When we have heard one end-time doctrine our whole Christian life, it is very hard to let scripture lead us on a different course. My inquisitive nature couldn't brush aside the many questions that surfaced for me - pieces of the puzzle just wouldn't fit. When we decide to let scripture change our mind rather than us making scripture fit our doctrine, truth and understanding appear. By defining the riddles, esoteric imagery and metaphorical language of prophecy of scripture the message within the symbolism emerges - no interpretation needed.
In the previous 5 blogs we have carefully provided scriptural evidence as to when the Thousand Year Reign with Christ on the earth begins. The last time we were together I asked, "What did Jesus mean when He said...and as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man? Let's see where scripture takes us for this answer.
So the Lord said...I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them...Gen. 6:7. By the time God made this declaration, He had endured violence, corruption, immorality and idolatry from His creation for centuries. Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, men followed after the tempter - Satan - who became their god - god of this world.
The lure of a glitzy, carefree, lawless world is irresistible, so Noah's society partied hardy and spent no time seeking God, or desiring to know Him. Nonetheless, God in His mercy would still give these people 120 years to repent, before they would face the consequence of their lawlessness. And the Lord said...My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years...Gen. 6:3.
Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations...Noah walked with God...Gen. 6:9. God found one man whose allegiance to Him was sure. God said to Noah...the end of all flesh has come before Me for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold I will destroy them with the earth...Gen. 6:13. God was giving mankind 120 more years to repent before He would no longer strive with them - no longer battle with them before they are judged.
Noah's society knew clearly there was a set time to get their act together, before dire consequences would befall them. God told Noah...Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make the rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch...Gen. 6:14. God gave him further instructions for building the ark and how to prepare for the flood that would be coming when his work was completed...Gen. 6:15-22 and Gen. 7:1-24.
Can you imagine the mocking and humiliation that Noah endured in 120 years for building a craft for the water when there was no seaport? They must have laughed and jeered that he was a fool, all the while, he was preaching for them to repent for the end of their world was coming via a massive worldwide flood. So God warned all people living on the earth at that time for He wants none to perish. If they perish it would their choice - not His. All He asked was for them to surrender their allegiance to Him - renounce the pagan gods - and He would save them from the judgment.
Then the Lord said to Noah...come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation...Gen. 7:1. After the 120-year building program was finished, and all the animals were on board, God invited Noah and his family to enter the ark, a safe place from His judgment against immorality and paganism. Sadly, only 8 people surrendered their allegiance to God and accepted His invitation to enter the ark of safety.
Once Noah, and his entourage were on the ark of safety...the Lord shut him in...Gen. 7:16. The rains came and flooded the whole earth...He destroyed all living things...only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive...Gen. 7:23. Remember, the warning from God that everything on the earth would be destroyed went out to all human beings in Noah's society - yet only 8 people repented, surrendered their allegiance to God, and were saved from the destruction.
They thought that the preaching of Noah was the babbling of a madman. Do you ever wonder what they thought after the flood waters began to rise, their cities disappeared, and the door of the ark was closed? Horrifying to me!
What was the trigger for God to shut the door of the ark and end Noah's society? It was the last person to walk onto the ark who surrendered their allegiance to God - the last one to accept His covenant. Now that we know what triggered the end of Noah's society, how does this parallel the end of the thousand year reign with Christ on the earth?
Remember...as in the days of Noah, so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. Studying about the days of Noah reveals how society will be functioning just before the return of Jesus Christ. But, it also reveals something else. By Noah's example, we know that the last human being to surrender his allegiance to God - last person to accept Jesus Christ as His Savior - will trigger the return of Jesus Christ - ending His thousand year reign on the earth. The saints will reign with Him in Heaven.
At His return...the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up...II Pet. 3:10 - just as in the days of Noah. Did you know that God told Adam that the earth would be destroyed twice - once by flood, the other by fire - according to the historian Josephus?
We began this series with Revelation chapter 20, but there is much more esoteric imagery to define and metaphorical language to translate, we must continue this study. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. What could this mean? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
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