"As It Was in the Days of Noah" Luke 17:26

UK 17:26{The state of the world today is very similar to the days of Noah, when men had corrupted their ways so that "the earth was filled with violence" and God had to pronounce judgment upon it.

God warned them, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man.... I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy." Gen. 6:3³And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:3) and 7:4. But men would not listen then and they do not listen now.

Referring back to this, the Lord Jesus said, "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day the Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Matt. 24:38, 39³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:38‑39).

Probably men thought the days of Noah were days of wonderful progress. Many of the wise men of this age would have said, Oh no, Noah, you are quite mistaken; it is only your opinion. You had better give up your working on that great ship, and stop preaching such peculiar views. Come and enjoy yourself, man, and don't be such a narrow-minded bigot; do you think everybody is wrong but you?

In Noah's day "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth." Gen. 6:5⁵And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5). The flood came and destroyed them all except for those who took refuge with Noah inside the ark. Every soul that was not shut in with Noah was shut out. There was then no hope; it was too late!

Today, also, He sees all the vile atrocities committed each day. Soon His judgment will fall and the world will be taken with as great surprise as it was in Noah's day. Only those who have taken shelter in the blessed Savior will escape.

God is speaking loudly to men. "The end of all things is at hand." 1 Peter 4:7⁷But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7). "For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8⁸Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8).

As terrible as wars are, they are only the preliminaries to what is just ahead, (not a great flood as in Noah's day, but something far worse) the "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Matt. 24:21²¹For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21).

Earth, what a sorrow lies before you—

None like it in the shadowy past!

The Man of Calvary, now the gracious Savior in the glory, will come again in all the power and majesty of His eternal Godhead, in judgment upon those who have rejected Him! (2 Thessalonians, chapters 1 and 2.)

Thinking men realize that these are alarming times. Statesmen are baffled. "Upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity... men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming." Luke 21:25, 26²⁵And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Luke 21:25‑26).

The most privileged nations have in recent years become materialistic, pleasure-loving, and act in all respects as if God's existence had no bearing upon their course of conduct.

God gave man a mind, and he is using it to reason against God, and today more than ever, is inventing diabolical weapons with which to kill his fellow man!

For centuries men have tried in vain to patch up this poor world with education, reformation, legislation, and every kind of political government. But, since SIN lies in the heart of every man, as "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9⁹The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)), no amount of effort on the part of men can permanently remedy the world.

God has not forgotten that this world has murdered His Son, and it will soon have to answer for His blood. "I will punish the world for their evil." Isa. 13:11¹¹And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (Isaiah 13:11). "His blood is required." Gen. 42:22²²And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. (Genesis 42:22).

But until that moment, so near at hand, in grace He is still presenting Jesus the crucified One as the only way of escape. "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).