Luke 17:25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (26) And even as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man: (27) They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day in which Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. (28) Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; (29) But on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. (30) It will be in the same way on the day in which the Son of Man is revealed.
In the days of Noah certain conditions existed. People were stupefied by eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. Furthermore, they did not know until the flood came and took them away. It will be the same in the days of the Son of Man. People will be stupefied by the necessities of this life, not knowing that God's judgment (signified by the flood) will come upon them by the Lord's coming. The believers, however, should be dedrugged and soberly know that the Lord is coming to execute God's judgment upon this corrupted world. Eating, drinking, and marriage were originally ordained by God for man's existence. But due to man's lust, Satan utilizes these necessities of human life to occupy man and keep him from God's interests. Toward the end of this age, this situation will be intensified and will reach its climax during the days of the Son of Man. The characteristics of the days of Lot were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. These last four characteristics indicate business. Consider the characteristics of today's world. The characteristics of this generation are eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, and building. The conditions of evil living that stupefied the generation of Noah before the deluge and the generation of Lot before the destruction of Sodom portray the perilous condition of man's living before the Lord's parousia (presence, coming) and the great tribulation (Matt. 24:3, 21). If we would participate in the overcomers' rapture to enjoy the Lord's parousia and escape the great tribulation, we must overcome the stupefying effect of man's living today. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, Messages for Building Up New Believers, pp. 334-335. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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