Our Escape: A Noah Experience

The Lord does not leave us in the dark on what's coming. He tells us:

Matt 24: 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 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, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

I know there are many out there who insist that everyone is going through the tribulation. They think that because they are going through it, everyone is going through it. Big mistake. There are some people who will escape all thats about to happen. There are some people who will go partway through the tribulation then get killed. There are some people who will make it all the way through the tribulation alive. I believe that today, already our hearts are being prepared for what's coming. The future will not be a "one size fits all" event. Different people have different destinies.

Those who argue that there will be no "escape from all" are correct, but only as far as their future is concerned. Those people who believe they need to go build a bunker and hide in it from the anti-christ, they may be correct too....as far as their future is concerned. Isn't it a no brainer that we all don't end up the same way, we all don't go through the same things?

Sinners who do not repent, end up in a lake of fire. Those who are "in Christ" till the end, end up in heaven. Jesus told the centurian "as you believed, so it will be done unto you." In other words, your faith has everything to do with your future. When Jesus tells men to "pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all thats about to happen and stand before the son of man," and men refuse to do it, what do you think happens to them? They don't believe the promise, do you think they have a part in its fulfillment?

Those who argue that they will go through the tribulation probably will. Either that or this isn't true:

Matt 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

I want to point out some things from Matt 24 today.

1. Jesus said "of that day and hour knoweth no man." Which day and hour is he talking about? The unknown day and hour. There is a known day, that is 3.5 years from the abomination that causes desolation that can be counted on to the day, when Jesus shows up, also known as the second coming. There is also an unknown day. It's obvious here, he's referring not to the second coming, but to the "unknown day" of his appearance. A "secret" day, which is another thing the pre-wrath, post-trib crowd mocks to their own shame. Coming like a thief is done in secret. An unknown day is a secret day.

The Lord does'nt stop there, he goes on to explain more about this secret, unknown day by telling us it will be just like the days of Noah. Immediately after telling us that, he gives us a very specific time marker for this secret/unknown day when he tells us this:

the days that were before the flood

So lets put this together, Jesus tells us an unknown secret day is coming that will be just like the days of Noah and he points to the days before the flood is when Noah entered the Ark. Noah did'nt enter the ark halfway through the flood, not at the end of the flood, but when? Before the flood. Could it be said any plainer than that? Is there any more basic language that could be used to indicate when this secret, unknown day would occur? Before the flood.

Jesus goes on to clarify what the days look like "before the flood." Here's the description he gives:

"eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark"

and in Luke 17

"they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven"

Here's where the pre-wrath folks take a bullet. They claim that nobody gets out before Rev 6. Apparently the crowned (rewarded), redeemed men in Rev 4 and 5 must be exempt from pre-wrath teaching, because they did get out before Rev 6. How? Hmm, I seem to remember an open door in heaven in Rev 4.....

That's not the only problem, apparently "escape from all" which happens "before the flood" has references to "they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded." Look carefully at the words the Holy Spirit uses here. Now look at what happens during the opening waves of the tribulation, the opening of the seals:

1-anti-christ
2-war
3-famine
4-death and hell on earth

Now, lets put on our thinking caps. Does the anti-christ, war, famine, death and hell on earth sound the same as "eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting or building?" No, it does'nt. Famine is a lack of food. War is the opposite of building, its destroying. So when does this future "Noah experience", which happens during an unknown, secret day, which is before the flood, which is during a time of eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building happen?

Look around at the world today. Look at what's dissapearing. Food, drink, buying and selling, planting and building, all of those things are dissapearing before our eyes. Those were the words the Holy Spirit used to time mark the general vicinity of the "unknown day." That general vicinity is today, either that or its on the far side of the disaster staring this world in the face today.

Conclusion:

Either this unknown day is in close proximity to today, or we have a nice wait ahead of us until days of eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building show up again. As things stand everything one of those indicators is under pressure and in rapid decline. Scarcity of everything is the hallmark of today and the trend looks to continue until......the man of sin shows up (the first seal, the removal of the restrainer) to "fix" everything and be hailed as god.

The stage is set..today. The table has all the plates and silverware on it, and appetizers have already been served. How close are we to the "unknown" secret day, the day when Jesus comes like a thief? All appearances are, that this day may be upon us. It could be today. How many people actually expect it today? Jesus said he would come at a time when we would not be expecting him. A day like today when people are overcome with the anxieties of life fits the bill would'nt you say? Take nothing for granted. Give thanks for everything today. Guard your faith and examine what you believe carefully, it may determine where you end up and when you get there.

Time is short, your faith is your treasure, grace and peace.