A STUDY IN GENESIS
We have now reached chapter seven of our study of Genesis. It is here that the Antediluvian era on earth comes to an end. The final chapter in world history is starting to close, the chess board appears to be Satan winning and yet God is not done revealing what devastation He is about to unleash. However, today I want to jump to the book of Matthew and examine what Christ says regarding this time era.
Matthew 24:37-39 “But as the days of Noah [were,] so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 “and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Does this not sound strange? Human history is described as eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. There are some pastors that will try to spiritualize this or try to tell you to not take it seriously. I am here today to tell you that we need to examine Jesus’ words with precision.
When we examine the gospels and Jesus’ instructions to literally anyone, we can see one simple but very real lesson. Jesus’ every word is important.
Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
So when Jesus states a sign in Matthew 24:37-39, we need to examine what will be the sign. It cannot be the eating, drinking, marrying, and giving into marriage because that is happening everyday. It cannot be that people are not looking for Christ’s return, because that is happening everyday. So what is it? What is different about Noah’s day that would be indicative of a sign being available for us to recognize and realize the lateness of the hour? Examine verse 38 again, “For as in the days before the flood, they were.” Who is “they”? It is the Nephalem! Daniel, who Jesus quoted only a few verses prior, also identifies this group of “they.” Daniel 2:42-43 “And [as] the toes of the feet [were] partly of iron and partly of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 “As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.”
They cannot be Muslims, Atheist, bad people, or anything else that is human because of the term, “Seed of men.” Thus, “They” must be something else. Matthew 13 gives us greater details from Jesus regarding the end of the age.
Matthew 13:41-43 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The wicked that are captured are in two groups. The second group, “those that practice lawlessness” have a choice, because we have a contrast/comparison group that practice righteousness found in verse 43. The first group is one that “offends” God. Interesting how in Genesis chapter six we learned about this group that was an abomination, which was not part of God’s creation but rather something distorted and created by fallen angels breeding with mankind. It appears that at the end of the tribulation, the Nephalem are back and it appears that they are active again.
Daniel identifies them as mingling with us, but not being part of us. Jesus identifies them as eating, drinking, marrying and giving into marriage. Are the Nephalem among us today? I would encourage you to review Dr. L.A. Marzuli’s work and Prophecy Watchers work on the subject.
Nevertheless, we need to recognize that God is giving us a rather large sign of the times we live in today. And just like at the end of the Antediluvian era, the Church era is coming to an end. We can follow like Noah and be listening to the Lord or we cannot be paying attention. A foreshadow of the rapture is found with Enoch being taken by the Lord prior to all of this, if God were to come back today for His church, would you be one called? Today is the day of salvation, and we do not know the day or the time of Christ’ return for His Church. It is not a secret rapture, it is not something hidden and only a few understand or see it; but something that is rather bold and strong found throughout the Bible to all who are taking God’s Word seriously. Next week we will see how Noah took God’s word seriously and got the animals and his family into the ark and saved our future. Next week we talk about the details of the flood.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL