Rejecting This Present Evil World

World History, Gen 6:8-9 May 1, 1990

4. COUNTING THE COST
The Scriptures state simply that “According to all that God commanded him, SO DID HE.” God has also commanded us through His Scriptures and in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We are without excuse! One of his commands is to count the cost. “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish…” Luke 14:25-30 I mentioned counting the cost here because He has told us the cost is high, in fact it is everything. Of course the rewards are as great as the cost, Everything! Here are some of the costs, which we believe have spiritual meaning;

“And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Luke 21: 2-4

(I believe this could be an example of the Philadelphia church, in Revelation 3, as opposed to the “Scarlet Woman” of Revelation 18:7, who says; “I sit a queen, and am no widow.”) The widow of Luke 21:2 gave all! I feel sure it is no coincidence that following this account of the widow, starting with verse 7 is when Christ’s disciples ask: “when shall these things be?”….. Jesus began to exhort them concerning the happenings that will signal His return. He also instructs His own, both Jews and the church, to be certain they are not deceived by the multitude of false prophets that will rise up. He makes them aware of the rewards and the penalties for doing, or not doing as He says. This account of a very important time Jesus spent with a small number closest to Him, as I said before, is called the “Olivet Discourse”, recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Luke 14:33 also speaks of the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus. “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” We are told, “but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

“And the Lord said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the Ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” Gen. 7:1 They paid the cost. Jesus himself exhorts us; “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 As God called Noah to enter the Ark for he had seen him righteous, so will He call once more, those He finds worthy or righteous to “come up hither”. So as the sound of a trumpet talking called John to “come up hither” in the spirit in the 4th chapter of Revelation, so will the bride of Christ be called by a trumpet to be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thess. 4:13-18

5. COME!

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” Genesis. 7:1

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, COME up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” Rev. 4:1

Just as God called to Noah to enter into the Ark, he invites us in a similar way many times in the Scriptures, and in our hearts, if we are willing to pay the price. The promises are so wonderful they are hard for most to believe. One of the first of these invitations by Jesus himself is; “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28 This is His invitation to us to come to Him and partake of the salvation made possible by His death on our behalf…He is the only door to God the father! He bids us rest from the labours and heavy burdens of trying to save ourselves, and invites us to accept His great gift,..His life and death for us.

Then, in His letter to the church of Philadelphia, the spiritual church of the last times, He assures us through John of His “Open door policy”. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;” Rev.3:7

In verse 8 this group is weak in the eyes of the world (or unrecognized) they have little or no influence. This weakness reminds us of the widow who gave all, but had only a little…. yet there is an open door to heaven. “ I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” Rev. 3:8 In Matthew 25:6 we see another invitation made in the parable of the ten virgins. “And at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” There were five foolish and five wise, one group was prepared and the other was not, we will see why they were not prepared in another section, but in verse 10 we find the outcome. “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said verily I say unto you I know you not.” Matt. 25:11-12 So the invitation was made but, the door was closed to those who were not ready.

In Matthew 22:1-14 we find another invitation parable that is pretty much self-explanatory.

“And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.”

I believe the first part of the parable speaks of all those who have heard God’s invitation to “come” to His son, whether it be by word of mouth or in their hearts. The king sent forth other or different servants when there was no response to the first, just as the Lord does with us, to give them another chance to be sure they heard. Often many, many more than two opportunities are given. Yet, it is not uncommon for those who have been invited, to make light of it, just as those in the parable did. They have been more interested in the things of this world and some have even grabbed the servants of God and killed them physically and attempted to kill them spiritually as well. In the parable, the King then sent his armies to destroy and burn those evil ones. God will bring destruction on those who are like the people in the parable. So when the wedding feast was almost ready, the King sent his servant into the highways and byways to gather all men who were willing to attend the feast and rejoice with him because of the wedding of his son. Just as the King in the parable, now that the time is near for the celebration to begin, God is also continually sending out the invitation to “come”, to all conditions of men, in the highways and the byways. That invitation includes the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”, that the father is preparing for His son, the Lamb of God. We must make certain we are properly clothed though, not like the man in the parable who went in but did not have on the required robe and was cast into outer darkness. We must be sure we are clothed in the robes of righteousness furnished us only by the righteousness of Christ when we yield our lives to Him. If we aren’t wearing these robes we will not be allowed to attend. When we are covered by the blood of the lamb, we are clothed in His righteousness. The last verse of the parable says; “For many are called, but few are chosen.” I believe this parable and especially the way it ends makes one thing very clear: it doesn’t matter what men think is right, fair or important, we must put our ideas and ways aside and do it God’s way. Yes, many will be called, but out of that number few would be willing to do it the King’s way, and they will miss the greatest party, celebration, feast of all time.

