Matthew Chapter 24

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence [Greek parousia] of the Son of Man be.” (Matt 24:37)

Here Jesus’ “presence” (parousia) is compared to Noah’s 120-year presence prior to the Flood.

Of course Noah lived for more than 120 years prior to the flood, 600 to be exact, however the comparisons was only to the 120 years in which Noah lived prior to the flood. It was then that the Lord warned Noah that, the end of all flesh had come before him (Gen 6:13).

“And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh (mortal: corrupt, corruptible); yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Verse 3 NKJV)

“Then Jehovah said, “My Spirit must not forever be disgraced in man, wholly evil as he is. I will give him 120 years to mend his ways.”(Verse 3 TLB)

The generally accepted interpretation of this text as explained by most translations is that it refers to the time limit or life-span God imposed upon man, a generation as was suggested in an earlier post, however there is another thought on this which we would consider that the Lord was not speaking about what the generational limit would be but rather was saying that that present age of mankind had but 120 years remaining before He would destroyed them from the face of the earth. Noah, then warned his scoffing contemporaries of this 120 years in advance of its occurrence, which of course they chose to ignore.

The brethren (Bible Students) have generally entertained various views upon this Verse and its implications. One such is the following exert taken from “Patterns for the Last Days”.

“This statement has interested some of the brethren in recent years, and as the harvest became extended beyond *the first 40 years, 1914, and then the next 40 years, 1954, it naturally is queried whether we may have here an indication of a third 40 years, making 120 years in all since the Lord commenced the harvest work at His return in 1874 A.D.” But of course things did not transpire as expected 40 years later in the autumn of 1994.

(*It was originally perceived that the Gospel Harvest would parallel the Jewish Harvest in duration, however this was an unwarranted assertion.)

“Our experience of recent history makes us only too well aware of the suddenness and unpredictability of important events. But the Lord’s people have learned to be cautious about any date anticipating the end of the Church’s course on this earth. It has never been to the advantage of the saints to know the day or hour of their change, and, earlier in the age the prospect of so long a wait for that blessed hope may well have proved discouraging. Nevertheless, it would appear that Noah received a precise warning, not only of the judgment impending, but also the date of its arrival (viz. 120 years from the time he was first warned by the Lord and instructed to build the Ark, Gen 6:13, 14).”

Likewise, during this harvest period the message of the returned invisible Lord continues to sound a warning of the future figurative flood or great Time of Trouble that is to immediately precede the inauguration of the Lord’s kingdom, and once again only the very few heed the warnings the rest like those in Noah’s day are either found scoffing at the news or just completely ignoring the issue altogether, but even so it is written:

“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 presence? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Pet 3:3, 4)

It’s not so much the world that scoffs at the message, most of the world is in complete ignorance of the issue, no it’s the so-called professed people of God, the professing church which scoffs, mocks and derides the message of the returned Lord. They have their own ideas and plans for the Lord’s return and are not willing to heed the Word of the Lord on the matter, this unfortunately to their own loss.

Returning to Luke’s account once again.

Luke 17:26 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.”

Compare the “days” (plural) that Noah was present with the “day” (singular) that the Flood came and fire and brimstone. During the days Noah was present; he was building the Ark and preaching righteousness. Meanwhile, the world laughed. “So shall it be also in the days [of the presence] of the Son of man.”

Luke 17:27 “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

There was nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and marrying—these were normal activities—but the people were so involved in these activities that they were ignorant of the impending Flood. They were too absorbed in the things of this life right up until the day the Flood came.

Note that a period of time is contrasted with a moment of time.

The contrast is not that Jesus would come suddenly, in one day. The point is that the TROUBLE, God’s vengeance, would come suddenly, in one day.

The period of trouble before the Flood when the fallen angels and their offspring oppressed the earth and filled it with lust and violence WAS NOT God’s wrath. God’s vengeance was the sudden Flood.

Luke 17:28, 29 “Likewise also as it was 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.”

Lot’s introduction into the narrative is significant. The days (plural) of Lot are contrasted with the day (singular) that he went out of Sodom.

Luke 17:30 “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

“Thus shall it be … when the Son of man is revealed.” When the antitypical Flood comes, when God’s judgments are abroad in the earth, the people will learn righteousness” (Isa. 26:9). The judgments will enlighten man that something different is happening.

During the 120 years that Noah was building the Ark, violence increased every day. The fallen angels and their offspring brutalized and took whatever women they chose. Violence filled the earth. However, that violence was not God’s trouble. And so, the trouble today is man’s inhumanity to man, not God’s trouble. The Flood was God’s doing—He caused the ring of water to break as a divine judgment.

The people did what they wanted until the day the Flood came. Even the collapse of the nominal Church will not be God’s trouble. At that time the people will be hungry and enraged and will curse their king (civil rulers; government officials) and their God (religious leaders and institutions). The seeds of civil anarchy are being sown even today (If any can’t see this they are blind). Following the collapse of all governments, the people will look upward to God (the true God). Isa 8:21

The Son of man will be revealed to the world through supernatural trouble. Earlier the people will feel they are tearing down the religious and civil institutions, but God’s trouble, the climax—that is, Jacob’s Trouble, Israel’s deliverance—will clearly be of divine origin.

Luke 17:31-33 “In that day (the day when the Son of Man is revealed), he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

“The description is relative to matters due to take place after the Lord has come. The six preceding verses explain how he will be present in his days as the lightning–invisible, its presence recognized only by the thunder and the flashes of light which come from it. Present while mankind will be eating, drinking, planting and building; present, but unrecognized; but not long will it be so; his presence will soon be made known; he will be revealed in this day so that all shall recognize his presence and power.

First to recognize him (to recognize his invisible presence) will be the “little flock” soon to be made His Bride, otherwise called his friends, from whom he hides no good thing, but reveals to them all things and shows them not only things present but also “things to come.” These will know first the blessed news of the presence of the heavenly Bridegroom; then by-and-by as the judgments begin to come, first on the nominal church and then on the world, all men will come to know of his presence, for He shall be “REVEALED in flaming fire.” (Great and notable judgments)

We find from our lamp–God’s word–that the Bridegroom has come, is now present, consequently the revealing of his presence has commenced; it is revealed to us through the “sure word of prophecy” thus we need not wait to see it in the light of flaming judgments. Seeing, then, that we are living in the day of revealing, it is due time that we should understand our text which treats of matters due to transpire here and now; let us therefore give heed to our text and obey its teachings.” (Excerpts taken from R 228)

We will continue with our look at Luke 17:31-33 in our next post.