02/12/2020
END TIMES AS THE DAYS OF NOAH AND LOT
In Matthew 24 and Luke 17, Jesus gave us a clear warning and indication of what this world would be like near the time of His second coming. Looking forward to the time just before His return, Christ saw the scene of this world and it was a mirror of what it was like back in both Noah's and Lot's day.
Matthew 24:37-39 ...'But as the days of Noah 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.'
Luke 17:28-30 ...'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of S***m 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.'
So they were 'eating, drinking and building and marrying.' Do they sound like bad things? No, in of themselves, they are not bad. But the point Jesus is making, is that these things were the FOCUS of the people in those days. In other words, their lives were all about THEMSELVES. Their lives were all about self pleasure, indulgence, etc. There was little to no sacrifice and consecration to God. And yet what did Jesus say? ... "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment ... But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Luke 12:22-31). And what did the apostle Paul say? ..."Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body." (1 Corinthians 6:13). In other words, do not live for food, drink, clothing, money, building, marriage, etc. As these things will be destroyed. But LIVE FOR THE LORD! As He is the only way to true LIFE (John 14:6).
But it does not end there. Take a look at what else the Bible says people were like in the days of Noah and Lot.
IN NOAH's DAY - Genesis 6:5,11,12 ...'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in Days of Noah and Lotthe earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.'
Is the world full of violence today? Yes! Protests, riots, murders and wars rage across the whole world!
IN LOT's DAY - Jude 1:7 ...'Even as S***m and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.'
Is the world going after 'strange flesh' today? Yes! S***my is not only being legalized, it is being forced upon us!
The world in Noah's day was full of wickedness with the thoughts of men continually evil. The earth was corrupt and FILLED with violence. Love had surely 'waxed cold' in Noah's day, as it has throughout the world today. Also, we can see from Jude that in Lot's day, sexual immorality and homosexuality had taken control of the people of S***m. And Jesus tells us that these things would be COMBINED and all happening at once during the last days before His return. So does the day we live in fit with this description? YES!
Not only is this world today full of violence and sexual immorality, including homosexuality, with many nations now legalizing so**my. These evils have now been turned into ENTERTAINMENT! That's right! This world is now ENTERTAINED by the very things that God DESTROYED the old world and S***m for in Noah's and Lot's day! Just look at all the television programs and movies. They are FULL of violence, fornication and so**my.
Romans 1:32 ...'Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.'
2 Peter 2:4-6 ...'For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of S***m and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.'
Do you see what the LORD is telling us here? He made an example of the wicked people in Noah's day who were filled with evil and showed violence to one another by destroying them with the flood. And He made an example of the sexually immoral people in Lot's day who practiced homosexuality by destroying them with fire. It is a warning to us that we should not follow in their footsteps by practicing the same sins. Otherwise, we will be destroyed too when Jesus returns.
Oh that the scenes of iniquity practiced in these last days would make a deep impression on the minds of God's professed people. God's Spirit is now being withdrawn from this world and the angel of mercy is about to depart! Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! (Joel 3:14)
A WARNING FOR GOD'S PEOPLE - A 'GREATER SIN' THAN S***M!
There is another description of what sin the people of S***m committed, and we find that description in the book of Ezekiel, the 16th chapter. Let us take a look at what it says:
Ezekiel 16:48-50 ...'As I live, saith the Lord God, S***m thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister S***m, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.'
There are two points to make here. God is speaking to Jerusalem - His people (vs.2-3), and God is saying that even S***m did NOT commit the sin that His professed people committed. Meaning, God's professed people committed a worse sin than S***m. And this is something that the majority of God's professed people today don't realize. But let us first look at S***m's sin above.
"Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."
Can you see the sin of S***m? It wasn't all about homosexuality. Yes, that was an abomination which S***m committed. But look at the ROOT of S***m's sin - LOVE OF SELF! Just look at how rich many of us are today and look at how little sacrifice we are willing to make for the gospel and for the needy. Do we REALLY BELIEVE in Jesus Christ? Well, what did Christ do?
Philippians 2:5-8 ...'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.'
THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD made Himself of 'no reputation, taking the form of man' and 'humbled himself, even unto death.' Do you see the SACRIFICE that was made for YOU? Well, do you see the SIN in then accepting that sacrifice and still living for yourself, being 'full of bread' and 'idle' and 'not strengthening the hand of the poor and needy'? Do you see the SIN in not making a sacrifice for the gospel message? It's time to wake up friends from our 'slumber.' It's time to wake up from our Laodicean condition, before Christ 'spues us out of His mouth' (Rev.3:16).
