The Lord says that it is the leaders that are always responsible for all those that they may have misled, deceived, coerced to follow their own way or otherwise obstructed their way to the Kingdom whether they did it, or still do it, consciously or ignorantly. They shall be responsible also for preaching or teaching things, which are not found in the Word or are contradicting the Word, for preaching or teaching their soulish ideas and wisdom, which may have damaged His people greatly making them similar enemies of His Cross as such leaders have been.
They shall also be responsible for failing to receive His Light, live it and give it to His people that they may also live by that Light, which He has been sending through His servants and prophets even in these last days. Furthermore, they failed to warn His people from the impending disaster, which is coming for all those walking on the broad way where they are preserving their old life rather than denying it. “Cursed is every minister that keeps his sword (Word of God) from blood”, that is, from drawing the old sinful life from believers’ souls (Jer. 48:10b) because the “old life” is the blood of all flesh. (Lev. 17:14)
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Finally, the Lord is giving us the picture of His Church at the end of this world and the translation of His people before the wrath of God is poured upon this world. This picture is also contained in His Word in Mt. 24:37a by which Word this whole Chapter is named and it is the following section of this Chapter which is devoted to this Word and its spiritual meaning.
Today there exist many books, brochures, sermons and teachings concerning the end of this world and the rapture of the Church. It would not be possible to read them all in time for the real rapture. Most of them are man’s ideas, understanding, imaginations or interpretations which do not express the spiritual Truth of the Word of God.
So, let us ASK the Lord to grant us what He desires to give us, not to our natural understanding, but to our spirit.
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah 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.” (Mt. 24:37-39)
I have heard this Word preached and have read it in the Bible many times, yet, I have never seen the depth of the spiritual truth and meaning of this Word for us until now, in what the Lord is showing now. That is why I write about it now so that the spiritual truth of God may be received by all hearts that are open to Him and that that truth may open their eyes and help prepare them IN SPIRIT for His Coming and for their translation from the earth.
There are many signs and prophecies concerning this end time period being fulfilled even before our very eyes. The Lord may be giving His Light and Wisdom to the open hearts and minds to record these true signs and prophecies and publish them so we may see the Hand of God in all His Creation how it fulfils His Will. These records present the historical facts and the comparison of the prophecies with today’s events. They may not give the spiritual significance of His Word for believers except a warning how close we are to His Coming and that “we must be prepared”. Now, it is true that “we must be prepared”, but how we must be prepared is not recorded. Our knowledge of the prophecies without their true “hidden” spiritual meaning is not sufficient! We must receive from the Lord the spiritual picture and reality of His Word quoted above.
The Flood was God’s Judgment upon the FIRST GENERATION of mankind that “replenished the earth” according to His Word to Adam and Eve. (Gen. 1:28) Those peoples were the generation, which sprang from the seed of Cain and from the seed of Seth. Let us see that Cain left God without any true repentance as a CURSED MAN and vagabond! (Gen. 4:11,12) Yet Cain was a religious man, who worshipped God, built an altar to Him and offered Him the best he could produce with his own knowledge and wisdom (see again p. 80). He talked to God face-to-face and was in His Presence. (Gen. 4:16) This can be said only about a few people. But the generation that came from him and “replenished the earth” were like Cain in their character and life, they remained “religious” but also wicked, cursed and vagabonds at the same time.
On the other hand, Seth was a blessed man and “another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew”. (Gen. 4:25) When Seth begat his son Enos “THEN began men to call upon the Name of the LORD”. (Gen. 4:26)
The blessedness of Seth may also be seen in the fact that ALL THE GREAT MEN OF GOD, who walked with God and through whom our Salvation was made possible, came from the seed of Seth. They include names like Enoch (who was taken by God – Gen. 5:24), Lamech (the father of Noah), Noah, Shem (the blessed son of Noah – Gen. 9:26), Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David (Acts 13:22) and finally Our Lord Jesus, Who is also in this lineage though not from the seed of man. (Lk. 3:23-38)
What the Lord is calling us now to see, understand and bear in our heart as one of the most important spiritual facts in this chapter, is the following.
It should not be surprising to any open minded believer that the generation from the seed of Cain reached the point in time where their wickedness became great and every imagination of the thoughts of their heart became evil continually. The earth became corrupt and filled with violence! (Gen. 6:5,11,12) But it should be shocking to all open minded believers that…
THE GENERATION FROM THE BLESSED SEED OF SETH BECAME EQUALLY WICKED AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF THEIR HEART BECAME EQUALLY EVIL CONTINUALLY! THEY BECAME UNDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE GENERATION FROM THE SEED OF CAIN!GOD IS NOT SETTING THE GENERATION OF SETH AS BETTER THAN THE GENERATION OF CAIN! BOTH GENERATIONS WERE DESTROYED BY THE FLOOD!
Though there were great men of God in the lineage of Seth, yet, BOTH PEOPLES in general were growing worse with time. This deterioration has been happening to all generations, all empires and all societies since the beginning of time until now no matter what character or what life they started with. These RELIGIOUS PEOPLES deteriorated into such a corruption, wickedness and evil during the period from Cain and Seth to Noah that God said to Noah: “The end of ALL FLESH is come before Me.” (Gen. 6:13a) Here “flesh” is to be understood primarily as “spiritual, sinful nature” and not as a physical human body (see also point 2A below).
We may conclude this paragraph by saying that both these generations from Cain and from Seth were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage and KNEW NOT THAT THEY WERE CORRUPT AND WICKED AND WERE OBLIVIOUS AS TO WHAT JUDGMENT WAS COMING UPON THEM!
In Mt. 24:37-39 the Lord says that IT IS THE SAME TODAY and it will continue until He comes for His Bride, at His Third Coming! (The Lord has four comings to the earth and they are described on pp. 290,291[8])
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To be continued next week in chapter 8 – part 5
brother Hanola
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