As it was in the days of Noah

Thursday, December 03, 2009

10:05 AM

Title: As it was in the days of Noah

Outline:

Text: Luke 17:26 (KJV)

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. [1]

[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Notes:

JESUS SPEAKS OF HIS COMING AGAIN

One of the greatest delusions of our time is that man is going to improve himself and his world; that he is going to build the Kingdom of God without God. He expects to bring in the Millennium without Christ.

Now the glorious day of the Kingdom was the subject of much of what Christ had to say. In fact, He emphasized the future—the change coming and His return. A liberal theologian of the past, who had been teaching that Jesus was an ethical teacher, got tired of being a parrot, and began to study the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He made the discovery (and he wrote a book on it) that Christ was an eschatological teacher, that His main subject was the future, His coming to earth again.

In this important section before us, our Lord warns His disciples not to be deceived concerning His return.

Now the return of Christ is in two phases. The first phase is what we call the “Rapture of the church” which is the taking away of true believers (detailed for us 1 Thess. 4:13–18). But in this passage He is talking about the second phase of His return, which is returning to the earth to establish His Kingdom. This will take place after the Rapture and after the Great Tribulation.

And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

And they shall say to you, See here; or see there: go not after them, nor follow them [Luke 17:22–23].

The first time He came, they failed to recognize Him because they were looking for a conquering Messiah to come and deliver them from Rome. Instead He came as a baby and lived as a peasant. The next time He comes it will not be in an isolated place like Bethlehem, but He will come in glory. Therefore He warns them not to pay any attention to those who say He is here or there—or who say He is coming at a certain time. This is one reason you cannot set the date of the coming of Christ.

For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day [Luke 17:24].

When He comes to this earth to establish His Kingdom, it will be as public as lightning. Compare this with His extensive discourse in Matthew 24.

But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation [Luke 17:25].

The cross was in the program of God. He went by way of the cross to get you and me. He outlined His program very clearly: He would suffer and be rejected by His people.

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man [Luke 17:26].

How was it in the days of Noah? What does He have reference to?

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 [Luke 17:27].

What is wrong with these things? Marriage is not wrong—it is right. What is wrong with eating and drinking? We must do this to live. Why does Jesus mention these things? Well, the generation of Noah was living as if God did not exist when judgment was imminent. Today men and women are eating and drinking (and not even marrying though living together), and they do not recognize that the judgment of God is out there in the future—when, we do not know.

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 Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all [Luke 17:28–29].

This is a tremendous thing our Lord says at this juncture. Lot is altogether different from Noah; yet there are similarities. None in Sodom were panicking, selling out their property and getting out of town. The stock market did not collapse because Lot said that judgment was coming. They simply didn’t believe it.

God would not destroy the city until Lot had been taken out of it. Neither will He bring the Great Tribulation upon this earth (which immediately precedes the coming of Christ to the earth) until He takes His own out of the world. It is interesting that He uses Lot as an example here, which He does not do in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. The reason is that in Matthew, He is answering their question about His coming to earth to establish His Kingdom. Here in Luke it is a wider subject. Sodom, because of her sin, stood on the brink of destruction, and the moment Lot left town, judgment fell. I believe that the minute believers leave this earth in the Rapture, the Great Tribulation will begin.

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

God has a people in the world today who are just like Lot in many respects. Although they have trusted Christ as Savior, they compromise with the world. Yet as believers they will be taken out of the world before the day of judgment comes. Today the world doesn’t listen to the church. As in Lot’s day, they think we are mocking.

In that day, 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 [Luke 17:31].

In Matthew’s account of the Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus labels this period the Great Tribulation.

Remember Lot’s wife [Luke 17:32].

She is an example of one who did not believe God. She had daughters and friends in Sodom. Probably they were having a bridge party that afternoon. She kept saying, “Let’s go back.” Why did she look back? She didn’t believe God would destroy that city. Therefore we are to remember Lot’s wife. To believe God is the important thing for us.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it [Luke 17:33].

This is one of those great paradoxes of Scripture. In that day there will be a great scramble to save their lives, but it will be too late. They are to be willing to lose their lives and just turn them over to Jesus Christ. Any attempt to save life in that day will avoid nothing.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left [Luke 17:34–36].

In the days of Noah, who was taken out of the world? Who was left in the world? This is not the Rapture He is talking about. This is, as in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:37–41, a direct reference to taking away the ungodly in judgment and leaving on earth those who will enter the millennial kingdom.

Notice that Christ implied that the earth was round—one will be in bed and another working out in the field. There will be night on one side of the earth and day on the other side.

And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together [Luke 17:37].

Compare this verse with Revelation 19:17. This is what we call the Battle of Armaggedon, which is actually the war of Armageddon, and will be ended when Christ comes to establish His Kingdom upon the earth.

