Our World like the days of Noah

October 2004 article by Andrew Pritchard

September, a month where in Britain summer turns to autumn and the dark hours become longer than the light ones. For most their main holidays have come and gone. For children it is back to school, and the quieter roads of the summer months are jammed packed again.

As a result psychologists, among others, have stated that September is one of the least happy months for many people and as we have moved into the early years of this century it seems to have become an even sadder month. September 11^th 2001 is a date etched on mind and history, but it has not stopped there. This September of 2004 has seen a further darkness cast over the world. Bus bombings in Israel, further and higher levels of bombings and local fighting in Iraq, hostage taking in that same country and the pleading of life to world leaders, and who can forget the children at the school in Beslan, southern Russia. Also, on the streets of the capital, London, we saw attacks on the British government like the clash between police and fox hunters, and the protests of ‘fathers for justice’. Yes, September 2004 has been a black month.

The world we live in his echoes to the past, specifically to a time recorded clearly in the early pages of the Bible. In Genesis chapter 6, verses 11 & 12 we read:

‘The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth’.

Jesus speaks of this in the context of the prophecy of His second coming. He says in Matthew 24 v 37:

‘But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be’.

Jesus is clearly teaching us that the world He will return to, to change and establish God’s Kingdom, will be a world that is filled with violence. Just as the events of this September, it is evidence to me that we live in that type of world, and is therefore an obvious sign that the return of Jesus is getting much closer. Jesus adds in verse 34:

‘For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until that day that Noah entered the ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be’.

Jesus is saying here that for the most part people will be carrying on their lives with little or no thought for God, prior to His coming. We see this in the world today. Not only do we see the violence as prophesied but people in the main do not turn to the true God or read His word, the Bible, and are certainly not looking for the return of His Son, Jesus – in fact many mock at this very claim. Peter writes of this also in 2 Peter 3, from verse 3:

‘Knowing this, that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of His coming?’

In verses 5 and 6 Peter writes about people willingly ignoring, or even mocking the events of Noah and the flood that destroyed the then-known world. Again in the main, that is the world we live in. People scoff at the very thought of Jesus’ return and dismiss or even mock the idea of the Bible record of the flood, or at the very least ignore that it every happened, let along its meaning and message to us.

The warnings are clear. As we have seen, Jesus said that as was the attitude of the world in Noah’s day when people ignored Noah and mocked at the warning of a flood that was to destroy them, so will be the world’s attitude when He returns. We have highlighted also what Peter writes about this attitude. He further states in 2 Peter 3 vs 7 and 10:

‘But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly man’.

‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned’.

While these verses have a symbolic, political systems connotation, they are also literal, for great judgements will come from God upon this world at the time of Jesus’ return. Jesus will come suddenly, and as in the days of Noah there was a flood, this time there will be a judgement by fire.

The conditions of this world are the same as in Noah’s day – violence and corruption before God, ignorance and mocking of His word and promises. They are a sign of the return of Jesus. In Noah’s day it was a flood, at Jesus’ return judgement of the world will be by fire. We have been warned. We have a choice – follow the ways of this world and suddenly great judgement will come upon us, or follow God’s way and believe in His word the Bible and therefore receive the true hope of His kingdom to be established by Jesus upon this earth, a kingdom of peace and righteousness for ever. The words of God through Moses to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 30 are very apt here:

verse 15: ‘I have set before thee this day, life and good, and death and evil’.

verse 19: ‘I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both thee and thy seed may live’.

We must, therefore, decide now before it is too late!