On the Eve of the Deluge by John Martin

Our painting this month comes from nineteenth century English Romantic John Martin. Although relatively unknown today, the dramatic and grand nature of Martin’s paintings are not easily forgotten.

On the Eve of the Deluge is no exception. The painting is seven feet wide and nearly five feet tall. The dark shades of the ground below are contrasted with the bright blue of the heavens.  The people gesticulate in wild emotion. Even the dog on the edge of the cliff is howling. Birds, setting sun, moon, and even a comet share the sky. Even without the descriptive title, it is apparent that something fantastic is about to happen.

The title gives the full explanation for what is about to take place. The great flood of the wrath of God is about to be unleashed upon the world. (Genesis 7:20-23)

So, who are the people in the painting?  Only eight boarded the ark – Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives (Genesis 7:13).  The picture shows at least fifteen people, although it is hard to make some of the out. We are to understand that some of these people were not going to be on the ark with Noah.

For years and years the people of the Earth had witnessed the large construction project of building the boat. Jesus testified that the people of Noah’s day refused to take heed of the signs of the coming judgment – “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.” (Matthew 24:38-39)

But who is the shriveled figure laying on the ground?  I believe this is a picture of Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah. Taking into account the genealogy of Genesis 5, we can calculate the year of Methuselah’s death as being in the same year as the flood.

So, there are only two options for understanding his death. Either he died naturally of old age, (remember, he was 969 years old), or he drown in the waters of the divine wrath of God’s flood.

I will be the first to admit that the Bible does not explicitly give the spiritual condition of Methuselah. However, we can make a strong case that he was a spiritually-minded patriarch whose life was itself a prophetic portent of God’s pending judgment.
First, in Genesis 5 we see that Methuselah is one of the descendents in the godly lineage of Adam’s son Seth. In fact, Methuselah and Adam’s lives overlapped, so that Methusaleh would have known Adam! In contrast to the wicked lineage coming from Cain through Lamech (Genesis 4:16-24), the godly line went from Seth to Noah and even included Enoch the “who walked with God” and “was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24). And remember, Enoch was Methuselah’s father!

Second, Methuselah’s name has an interesting meaning to it. It is interesting because it is difficult to translate with meanings ranging from “man of the javelin” to “when he dies, he will send it” or “his death sends.” Nearly all scholars agree the name could mean the former. Some show, I think convincingly, that the latter meaning is a possibility.

Is this possible meaning of Methuselah’s name one of those beautiful nuggets of theological gold? Consider the implications of his name. Something was going to accompany the death of this person, but what would it be? Looking back, we see that it was the judgment of God in the form of the flood. But if so, consider how this pictures the longsuffering nature of God’s justice. If his name was a prophecy about the coming judgment, then God kept Methuselah alive longer than any other figure in recorded history! Methuselah even outlived his own son, the father of Noah, by five years.

So, the message of judgment – “his death sends” – was at the same time a message of divine patience – “as long as I keep him alive, you can turn and be saved.”

John Martin wanted us to see Methuselah in this light. Right next to Methuselah is a dog. Within art, a dog is normally a symbol of faithfulness.  The faithful dog is howling in sadness over the loss of his master, who we are to take as a faithful man.

When the time of forbearance was over, Noah and his family entered the ark and the judgment of God rained down. The signs of its’ coming were all around. The artist’s imagination added a comet and black ravens as omens from the sky.

The sermons of Noah had all been preached. The only means of salvation was the ark. Perhaps John Martin was attempting to convey large-scale shipbuilder’s scaffolding way off in the left horizon. The people saw the signs, pointed to the signs, and were distressed by the signs, but they did not take action and find salvation within the ark.

The lesson for us is strongly Christ-centered. Just as there was no salvation outside the ark and no judgment within, so it will be for all mankind in their response to Jesus Christ. There is a coming day of divine judgment for all people. On that day, everyone who has had their sins covered by the atoning blood of Jesus will be spared from the wrath of God. Every single person in Christ will be saved. However, everyone who remains a stranger to the salvation found in a sinless sacrifice will find the judgment of God for their own sin. On that day, every single person outside of Christ will be outside of grace.

While you still have breath in your body and blood flowing through your veins, turn to Jesus Christ for salvation.

W. Scott Lamb is a pastor with Providence Baptist Church in South St. Louis County, MO. He and his wife Pearl enjoy the challenges and pleasures of raising their four sons. Feel free to contact Scott at www.truthinartblog.com.