I. The Raven
And he sent forth a raven,
which went forth to and fro,
until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Genesis 8:7
The Raven was sent out & never returned to the ark.
The Raven represents Lucifer, sent out first to the earth where he would stay.
The Raven is a scavenger bird
as Lucifer scavenges for the souls of earth.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth,
Revelation 12:9
a) First Trip / 1st Advent
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
Genesis 8:8,9
The Dove represents Christ. Notice on its first trip it found no place to rest the foot
---as Christ found no place to rest His head.... .
And it was Noah (God) who reached out and the pulled the Dove (Christ)
back into the ark (Heaven).
...but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Luke 9:58
b) Second Trip / 2nd Advent
....and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off:
Genesis 8:10,11
After the 2nd Advent of Christ, He returns to heaven
with His people...
represented by an olive branch... for Paul compares
the people of God to an olive branch.
...how much more shall these,
which be the natural branches,
be graffed into their own olive tree?
Romans 11:23
C) Third Trip / 3rd Advent
....and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
Genesis 8:12
The dove didn't return from the 3rd trip.
The 3rd time Christ leaves Heaven for earth,
The 3rd time Christ leaves Heaven for earth,
He stays here. For He brings down the City of the New Jerusalem.
And he carried me away
in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
and shewed me that great city,
the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God,
Revelation 21:10