1 Peter 3:18-22 KJV  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:  (19)  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  (20)  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  (21)  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  (22)  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

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Noah’s story of crossing the flood waters in the ark is used to convey the message of water baptism in the bible in 1 Peter 3.

Peter said Jesus was put to death in flesh but quickened by the Spirit.
Quickened means resurrected or made alive.

There is a bit of controversy over verses 19-20 as though Jesus went into hell and preached to sinners who were in hell ever since they drowned in the flood when they disobeyed Noah.

• The Catholic Church teaches the Israelite fathers were there and Christ came to announce to them he was removing them and taking them all to paradise.
• But the idea that seems to fit most reasonably is that the Spirit that resurrected Jesus was the same means by which God used NOAH to preach to sinners before the flood.
• Noah preached in the anointing of the SPIRIT OF CHRIST.
• And that SPIRIT urged them to BE SAVED BY WATER by getting into the ARK.
• Baptism also saves us by the resurrection of Jesus who went to the right hand throne.

So we need to see a strong connection here between Jesus Christ’s resurrection by the Spirit of God

• ...and the anointing on Noah to preach to people to be saved by water,
• ...and water baptism that saves us by the resurrection of Jesus that Peter just mentioned in verse 18, that was caused by the Spirit.

Look at this step by step.

The same Spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead to go to the right hand throne used Noah to preach to sinners to save them by water.

• Noah preached by the Spirit of Christ to the spirits that are now in prison of hell.
• He preached to these disobedient people before the flood.
• He preached by the Spirit’s anointing and power.

2 Peter 2:5 KJV  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

• Floods speak of death in the bible.

2 Samuel 22:5 KJV  When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;



Peter wants you to realize that the Spirit that anointed Noah to preach was the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead.

Only few were saved by water, and more would have been had they not been disobedient at the preaching of Noah.

• The idea is that THE SPIRIT that anointed Noah to preach about salvation by water resurrected Jesus from death to go to the throne.

Romans 8:11-12 KJV  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  (12)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Notice that the spirit that resurrected Jesus is mentioned here again.

• This time Paul says it quickens us so that we are not debtors to live after the flesh.
• That means that the Spirit resurrects us spiritually RIGHT NOW so that we have power over this old flesh that continually tries to draw us into sin.
• Paul spoke of this.
• He said like Jesus was resurrected and DEAD TO SIN but ALIVE TO GOD, we are DEAD TO SIN and ALIVE TO GOD.
• So we do not have to have SIN RULE IN OUR MORTAL BODIES

Romans 6:11-12 KJV  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (12)  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Instead of sin RULING our mortal bodies, look what can happen with our mortal bodies…

Romans 8:11-12 KJV  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  (12)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Not having to live after the flesh is the same thing as not having sin rule in your mortal bodies.

• If you want to enjoy freedom from sin ruling in your mortal bodies, then another force has to affect your mortal bodies… THE SPIRIT needs to QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES.
• It’s talking about NOT SINNING.

Back to 1 Peter 3.

That SPIRIT that anointed Noah to preach saying GET SAVED BY WATER, resurrected Jesus from the dead and enthroned Him.

• And the idea of water saving eight souls is a figure of baptism saving people.
• The way baptism saves people is connected to the idea of Jesus being quickened by the same Spirit that anointed Noah to preach about salvation by water.
• Put  it altogether… (1) Jesus resurrected to the throne (+) together with (2) the water saving people and (=) you see water baptism saves us by Jesus’ resurrection that took him to the throne.

Water baptism is not like H20 saves us.

• There’s nothing magical nor mystical about baptismal water.
• In water baptism YOU get into the same death that Jesus was resurrected from.

Romans 6:3 KJV  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Who cares about anyone else’s death!

• Jesus’ death caused Him to resurrect!

Romans 6:4-5 KJV  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  (5)  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Get into that DEATH!

