The days of Noah

Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV) 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:37 The coming of the Son of Man. Jesus’ statements about “the coming of the Son of Man” have a double reference: (1) to the first stage of his coming at an unknown and unexpected time to take his followers to heaven (i.e., the rapture of the church: see v. 42, notes; Jn 14:3, note; Rev 3:10, note; see article on The Rapture) and (2) to the second stage of his return after the tribulation, when he will destroy the wicked and gather all the righteous into his kingdom (Rev 19:11-20:4). This double reference is evident as Christ describes three different categories of people in his illustration of “the days of Noah” (vv. 37-44). These three categories and their relation to Christ’s coming are as follows:

(1) Those who still refuse to accept Christ during the terrible tribulation are represented by the victims of the flood in Noah’s day. Because they do not know the time of Christ’s return, they will be unprepared and destroyed in the end (vv. 38-39, 43; cf. Lk 17:26-28). This is the second stage of Christ’s return—the one occurring after the tribulation.

(2) Those who do accept Christ during the tribulation are represented by Noah. Because of the signs of the end time, these believers will know almost the exact time of the Lord’s return. As a result, they will be prepared and saved (v. 27; cf. Ge 7:4; see article on The Great Tribulation). This too refers to the second stage of Christ’s return.

(3) Present-day Christians—the true church—living before the tribulation are represented by Jesus’ disciples (the ones to whom he is addressing his message). They will not know the time of Christ’s return to take them to heaven (vv. 42, 44; see Jn 14:3, note; cf. 1Th 4:14). Though some of the issues described in vv. 1-14 will be evident in society and in nature, there will be no specific and definite signs directly preceding the Lord’s return to take his faithful followers, both the living and the dead, to heaven with him (see 1Th 4:13-18). Christ states that his coming at this time will occur suddenly and unexpectedly (vv. 42, 44). Notice that Jesus compares the disciples (i.e., his faithful followers in the church) not to Noah (i.e., tribulation Christians) but to the flood victims (compare “they knew nothing,” v. 39, with “you do not know,” v. 42). In other words, people in the church will be like the flood victims in one sense: they will not know the time of Christ’s return for them, just as the flood victims did not know the time of the flood and were surprised when it came. The main difference, of course, is that Christians realize that Jesus is coming and will be saved from destruction if they are ready at all times (v. 44).

Fire Bible.

What was it like in the days of noah?

Genesis 6:1-9 (NKJV) 1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. 3 And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 4 There were giants 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. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Jude 1:6-7 (KJV) 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom 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.

2 Peter 2:4-9 (KJV) 4 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; 5 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; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Genesis 3:14-15 (KJV) 14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The Wall Street Journal of June 21, 1983, carried a disturbing article on vacant church buildings in Britain. The delicate debate as to what should be done with idle structures intensified when the rector of a parish down the road from All Saints Church "took the bells down from the tower." He proposed to melt them. Many citizens from Saltfleetby, England, were incensed, especially Mrs. Aegerter, who lives next door to All Saints and who sweeps and cleans the church regularly.

This thirteenth-century stone structure is said to be one of 186 old buildings the Church of England has "mothballed." They have created a "Redundant Church Fund," apparently waiting for a revival, a miracle, or a demographic shift in population.

Their contemporary poet, Philip Larkin, asked: "When churches fall completely out of use, what shall we turn them into?" He continues. Shall we keep "a few chronically on show … and let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep?"

Since 1969, church authorities have indicated that 908 churches are no longer needed; 247 of them have already been demolished, and another 475 buildings have been "converted" to other purposes.

When is a church redundant? Is it not possible for a so-called active congregation to be spiritually empty?