One man and a vision

Frans Gunnink chats with Johan Huibers, Dutch ‘Ark’-builder

 

Johan Huibers is now well-known as the self-employed Dutch carpenter who has built a working ‘Ark’ nearly half as long as Noah’s original.

Since opening for public viewing in mid-2007 in the Netherlands, many thousands of visitors have ‘flooded’ into the ‘Ark’. They’ve seen the cages inside with life-size animal models made of polyester, and watched videos illustrating Noah’s mission. They’ve enjoyed the displays which include a ‘flood demonstration’ for children, and such things as the walls of Jericho, a Galilean fishing boat (inset, opposite page), and the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus, to put the whole biblical picture in perspective for the visitors. Guides are available to answer questions.

International media covered the opening extensively,¹ and the website² attracts a lot of visitors. The Netherlands is a favourite tourist area for foreign visitors, and Johan’s ‘Ark’ provides the small country with yet another tourist drawcard. But unlike most others, this tourist ‘attraction’ conveys a powerful message. Visitors to Johan Huiber’s ‘Ark’ are fully confronted with the Bible’s truths, just as Johan intended. He says:

‘The people in the Netherlands have to be reached by the Gospel. That is the aim of the “Ark”. In the past most people went to church and heard the Word on Sundays. Now they don’t go to church anymore, so to reach them, God uses other means.’