THE BEGINNING OF WHAT IS TO COME: THE DAYS OF NOAH
This morning I want you to open your Bible with me to the book of Matthew as we continue our study on the beginning of what is to come. In speaking of the final generation, Jesus clearly outlined numerous signs and events that would take place before His return. Jesus said these signs would arrive on the world stage and they would act like birth pangs. He said these signs would converge together and that they would continue to increase in both their frequency and strength. And that is exactly what we are seeing today. We are seeing the beginning of what is to come.
Every single sign that Jesus gave is happening in this generation on an ever increasing scale and they will continue to escalate and increase until they reach their final fulfillment during the tribulation hour just before the glorious return of Christ. Jesus said when you see these signs beginning to take place; He said lift up your head for your redemption is near.
Over the past two thousand years the world has seen signs and events, such as wars and earthquakes and plagues, but our generation has experienced more fulfillment of Bible prophecy than in the previous two thousand years combined. No generation has ever passed through history like our generation.
In speaking of our generation, Jesus said
Matthew 24:33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it (My return) is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. NIV
Once these signs get started, they will not stop until everything is fulfilled. We are that generation. We must be ready for what is to come and the most important event still to come is the return of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important in all of your life than for you to be prepared in your heart for the coming of Jesus Christ.
In this series, we have already covered numerous signs that pinpoint this generation as the generation that will experience all the signs that lead to the fulfillment of Christ’s coming. But for today, I again want to show you another sign that is clear evidence that we are living in the final generation of Christ’s return.
Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. NIV
THE DAYS OF NOAH
One of the clearest signs of how close we are to the coming of the Lord is the sign of the days of Noah. Jesus said His return will be in a generation that would be just like the days of Noah.
Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when the Son of Man returns.”
What does He mean by that? How are the days of Noah a sign to our generation?
There are two questions here we need to answer.
First, is it possible that our generation is like the days of Noah’s generation, and second, is there any evidence that our generation is like it was in the days of Noah?
In Genesis 6, I believe there are at least seven similarities that match how the days of Noah are similar to our generation.
POPULATION EXPLOSION
Genesis 6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth… NIV
The first piece of evidence that is similar between our generation and Noah’s generation is the increase of population.
There is nothing wrong with an increase in population. God said to be fruitful and multiply. But, as the population increases so does the world’s problems.
In 1900, there were approximately 1 billion people in the world. Seventy-five years later in 1975, we reached 3 billion. In 2010, thirty-five later we have more than doubled the population at over 7+ billion, and it’s believed we will pass the 8 billion mark sometime in the next 2 years.
We are the very first generation since the days of Noah to experience a great population explosion.
Why is this important? It is important because as the population increases so does the world’s problems such as wars and famines and food shortages. For the past 20 years, scientists have been making dire predictions regarding the population explosion our world is experiencing.
THE INCREASE OF SIN AND WORLDWIDE JUDGMENT
The second similarity between our generation and Noah’s generation is divided into two parts.
First there is the great increase of sin and wickedness, and second how this great increase of sin leads to worldwide judgment. Both of these two similarities are found in only two generations of history; Noah’s generation and the final generation.
First, let’s look at the increase of sin and wickedness.
The increase of sin and wickedness became so great that we read in Genesis 6:5;
Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. NIV
That’s what God said about Noah generation and yet what God said about Noah’s generation clearly describes what we see happening on an increasing scale in this generation. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at what is happening all over the world to know that evil is growing and increasing at a rapid and staggering rate.
There is another very powerful point here that speaks directly to our generation.
In the days of Noah, the ungodly outnumbered the godly which allowed for the increase of sin and evil to increase at a staggering rate. How do I know that? How do we know that in Noah’s day the ungodly outnumbered the godly, and that wickedness covered the earth? Let’s look at two scriptures;
Genesis 6:12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. NIV
Now, compare that with;
Genesis 7:13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. NIV
What I want you to see is that out of all the people who lived on the earth, only 8 people believed God and were spared. That clearly tells me the ungodly far outnumbered the godly and again, as it was in Noah’s day, this is exactly what we see in this generation where the ungodly far outnumber the godly and when ungodliness rules then sin and evil and wickedness will continue to grow. Jesus said;
Matthew 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold… NIV
Jesus says the final generation will be characterized by a great love for wickedness, which means in the
final generation, the ungodly will outnumber the godly.
