“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: “They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:26-30 NKJV
I'm willing to bet that most of us in the Church, the body of Christ, have heard the expression "just as in the days of Noah" in regards to the rapture of the Church and just how close so many believe we are to that event occurring. It has been used by numerous people to describe where the world seems to be today, the direction our society is going, and the needed judgment this world deserves. Yet while I would not disagree with those thoughts, I feel it important to point out that when discussing these times, Jesus felt the need to use two examples for illustration and I believe a closer examination reveals that there is an important difference between them.
While it might be safe to say that believers in the world today are in the minority, I think it is also safe to say that most everyone, including unbelievers, are familiar with the story of Noah and the Flood. Somehow the judgment of the entire world by a flood is a story that is almost universally understood and recognized. You will, of course, notice I did not go so far as to say "believed", yet somehow this story is still talked about today, and even referenced at times in the secular world. Not so much, though, is the story of Lot and his family. While still familiar with many, it is not given as much attention as Noah's story, yet Jesus chose to use it and include it when revealing what is to about to occur.
The context of Jesus' words in Luke 17 refer to answering questions from the Pharisees in regards to the coming kingdom of God. Jesus tells them simply that the kingdom they are looking for is not an external one, but one that lives within. He then turns to His disciples and seemingly changes the subject by beginning to speak about the days of the Son of Man, which is a direct reference to Himself as the Messiah. Jesus tells them the day will come where they will long to see Him, but His immediate future is to be rejected by His people and to suffer at their hands.
Jesus then refers to the days of Noah and the days of Lot to illustrate the future time when their desire to see Him will be fulfilled. While at first glance many would say that they are the same because they both speak of a time of judgment, the truth is that the two accounts are actually quite different and I believe there is a very good reason. As I looked closely at the two references, something I recognized almost immediately is that in verse 26, when speaking of the "days of Noah" Jesus refers to them as "the days of the Son of Man". In verse 30, when speaking of "the days of Lot" Jesus refers to them as "the day when the Son of Man is revealed". The question that immediately came to my mind is could it be that Jesus is talking about two different events?
Although both events, the flood of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, involved judgment, I believe it's important to note that they were also different in that in Noah's case a small group was preserved through God's judgment where in Lot's case a small group was removed before God's judgment occurred. When looking at these words of Jesus it seemed to me that the only logical conclusion was that on the one hand, Jesus was revealing a prophecy of Israel's future during the tribulation (Noah) while also revealing the future of the Church's rapture before the tribulation (Lot).
"Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. Genesis 19:22-24 NKJV
When discussing the city where he and his family were going to escape to, the angels told Lot that they could not do anything until he and his family were safe in Zoar! Now I think many could easily make the argument that these two accounts suggest that not only is the pre-tribulational rapture of the church the correct one, it is entirely possible that the judgment of this earth will begin on the very day that the church is raptured. I should also add that I as I have mentioned before, I am a firm believer in the Gap Theory, which takes the position that there is a gap of time between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. As most believers are aware, the tribulation begins with the confirmation of a covenant made with Israel but I also believe you can make the point that the rapture would not only prepare the world for God’s judgment, but also qualify as "the day when the Son of Man is revealed"
“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
Daniel 9:27 NKJV
Now the “he” in this verse refers to the coming one world leader who is also known as the Antichrist, which is only the best known of the many names given to him throughout scripture. In this verse we are told without question that the coming tribulation, the seventieth week of Daniel, begins with the man of sin “confirming” a covenant with the “many”. Most scholars agree that an examination of the original language reveals that what we are being told here is that the Antichrist will enforce an existing treaty between the nation of Israel and it's enemies which most likely will concern their territorial boundaries, with the result being a temporary peace with their neighbors.
The late Chuck Missler was fond of saying that when you see the Christmas decorations going up, you know Thanksgiving is near. He was, of course, referring to the events which foreshadow the coming tribulation, which at this point in time most everyone who watches would agree are occurring in greater and greater frequency. The current political situation in this country and the impeding attack promised to Israel by Iran and its proxies both seem to indicate the world is swiftly approaching its prophetic destiny.
The point of all of this is simply that when so many see and believe we are staring the rapture of the Church in the face, wouldn't it be wise to be sure we are going to be part of the family that Jesus takes away on the day He appears? If you have never done that, I encourage you to do it today. All you need to do is pray a simple prayer like this and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin, and begin a new life with the Lord as your Savior.
Jesus I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against you, but I know you loved me enough to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins and then rise from the dead so that I may live forever with You. Lord forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to begin to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25 NKJV
Keep watching...for "the day when the Son of Man is revealed".
