When the disciples asked Jesus to describe the signs of His coming and the end of the age, He pointed to many signs. But one of the most often overlooked is the idea that when He returns, the world will be “like it was in the days of Noah” (Matthew 24:37-41).
Does life today look anything like it did in the days of Noah? If so, we have yet another reason to expect the soon return of Jesus. So what were those days like?
We don’t need to guess. We know exactly what those days were like. Both the book of Genesis and Jesus Himself tell us.
The World in the Days of Noah
The Bible tells us that God looked upon the world in Noah’s day and saw corruption, violence, and wickedness (Genesis 6:11). In fact, humans were so wicked, they continuously thought of nothing but evil (Genesis 6:5).
As in Noah’s day, the world today is filled with wickedness, corruption, and violence. And while we may not yet be to the point where every thought of mankind is continuous evil (we can’t know what’s in everyone’s mind), a look at what’s happening in our world shows we’re very close.
For example, think of some of the degenerate and evil TV programs that invade people’s minds on a daily basis. Programs that portray murder, rape, torture, and sexual immorality of every kind. In fact, sometimes the commercials are worse than the shows. And that’s just television. When you think of all the other messages society assaults us with every minute of every day, how could our minds not be fixed on continual evil?
Our world is also home to a constant flood of violence. Less than two weeks ago, we witnessed the attempted assassination of former U.S. president, and current presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump. While this was a high-profile act of violence, most shooting incidents go unmentioned. In fact, here are some of the headlines from my local area as of the day I’m writing this article (July 22, 2024). I’m sure if you visit your own local news sites, you’ll find something similar:
Hampton Police Looking for Suspects in Connection with Shooting Near Aberdeen Rd 7-Eleven
Murdered Norfolk Man Remembered as a Former Marine Willing to Help Anyone
Double Shooting in Portsmouth: Police Investigation Underway
Suffolk Police Investigating Early Morning Shooting on Green Ash Court
Even mass shootings are ubiquitous. I’ve lived my whole life in Virginia, growing up in the City of Chesapeake and attending college at James Madison University. And yet, four mass shootings have taken place in areas I’ve frequented in the past:
1) On April 16, 2007, a mass shooting resulted in 32 people dead at Virginia Tech, a place I’ve regularly visited throughout my life.
2) On May 31, 2019, a mass shooting at Building 2 of the City of Virginia Beach Municipal Center resulted in 12 people dead. This is a building I once regularly visited as part of my work for a previous employer.
3) On November 13, 2022, a mass shooting resulted in three people dead at the University of Virginia. My wife and I were engaged on the steps of the Rotunda at UVA in 2005.
4) On November 23, 2022, a mass shooting resulted in six people dead at a Wal-Mart in Chesapeake – the city I grew up in. I had been to that Wal-Mart numerous times since the early 1990’s.
Do I bring this up to draw attention to myself? Absolutely not. I find it hard to believe I’m alone in my connection to the locations of multiple mass shootings. I know I’m not. Unfortunately, you can probably cite similar examples in your own life, which just goes to show – we live in a world filled with violence.
Why It Matters
Why is all of this important? Because Jesus said these same conditions will be present in the time just before His return. We see them, and this is just one of many signs that indicate we live in the season of the Lord’s return.
Do we see any other similarities between today’s world and pre-flood mankind? I believe we do, and combined with what we’ve discussed so far, we can know we live in a world that’s “as in the days of Noah.” Let’s look at three additional similarities between the world of Noah’s day and our world today:
1) The World Is Ignorant
The overwhelming majority of people on earth today remain ignorant of the coming rapture of the church, the seven-year Tribulation, and God’s impending judgment. Noah and his family were the only ones who prepared for the flood. The Bible doesn’t tell us what everyone else’s reaction to Noah’s ark building efforts were, but we can imagine his neighbors likely responded with mocking and ridicule. At the very least, they were indifferent.
In a similar way, people today ridicule those who look forward to the rapture of the church and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. And the Bible tells us this is a sign of the last days. Almost 2,000 years ago, Peter warned us. He said, in the last days, people will mock the idea of Christ’s return. He claimed they would say exactly what we hear today:
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’” (2 Peter 3:3-4)
Most people today don’t know what’s in the Bible. They mock what they think is silly, just as they most likely ridiculed Noah for building a boat on dry land.
