As The Days Of Noah Were, Perfect Picture of Today

Pastor Joseph Chambers * Paw Creek Ministries

The Ark Represents “Rescue” From Danger

The Second Testament writers made it clear that the ark was a Biblical type of “rescue” from the impending danger of that hour. The historic truth of this event was unquestionable to these Holy Ghost inspired writers. Peter stated, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:20)

The word that Peter used in his original Greek language suggested “rescue” and “escape.” Noah and his family were about to perish with the horde of godless men and women that populated the earth. The Heavenly Father expressed grace or unmerited favor toward Noah and spoke to him to build the vessel of that grace for his deliverance. The grace and the ark were inseparable.

Again, Peter spoke of this ark, saying,“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” (II Peter 2:5) In this instance, Peter moves beyond simply escaping from the storm and gives the prophetic picture of a prophetic meaning. He stated that God “spared not the old work, but saved Noah.” Peter then moved to the type of the Rapture where the ungodly will be left to perish and the righteous will be delivered to His presence. Peter showed that the coming hope of the church is to be delivered from God’s judgment of the wicked. Peter proceeds to state, after noting that Noah and his family were saved (delivered), that God brought “the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” It has never fit the nature of God to judge the wicked and the righteous together. To consider such an idea is to completely miss the nature of our Father and His eternal relationship with His chosen family.

Apostle Paul Gives An Equally Beautiful Picture

The ark of God and the flood certainly played a beautiful part with the New Testament writers. It always appears to loom large in their minds as they considered the grace of God, the coming judgment, and the promise of escape by the Rapture. As Paul wrote to the Hebrews, he stated, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)

Paul mentions several points that we should consider. “Being warned of God of things not seen as yet” certainly suggests that this preacher of hope was viewing the total picture. No writer described the Rapture more pointedly than Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. Can we easily believe that he was thinking of the coming Rapture when he spoke of things “not seen as yet”? The words “moved with fear” are no less powerful. Then he declared that this ark was the “saving of his household” and the condemnation of “the world.” (These remarks do not fit the present day interpretations of Matthew chapter 24.)

Even so, I believe that the faithful saints of this generation that refuse to give up the expectation of His return to deliver from “judgment to come” are equally condemning this godless and hopeless world. No wonder many persons get angry when we will not cease to preach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the saints. Much of this church generation that have lost this Biblical truth are not even civil toward those who still hold to this “hope.” No subject that I discuss on radio causes the reaction, condemnation, and attack as does this wonderful subject.

Jesus Establishes The Credibility Of Noah

As Jesus taught His great Olivet Discourse, He places the story of Noah and the ark right in the middle of these transcending truths. There can be no question that the ark was established by the Lord as a type and picture of both the mood of the generation in which He would appear and the method He would use to separate the Godly from the ungodly. The very day of Noah becomes a descriptive picture of His day when He would begin the process of the end.

Jesus stated, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming 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 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. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:37-42)

The setting of this great statement has confused a host of the enemies of the Rapture as well as some who believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. He was certainly speaking to the Jewish people and warning of their Day of Trouble. Some of this Olivet Discourse deals with Israel and the Roman destruction in AD 70. Some of it deals with the Seven-year Tribulation as Israel shall certainly experience; but I’m convinced it also deals with the church and, especially, the hope of both born-again Jews and Gentiles in the beginning of the end. Just before Jesus speaks of Noah and the parallel of his day and type of the Ark, he states, “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36) This sets those verses concerning “one taken and the other left” apart as a parenthetical statement to describe our hope to miss the sorrows He had previously described. Hallelujah!

Let’s Analyze These Incredible Words Of Hope

Again, remember He has described a day of coming sorrow and great tribulation. The judgments He describes are catastrophic and terrible. The earth will experience great consternation and multitudes will be swept away in the flood of deception and destruction. But, there is hope for the watchful.

“But as the day of Noah was,” Jesus warned, so would the days of this coming hour be. We are to discern the time of this hour by the signs that we read in the seventh chapter of Genesis or in Noah’s generation. It is not too hard to see the perfect parallel. Every day our world becomes more like Noah’s world, if not worse. It is a time of fullness of bread, ample time for fun and frolic, an unprecedented preoccupation with sex, and an intermingling of the spirits of men with the spirits of the fallen gods (angels). There is also an incredible power and organization against truth as Noah preached and as His faithful servants are preaching today.

Two In The Field, One Taken And The Other Left

When you study this great text, together with the words of Paul in the book of Hebrews and Peter in I and II Peter, the truth springs to the front. Those eight in the ark were rescued, while the world was destroyed in judgment. Peter said, “saved Noah, . . . bringing in the flood upon the world.” Paul said that Noah “condemned the world and saved his own house.” There is no way to interpret this text and leave the righteous on the earth, while removing the wicked in judgment. It does not fit one other passage in Scripture that relates to the subject of the ark.

“Watch Therefore”

The closing statement of this great parenthetical teaching fully supports the escape of the righteous, “Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” The wicked certainly are not watching. He is speaking to the righteous for He continues saying, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44) We are to be watching and ready for the ark to sail again. Just before the storm shakes this earth, the Lord will appear to rescue His chosen that have found “grace in His sight.”

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