Here's a brief diversion from Matthew 24: Two of the most common actions in today's world are violence and cursing.

Two of the most common actions we see on the news today are associated with the words curse and violence.

Have you ever wondered where those two words originated?

Well, the word curse comes from the Hebrew word 'âlâh, and yes, it sounds just like the name of the Islamic god, Allah.

It is NOT a name but a verb that describes, in this case, a state of being, and yes, 'âlâh is a state of being.

The word  'âlâh, according to the Word Study Dictionary, is described as “A verb meaning to curse, or to put under oath. It is used in many cases of persons bringing curses on themselves if they are guilty of doing wrong.” (As a side note, 1/3 of the angels who followed Satan in his rebellion brought curses upon themselves.)

Brown, Driver, and Briggs Hebrew Dictionaries add that the word 'âlâh can mean to be put under oath or to be put under a curse.

The King James concordance shows 42 instances of the word 'âlâh, six under Strong's number H422 and 36 under Strong's number H423. I can't tell what the differences are.

Some interpretation options are oath, swear, swearing, adjured, and curse. Webster's dictionary tells us that adjured means to plead, charge, press, entreat, and beseech.

In the KJV, the translators used the word oath instead of curse to represent 'âlâh. The Literal Translation of the Bible states that “an oath be exacted of him to cause him to swear.”

The other word I mentioned was violence.

Violence, in my mind, is much more dramatic as it is a word that we see in the news daily, and it has its roots in Hebrew.

An online post from The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle conveys this,

“Language is a strange commodity. Sometimes there is within it a “play on words,” but at others there is no “play” but rather a mysterious, unexplained truth."

Let us take the example of Hamas, which, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York City research center, is “the largest, most influential political fundamentalist movement” in the Muslim world.

By one means or another, Hamas aims to convince the world of its deep desire to eliminate Israel and establish there instead the 23rd religious Muslim state.

Hamas is an Arabic acronym for “Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya,” which means “The Islamic Resistance Movement.” But “hamas” is also an Arabic word that means “zeal.”

Although Arabic and Hebrew are sister languages, the Hebrew meaning of “chamas” is “violence,” according to the Hebrew-English volume of Reuben Alcalay’s Hebrew-English, English-Hebrew dictionary. “Cruelty” and “injustice” are additional definitions, but not “zeal.”

Truth is thus stranger than fiction. For Israel and for Jews everywhere, "chamas indeed means violence, in its terrorist form."

I recently started listening to Pastor Mark Driscoll as he preached for almost an hour about how violence/Hamas has permeated our very existence since sin has come into our lives.

Want proof?

Genesis 6:11 NKJV:  “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (Hamas.)”

Sin was then passed along genetically through human interaction, and this change happened the moment Adam and Eve partook of the fruit. We see the results of that sin when Cain kills Abel.

Genesis 4:8 NKJV  Now Cain talked with Abel, his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

His actions demonstrated that the offspring of Adam was filled with châmâs – (Hamas- violence).

The Strong's concordance details this in the KJV.

Genesis 6:11KJV+  The earthH776 also was corruptH7843 beforeH6440 God, H430 and the earthH776 was filledH4390 with violence. H2555

From the Strong's Concordance.

H2555חָמָסchâmâsFrom H2554; violence; by implication wrong; by metonymy unjust gain: - cruel(-ty), damage, false, injustice, X oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong.

H2554 חמס châmas.BDB Definition: 1)to wrong, do violence to, treat violently, do wrongly, 1a) (Qal) to treat violently,

The point of this “teaching” is to make us aware that Allah and violence are infiltrated into our mindsets to the point that we think nothing of its impact on our lives.

My son-in-law cannot accept the possibility that Islam, a violent ideology, can be the religion of the world shortly. Oh, it will not be voted in by reasonable people, but it will be forced down our throats by violent followers of Islam.

A video was recently posted about a confrontation on a subway in a European country. The Muslim said to a person, off camera, that we cannot see, “You are an Israeli journalist! My Quran tells me that I should hit you in the head.” In many cases, they do not restrain themselves, and you will not just be hit; you will be killed. 

If you don't think that is true, then I suggest that you pay attention to the Northern African nations, like Nigeria, where they slaughter people in the most heinous ways merely because they are Christians.

A layman's commentary on Matthew 24, verses 36 -38. As it was in the days of Noah.

