The Lord is coming soon

The Lord is coming soon. He will call His bride (the believers) up to Him. After that He will begin judgment on the remaining unbelieving world.

The Lord is coming soon.

“Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4)

In Noah's day, they didn't believe they would be held individually accountable to a Holy God for their sins and were doing and thinking evil continually. (Gen 6:5-7). The LORD prepared judgment, and told Noah to build the ark because He was going to wipe out mankind. He said He would do it, and He did it.

How long did the world have to prepare? "When Noah is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32, he is 500 years old. When Noah enters the ark, he is 600 years old. The time it took to build the ark would depend on how much time had passed between Genesis 5:32 and the time that God commanded Noah to build the ark (Genesis 6:14-21). At the absolute most, it took 100 years." (source). Knowing God's patience and longsuffering, (Numbers 14:18) we can surmise that the Lord used Noah's righteous life among all who lived at the time (Genesis 6:9) as an example. We can surmise that the ark building activity itself was an example, too. Just as Christians today are an example to the ungodly. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20)

We can think of the conversations at Noah's place that went a little something like this:

Artist-Attributed to Francesco Bassano

Building year 1:
Noah! What are you doing?
Building a boat because the LORD is angry at the sin in the world and will destroy it.
HA HA HA Noah, you're nuts. Everyone's going to heaven, didn't you know that? Love wins.

Building year 25:
Noah! Are you still building that thing?
Yes. The LORD is patient but righteous and He will judge sin and sinners.
HA HA HA Noah, there is no God! He would have shown up by now. Think for yourself!

Building year 75:
Noah! You should be ashamed. Your whole family is involved with this thing now.
Yes, we follow the LORD. The LORD is angry with sinners and will judge the world. Repent.

DORÉ, Gustave

HA HA HA I'm fine, I'm a good person. YOU'RE the one who's nuts. Come to the market with us, get your mind off this ark thing.

"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires." (2 Peter 3:3)

Building Year 99 and 360 days:
Noah! Aren't you tired of that by now? Give it up, man. Come to Joe and Pete's wedding. There's free booze.
The LORD is holy and wants all to be righteous. Repent.
HA HA HA No wonder no one wants to be around you, Noah, you're so intolerant.

100 years after the command to build the ark: DEATH

I say the Lord is coming soon. I do not think it is early in the call to repent. I do not think it is in the middle of the time set aside for His longsuffering to call sinners to His bosom. I do not think it is late in the Age of Grace. I think it is VERY LATE.

BOURGEOIS, Léon Pierre Urbain

One of the times in one of the years, one of the months the mockers who mocked and the scoffers who scoffed mocked once too often, and scoffed once too many, and the Day came.

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Mt 24:38-39)

The Lord is coming soon. It won't be 100 years from now. It could be tomorrow. Are you ready?

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