The Days of Noah and the Days of Lot

Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives and His disciples came to Him and asked Him:

"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3, NKJV, emphasis added)

The above indicates there are two separate coming events; the Day of Christ (Second coming of Jesus) and the Day of the Lord at the end of the age. According to the New Unger's Bible Dictionary the Day of Christ is the day when Jesus comes to take His bride (the true Church of Jesus Christ) as described in 1 Thess. 4:14 to 18. This event is commonly called the rapture. On the other hand, the Day of the Lord is not a single day, but a period when the judgment of God will be manifested at the closing phase of the Great Tribulation.

Amos gave a vivid description of the Day of the Lord:

"Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!" (Amos 5:18, 19)

Where are we in God's Time-table?

A major problem arises when we read Matthew 24 or Luke 21 concerning the Signs of the times. It is not easy to understand that there are actually two events - the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord. Many Bible teachers believe there is only one event - you can call it the Day of Christ or the Day of the Lord, there is no difference. After all Christ is also the Lord!

This calls for spiritual discernment. First of all we must understand that the Day of Christ precedes the Day of the Lord. Secondly, there must be a day when Christ returns to take His bride to the Father's House of many mansions (John 14:2, 3) for the Marriage Supper (Rev. 19) and then comes back again together with His bride to judge those who are left behind (not saved) at that time.

This is the revelation. Just as God had delivered Noah and Lot before He brought destructions to the unrighteous, God is going to bring the bride of Christ (the true and overcoming Church) to Himself before He brings destructions to the unrighteous in that period of time. Therefore, the Days of Noah and the Days of the Lot speak of the period of time just before the rapture or the second coming of Jesus. I believe we are living in this period of time. The true Church of Jesus Christ is a type of Noah or a type of Lot. God shows us this truth by giving us these two vivid examples. The Scripture says, every thing written is "for our admonition" (1 Cor.10:11).

Description of the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot

Just by studying the evil things that people did in the Days of Noah and the Days of Lot will give us a good picture of how close we are to the Day of Christ.

Evils in the Days of Noah

1. Contact between human beings and evil spirits

The story of the Days of Noah begins in Genesis Chapter 6 where we are told the "sons of God" took wives from the "daughters of men" (Gen. 6:2). In the Old Testament, for example in the Book of Job "sons of God" usually refers to the angels of God (Read Job 2:1 and Job 38:7). But, according to Hebrew Scripture the "sons of God" in Gen. 6 are fallen or evil angels:

"The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose" (Gen. 6:2).

Notice that good angels cannot marry or procreate (Matt 22:30). But in the Days of Noah evil angels and daughters of men (females born of men) produced "giants" or "mighty men".

Therefore, humanity in those days was infiltrated by satanic angels. This is the main reason why God brought the Flood and destroyed all except Noah and his household.

It is true that in the last days angelic intermarriages do not take place. But direct and unfettered contact between human beings in general ant the evil spirit world is also an abomination to God.

2. Evil Imaginations

"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5).

I believe television is imagination in a box. There, we vicariously live out all our dreams and fantasies. There is always something for the imagination of everybody's heart.

3. Violence

"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Gen. 6:11).

4. Sexual corruption and perversion

"So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" (Gen. 6:12).

Notice that Noah "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" and that he was a "just man and perfect in his generations" (Gen. 6:8, 9).

He was divinely warned of what God was about to do:

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and become heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Hebrews 11:7, emphasis added).

Similarly, the Church of Jesus Christ, also being hire of the righteousness which is according to faith is also being warned of the destructions yet to come! Are we "moved with godly fear" and take heed?

Evils in the Days of Lot

1. Blatant and violent homosexuality

"Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who come to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'" (Gen. 19:4, 5).

Notice that the men of Sodom not only desire sex with men, they want to have sex with the angels of God even if they might not be aware of it! The Scripture says these men are after "strange flesh" (Jude 6, 7).

2. Materialism

"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 are brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:28 to 30).

Notice that there is nothing wrong with eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building. But, it is their preoccupation of these things that the Lord hates!

You need only one word to describe these people - Materialism