Genesis 7:1-5
The Final Week

Illustration: What would you do if you could see the end coming?
Joshua Mhlakela is a South African individual who has been described in media reports as a pastor
or prophetic voice.  In a June 2025 interview with CettwinzTV (a YouTube/religious channel), he
said he had visions in which Jesus sat on a throne and declared His imminent return. He claimed
that Jesus told him the Church would be “taken” (i.e. a rapture) on September 23 or 24, 2025.  He
linked the timing to Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish Feast of Trumpets), which he believed had
prophetic significance. The prophecy went viral on social media, especially on TikTok, under the
hashtag #RaptureTok. The prediction became a trending topic, with many users creating content
both supporting and mocking the claim.  1 Some believers reportedly made drastic life decisions or
preparations: quitting jobs, selling possessions, spreading “rapture tips” (including tips about leaving
one’s phone unlocked so family could access accounts), and discussing what would happen to pets.  2
TRANSITION: Noah’s certainty vs. human speculation — God told Noah exactly what to do
and when (in that context), but He did not tell him when the rain would start (except giving a 7-day
notice). Noah acted on God’s command, not on guesswork.
I. “Into the Ark” 7:1
a. Remember that the Ark was God’s protection from His own wrath.
i. It was there to spare the innocent.
ii. It was there to give a new beginning.
b. The Ark gives us a good imagery of the importance of holiness and separation.
i. It can be hard to understand the spiritual side of holiness because we are in
the physical world, but the imagery here shows us a connection.
ii. Outside of the Ark is the condemned.
iii. Inside the Ark are those who trusted God’s Word that judgment was
coming.

c. In Chapter 7:1, God gives an invitation to those who are righteous before him.
i. The same invitation that Noah received, we receive through Jesus.
II. “Take with you” 7:2- God provides - Yahweh Yireh pronounced JEHOVAH JIREH
a. We all know the saying, “You can’t take it with you.” Sometimes that is how I talk
myself into buying things. I’ve heard preachers say that they have never seen a hearse
pulling a U-Haul.
b. One of the many names for God is - Yahweh Yireh pronounced JEHOVAH JIREH
i. Root word: רָאָה (ra’ah) – “to see, to look at, to perceive.”
ii. Form used in Genesis 22:14: יִרְאֶה (yir’eh) – third person singular,
imperfect (“He will see” or “He will provide”).
iii. The Hebrew idea is more than just physical sight — it carries a
sense of seeing to something, or looking after it, hence the translation
“provide.”

c. Noah was told by God something that he WAS to take with him into the ark.

1 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/23
2 https://www.newsweek.com/who-is-joshua-mhlakela-pastor-who-predicted-rapture-for-september-23-24

i. Animals!
ii. God had a plan for the animals as well.
iii. Creation has been dramatically affected by the flood.
1. 18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19  For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20  For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the
creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the
freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation
has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 3 — Romans
8:18-22
2. We know that God considered the animals

III. “Seven” 7:3-4
a. Completion / Perfection: Seven is the number of divine completeness (Genesis
2:2–3 — God rested on the seventh day).
b. Consecration: Seven often marks something set apart for God (seven days of
priestly consecration in Leviticus 8:33).
c. Cycle of Renewal: Seven days = a full week — a complete cycle of time.
d. In Genesis 7, these “sevens” are signaling that what God is about to do is a
complete work — His perfect judgment and His perfect salvation.
e. This pattern of “seven” doesn’t stop in Genesis — it keeps pointing forward:
f. Seven-year cycles in the Law (Sabbath year, Jubilee after 7×7 years — Lev. 25).
g. Seventy sevens in Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24) foretelling the coming of
Messiah.
h. Seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls in Revelation — God’s complete and
final judgment before the new heaven and new earth.
i. Genesis 7’s use of “seven” is almost like a prophetic shadow of the final
cleansing and renewal of creation.

IV. 5  “And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.” 4 7:5
a. I never want to belittle how heavy this must be.
b. Not every burden is visible, and Noah’s surrender to the Lord should not be
belittled.
c. Every swing of the hammer, every snicker from the skeptic, every unseen prayer,
every spiritual battle…every one of these things had the potential to whisper quit to
Noah.
d. But praise God for verse 5.
V. Conclusion:
a. Keep going for Jesus.
b. Don’t stop now.

3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 8:18–22.
4 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 7:5.