Cees Noordzij — Prolegomena
b3 — Noah’s Ark
Allegorical Hermeneutics
Hermeneutical axiom: the Bible always points beyond itself
“Everything in the Bible, the stories, the laws and prophecies, the songs and miraculous signs point to spiritual truths for us.”
— Noordzij, “De ark van Noach” [Noah’s Ark], verborgenmanna.nl; with reference to Heb.10:1a
Interpretation: The authors formulate a universal hermeneutical axiom: no biblical genre (story, law, prophecy, song, miraculous sign) is exclusively historical or literal. Every textual element is a pointer to a spiritual reality. This is an allegorical-typological reading principle as a starting point, not an option.
Reading Principles
No coincidences in the Bible
“There are no coincidences in the Bible. Every word has eternal value.”
— Noordzij, “De ark van Noach,” verborgenmanna.nl
Interpretation: This principle legitimates the numerical-symbolic method: if no word or number is accidental, every number may be theologically interpreted. It is a foundational reading principle that makes possible the detailed symbolic exegesis of the ark’s dimensions (300 × 50 × 30 cubits).
Numerical Symbolism as Biblical Interpretation
The ark’s dimensions as spiritual key
The ark of Noah measures 300 × 50 × 30 cubits. The authors read each number as a spiritual indicator:
Number 300 (complete redemption):
“The number 300 speaks of complete redemption, 3 of the whole person, spirit, soul, and body.”
— Noordzij, “De ark van Noach,” verborgenmanna.nl
Biblical evidence through concordant method: Gideon’s victory with 300 men (“By three hundred men I will deliver My people”), Solomon’s 300 golden shields, Enoch’s 300 years walking with God.
Number 50 (Holy Spirit / Pentecost):
The ark’s width (50 cubits) is linked to the fiftieth day (Pentecost) as a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s operation. Contrasting examples: Achan hid stolen gold, Absalom and Adonijah misused their power, Ahaziah imitated God’s work without truth.
Number 30 (spiritual maturity):
The ark’s height (30 cubits) refers to the age at which biblical figures were appointed for their calling: Joseph, David, and Jesus began their ministry at age thirty. Solomon’s temple was 30 cubits high.
Interpretation: The authors employ a concordant numerical symbolism: each number carries a fixed spiritual meaning that recurs consistently throughout the Bible and is demonstrated through concordant word study. The method presupposes a divinely encoded language system (cf. semaino-hermeneutic in b2).
Spiritual Interpretive Method
Epistemic requirement: enlightened eyes of the heart
“We must especially seek the spiritual meaning therein with ‘the enlightened eyes of our heart’.”
— Noordzij, “De ark van Noach,” verborgenmanna.nl; with reference to Eph.1:18
Interpretation: The authors establish an epistemic requirement for reading the Bible: not the intellect but the “enlightened eyes of the heart” is the faculty by which the spiritual layer of the text is understood. This connects to the pneumatocentric epistemology of b1 (Spirit-guidance above tradition) and b2 (heart above head). [TENSION with rational-historical exegetical methods]
The ark as eschatological sign for today
The ark is read as an eschatological sign: “As it was in the days of Noah” (Matt.24:37) — judgment approaches, but believers protected “in Christ” as the “modern ark.”
Interpretation: The typological line continues: Noah’s ark (OT type) → Christ (antitype) → believer in Christ (application). Identical to the three-part typological schema from b1 (Moses–Jesus–believer).
Summary of authorial position (b3, cumulative with b1–b2)
In “Noah’s Ark,” Noordzij employs an allegorical-symbolic hermeneutic based on three axioms:
- No coincidences — every biblical word, every number has eternal value
- Concordant numerical symbolism — numbers carry fixed spiritual meanings that recur consistently throughout the Bible
- Pneumatic epistemology — spiritual understanding requires “enlightened eyes of the heart” (Eph.1:18), not intellectual analysis
This confirms and deepens the typological-salvation-historical hermeneutic of b1 and the pneumatocentric epistemology of b2. The three sources together reveal a coherent hermeneutical position.