Matthew Chapter 24
As in the Days of Noah, "They Knew Not"
VERSE 37-39 KJV “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence [Greek parousia] 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 Noah entered into the ark, and KNEW NOT until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.”
This is a really important lesson for all God’s true children to learn, it is not to be taken lightly. Make sure you fully understand it.
The real point of this illustration is overlooked by many who presuppose, without any authority in the Master's words, that the similarity here being pointed out is the wickedness of Noah's day and that of the day of Christ's presence. But while such a comparison might have been justifiable and proper, the fact remains that such comparison was not made, but avoided.
The comparison being made is the similarity of IGNORANCE. Only Noah and his family knew; the people KNEW NOT, but proceeded as usual--marrying, planting, building, eating and drinking. Similarly, during the time of Christ's presence in the end of this age, and while the great time of trouble is impending, the only ones who will know of his presence or have a clear apprehension of what is coming, or why, or the outcome, will be the Lord's consecrated people. Others (i.e. the world, which includes the worldly or professing church) will "KNOW NOT."
In this regards 2 Pet 3:3, 4 comes to mind: “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 (Greek: Parousia, presence)? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
In Luke (17:26-29) the same lesson is taught; and both Noah's and Lot's neighbors are shown to have been ignorant of their impending troubles in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot, as people here will be ignorant of the coming trouble in the days of the Son of Man--AFTER he has come and IS PRESENT.
We see this clearly fulfilled about us today. Both the world and the worldly church are fearful and perplexed and KNOW NOT of the presence of the Son of Man (the day of their visitation), and/or of the "harvest" reckoning (i.e. the reaping work of the wheat and the tares) now in progress. Even though they may approximately surmise the trouble coming, they cannot guess the blessing that is beyond it.
“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man [ALREADY PRESENT] is revealed [made manifest--first to his watching 'virgins,' later in the trouble to all men].
“In that day (the day of his presence), he who is (a member of the nominal household, the professing church, but who resides) upon the housetop (those nearest heaven, the most devoted and consecrated ones), and whose goods (whose personal interests, possessions, viz. the honor and respect he may have garnered from others, friends, family from his being a member of said church) are in the house (connected to his membership in the nominal or professing church), let him not come down (delay his departure) to take them away (Leave all such things--sacrifice them in obedience to the Lord's Word).
And likewise the (fully consecrated) one, who is in the field (In the world, not a member of the professing church), let him not turn back (feel obligated to join or become a member of one of the various branches of the nominal church). Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life [by compromises of conscience and staying in Babylon] will lose it, and whoever loses his life [sacrifice the interests of the present life] will preserve it” --everlastingly. (Luke 17:30-33)
Thus does Luke's Gospel apply these words (already considered, foregoing) to the close of the Gospel age--"the day when the Son of Man is revealed." (D606-607 Edited)
We will continue with this in our next post.
As in the Days of Noah, "They Knew Not"
VERSE 37-39 KJV “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence [Greek parousia] 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 Noah entered into the ark, and KNEW NOT until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.”
This is a really important lesson for all God’s true children to learn, it is not to be taken lightly. Make sure you fully understand it.
The real point of this illustration is overlooked by many who presuppose, without any authority in the Master's words, that the similarity here being pointed out is the wickedness of Noah's day and that of the day of Christ's presence. But while such a comparison might have been justifiable and proper, the fact remains that such comparison was not made, but avoided.
The comparison being made is the similarity of IGNORANCE. Only Noah and his family knew; the people KNEW NOT, but proceeded as usual--marrying, planting, building, eating and drinking. Similarly, during the time of Christ's presence in the end of this age, and while the great time of trouble is impending, the only ones who will know of his presence or have a clear apprehension of what is coming, or why, or the outcome, will be the Lord's consecrated people. Others (i.e. the world, which includes the worldly or professing church) will "KNOW NOT."
In this regards 2 Pet 3:3, 4 comes to mind: “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 (Greek: Parousia, presence)? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
In Luke (17:26-29) the same lesson is taught; and both Noah's and Lot's neighbors are shown to have been ignorant of their impending troubles in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot, as people here will be ignorant of the coming trouble in the days of the Son of Man--AFTER he has come and IS PRESENT.
We see this clearly fulfilled about us today. Both the world and the worldly church are fearful and perplexed and KNOW NOT of the presence of the Son of Man (the day of their visitation), and/or of the "harvest" reckoning (i.e. the reaping work of the wheat and the tares) now in progress. Even though they may approximately surmise the trouble coming, they cannot guess the blessing that is beyond it.
“Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man [ALREADY PRESENT] is revealed [made manifest--first to his watching 'virgins,' later in the trouble to all men].
“In that day (the day of his presence), he who is (a member of the nominal household, the professing church, but who resides) upon the housetop (those nearest heaven, the most devoted and consecrated ones), and whose goods (whose personal interests, possessions, viz. the honor and respect he may have garnered from others, friends, family from his being a member of said church) are in the house (connected to his membership in the nominal or professing church), let him not come down (delay his departure) to take them away (Leave all such things--sacrifice them in obedience to the Lord's Word).
And likewise the (fully consecrated) one, who is in the field (In the world, not a member of the professing church), let him not turn back (feel obligated to join or become a member of one of the various branches of the nominal church). Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life [by compromises of conscience and staying in Babylon] will lose it, and whoever loses his life [sacrifice the interests of the present life] will preserve it” --everlastingly. (Luke 17:30-33)
Thus does Luke's Gospel apply these words (already considered, foregoing) to the close of the Gospel age--"the day when the Son of Man is revealed." (D606-607 Edited)
We will continue with this in our next post.