Here I would like to include an excerpt from a piece entitled “Noah’s time in 1982” from “Midnight Call” by Win Malgo. “Perhaps Noah called to them, “Come with me.” You can still come!” But they did not do it.

“I see among these people many different types. There were people who meant well with Noah, who admired him, but who at the same time were friends of the world, who never made a decision to go into the Ark themselves. “And they knew not…!” And when the door closed they were outside. Do you see the closing door today? Of course, you see the signs of the times in the newspaper in the other news media; anyone can see that the end is coming. You also admire, of course, those who witness boldly for Jesus, and yet you do not take the step. You see that Israel has been restored. I am sure that Noah, who was six hundred years old at that time, must have had very many relatives, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, etc… But they were all outside the Ark! They also heard Noah’s message, but “they knew not“. They let their last chance go by. I am constrained to preach this message today because I know that the door is about to close. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:7-8 Certainly there must have been people who said, “God is with that man. God blesses him.” But they themselves did not enter into the Ark. Perhaps there were people who had committed so many sins that they say, “My sins are too great.” I cannot go to such a pious man. “If they had gone to him they would have been saved. When Jericho perished, only one person believed and was saved with her whole family, and that was a harlot, Rahab. There is also the possibility of other religious people in Noah’s day who said, “What do you mean, Noah? We also believe in God.” And they also sacrificed and prayed, but they neglected to do the most important thing. They did not go into the Ark, and so they were left outside. I am sure some of you reading this believe in God, and yet you are still standing outside because you have not taken the step. If the door of grace were to be closed today, where would you be?”

I, too, echoing the question by Win Malgo, if that trump were to sound today, would you be “left out” because you never dared to search for the complete TRUTH?

In Revelation 4:1-2, John, representing the invisible, true Church of Jesus Christ, is given this invitation from heaven. “After this I looked and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with me; which said COME up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” “And immediately I was in the spirit…”

Then we know God goes on throughout the entire book of revelation to show John things; “which must shortly come to pass,” and “which are to come;” In verse one John is shown the open door; then the trumpet was the instrument used to issue the invitation to “Come up hither” just as the trump will play a part in the “calling on high” of the Saints, to meet the bridegroom. In verse two John is taken to heaven in the spirit just as we who are alive and remain at His call, will be “caught up” bodily to the throne as John was, in response to the trumpet. We have this promise from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 to cling to and stabilize our faith for the blessed hope, the “Rapture” of the church, or firstfruits resurrection. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then ye which are alive and remain shall be “caught up” together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

We get a glimpse of some of what takes place after this wonderful “catching up”. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints. And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are CALLED unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Rev. 19:7-9 in Revelation 21:9 we find this: “COME hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Jesus’ last invitation in God’s written word, includes the bride, she is allowed to share in the invitation for they are now truly one. *”And the spirit and bride say, COME. And let him that heareth say COME. And let him that is athirst COME. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev 22:17 So just as God invited Noah and his family into His Ark to be saved, He also calls us into the Ark of His safety and that includes, WHOSOEVER will. His call is especially urgent in these “last days” before His return. COME!

*NOTE: In the parable — “The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King which had a marriage for his son.” At last he sent out into the highways and byways. He wanted for all who were willing to come and rejoice with him because of the wedding of his son. It occurred to me that God’s invitation began going out into the highways and byways in 1967 as the “latter rain” of the Holy Ghost was beginning to be poured out upon “whosoever will”. The climax to the invitation will be “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb” for God’s own son.