But what about God's professed people committing a WORSE sin than S***m, as Ezekiel 16 says? What did God's professed people have that S***m didn't? The LIGHT OF THE TRUTH. And what did God's professed people in those days do? Turned away from the light unto sin. So if God gives us light like the Righteousness of Christ and how we should live, and we turn away from that light, then we are committing a WORSE sin than S***m! Remember that!
Matthew 11:21-24 ...'Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in S***m, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of S***m in the day of judgment, than for thee.'
Just think about this sobering fact for a minute. There are many commentators that say the population back in Noah's day was in the millions. And yet only 8 people were saved! - Noah and his family. That's it! Just think about that, only 8 people truly trusted in God and followed His will. Being not that far from the creation account and Adam and Eve, there would have been many others who believed in God and 'in their own eyes' served God. But just as Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, not every one who says to Him 'Lord, Lord' will be saved, but only those who DO the will of God. Many people in Noah's day probably 'professed' to be 'God's people'. But they continued to live in wilful sin and idleness.
I'm sure that Noah would have preached to the people watching as he built the ark, warning them of the judgment to come. And 2 Peter 2:7 confirms that Lot 'vexed his soul from day to day with the unlawful deeds' of S***m. So Lot would also have been warning the people of S***m of their wicked ways. But neither groups of people would listen to the 'present truth' of their time and judgment came swiftly upon them unawares!
And the same is happening around the world today! The people are dull of hearing the truth!
"The fearful doom of S***m stands forth as a warning for all time, and especially for those who live in the last days. The destruction of S***m was a symbol of the destruction that will come upon the finally impenitent, when tempests of fire come from above, and fountains of flame break forth from the crust of the earth. The fate of this ancient city should be a warning to all who live for self, and who corrupt their ways before God. The sin of S***m is the sin of many cities now in existence, that have not been destroyed as was S***m. Ezekiel says, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister S***m, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw good." The warning that was given to Lot comes down to us who live in this degenerate age,--"Escape for thy life." [But] the voice of the tempter is crying peace and safety. The evil one would have you feel that you have nothing to fear, and bids you eat, drink, and be merry. Which voice will you heed, the voice of heaven, or the voice that lures you to destruction? The Redeemer of the world, the compassionate Friend of man, discloses to our eyes the fact that there is a sin greater than the sin of S***m. It is that of sinning against greater light. To those who have heard and have not heeded the gospel invitation to repent and have faith in Christ, the sin is greater than was the sin of S***m. To those who have professed the name of Jesus, who have professed to know God, and to keep his commandments, and yet who have misrepresented Christ in their daily life and character, who have been warned and entreated, and still dishonor their Redeemer by their unconsecrated lives, the sin is greater than that of S***m." (Signs of the Times, Oct.16, 1893, par.6-7)
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are living in the time Jesus talked about. A time like the days of Noah and Lot where violence, wickedness, sexual immorality, homosexuality, love of self and idleness would control the minds of men and women alike. Take a look around you, turn on the TV and you will see a world FULL of evil, corruption, violence and sexual immorality.
God's Spirit is still striving with man, to convict him of sin and to turn man to Christ Jesus through faith, to obey Him and keep His commandments. But as the verse in Genesis 6 says ... 'My spirit shall not always strive with man.' ... God will give everyone a chance, which He is doing right now, to turn to Him with all their hearts and to turn away from sin. But if they choose to continue to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the warnings from God's Word, then His spirit will be withdrawn and the day of judgment will come upon them swiftly unawares.
The majority of people on this earth are choosing the 'broad way' that leads to destruction. They say you don't need to keep God's Commandments. They say that we can worship God any way we like. They say it is ok to like the things of this world and be a friend of the world. They say that we need to include people from different faiths. They say that homosexuality is ok and God accepts them as they are. They say many things that are clearly contrary to the Word of God. Why? Because they walk after the flesh rather than the Spirit. The constant indulgence of sin that existed in Noah's day and Lot's day, exists today. But take a look at something else that is true for today ...
Matthew 24:38 ...'For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.'
2 Peter 3:3-4 ...'Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.'
This is also pointing to our day today. The world is full of people (INCLUDING professed Christians) who continue in their worldly lives as if nothing is going to happen. Also, there are many 'scoffers' today who reject the warnings of Jehovah and proclaim that 'all things continue as normal from the beginning'. And yet the signs are so clear that we are living right at the very end of time for this world.
We are living in the last days friends. NOW is the time to turn from your sins and submit your life to Christ Jesus.
Remember, only 8 people were saved in the days of Noah, and Jesus confirmed that only few will be saved in the end (Matthew 7:14). Will you heed the warning? Will you be ready for that 'great and dreadful day' when our Lord returns? Will you be with the saints at the end when Jesus returns?
Revelation 14:12 ...'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.'
If you are not a believer then please see our page What must I do to be Saved?.
If you are a believer then please see our page the Righteousness of Christ from our other website.