In the days of Noah, people were unaware of the judgment about to take place. According to Jesus, they lived normal lives right up until the moment of their own destruction. They ate. They drank, and they hosted parties. The entire time, they remained ignorant of what was just around the corner. They were oblivious to the coming flood.
Likewise, the people of our world remain ignorant of, and oblivious to, the rapture of the church and the coming judgment of the seven-year Tribulation.
2) We Know What’s Going to Happen
Noah and his family knew the flood was coming, and they prepared themselves for it. How did they know? Because God told them. He directly told Noah He would destroy every living creature and wipe out everyone but Noah and his family (Genesis 6:13).
Unlike the mockers, if you’ve studied the Bible (and, in particular, bible prophecy regarding end times events), you know what’s coming – just as Noah knew the flood was coming. Why? Because God told you, just as He told Noah. He may not have verbally spoken to you, but His Word reveals everything you need to know.
While the Bible says Jesus will come “like a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10) and “when least expected” (Matthew 24:44), it also says Christians will not be surprised. Here’s the full context of the passage (emphasis mine):
“But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)
Those who are alert and watchful recognize the signs. While the rapture can occur at any moment, and we can never know the day or the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36), we do have the ability to recognize the general timeframe or “the season” of His return.
After all, Jesus Himself said:
“When you see these things occur, look up. For your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28)
Like Noah, we’ve been warned. We can see the signs, and we know His coming is near.
3) We Will Be Saved
God saved Noah and his family. It wasn’t luck. God did it. Why? The Bible tells us because “Noah found favor with God” (Genesis 6:8). And the reason he found favor is because Noah was the only blameless person on earth – a man who walked in close fellowship with God (Genesis 6:9).
But how was Noah “blameless?” After all, the Bible tells us no one is righteous, not one (Romans 3:10). Noah was no exception. While Noah was not perfect in the eyes of the law, He had great faith in God. This is evidenced by his work on the ark for over 100 years, and the Bible tells us Old Testament saints like Noah were justified by their faith.
For example, Abraham was counted as righteous because he believed in and trusted in God (Galatians 3:6). So even though they lived and died before the crucifixion, the blood of Jesus still saved Abraham, Noah, and many others because of their faith.
Because of Noah’s faith, God saved him from the flood. In similar fashion, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, not only will you receive eternal salvation, but you’ll be kept from the coming seven-year Tribulation. Why? Because the Tribulation will be a time of worldwide judgment (Revelation 6:15-17), and there is no judgment for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Jesus also makes this promise:
“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.” (Revelation 3:10)
This is the rapture of the church, and it fits God’s pattern of past behavior. God spared Noah and his family from the flood (Genesis 6). He also brought Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah before He destroyed those cities (Genesis 19). Likewise, God will use the rapture to keep Christians from the Tribulation just as He used the ark to keep Noah from the flood.
Emerging and Converging Signs
All the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for are present in this generation. We see them emerging and converging. These signs include, but are not limited to:
Israel Back in the Land (Jeremiah 23:7-8; Ezekiel 39:28; Isaiah 11:12; Psalm 107:3; Ezekiel 20:34; Isaiah 11:11-12)
The Jewish People in Control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)
The Gospel Preached Throughout the World (Matthew 24:14)
An Increase in Travel and Knowledge (Daniel 12:4)
Arrival of the Exponential Curve (Matthew 24:3‐8)
Israel Surrounded by Enemies (Psalm 83:4; Psalm 83:12; Ezekiel 11:14‐17; Ezekiel 35:10)
Israel’s Exceedingly Great Army (Ezekiel 37:10; Zechariah 12:6; Zechariah 12:8)
The Rise of a United Europe (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17)
The Rise of a Global Government (Revelation 13:7-17)
The State of Mankind (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
Denial of the Signs (2 Peter 3:3‐4)
Yet even with all these signs, the world continues on as if nothing is out of the ordinary. This is just how the people of Noah’s day acted before the flood arrived and swept them all away. Jesus said we should expect to see the same thing before His return. The fact we do is yet another sign He’s coming soon.
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God's blessings for you Britt and family, I have to pray and read my Bible everyday 🙏. We are living in the last days. Our Nation and World is filled with violence and evil. We have a Savior Jesus Christ. We must pray and remember God's is in CONTROL..AMEN.
I meant to add in “our” conversation -that it was one me and my husband had.