The Conditions in the Days of Noah: Apathy Before Damnation

In what believers have called “the Olivet Discourse” of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24-25 , Jesus prophecies concerning His second coming. He says, the “day and hour knoweth no man” (24:36). Then Jesus describes how things will be before the second coming. He gives the now familiar description (24:37): “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

We know very soon before the second coming, the great apostasy will occur (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “a falling away”). Why will that apostasy happen? Many reasons, but Jesus explains it “as the days of Noe” (Noah), which means (24:38-39): “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Apostasy came upon the generation of Noah when they ate, drank, married, and knew not. How could they know not? Noah preached to them for 120 years. The days like Noah during which Jesus will return to judge the world are days of apathy. People retain not God in their knowledge (Rom 1:26). They are not moved by scriptural arguments. They go about life as usual. This results in the great falling away that precedes Jesus’ coming and their damnation.