UNDERSTANDING TOO LATE

In one of Jesus’s last discourses with his disciples concerning end-time events, he said these tragic words, “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:39). In this verse, He was describing what happened to the people who were outside of the ark during the flood.

Before the flood, the people were going about doing their daily activities. Once the rain started and did not stop, the warning and preaching of Noah made sense, but it was too late. The Bible informs us that Noah had preached to the people for one hundred and twenty years while building the ark that disaster was in their future. Sadly, the people did not listen or believe his message.

I am sure those individuals that could swim did so until their strength gave out. Those that thought there was a possibility of Noah opening the ark door were probably banging on it; however, God shut the ark’s door, and no one was allowed admittance. Except for those in the ark, all civilization died during the forty days of rain; because they understood too late.

This event serves as a warning to us. Right now, before the rapture, everyone has the opportunity to accept God and become a kingdom citizen. However, after the rapture, the seven years of tribulation occur with the outpouring of judgment on earth’s inhabitants. As revealed in Revelation, the judgments will be horrific; men will desire death and refuse to repent due to the hardness of their hearts (Revelation 9:6).

When the end of this life as we know it comes, and those whose names are not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire, they will understand, but it will be too late.