glrapr.asitwas

In Lk. 17 Jesus used two events from Bible history to illustrate what things
would be like in the world just prior to His glorious appearing. Not only are
taught what things will be like we're also taught something very important
about when Jesus will appear.

        Lk.17:24-35 - For when the Son of Man returns, you will know
        it beyond all doubt. It will be as evident as the lightning that
        flashes across the sky. 25 But first the Son of Man must
        suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation. 26 "When
        the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were
        in Noah's day. 27 In those days before the flood, the people
        enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the
        time Noah entered his boat and the flood came to destroy
        them all. 28 "And the world will be as it was in the days of
        Lot. People went about their daily business-eating and
        drinking, buying and selling, farming and building- 29 until the
        morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained
        down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be
        'business as usual' right up to the hour when the Son of Man
        returns. 31 On that day a person outside the house must not
        go into the house to pack. A person in the field must not
        return to town. 32 Remember what happened to Lot's wife! 33
        Whoever clings to this life will lose it, and whoever loses this
        life will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one
        bed; one will be taken away, and the other will be left. 35 Two
        women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be
        taken, the other left."

Jesus' use of Noah and Lot not only illustrates world conditions prior to His
return but also illustrates when Believer's who are ready will be removed and
when the wrath of God's judgment is released upon a Christ rejecting world.

First let's look at the pre-judgment morality of Noah's and Lot's days. This
will help confirm to us just how close the world is to experiencing God's
wrath.

        Lot: - Sodom & Gomorrah

        2P. 2:6 - Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
        into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth.
        He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly
        people.

        2P. 2:7 - But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of
        Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the
        immorality and wickedness around him.

        Jude 1:7 - And don't forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
        and their neighboring towns, which were filled with sexual
        immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those
        cities were destroyed by fire and are a warning of the eternal
        fire that will punish all who are evil.

It's very clear that in Lot's days Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with
ungodliness and all kinds of sexual immorality. Let's not forget that it's God
Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and earth who has established standards of
moral conduct, not elected government officials. The laws of the land may
says certain moral conduct is acceptable to the nation but in no way changes
God's standards. Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed and destiny
serves as a warning to all who behave in an ungodly manner!

        Noah: - The whole earth

        Gen. 6:5 - Now the LORD observed the extent of the people's
        wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were
        consistently and totally evil.

        Gen. 6:11 - Now the earth had become corrupt in God's
        sight, and it was filled with violence.

        Gen. 6:13 - So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy
        all living creatures, for the earth is filled with violence
        because of them. Yes, I will wipe them all from the face of
        the earth!

        2P. 2:5 - And God did not spare the ancient world-except for
        Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's
        righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of
        ungodly people with a vast flood.

In Noah's days, prior to God's judgment the earth was filled with evil and
violence. People lived corrupt and ungodly lives resulting divine judgment!

Jesus gives us a very clear picture through these two examples of what we
should expect the world to be like prior to His Second Coming. It's not an
exaggeration to say that our generation is living very similar lifestyles that
preceded former judgments of God.

THE TIMING OF GOD'S JUDGMENT:

The timing of God's judgments are exactly the same in both the illustrations
Jesus chose to use!

        Noah: Lk.17:27 - In those days before the flood, the people
        banquets and parties and weddings right to the time Noah
        entered his boat and the flood came to destroy them all.

        Gen.7:13 - But Noah had gone into the boat that very day
        with his wife and his sons-Shem, Ham, and Japheth-and their
        wives.

Note: The same day Noah entered the ark is when the
judgment of God came.

        Lot: Lk.17:28,29 - And the world will be as it was in the days
        of Lot. People went about their daily business-eating and
        drinking, buying and selling, farming and building-29 until the
        morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained
        down from heaven and destroyed them all.

                Gen.19:21-24 - "All right," the angel said, "I will grant your
                request. I will not destroy that little village. 22 But hurry! For I
                can do nothing until you are there." From that time on
                that village was known as Zoar. 23 The sun was rising as
                Lot reached the village. 24 Then the LORD rained down
                fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and
                Gomorrah.

Note: There's a couple of significant points here.

        One: The judgment of God came as soon as Lot was safely
        out of the way.

        Two: God's judgment could not come until Lot was removed
        from Sodom.

God's wrath of righteous judgment will not come upon an ungodly world until
God's faithful servants are safely removed. This is confirmed in the teachings
of the Apostle Paul in 1Thes.5:9,10 - For God decided to save us through our
Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger (wrath) on us. 10 He died for us so
that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of
his return. The faithful Believers who are ready when Jesus returns will be
"caught up", "snatched away" or "raptured" before the seven bowels of God's
wrath is poured out upon an ungodly world.

        1Cor.15:51-54 - But let me tell you a wonderful secret God
        revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be
        transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of
        an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the
        trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised
        with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be
        transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable
        earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that
        will never die. 54 When this happens-when our perishable
        earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies
        that will never die-then at last the Scriptures will come true:
        "Death is swallowed up in victory".

The Believers who are ready when Jesus appears will be removed from the
earth BEFORE the wrath of God is released. The timing of this "catching
away" or rapture is clearly given to us. When the last trumpet blown is when
the rapture occurs. The blowing of the last trumpet is recorded in Rev.11 and
precedes the pouring out of the bowels of God's wrath. From the common
feature of the illustrations Jesus used is that the same day the faithful
Believers were removed is when the judgment of God came!
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