water. This is an illustration of Christ’s death for our sins. At the cross, Jesus endured the wrath of God on the sins of mankind. When it looked as if it was a disaster, He rose from the dead! Judgment came upon Christ on the cross, but He rose from the dead.

The same water that floated the barge drowned those who rejected the message of Noah. The difference was whether they were inside or outside the barge. As the barge saved Noah’s family from God’s judgment when the earth was flooded, Christians are saved from God’s coming judgment through trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection on their behalf.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for your great creation of the world and the perfect environment that Adam and Eve enjoyed. But we realize that it didn’t stay that way when they disobeyed and rejected your leadership. And this evil grew until you decided to judge it by replacing it with a new creation.

But you saved Noah’s family in a way to show us how you would save your people from their sin. The barge was like the death and resurrection of Jesus – both were the only way to salvation.

We thank you for His sacrificial death that enabled our sin to be forgiven in the new creation. And we thank you for His resurrection back to life which was a great victory over death, sin and Satan.

As those who have trusted in the good news about Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we offer thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus. Amen.

Appendix: More a barge than a boat

According to Robinson (2016):
The Hebrew word used for the ark of Noah (which only had to float, not travel like a ship) is tebah (תבה) (Strongs #8392) meaning box-shaped or chest. It is not the Hebrew term used for boat or ship, e.g. ’onîah (אניה) (Strongs #591) in Proverbs 30:19, or tsî (צי) (Strongs #6716) in Isaiah 33:21. Its Hebrew synonym is ’arôn (ארון) (Strongs #727), used for the ark of the covenant, another box-shaped item or chest, emphasizing the shape of Noah’s ark. Both words are translated as kibōtos (κιβωτός) (Strongs #2787) in the Greek of the Septuagint and the New Testament, showing they have an overlapping semantic range. And the New Testament never uses kibōtos for ship or boat.

Reference

Robinson P, 2016, The cartoonification of Noah’s ark

Written, January 2026

Also see: Global evidence for Noah’s flood
I convinced Grok the Biblical flood really happened
Noah: Fact or fiction?
Flood stories: Fact or fiction?
Evidence of Noah’s flood
Visiting Noah’s ark
Why was Noah’s family saved while the rest died in the flood?