During the time of Noah, God caused a flood to come upon the earth
that covered even the tops of the highest mountains. As a result all that
breathe the breath of life, died. God decided to destroy the ancient world because of the wickedness and
violence of all the people on the face of the earth.
During the time of Abraham and Lot, God
totally destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
together with all the inhabitants with fire and brimstone. God decided
to put an end to Sodom and Gomorrah because of the wickedness of its people
and the graveness of their sins.
Looking back at these two ancient events at the
time of Noah and Lot, one reason clearly emerges. God decided to destroy the
ancient world, and Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people's wickedness and
graveness of their sins.
38D1.
What is the relevance
of these two ancient events to man at present?
In Luke 17:26-30, the Lord Jesus Christ said the following:
"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 (NKJV)
It serves as a warning to all people of today
not to disregard the Biblical truth that the End of the World is coming when
the Son of Man is revealed.
How do they serve as
a warning and an object lesson to modern man?
- As it
was in the days of Noah and Lot, God warned the people of what will happen so
they can be saved.
- But people disregarded the warnings
offered by Noah and Lot and just continue doing their usual day to day
activities.
- When the time came,
- Noah entered the ark,
the flood came and destroyed them
all.
- Lot went out of Sodom, it rained
fire and brimstone and destroyed them all.
These two ancient events is just a preview of
what is to come.
38D2. When the Son of man is revealed at Christ's second
coming, what will happen to the world and to its ungodly inhabitants?
In II Peter 3:7, 10 it is described:
But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.
(RSV)
This is the horrible picture of the world at it's end.
YES, this is the end of the world we presently live in.
- Total
destruction shall come upon the earth.
- All ungodly men will perish.
- the heavens will pass away with a
loud noise,
- the elements will be dissolved with
fire
- the earth and the works that are upon
it will be burned up.
How is this destruction
compared to those which took place in the time of Noah and
Lot? The destruction that happened during the time of Noah and Lot are but a
preview of the far greater destruction to come when the world will end.
This is total destruction of the earth and all the works upon it, and all
the
ungodly inhabitants will perish.
38D3. How soon will the end of the world come?
God speaks through His prophet Zephaniah:
The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the mighty man cries aloud there.
(Zephaniah 1:14, RSV)
The great day of the Lord is near and hastening fast.
38D4. Which is this great Day of the Lord that is drawing
near, and hastening fast?
In verse 18, it is stated:
Neither their silver
nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath;
but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He
will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.
(Zephaniah 1:18, NKJV)
The great Day of the Lord is also called the Day of the Lord's Wrath.
This will happen on Judgment Day, when our Lord Christ Jesus will come for
the second time. It is the day when the whole land will be devoured by
fire and God will make speedy riddance of all ungodly people.
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