IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

December 2009 article by Andrew Pritchard

In a blink of an eye is a phrase you might hear from time to time about something that has gone or happens quickly. Certainly a recent event in the UK seems to be appropriate to that phrase.

My family and I love visiting the Lake District- we holiday there 2 or 3 times a year, so know the area well. Back in May on one of these holidays, we spent a pleasant afternoon around Cockermouth. Cockermouth is more of a small shopping town than quaint village, but we found the array of shops interesting and different, a throw back perhaps to how towns used to be. The bridge over the River Cocker held a lovely setting and we stood on that bridge for quite a few moments taking in the scene. Little did we know and especially those who live there, that 6 months later all would change in a blink of an eye. The bursting of both the River Cocker and River Derwent in November has devastated the town, and we watched the news amazed and sad to see the street we had walked down so happily 6 months before covered in up to 8 foot of water and the shops we had visited damaged so severely by the flood. It was of course also sad to see damage elsewhere in the Lakes, Workington ass an example badly effected, and the loss of bridges and the sad loss of life of PC Bill Barker who was helping others to safety.

We were staying in Bassenthwaite in May, and outside the cottage we were staying was a brook flowing 6 foot down from the drive level with walls against the cut earth below flanking the gentle water. A gentleman was standing by the brook one morning as I passed to walk up the steps to the cottage. He asked me if the brook had ever overflowed. I replied that I was only visiting on holiday, but as it was 6 ft down and a gentle brook, I doubt it ever had. On seeing pictures of the flood in November, my wife downloaded some webcam pictures, and to our utter astonishment there was a picture of the cottage we had stayed at and the brook now as a river overflowing those 6 ft walls. I recalled the words I had said to that gentleman those 6 months before and considered what had seemed so unlikely in utter amazement, as if all had so dramatically changed beyond all expectation in a blink of an eye.

The floods in the Lake District had until the last moment been so unexpected. Whether as I had myself said to the gentleman those months before “I doubt it” or those in Cockermouth going about their daily business not ever thinking the whole High Street would be submerged, it happened and in a blink of an eye. They called it an event that happened every 1,000 years, certainly bridges that had stood anywhere from 100 to 300 years were washed away or severely damaged. Businesses were lost and infrastructure halted, peoples’ lives were changed and affected, all in the blink of an eye.

This made me think of our human frailty in and how we can all think that things will just continue normally day on day. As I look out of the window now out of my Midlands home a lorry has just pulled up to my neighbour opposite with a large delivery and it seems so normal and tranquil outside on a sunny winter’s day. It may have been no different for those in Cockermouth the day before the flood came, everybody going about their normal business no thought that disaster could strike and how vulnerable and weak we really are against such events.

On a much bigger scale than the floods in the Lake District was of course the global flood of Noah’s time. The events of that time were cataclysmic and probably far greater than we can ever imagine, certainly the geology of the planet for those who look, evidences the incredible effect this flood had globally. Just as now, in that time also people were going about their business. As Jesus said: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away.” Matthew ch 24 v 38-39

Yes it happened in a blink of an eye and no one could stand before it such was its power, no one of course except Noah and his family. Noah as the apostle Peter says, was a ‘preacher of righteousness’. As we read also in Genesis 6 v 8 -9 Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD- he was a just man and upright. It is important to note that as the Bible clearly state and the signs of the times evidence that there is another world wide cataclysmic event to happen. Jesus clearly says again in Matthew ch 24 that a world wide cataclysm will happen at his return:

“As in the days of Noe were so shall the coming of the Son of man be..... and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken the other left.” Matthew Ch 24 v 37-40.

What will happen? Zechariah ch 14, which speaks in prophecy about Jesus’ return highlights an earthquake. Speaking in v 4 about Jesus standing that day upon the Mount of Olives it speaks of the mountain cleaving in the midst, with immense geographical and geological changes. Also in Revelation ch 16 speaking in the context of the last days and the battle of Armageddon, we read in v 18: “there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great”. Also in Isaiah ch 2 v 19 and 21 we read: “ and they (people) shall go into the holes of the rocks and into caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

The Mount of Olives is on an earthquake fault line, and the changes as described in Zechariah ch 14, evidence a force that will have world wide effects. In truth everything will go off - earthquakes everywhere, volcanoes erupting all over the place, resultant tsunamis occurring. As in the flood of Noah’s time, no where will escape. If the recent events in the Lakes could not be stood up to, imagine what such a cataclysmic event would be and mean. In such an event who can be saved therefore?.. It is clear from the passages highlighted in the Bible that the world wide cataclysmic event in the last days, is the LORD shaking terribly the earth and bringing judgement just as in the days of Noe. Going back to what was said earlier about Noah - he was a righteous and upright man, and it was he with these attributes who was saved. We can learn from this therefore and think how we should live our lives now.

We read in Peter Ch 3 v 10 and 11: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night: in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness”.

The above passage gives us the answer. Not only do these verses give us more graphic detail of the judgements to come, but also how we should live our lives. The word conversation is also translated behaviour, so we should live our lives pleasing to good in behaviour and godliness, as Noah, righteous and upright, living as God would have us and reading His Word the Bible to understand His will and purpose. We have been warned a great judgement is coming and we read how we can be saved - for it will come in a blink of an eye and Jesus shall return, out of the judgements to be poured upon this earth, to establish God’s Kingdom and it is said of true believers: “hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign upon the earth”. Rev 5 v 10.

And so to conclude God’s judgements are coming, the world will be changes, we need to live in the way God wishes and respond now, an look forward to a place in God’s Kingdom upon Earth, for will it happen in a blink of an eye - are we ready?

“He hath showed thee O man what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God” Micah Ch 4 v 8.