Receding Floodwaters

Receding Floodwaters

This painting depicts the floodwaters receding after the great flood that covered the entire earth and even the highest mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits which equals approximately 23 feet or about 6.8 meters. The account of Noah and the ark is told in Genesis 6-9. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. ² Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. ³ The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, ⁴ and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵ The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible."

Receding Floodwaters lit by natural sunlight from behind.

   
As you can see in the painting, the floodwaters are receding but have not disappeared. The ark that Noah built is still riding the waves of the flood with Noah, his family, and the animals inside. This sunlit version of Receding Floodwaters takes on a darker mood, surprisingly. It looks like the difference between day and night compared to the painting as it would be seen hanging on a wall in natural light, but it does illuminate distinctive shapes. Painting this piece in 2010,  what I remember the most is how hard the Lord made me work to complete this piece. The Holy Spirit lead me to paint multiple layers of color and then scrub off the paint at the end. This revealed hidden images beneath the top layers that I had not intentionally painted and are highlighted in the photograph above. Seek the Lord for the images He wants you to see and ask Him for an interpretation that applies to your life. 

Receding Floodwaters - Christine Nichols, 2010

Just for fun, I'm including a video of a replica of Noah's Ark built in the Netherlands. Before painting, Receding Floodwaters, I had not seen a replica of the ark or even knew anyone had attempted such a feat. Here's also a link for the real ark built by Noah believed to be in Turkey.

All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end - from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke. I pray that the Lord's message would go forth through the art and that Father God would be glorified. 

I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.

You can find more Christian Abstract paintings that the Lord has given me on my Facebook page, Christine Nichols-Art, in a Photo Album called FOR HIS GLORY. If you've enjoyed the art, you're invited to LIKE and SHARE my art Facebook page: STEEN ART.