Matthew Chapter 24

As in the Days of Noah, “They Knew Not“

VERSE 37-39 KJV “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence [Greek parousia] 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 Noah entered into the ark, and KNEW NOT until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.”

This is a really important lesson for all God’s true children to learn, it is not to be taken lightly. Make sure you fully understand it.

The real point of this illustration is overlooked by many who presuppose, without any authority in the Master’s words, that the similarity here being pointed out is the wickedness of Noah’s day and that of the day of Christ’s presence. But while such a comparison might have been justifiable and proper, the fact remains that such comparison was not made, but avoided.

The comparison being made is the similarity of IGNORANCE. Only Noah and his family knew; the people KNEW NOT, but proceeded as usual–marrying, planting, building, eating and drinking. Similarly, during the time of Christ’s presence in the end of this age, and while the great time of trouble is impending, the only ones who will know of his presence or have a clear apprehension of what is coming, or why, or the outcome, will be the Lord’s consecrated people. Others (i.e. the world, which includes the worldly or professing church) will “KNOW NOT.”

In this regards 2 Pet 3:3, 4 comes to mind: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His (Greek: Parousia, presence)? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

In Luke (17:26-29) the same lesson is taught; and both Noah’s and Lot’s neighbors are shown to have been ignorant of their impending troubles in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot, as people here will be ignorant of the coming trouble in the days of the Son of Man—AFTER he has come and IS PRESENT.

We see this clearly fulfilled about us today. Both the world and the worldly church are fearful and perplexed and KNOW NOT of the presence of the Son of Man (the day of their visitation), and/or of the “harvest” reckoning (i.e. the reaping work of the wheat and the tares) now in progress. Even though they may approximately surmise the trouble coming, they cannot guess the blessing that is beyond it.

“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man [ALREADY PRESENT] is revealed [made manifest–first to his watching ‘virgins,’ later in the trouble to all men]. 

“In that day (the day of his presence), he who is (a member of the nominal household, the professing church, but who resides) upon the housetop (those nearest heaven, the most devoted and consecrated ones), and whose goods (whose personal interests, possessions, viz. the honor and respect he may have garnered from others, friends, family from his being a member of said church) are in the house (connected to his membership in the nominal or professing church), let him not come down (delay his departure) to take them away (Leave all such things–sacrifice them in obedience to the Lord’s Word).

And likewise the (fully consecrated) one, who is in the field (In the world, not a member of the professing church), let him not turn back (feel obligated to join or become a member of one of the various branches of the nominal church). Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life [by compromises of conscience and staying in Babylon] will lose it, and whoever loses his life [sacrifice the interests of the present life] will preserve it” —everlastingly. (Luke 17:30-33)

Thus does Luke’s Gospel apply these words (already considered, foregoing) to the close of the Gospel age–“the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (D606-607 Edited)

And as it was in the days of Noah so… likewise also in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30.)

“For you yourselves (the wise virgin class, fully awake to the times and seasons) know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night (Gradually and stealthily, taking the world unawares). For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1 Thess 5:2, 3)

“Remember Lot’s wife!” is our Lord’s pointed warning (Luke 17:32). How slight would be the appropriateness of this injunction, if applied to those who fled from Judea in A.D. 70; but how intensely forceful it is as a caution to God’s people here, in the close of the Gospel age.

When we learn that Babylon is doomed, and hear the Lord’s message, “Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues,” it is indeed like the voice of the messengers who hastened Lot and his family out of Sodom, saying, “Stay not in all the plain; escape for thy life; escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed; look not behind thee.”(Gen 19:17)

The illustration is heightened when we remember that Christendom is “that great city [Babylon] which spiritually is called Sodom.” (Rev 11:8) Lot’s wife, after starting to flee as directed, “LOOKED BACK“; coveting the things behind: and so with some now fleeing from Babylon to the mountain (Kingdom) of the Lord; they are more in sympathy with the things behind than with the things before. “If they love the things behind more than they appreciate deliverance, they will have no part in deliverance.”

Only those who run the race to the finish who set their affections on the things above and not on the things beneath are to be delivered. The perseverance of the saints springs from a full consecration of heart; all others will fail so to run as to obtain the great prize.

One Taken and another Left

“I tell you that in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.” (Luke 17:34–omitted by Matthew).

The Lord, through the Prophet, informs us that though the millennial morning draws near, a night also approaches. (Isa. 21:12) It will be a night of trouble in the forepart of which the saints will be gathered out of Babylon. The “bed” here, in harmony with Isaiah’s use of that word (Isa 28:20), may be interpreted to symbolize HUMAN CREEDS which are long enough for “babes“ in Christ, but too short for a developed “man” to stretch himself in it.

This is true of the various “doctrines of men,” substituted for but very different from the doctrines of God’s Word whose lengths and breadths surpass human knowledge. For instance, the doctrine of Election, as taught by our Calvinist friends is a quite sufficient “bed” to rest many who are only “babes” in Christ, whose senses have never been much exercised; but as in the light of present-day knowledge the babes get awake and grow in grace and knowledge, they will all surely find the old creed-bed too short for comfort; and as each attempts to wrap himself in the promises of God narrowed by an erroneous theology, he cannot satisfactorily cover himself; doubts creep in to chill him with fear that after all he is not certain that he and all his friends are of the “elect“; and by and by such developed Christians find it a relief to get out of such a predicament; and to such God generally sends the light of present truth to guide them to a large place of true rest supplied with abundant coverings for all who seek to know and to do the Father’s will. Others, however, the vast majority, remain quite satisfied and comfortable in their various little cribs (creed-bed or denomination), because they are “babes” and not “men” in Christian knowledge and experience.

“One shall be taken and the other left.” (D607-609 Edited)

Continued with next post.