Now, at this point, someone would say, that sin and evil have been present in every generation and that would be correct.
But what is different about our generation from all previous generations is that the level of sin and wickedness in our generation is increasing on such a massive scale that it can only be stopped by the worldwide judgment of God just as He did in Noah’s day.
How did God stop the increase of unbending wickedness in Noah’s day? He brought the worldwide judgment in the form of a flood.
How will God stop the unrelenting wickedness of the antichrist in the last days?
The book of Revelation tells us that God will again bring worldwide judgment by pouring out on the earth 21 judgments that will ultimately end with the return of Jesus Christ who will forever destroy the power of sin and evil. That’s exactly where we are headed.
ATTITUDE OF PREOCCUPATION
The third similarity is the attitude of preoccupation.
Jesus said, Matthew 24:38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
I think of eating, and drinking, and marriage, as a gift from God. But Jesus implies these in a negative light, why? Not because these things are wrong, but because in the final generation many people allow these temporary things of life, to become the focus, and priority of their lives.
When comparing the final generation with Noah’s generation, Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah, the final generation would also be found enjoying the pleasures of life so fully that they will completely miss the signs and warnings of God’s judgment.
That is exactly what is happening with our generation. Our generation has experienced more signs and warnings from God than any generation in history and yet, the world is absolutely clueless to what God is doing and of what is still to come.
The main point here is that people will go about their daily lives without giving any attention to God or to His purpose for their life or to heed His great warnings of coming judgment.
Jesus warns against allowing things and the desires of this world to be the focus and master of your life. He warns us not to be so preoccupied with the cares of this world, but instead focus your life on the things that are eternal. The things of this earth, no matter how enjoyable they may be, will perish, but the things of God will endure forever.
THE MOCKING OF THE TRUTH
A fourth similarity that I see between Noah’s day and our day is the mocking of the truth.
As Noah preached to his generation of the judgment of God and the coming flood, the people mocked him. They laughed at him, mocked him, and ridiculed him.
They said, “We have never so much as seen a cloud much less water falling from the sky. Hey Noah, the sea is that way about a 50 miles.” They asked, why should we believe you? Why should we change? There is no judgment coming and you have no right to tell us that judgment is coming.
The Bible says that for over 100 years, God waited patiently as Noah warned the people of judgment (2 Peter 2:5). He kept inviting them and warning them, but they refused to believe and they refused to accept his invitation.
Compare that attitude with the attitude found in 2 Peter about our generation.
2 Peter 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days (Which days?) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. (Does that sound like our generation?) [4] They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." NIV
This generation mocks the truth, hates the truth, and is doing everything possible to destroy the truth.
This is another clear sign we are living in the final generation. It is amazing that with all of the undeniable signs the world still refuses to accept or believe the evidence that these signs are God’s warnings of the great judgment that is to come.
WICKEDNESS AND VIOLENCE
A fifth similarity that I see between Noah’s day and our generation is the increase of wickedness and violence. This particular similarity is interesting, because, it is also one of the specific signs that Jesus said would characterize our generation, as evidence that His return was near.
Listen to Genesis 6:5.
Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
[6] The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. NIV
In Noah’s day, the heart of man was constantly focused on evil. That’s what brings the judgment of God. Every generation has had its experience with evil and evil rulers. But when Jesus compared the last generation that would exist just before His return with Noah’s generation, I believe He was speaking of a time that would be filled with exceptional evil and wickedness. Just as it was in Noah’s day, in the final generation, men will be so wicked that they will refuse to repent of their evil deeds, even in the face of God’s terrible judgments.
Jesus said… Matthew 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…NIV
Jesus said the final generation would live without any regard to God and the truth of His word and would be characterized by an increase of wickedness.
Everyday our newspapers are filled with stories of murder, rape, assault, and abuse of every kind. When you move away from the truth and righteousness of God’s word, evil and wickedness will move in to replace it.