• You are buried with Him by baptism into death so you can get His resurrection!
• No one else resurrected to never die again after they died except Jesus.
• His resurrection took him to the throne!
• No wonder Paul said if you get baptized into Jesus, YOU SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN!
• You get the power on you that seated Christ over all other powers, so how can sin have power over us?

The same Spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead and enthroned Him is the Spirit that anointed Noah to preach because the PICTURE OF FLOOD WATER represents DEATH.

• But it is not just any DEATH.
• You have to get into the DEATH OF JESUS.
• THERE WAS ONLY ONE ARK that was going to make it through the flood successfully.
• NOAH’S ARK.
• The ark the Spirit anointed Noah to preach about.
• And there is only ONE person’s death that is going to cause us to be saved, and that is Jesus Christ’s death.
• So get baptized into that death, and the same way water saved Noah, Baptism will save you.

On the other side of the flood, Noah’s ark floated Him to a mountain called ARARAT where Noah saw a rainbow and received a covenant from God.

Notice that Noah received the generally same blessing that God gave to Adam when Adam was first created.

It is like Noah shows someone who goes through the water and comes out on the other side to OBTAIN THE KINGDOM BLESSING THAT ADAM HAD BUT LOST DUE TO SIN!


Genesis 9:1 KJV  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 

Genesis 1:28 KJV  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:



Gen 9:(2)  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. 

Gen 1:28b  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 



Gen 9:(3)  Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 

Gen 1: (29)  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 



Gen 9:(4)  But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 

Genesis 2:17 KJV  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


The picture is that we get SAVED back to the place from where Adam fell away from, which is KINGDOM AUTHORITY and power over sin, so that SIN DOES NOT RULE OVER US ANY MORE to take us to a devil’s hell.

• WE DO IT BY WATER BAPTISM which puts us into JESUS’ DEATH!

Jesus is gone to the right hand of God after He resurrected, associating that with the flood of Noah that saved eight souls just as baptism saves us today.

So water baptism is connected to the picture of crossing the flood waters and Christ resurrecting and going to the right hand of God.

Look at how REVELATION shows this picture:

There is a throne of God, denoting KINGDOM OF GOD, and WATER blocking it.

Revelation 4:1 KJV  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Revelation 4:6 KJV  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Revelation 5:1-3 KJV  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  (2)  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  (3)  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

No one can get this DOCUMENT from God.

MUST CROSS THE WATER.

FLOOD DEPICT DEATH.

Revelation 5:5-7 KJV  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  (6)  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  (7)  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Jesus was slain and resurrects to walk to the throne and get the book.

When he gets it… such praise erupts.

Revelation 5:8-10 KJV  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  (9)  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  (10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

HE MADE US KINGS!

• You see the WATER that depicts DEATH could not be crossed.
• DEATH is useless to us in and of itself.
• Not until JESUS; DIED AND RESURRECTED could we get baptized into HIS DEATH and benefit from death!
• His death leads to resurrection.
• John had to wait until JESUS DIED AND RESURRECTED.
• HE PREVAILED!
• No one else prevailed over death like that.
• Not to resurrect and NEVER DIE AGAIN!

Just like Noah crossing the flood in the ark, that he preached about in the anointing of the Spirit that resurrected Jesus, and landing on a mountain to get a KINGDOM BLESSING Adam lost, and a covenant and a rainbow,…

• Jesus crosses the watery sea and REACHES THE THRONE, and MAKES US KINGS AND PRIESTS.

What does the name of ARARAT mean?

• THE CURSE IS REVERSED!
• The curse was what Adam got when he lost the KINGDOM.
• Reverse the curse and we get back to the KINGDOM Adam lost!

In Revelation 22, we see the LAMB, Jesus, on that throne, and memories of the Garden whence Adam fell are seen with the TREE OF LIFE.
And we read there is NO MORE CURSE!

Revelation 22:1-3 KJV  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  (3)  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Get the picture.

• Jesus resurrected and is at the right hand of God ON THE THRONE NOW.
• Peter said this while speaking about water baptism and the ark of Noah.
• Baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus, who is at the right hand of God.