McGee, J. V. (1991). Vol. 37: Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Luke). Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.). Thru the Bible commentary (214). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

F. Concerning the Coming of the Kingdom (17:20–37)

17:20, 21 It is hard to know whether the Pharisees were sincere in the question about the kingdom, or just mocking. But we do know that, as Jews, they entertained hopes of a kingdom which would be ushered in with great power and glory. They looked for outward signs and great political upheavals. The Savior told them, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation,” that is, in its present form at least, God’s realm did not come with outward show. It was not a visible, earthly, temporal kingdom which could be pointed out as being here or there. Rather, the Savior said, the kingdom of God was within them, or better, among them. The Lord Jesus could not have meant that the kingdom was actually inside the hearts of the Pharisees, because these hardened religious hypocrites had no room in their hearts for Christ the King. But He meant that the kingdom of God was in their midst. He was the rightful King of Israel and had performed His miracles, and presented His credentials for all to see. But the Pharisees had no desire to receive Him. And so for them, the kingdom of God had presented itself and was completely unnoticed by them.

17:22 Speaking to the Pharisees, the Lord described the kingdom as something that had already come. When He turned to the disciples, He spoke about the kingdom as a future event which would be set up at His Second Coming. But first He described the period that would intervene between His First and Second Advents. The days would come when the disciples would desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but would not see it. In other words, they would long for one of the days when He was with them on earth and they enjoyed sweet fellowship with Him. Those days were, in a sense, foretastes of the time He would return in power and great glory.

17:23, 24 Many false christs would arise, and rulers would announce that the Messiah had come. But His followers were not to be deceived by any such false alarms. Christ’s Second Advent would be as visible and unmistakable as the lightning which streaks from one part of the sky to the other.

17:25 Again the Lord Jesus told the disciples that before any of this could come to pass, He Himself would suffer many things and be rejected by that generation.

17:26, 27 Turning back to the subject of His coming to reign, the Lord taught that the days immediately preceding that glorious event would be like the days of Noah. People ate, they drank, they married, and were given in marriage. These things are not wrong; they are normal, legitimate human activities. The evil was that men lived for these things and had no thought or time for God. After Noah and his family entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed the rest of the population. So the Second Coming of Christ would mean judgment for those who reject His offer of mercy.

17:28–30 Again, the Lord said that the days preceding His Second Advent would be similar to those of Lot. Civilization had advanced somewhat by that time; men not only ate and drank, but they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. It was man’s effort to bring in a golden era of peace and prosperity without God. On the very day that Lot, his wife and daughters went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed the wicked city. So will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Those who concentrate on pleasure, self-gratification, and commerce will be destroyed.

17:31 It will be a day when attachment to earthly things will imperil a man’s life. If he is on the housetop, he should not try to salvage any possessions from his house. If he is out in the field, he should not turn back to his house. He should flee from those places where judgment is about to fall.

17:32 Although Lot’s wife was taken almost by force out of Sodom, her heart remained in the city. This was indicated by the fact that she turned back. She was out of Sodom, but Sodom was not out of her. As a result, God destroyed her by turning her into a pillar of salt.

17:33 Whoever seeks to save his life by caring only for physical safety, but not caring for his soul, will lose it. On the other hand anyone who loses his life during this period of tribulation because of faithfulness to the Lord will actually preserve it for all eternity.

17:34–36 51 The Lord’s coming will be a time of separation. Two men will be sleeping in one bed. One will be taken away in judgment. The other, a believer, will be spared to enter Christ’s kingdom. Two women will be grinding together; the one, an unbeliever, will be taken away in the storm of God’s wrath; the other, a child of God, will be spared to enjoy millennial blessings with Christ.

Incidentally, verses 34 and 35 accord with the rotundity of the earth. The fact that it will be night in one part of the earth and day in another, as indicated by the activities mentioned, displays scientific knowledge not discovered till many years later.

17:37 The disciples fully understood from the Savior’s words that His Second Advent would be catastrophic judgment from heaven on an apostate world. So they asked the Lord where this judgment would fall. His answer was that wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. The eagles or vultures symbolize impending judgments. The answer therefore is that judgments would swoop down on every form of unbelief and rebellion against God, no matter where found.

In chapter 17, the Lord Jesus had warned the disciples that afflictions and persecutions lay ahead. Before the time of His glorious appearing, they would be required to go through deep trials. By way of preparation, the Savior gives further instruction concerning prayer. In the following verses, we find a praying widow, a praying Pharisee, a praying tax-collector, and a praying beggar.

51 (17:34–36) Both the oldest and the majority of mss. lack v. 36, which means it is most likely not authentic.

MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Lk 17:20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.