“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” – Matthew 24:37-39

THERE ARE COUNTLESS Christians who hold to the belief that just prior to Christ’s return the world will be on the brink of total collapse and global destruction. The painted future is something that unintentionally propagates fear instead of a reminder of the hope within the hearts of those who eagerly await their promised final redemption.

There are numerous scriptures that seem to imply that moments before the Second Coming, the world shall be riddled with absolute chaos. References known, besides Daniel and Ezekiel, are Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 5, 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 3 and of course – Revelation.

However, the apostle’s greatest concern for the Church was not so much the devastation of world catastrophes or even persecution, but of false teachers, prophets and apostles who adulterate the Word of God, leading many astray from the Christocentric gospel – and how so few are aware of that taking place today. A self-orientated obsession of the coming Great Tribulation wrongly takes pre-eminence over and above the Great Commission of ‘going into all the world and proclaiming the Gospel’. Tribulation is what takes place throughout the church age and the book of Revelation is an encouragement for the entire church era – not just for the very last days as some are persuaded. Ignorance of Church History will prevent us from seeing that.

Were the Roman emperors tame and kind in their methods of treating Christians? Flavius Josephus (a secular historian) witnessed the gruesome and barbaric realities of a ‘sophisticated’ empire that employed cruel measures on the Jews and Christians that many wouldn’t even dream of today! In addition, a good read and dose of Fox’s Book of Martyrs will certainly be an eye opener in bringing a somewhat balanced perspective to many current lopsided eschatological leanings. It has been said that within the 20^th century more blood was shed than any other period in history. To state that in the last century, more Christian blood has been spilt than any other epoch is wide-open to disputation, especially when regarding those who are spiritually regenerate Christians; many missionary martyrs come under the category of Christians, who are really Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), which many authorities, statistically and demographically, fail to differentiate from New Testament Christians.

Earthquakes, famines, nation rising against nation, wars and rumours of wars (Matthew 24:6-8) are but the beginning of birth pains, yet many today are saying that these are the signs that makes Christ’s return very imminent “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” That is the key that many overlook. Of course troublesome times are going to hit, as they have done, and no doubt evil will accelerate before the end, but there will come a ‘correction’ period when humanity, in all its pride and in the name of ‘morality’, achieves its desired results; it has been striving and will succeed in implementing its goal throughout the nations.

Well, what will the very end be like prior to Christ’s return? Taking all the above Scriptures into consideration and without isolating a verse or taking a passage out of context, what are we to make of Matthew 24:37-39 “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”? That unavoidably shows how civilisation will carry on, declaring a ‘peace’ and ‘security’, unaware that the Lord will return like a ‘thief in the night’ (1 Thessalonians 5:3) just like the rains that came as Noah had been foretold. The entirety of mankind carried on as normal. Yes, it was wicked in its ways, but wickedness is not always overt as many think; our actions may look good to others but our intentions and motives, in the sight of God, may be an abomination (Matthew 23:27-28). Life and customs carried on in the times when Christ dwelt among humanity and yet, in the eyes of God, that generation was classed more evil (wicked) than the people of Nineveh (Matthew 12:38-41).

A great majority are talking of panoptic world peace; ‘Let all of us put our differences away and in unity get along together’. Has this not been the long-cherished ideal perspective? Peace and rest among the nations is ideal, but at the expense of truth and righteousness will only cause humanity to implode on itself. Nevertheless, world peace will be gained; it will be enormously successful but it will be a false peace, a peace that deceives; it will be the New World Order that many will praise and embrace, but in essence will prove to be a ‘spiritual’ tower of Babel.

Almost a century ago, Oswald Chambers gave some insights that are worthy of great notice, bearing incredible significance especially of the days in which we live, “Materialism will cease to be a power in our world. Spiritualism will be the characteristic force at the end of this age. All of mankind’s endeavours will revolve around the ‘unseen’. The dominant feature of this movement will be a certain form of godliness, which will bear many beneficial works. In fact, so much so will this be the case that even the very elect may be deceived. As the end of the age approaches, we shall see a higher type of morality than there has ever been. Better forms of government, higher forces of civilisation, greater intellectual understanding, better physical development will be seen at the end of this age. Suddenly, though, everything will be shattered to pieces by the second coming of Jesus!”

The world’s peace is such a contrast to the true peace that Christ gives that comes not only in the absence of trouble but in the very midst of it: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27). Positive thinking and the cults will either have you evade or deny the realities of life; Christ has us face them head on as more than conquerors: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The New World order will be a ‘saviour’ to many; beautiful in its appearance, beast-like at heart and most satanically deceptive; Satan’s greatest subterfuge is when people have attained peace and rest independent of God. Knowing that his time is short, the Devil, as an angel of light, endeavours to usher in his regime of ‘calm’ and ‘stillness’ among the nations. War and strife are the last things he wants, for in such unrest and brokenness many awake and are made ripe to seek the answers in life: God Himself.