6. THE LORD SHUT HIM IN!

“And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him, and the LORD shut him in.” Gen. 7:16

“… he that openeth and NO MAN shutteth; and shutteth, and NO MAN openeth:” Behold, I have set before thee an open door and NO MAN can shut it:..” Rev. 3:7-8

Moving on to Genesis 7:16 we find; “and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.” As is often the case, we see the start of something in Genesis and the parallel conclusion to it in Revelation. An example is Jesus’ promise to the Philadelphia church, the true believers of the last day. First in Revelation 3:7 He addresses the specific group; “And to the Angel of the church in Philadelphia write.” Then He establishes His power; “… He that openeth and NO MAN shutteth; and shutteth, and NO MAN openeth:” in the next verse Jesus makes a promise to this company of people. “Behold, I have set before thee an open door and NO MAN can shut it:” Next He tells why He has chosen them, “for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” We see with Noah that God, and only God did finally shut that door, and when He did no one else could enter. Now, just as while the “Ark was a preparing” God is once more “long-suffering” …waiting for men to enter in! There will be a time, though, when just as before, God will shut the door once more, and I believe that is what Jesus is speaking of in His parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25. I believe He was speaking of those who would be a part of the Philadelphia church, who would be called to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb,” or answer the call of the bridegroom in a special way. In this parable those who are wise and prepared, just as Noah was, will go in as he and his company did, and the LORD SHUT THE DOOR! I am also convinced that the five wise virgins went in and the door was shut represent those who will be the firstfruits resurrection or (“the raptured”) who will be “caught up” to heaven and the door to heaven will be shut until near the end of the tribulation. In this pageant of Matthew 25 we find acted out some of the conditions, the rewards, and the disappointment for not living up to the requirements. “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise; Give us of your oil: (the Holy Spirit), for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so: lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy* for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage; AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT.” As it was with Noah the LORD SHUT THE DOOR, and once it was shut by Him, no amount of pleading would cause it to open again. “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Matt.25:7-12

*I believe the reference here going to buy, means paying the price by being yielded to the Holy Spirit, or being filled with the oil of the Holy Ghost.

And so we see that there is a time when TIME literally runs out, even with the longsuffering of God. As Gordon Lindsay points out in his Revelations Series; “It is important to notice that the Lord did not say to the foolish virgins what He will say to the hypocrites on the day of judgment, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity.” Matt. 7:23 Christ did not call the virgins, workers of iniquity; neither did He say, “I never knew you”. His words were in the present tense. “I know you not.” He indeed knew them as believers who had accepted Him as Savior. But at this critical hour He had come as Bridegroom. He could not recognize them as members of the Bridal party. There is no doubt that the rapture will result in the greatest shaking in the church that has ever taken place in its whole history. The day of playing church will be over, and there will be a tremendous overhauling of Christian experience. People will urgently call on God. They will seek the infilling of the Spirit, and apparently the Holy Spirit will be poured out even until the beginning of the day of the Lord. (Acts 2:16-21) But it will be too late to participate in the First-fruits rapture of the “wise virgins”. There will be heartbroken prayers by many for God to come to take them out of the world, but it is too late for the Man child rapture. The door is closed. It is closed just as the door of the Ark was closed by the Lord after Noah and his family had entered. “The Lord shut him in.” Gen. 7:16 Still the full judgment of God’s wrath is not yet come as it did in the days of the flood. The Antichrist must rise and fulfill Satan’s wrath to the world first.

The whole teaching of the parable is that those who would be among the “First-fruits unto God”, those who would be “virgins without fault before the throne of God”, must make themselves ready. “The bride hath made herself ready.” These are the ones who will make up the “Man-child company of believers.” (This is the end of the Gordon Lindsay quote.)

But as with Noah in his day, (only eight were saved) the numbers who will be able to enter in through that open door, ones only known to God himself, are not those of a huge group of people recognized by the world. They will not be the millions mouthing a call for peace and unity in the name of Jesus, sometimes only in the name of God, and numerous political leaders in their own names. (The people of the world truly eat this talk up.) Instead, this “raptured” group will be small, weak, yet patient and faithful, a company of believers who are willing to wait for their rewards from the Living God rather than receiving the praises of men and the world NOW. “Thou hast a little strength.” Rev. 3:8 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Rev. 3:10-11 The “keep thee”, from this promise is; to keep one safe in heaven and “from the temptation”, is to be kept from the tribulation.