 Previously, I covered Matthew 24:36, where Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” I spoke about how this directive to the Jewish people had nothing to do with the church.

The question they asked was this.

“..., and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

You can take the time to study this out by reading Matthew 24:2,3.

For the Jews, the sign of His coming speaks specifically to Revelation 19:11-16. We know this, for they have always been looking for a warring Messiah.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:11-16 NIV

Jesus spoke of many things related to eschatology—end-time events that happen to affect the church. Most of those things fall under the category of Jacob's troubles.

Jacob's troubles come specifically out of Jeremiah chapter 30.

“Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”
Jeremiah 30:6-7 NKJV

What would cause people to act like they are in so much pain that they are in labor like a woman?

Fear and distress, beyond human comprehension, is the only reasonable answer.

On that note, we move into Jesus' defining comment, in which He paints a picture of what it will look like when this time comes.

WE ARE ALMOST THERE!

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:37-39 NIV

Let's stop here for a moment to consider what life might have been like in Noah's day.

1. “The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” 

Try to imagine living in an atmosphere like this.

How did Noah and His family manage to come through this onslaught meant to disable people and disallow them the ability to obtain life and salvation through sacrifice and still be considered righteous?

Having spent a good deal of time listening to Dr. Chuck Missler, I came to the understanding that the fouled integration of fallen angels into the human strain through some form of deviant sexuality played a massive role in this pervasive and ever-present mental attitude.

One of the answers to my question lies in the repeated method of revealing a narrative that, to some degree, exaggerates the numbers. If you think that this makes God a liar, then let me remind you that virtually everything we know about God and His methods has been related to damaged humans – by the way, we are all damaged; with knowledge like that, you should be able to see that you cannot keep the tainted humanity out of the delivery. The Book of Jonah might be an excellent example of this.

2. “So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

I have two ways of looking at a statement like this.

The first and safest thing to do is to figure out the context.

Here, Jesus is answering their questions pertaining to when He would come back as the warring Messiah (although they did not specifically ask Him that. Lacking specifics, we need to remind ourselves that, at this time, there was NO church. History demonstrates the Jewish resistance to the idea of church, primarily because of what they will refer to as the Gentile Jesus.) One way to think about “the coming of the Son of Man,” would be to put it in the context of the church. Since I just covered that subject, then you should realize that the catching away of the church (the rapture,) is NOT the answer.

The second and most Jewish way of comprehending this statement is to imagine it as the time when Jesus comes back to finally rescue the Jewish people. (At least what is left of them, as two-thirds pf them will soon be killed. Something almost every one of us broken humans do when thinking about this scenario is to see the dead as permanently removed from the picture, but that is not the case. Those martyred during the time of God's wrath will be resurrected and will reign with Christ for a thousand years. Those from among the Jews that survive will have their hearts turned to God. All the rest of the dead, including most Jews, will be brought before the throne of God at the end of the thousand years; there, God will separate the dead into two groups, and those deemed the sheep will be given entrance to a changed and righteous life. The others will go off to eternal punishment as they follow their leader into his hell.)

3. “ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.”

   Right off the bat, let's set something straight. Living your life is NOT, as a rule, a bad thing. As I type these words, I am reminded that the fallen angels were taking whomever they wanted and, by their interactions, changing the genetics of the offspring to one that had NO hope for salvation, like themselves. These changelings were also, in time, propagating their own damaged offspring. Now, that should begin to change the atmosphere around Noah.

   The verse tells us that this attempt at living a “normal” life continued until the day Noah entered the ark, which is quite telling.

   What do we know?

   Noah was a preacher of righteousness. The last known “normal” human outside of Noah's family may have been Methuselah, and his death allowed God to pour out His wrath upon the earth. You don't hear much about the others, like Noah's kinfolk, but none of them came to get on the ark.

   Does that mean that they were all tainted and un-salvageable?

   Apparently.

   Genesis 6 is where this conversation between God and Noah began. However, chapter six does not tell us how long it took to build the ark and then stock it with animals and food; yet, Genesis 6:18 says something remarkable.

   "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.” Genesis 6:18 NASB

   It is fairly clear that God knew no one else would come (we do not see the evidence of that until we get to Genesis 7:7,) and yet Noah preached.

