The speaker mentions "the stately ships go on / To their refuge under the hill" (9-10). These two lines refer to the majestic Ark that Jonah built to survive the forty days and forty nights of floods on Earth to free the world from its evils. The “shelter” by which the ships were protected parallels the protection God gave Noah and the other passenger during the terrible experience. The poet not only refers to the destruction of the flood but also emphasizes the optimistic future. He writes, “But for the touch of a departed hand,/The sound of a voice that is still” (12) as an allusion to the lasting effect of Jesus' words after his ascension into heaven. During his short time on Earth, Jesus spread many messages of God's word far and wide. However, the true lasting effect of the Messiah is how he influenced the world beyond his lifetime and after his ascension into Heaven. Since the death of Jesus, Christianity has become one of the world's most important religions and has affected millions of people. Jesus' voice may be calm, but the resonance of his powerful words spreads far and wide