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. 6:3 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, 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. 6:5. 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 4:7. "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. 24:21.
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, 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. 17:9), 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. 13:11. "His blood is required." Gen. 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 5:24. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.