Our Lord's Great Prophecy, Part 74

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Matthew Chapter 24

We return to Luke’s account once again.

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

Compare the “days” (plural) that Noah was present with the “day” (singular) that the Flood came and fire and brimstone. During the days Noah was present; he was building the Ark and preaching righteousness. Meanwhile, the world laughed. “So shall it be also in the days [of the presence] of the Son of man.”

Luke 17:27 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.”

There was nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and marrying—these were normal activities—but the people were so involved in these activities that they were ignorant of the impending Flood. They were too absorbed in the things of this life right up until the day the Flood came.

Note that a period of time is contrasted with a moment of time.

The contrast is not that Jesus would come suddenly, in one day. The point is that the TROUBLE, God’s vengeance, would come suddenly, in one day.

The period of trouble before the Flood when the fallen angels and their offspring oppressed the earth and filled it with lust and violence WAS NOT God’s wrath. God’s vengeance was the sudden Flood.

Luke 17:28-29 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Lot’s introduction into the narrative is significant. The days (plural) of Lot are contrasted with the day (singular) that he went out of Sodom.

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

Thus shall it be ... when the Son of man is revealed.” When the antitypical Flood comes, when God’s judgments are abroad in the earth, the people will learn righteousness” (Isa. 26:9). The judgments will enlighten man that something different is happening.

During the 120 years that Noah was building the Ark, violence increased every day. The fallen angels and their offspring brutalized and took whatever women they chose. Violence filled the earth. However, that violence was not God’s trouble. And so, the trouble today is man’s inhumanity to man, not God’s trouble. The Flood was God’s doing—He caused the ring of water to break as a divine judgment.

The people did what they wanted until the day the Flood came. Even the collapse of the nominal Church will not be God’s trouble. At that time the people will be hungry and enraged and will curse their king (civil rulers; government officials) and their God (religious leaders and institutions). The seeds of civil anarchy are being sown even today (If any can’t see this they are blind). Following the collapse of all governments, the people will look upward to God (the true God). Isa 8:21

The Son of man will be revealed to the world through supernatural trouble. Earlier the people will feel they are tearing down the religious and civil institutions, but God’s trouble, the climax—that is, Jacob’s Trouble, Israel’s deliverance—will clearly be of divine origin.

Luke 17:31-33 In that day (the day when the Son of Man is revealed), 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. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

The description is relative to matters due to take place after the Lord has come. The six preceding verses explain how he will be present in his days as the lightning--invisible, its presence recognized only by the thunder and the flashes of light which come from it. Present while mankind will be eating, drinking, planting and building; present, but unrecognized; but not long will it be so; his presence will soon be made known; he will be revealed in this day so that all shall recognize his presence and power.

First to recognize him (to recognize his invisible presence) will be the "little flock" soon to be made His Bride, otherwise called his friends, from whom he hides no good thing, but reveals to them all things and shows them not only things present but also "things to come." These will know first the blessed news of the presence of the heavenly Bridegroom; then by-and-by as the judgments begin to come, first on the nominal church and then on the world, all men will come to know of his presence, for He shall be "REVEALED in flaming fire." (Great and notable judgments)

We find from our lamp--God's word--that the Bridegroom has come, is now present, consequently the revealing of his presence has commenced; it is revealed to us through the "sure word of prophecy" thus we need not wait to see it in the light of flaming judgments. Seeing, then, that we are living in the day of revealing, it is due time that we should understand our text which treats of matters due to transpire here and now; let us therefore give heed to our text and obey its teachings.” (Excerpts taken from R 228)

We will continue with our look at Luke 17:31-33 in our next post.

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