No one told these people that they would not be permitted on the boat, but God knew that something prevented them. We are likely to give it any number of titles, such as arrogance or self-will, but few are willing to admit that the fallen angels polluted the majority of humanity on earth. Most will not accept that these people were now like the fallen angels and unsalvageable.

4. “...up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”

   Matthew 24:39 tells us this. “...they didn't know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes.”

   “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

   They had never experienced rain and, therefore, could not understand the concept. Do you think it was possible that they had no grasp of great bodies of water – in which a person could drown? The Bible leaves out many of these details; it does, however, tell us of Peleg, a descendant of Noah, and in his day, the earth was severely shaken and split. Again, the Bible leaves us to hunt for answers, but it is probable that this shaking had much to do with the Pangaea – the separation of the continents. If you were based in the plains of Shinar, it might have felt like the center of the earth (it might have been.)

   So, to say that it will be just like that could easily imply tremendous unbelief and distrust. Most of us are just like that.

What did Noah warn of?

A massive flood that will cover the entirety of the earth and kill all breathing things. Now, you can't have a punishment without correction and warnings of things to come.

If these people whom Noah preached to and demonstrated by his own life had no hope due to the corruption of their genetics, then why waste breath warning them and offering them salvation?

Things that make you say, Hmmm. I must admit that I am following some of the statements from the Book of Enoch, which tells us that they (the Nephalim) had lost their hope of salvation, but that makes no sense, and we can see why in Genesis chapter 6.

“the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive, and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Adonai said, "My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore, their life span is to be 120 years." The N'filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.” Genesis 6:2-4 CJB

Just for the fun of it, who are these characters, and where did their relatives come from?

Genetic testing of one of the skulls indicated that half the ancestry could be traced to the Middle East, while the other half was unknown.

Brian Forester discusses the genetic testing results on his YouTube.
https://youtu.be/PP9B6l_burY?si=aOugQot9XRiT4p6C

Skulls like this have been found all over the world.

Wikipedia conveys that “Elongated skulls of three women have been discovered among Viking-era burials during the eleventh century at Gotland, Sweden.”

Science.org – https://www.science.org/content/article/strange-elongated-skulls-reveal-bulgarian-treaty-brides-ancient-germany. Tells us:

“In a handful of medieval Bavarian farming hamlets populated mostly by blue-eyed blondes, more than a dozen women with dark hair, dark eyes, and unusual elongated skulls would have stood out. A new DNA study suggests that these women, whose striking skulls have been unearthed from nearby grave sites, were high-ranking "treaty brides" from Romania and Bulgaria, married off to cement political alliances.”

Sciencealert.com – https://www.sciencealert.com/mystery-strange-elongated-skulls-finally-solved-deformed-artificial-cranial-bavaria. reveals that:

“In fact, the legacy of artificial cranial deformation across human history is so abnormal and 'other' it's sometimes presented as evidence of extra-terrestrial life. A new genetic analysis reveals otherwise – but also sheds light on cultural practices so distant and forgotten, they're almost alien. If not for their misshapen skulls these otherwise unremarkable skeletons – discovered by researchers in Bavaria during the 20th century – might never have been noticed by scientists.”

"Archaeologically, they are not that different from the rest of the population," geneticist Joachim Burger from the University of Mainz explained to National Geographic. "Genetically, they are totally different."

Is it possible that the extremely large and unknown humanoids (Nephilim) were due to the influence of fallen angels?

Scripture indicates that it happened then and after (the flood) and, therefore, should not be ruled out.

Look at what Genesis 6 tells us.

Genesis 6:4 NAS95  "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward,..."

Scripture does not plainly define what is meant by the term "afterward," and therefore, we have to apply the context, which is the destruction of "all" things that breathe air. With evidence, such as David killing Goliath, who was a descendant of giants, then we can know that the humanoids returned after the flood, by the same methods. Sincc it is rare to see a giant, then it is possible that they returned in other forms, such as Yeti, Sasquatch, or Alien grays.

In the book of Numbers, we find this.

“We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes. And that's also how we seemed to them." The children of Anak came from the Nephilim.”
Numbers 13:33 NIrV

An unusual aspect of this narrative is that the spies from Israel stopped and had a conversation with these “giants” that scared them.

L.A. Marzulli has spoken of interviews with people who claimed to have been taken. Those who escaped had one thing in common, they used the name of Jesus against their captors - the alien grays.

You do not have to be a useless victim to the wiles of the devil.