Paul also gave a detailed description of what man would be like in the days just before the return of Christ. Listen to his description.
2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. (Our world is not going to get better, but much worse.) [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,[4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. NIV
This terrible list easily describes our present generation. It describes the wickedness of man and the spiritual condition of his heart.
When Jesus spoke of the increase of wickedness and Paul wrote that the last day would be filled with
terrible times, I believe they were both speaking of what life would be like in the tribulation. What we are seeing now is just a prelude to what is coming. The worst is still to come. How bad will it be?
Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. [22] If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. NIV
Now do you see why I want to win as many people to Christ as I can?
Do you see why I encourage you to live your life for Christ?
Here’s the point that I want you to remember; if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you’re not going to be here for that terrible time of tribulation. But if you are not a believer and follower of Christ, you will experience the great terror of the tribulation.
LACK OF SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
The sixth similarity that I see between Noah’s day and our generation is the lack of spiritual preparation. When God brought judgment to Noah's generation, they were at the height of good times and no one was prepared or even expecting something to happen. Yes, they heard Noah’s warnings, but they did not listen or believe.
Matthew 24:38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; [39] and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came… NIV
I want you to hear clearly, what Jesus says here. Up until the very Day of Judgment, these people were living for the moment. Living for God was not important.
What truly disturbs me is that the world is racing toward the tribulation and judgment and is completely unaware that it’s coming.
Noah's generation had no idea what hit them when judgment came. Were they warned? Yes! Absolutely! Were they prepared? No! Listen to Jesus words to our generation…
Luke 21:34 "Be careful (be watchful, be prepared.), or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. [35] For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. [36] Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." NIV
The world is completely unprepared for the coming judgment.
Let me rephrase that; are you prepared for Christ’s coming? Jesus Christ is coming and what we see right now is just the beginning of what is to come.
If you are not living your life prepared for the coming of Christ, then you are out of the will of God. If you are not prepared to meet Christ, then it is very possible you will live through the most terrible time of judgment the world has ever known.
TIME RUNNING OUT
The seventh and last similarity that I see between Noah’s day and our generation is time. Just as in Noah’s day, time is running out.
After Noah entered the Ark, God waited seven more days to see if anyone else would enter. Finally, at the end of the appointed hour, God shut the door of the ark and the time for repentance ran out. Then the flood came and those who refused to believe; those who refused to repent were swept away and no one was prepared for it.
The door is still open for our generation, but very soon that door will close and once it does, terrible judgment will fall upon the earth.
Just as in the days of Noah, God is again calling out to you and to this generation to repent before time runs out.
Just as in Noah’s day, even so in our generation, time is quickly running out. Just as there came a final day when God closed the door of the ark, even so, there will be a final day that is given to you to turn to Christ and to be prepared.
All the signs are before us, telling us that the coming of Christ is very near and yet the world is celebrating like nothing is going to happen. Jesus said, “Watch out, be alert and be prepared,” because His coming will come at a moment when you least expect it. Jesus said His coming would be like a thief in the night and if you are not prepared, it will spring on you and catch you unprepared like a trap.
Are you ready?
IN CLOSING, ARE WE THE GENERATION?
With all the evidence of these signs, I ask you," Could Jesus be speaking about any other generation? The signs around us are not coincidence. God knew how the end would come about. His word of prophecy is His way of saying that He is God and that He controls all of history. God is allowing the fulfillment of these signs to warn you to get ready because He is coming soon.
There are over 300 prophecies of Jesus first coming and He fulfilled every single one of them. Jesus prophesied about the destruction of the temple and the fall of Jerusalem. In A.D. 70, His predictions were fulfilled to the letter. Since every one of these prophecies was completely fulfilled, then you can be very sure that Jesus Christ will fulfill all the prophesies of His Second Coming.
The final and most important point is this; are you living your life in a way that clearly demonstrates you believe Jesus Christ is coming? Are you living your life that demonstrates that you believe these signs are God’s warnings to the world and that His return is very near? How you live your life is proof of what you believe. Live your life for Christ, He is coming very soon.
Time is running out and today is your day to believe.
