JESUS WARN : But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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 into 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. Matt 24 v 36-39
Jesus warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Second Timothy 3:1–4 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah, we only need to watch the evening news.
What was it like in the days of Noah?
The biblical account of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Approximately 1,600 years had passed since the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26–27). As the earth’s population exploded in number, it also exploded with evil. Long forgotten was the righteous sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:4) as “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verses 11 and 12 say, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 8).
When Jesus described the events that will surround His second coming, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God. Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), meaning he had spent years warning his friends and neighbors what the Holy God was about to do. No one listened.
The depravity and ungodly lifestyles of the entire world at that time were enough to cause the Lord to “regret that He had made man” (Genesis 6:6). Many scholars believe that part of the need to destroy every human being except Noah and his family was the sin mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4, when “the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.” As evil reproduced and overtook the world, the most merciful act God could perform was to start over.
It is interesting that God allowed Noah nearly one hundred years to complete the building of the ark. Through all that time, God patiently waited (1 Peter 3:20). Scripture seems to imply that Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry. Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God.
Is this currently happening around us ? Yes . Maranatha Jesus is Coming soon !
ARTICLE IN AFRIKAANS
JESUS WAARSKU: Maar van daardie dag en uur weet niemand nie, ook nie die engele van die hemel nie, maar my Vader alleen.
Maar soos die dae van Noag was, so sal ook die koms van die Seun van die mens wees.
Want soos in die dae wat voor die sondvloed was, het hulle geëet en gedrink, getrou en in die huwelik gegee, tot op die dag dat Noag in die ark ingegaan het,
En dit het nie geweet totdat die vloed gekom en hulle almal weggeneem het nie; so sal ook die koms van die Seun van die mens wees. Matt 24 v 36-39
Jesus het ons gewaarsku om “gereed te wees, want die Seun van die mens kom op ‘n uur dat julle Hom nie verwag nie.” Tweede Timoteus 3:1–4 gee vir ons ‘n duidelike beeld van die toestand van die wêreld voor Jesus se koms en beskryf heel waarskynlik ook die wêreld in die dae van Noag. Daardie vers sê: “Maar let op: Daar sal verskriklike tye wees in die laaste dae. Mense sal liefhebbers van hulself wees, liefhebbers van geld, grootpraterig, trots, beledigend, ongehoorsaam aan hul ouers, ondankbaar, onheilig, sonder liefde, onvergewensgesind, lasterlik, sonder selfbeheersing, brutaal, nie liefhebbers van die goeie nie, verraderlik, oorhaastig, verwaand, liefhebbers van plesier eerder as liefhebbers van God.” Dit word al hoe duideliker dat, om te verstaan hoe die wêreld in die dae van Noag was, ons net na die aandnuus hoef te kyk.
Hoe was dit in die dae van Noag?
Die Bybelse verslag van Noag begin in Genesis 6. Ongeveer 1 600 jaar het verloop sedert die skepping van Adam en Eva (Genesis 1:26–27). Soos die aarde se bevolking in getal ontplof het, het dit ook met boosheid ontplof. Lank vergeet was die regverdige offer van Abel (Genesis 4:4) aangesien “die Here gesien het dat die boosheid van die mens groot was op die aarde, en dat al die gedagtes van sy hart gedurigdeur net sleg was” (Genesis 6:5). ). Verse 11 en 12 sê: “Nou was die aarde verdorwe in God se oë, en die aarde was vol geweld. En God het die aarde gesien, en kyk, dit was verdorwe, want alle vlees het hulle weg op die aarde verderf.” “Noag het egter genade gevind in die oë van die Here” (vers 8).
Toe Jesus die gebeure beskryf wat Sy wederkoms sal omring, het Hy gesê: “Net soos dit was in die dae van Noag, so sal dit wees in die dae van die Seun van die mens. Hulle het geëet en gedrink en getrou en in die huwelik gegee, tot die dag toe Noag in die ark ingegaan het, en die sondvloed het gekom en hulle almal vernietig” (Luk 17:26–27). Jesus het daarop gewys dat, hoewel die mense van Noag se dag totaal verdorwe was, hulle nie die minste daaroor bekommerd was nie. Hulle het die gebeure van hul lewens voortgesit sonder ‘n enkele gedagte aan die oordeel van God. Noag word beskryf as ‘n “prediker van geregtigheid” (2 Petrus 2:5), wat beteken dat hy jare lank sy vriende en bure gewaarsku het wat die Heilige God gaan doen. Niemand het geluister nie.
Die verdorwenheid en goddelose lewenswyse van die hele wêreld in daardie tyd was genoeg om die Here te laat “berou dat Hy die mens gemaak het” (Genesis 6:6). Baie geleerdes glo dat deel van die behoefte om elke mens behalwe Noag en sy gesin te vernietig, die sonde was wat in Genesis 6:1–4 genoem word, toe “die Nefilim in daardie dae op die aarde was, en ook daarna, toe die seuns van God het by die dogters van die mense ingekom, en hulle het vir hulle kinders gebaar.” Namate boosheid die wêreld voortplant en oorval het, was die mees barmhartige daad wat God kon verrig om oor te begin.
Dit is interessant dat God Noag byna honderd jaar toegelaat het om die bou van die ark te voltooi. Deur al daardie tyd het God geduldig gewag (1 Petrus 3:20). Die Skrif impliseer blykbaar dat Noag aan die mense van daardie tyd gepreek het oor wat gaan kom (Hebreërs 11:7). Hulle het Noag nie geglo nie en was tevrede met hulle boosheid en afgodery. Hulle harte was hard en hulle ore dof. Niemand het berou gehad nie, en niemand het omgegee om God te soek nie.
Gebeur dit tans rondom ons? Ja. Maranatha Jesus kom binnekort!