What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Are there any indications regarding Noah why he sent the raven first and then the dove? Are there any indications, after the waters had receded, how long it took until God called him and his family out of the ark? It seems that this period, when the dove with the olive branch in its beak was called out by God, cannot be determined chronologically from the Bible or the writings of Ellen White."
Answer
Noah sent out the raven first because it had a keen sense of smell to determine whether the earth was already dry; however, the bird flew back and forth only because it found water. Since the raven did not provide the desired information, the dove was later sent out. Although Noah saw that the ground was dry, he waited patiently for a specific instruction from God before leaving the ark, just as he had entered it on God's command. Only when an angel descended and opened the massive door did the family leave the ark.
The Sending of the Birds and Waiting for God
»Noah and his family longed eagerly for the waters to recede, for they yearned to go out onto the earth again. Forty days after the mountain peaks became visible, they sent out a raven, a bird with a keen sense of smell, to find out whether the earth had become dry. Since this bird found nothing but water, it continued to fly to and from the ark. Seven days later a dove was sent out, which, finding no place to rest, returned to the ark. Noah waited another seven days and sent the dove out again. When it returned in the evening with an olive leaf in its beak, great joy arose. Later “Noah removed the roof of the ark and saw, and behold, the surface of the earth was dry.” Nevertheless he waited patiently in the ark. Because he had entered on God’s command, he waited for special instructions for the exit.«
»Again an angel descended and opened the door of the ark. Noah could remove the roof, but he could not open the door that God had sealed. God spoke through the angel who opened the door to Noah, commanding Noah’s family to go out of the ark and to bring out all living things with them.«
»Finally an angel descended from heaven, opened the massive door and commanded the patriarch and his household to go out onto the earth and to take every living creature with them. In the joy of their deliverance Noah did not forget Him, through whose gracious care they had been preserved.«
»Noah sent out a raven that flew back and forth between the ark. It did not obtain the desired information, so he sent out a dove, which, finding no place to rest, returned to the ark. After seven days the dove was sent out again, and when the olive leaf was seen in its beak, great joy filled this eight‑member family, who had been confined in the ark for so long.«
- Noah raven dove meaning
- Exiting the ark angel
- Waiting for God's command Noah
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
