Five Years to Build the Ark

What!?

I always thought it took at least one hundred years, maybe even 120 years - that's what the Bible says.

Yeah, but, wait.... there's more. 

We read in Genesis 5:28 that Lamech was 182 years old when his son Noah was born and that he died 595 years later.

In the writings found in the book of Jasher, page 14, we read that Noah was 595 years old when Lamech, his father died. It was then that Yah said to Noah and Methuselah to remind all people of everything He had spoken to them in the days gone by and to turn from their evil ways, but the people did not listen. That is when Yah told Noah that the end of all flesh has come before Him on account of their evil deeds and He would destroy the earth. He instructed Noah how to and where to build a large ark; what to use and how to store provisions etc.... By this time Noah's sons are grown and willing and able to help fulfill this command of Yah.  

Genesis 6:3 ~ Yah said, My breath shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh, let the days allowed him be one hundred and twenty years.

This is when Yah started the 120 year countdown to the Flood.  Noah started building the ark 115 years later, after his father died, and finishing when he was 600 years old. In Genesis 7:6 we read that Noah was 600 years old when the Flood came. He had the ark built and provisioned during those remaining five years.

Noah was in his 500th year when he began children and lived another 350 years after the flood (all the days of Noah came to 950 years then he died - Genesis 9:29). He was 502 years old when Shem was born.

In Genesis 11:10 we read that Shem was 100 years old when he begat a son, and this was two years after the flood... that would make him 97 years old when he boarded the ark. Japheth was Noah's first born, a year or two older than Shem and Ham was the youngest.

Genesis 9:24 ~ When Noah woke up from his wine and learned what his youngest son had done to him.... (Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers)

The call from Yah to repent went out 120 years prior to the flood gates opening. With the onset of the final 5 years those same unrepentant ones watched the building of the ark and still didn't get it ... and none of them turned from their evil ways. Oh, but when the rains started falling and the springs started flowing and the waters started rising - all things they had been told beforehand - now they start crying out to Noah to let them come into the ark, after Yah had already closed and sealed the door. It was too late for them to be saved.

Does this ring a bell with any of you? We too have been told the signs of the time of the end. We have been invited to the feast and we best be prepared to arrive before the doors are shut and locked, because then it will be too late to be saved. There will be those crying out to Messiah who will say, go away from me - I never knew you.

It dawned on me that Noah and Methuselah were the two end time witnesses of their day. They gave testimony for 120 years prior to the end of life as they knew it, preaching the Word of Yahweh and reminding people of what was and what was to be.