Mercy had ceased its pleadings for the guilty race. The beasts of the field and the birds of the air had entered the place of refuge. Noah and his household were within the ark, "and the Lord shut him in." A flash of dazzling light was seen, and a cloud of glory more vivid than the lightning descended from heaven and hovered before the entrance of the ark. The massive door, which it was impossible for those within to close, was slowly swung to its place by unseen hands. Noah was shut in, and the rejecters of God's mercy were shut out. The seal of Heaven was on that door; God had shut it, and God alone could open it. So when Christ shall cease His intercession for guilty men, before His coming in the clouds of heaven, the door of mercy will be shut. Then divine grace will no longer restrain the wicked, and Satan will have full control of those who have rejected mercy. They will endeavor to destroy God's people; but as Noah was shut into the ark, so the righteous will be shielded by divine power.

Den tid var forbi, da den skyldige menneskehed kunne finde nåde. Markens dyr og himmelens fugle havde søgt tilflugt i arken. Noa og hans husstand var i arken, og "Herren lukkede efter ham". Der viste sig et blændende lysglimt, og en sky af herlighed, kraftigere end lynet, kom ned fra himmelen og svævede foran arkens indgang. Den massive dør, som det var umuligt at lukke indefra, blev langsomt svunget på plads af usynlige hænder. Noa blev lukket inde, og de, som havde forkastet Guds nåde, blev lukket ude. Himmelens segl sad på den dør. Gud havde lukket den, og Gud alene kunne åbne den. Således vil nådedøren blive lukket, når Kristus afslutter sin forbøn for skyldige mennesker, inden han kommer i himmelens skyer. Da vil den guddommelige nåde ikke længere holde de gudløse tilbage, og Satan vil få fuldt herredømme over dem, der har forkastet nåden. De vil prøve at udrydde Guds folk; men ligesom Noa blev lukket inde i arken, således vil de retfærdige blive skærmet af den guddommelige magt.