When I first began to write this I had a real sense as never before, how much the “Bride of Christ” being taken out of the world is like God having to close the door of the Ark when Noah and his family were safely inside. We also see Jesus doing that in Matthew 25 after the five wise virgins went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut. It was as though I could feel what would come to pass, almost the feeling of being in the midst of a pageant acted out. How even most professing Christians will “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away;”. (A thought just came to me. I wonder if the parable of Matthew 25 holds a hint for us. One half of those virgins went in and one half did not. Could this be the ratio of those who consider themselves to be a part of the “Bride of Christ” who will actually enter in?) Many will continue on, marrying and giving in marriage and in a sense themselves married to the world, too attached to it, and not wanting to deal with the word “righteousness” for either themselves or others. They will not really care what God truly requires, until the door in heaven is closed as the door to the Ark had to be, as was the door after the wise virgins, to keep the righteous safe from destruction and the unrighteous. Jesus warns us in many places to be ready to enter in when the call goes out, He promises the door will be open if we do as He says… are obedient! “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 25:13 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:32-33 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.” Matt. 24:44

7. JUDGMENT!

“And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” Genesis 7:23

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.” Isaiah 13:6-13

“By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.” Rev. 9:18

While God had Noah and his family hidden away in the Ark, everything on the earth outside the Ark was destroyed. We will look for the similarities between this destruction while Noah was shut and in and the destruction to come while the “bride of Christ” is hidden away in heaven with him, in His Ark. The wrath of God’s judgment will be taking place on the Earth, during the coming tribulation, while the called and chosen and faithful rest and wait with Jesus. We will start with the account in Genesis 7:23, “And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were WITH HIM in the ark.” Throughout the entire Bible we get glimpses of God’s judgment, but unless they are prophecies about what will come to pass in the end, they remain only glimpses. (The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is only one of many such examples of these previews.) Those prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament concerning God’s judgment leading to Armageddon do all culminate in the Book of Revelation. We could say that some of the happenings in Revelation are parallels to God’s action of judgment during the flood, when Noah and his company were “shut in” as those “caught up” to heaven will be during the tribulation, and the “day of the Lord”;

“And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
It is he that buildeth his stories* in the heaven, and hath founded his troop* in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.” Amos 9:5-6

NOTE:* stories—elevation-lit. a journey to a higher place, fig. a thought arising-a superiority of station. (Strong’s) *troop- unused root (to bind) bunch, burden, troop. (Strong’s)

“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”
Obadiah 1:15

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.” Zechariah 13:8

“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.” Hosea 4:1-3

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.” Joel 3:9-17

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.” Isaiah 13:6-13

In quoting from the book of Revelation, I will start with four figures even well known to the world at large. In general most people don’t know what God’s Word has to say about them, much less any idea of their true meaning. They are known as the four Horsemen, and sometimes called the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (the Greek word for revelation). Revelation chapter 6 verse 2; “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Most students of prophecy believe this to be the Antichrist, I do too.) Verse 4; “And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” I believe this speaks for itself. Verse five; “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.” It’s my opinion this has to do with not only famine but also no man being able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast (666 — Rev 13:17-18) Now going on to the fourth horseman, in verse 8 we read; “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth.” Revelation 8:7-13 list the different parts of the Earth where one third of each part is destroyed. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Then in chapter 9:18… “By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.” “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:15-17) “And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Rev. 9:5-6) “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Rev.9:20-21) In chapter 16:8-9 we see…. “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” It is hard to imagine how men could still not repent or recognize the ALL POWERFUL GOD, for who He is, but haven’t we all done this to some extent when He and His mercy, let judgment fall on us, hoping we might turn completely to Him for help?

So I think we can see that there are parallels between the judgment in Noah’s day and the final judgments of God on the earth and its inhabitants. A large portion of both the inhabitants, and the earth itself, will be destroyed, and in the next section we will see why some will remain.

Part Three: Living As Noah Did