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.

The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman. Revelation 12: 15-17.

 Most recently, we talked about how Satan, who tried to kill the male child, now persecutes the woman who gave birth to the child.

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. (Revelation 12:13 NASB)

From the first day of the revelation of the mystery, which occurred that day in the garden, he has attempted to kill anything that looked like the male child. Ah, and herein is an aspect of the mystery; your enemy did not know who this male child was.

For us this male child, in the broad view, is the nation of Israel (the male child is also seen as the woman.) This nation began its existence in Egypt with Jacob. By the time the new Pharaoh comes into power, God's people lived in the finest and greenest area of Egypt, in vast numbers. This piece of information was so alarming that the Egyptians made slaves out of them.

How did that happen?

If you are aware of the plight of God's people, then you know that they were making babies like there was no tomorrow, so the Pharaoh orders the midwives to kill the Israeli babies; one did not and we got Moses out of that. A narrow view of Revelation 12:13 would have us looking at Jesus as the male child.

Did Satan try to kill Jesus?

He certainly did, but he did not succeed, as Jesus is still alive.

Having tried to kill off any number of males, none of which slowed God down, he turned his perpetual attention to killing off anything that looked like the nation Israel. If you are familiar with the book of Esther,

He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Esther 2:7 NASB)

I made a point of telling you her Jewish name, as this is a Jewish story and an example of how one man attempted to kill off the Jews in a holocaust.

You should be well aware that the man who created the havoc was Haman.

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain. (Esther 3:8 NASB)

Wow, if you wanted to provoke a kings' anger, you could not make a more conclusive list.

Do you think, in the environment that is rapidly developing around the Christ-followers today, that this very thing will not happen to you? Look at this.

"If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king's business, to put into the king's treasuries." (Esther 3:9 NASB)

Back to the broad spectrum view. We, who are followers of Christ, are also the male child.

Satan is still trying to kill the male child, and this is where we pick up the story.

Revelation 12:15 NASB And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after
the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

Page one.

Poured – is the Greek word ballō and means to vomit.

Water, it seems like a simple, understandable word. It is the Greek word hudōr and means water, as if rainy.

After (the woman Israel) – This is the Greek word opisō and carries the idea of behind, or at one's back. There is definitely a feel for this remnant of Israel running for their lives.

While you may not look at these words and see a massive torrent, capable of killing off approximately three million people, the verse continues.

• “so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.”

Satan is trying to kill them all off.

Does Satan gain some advantage or a reprieve from God by killing off millions of people?

The answer is NO. God has a plan and it has always included putting Satan away for a thousand years, and then finally dispatching him to his permanent silencing in an eternal hell.

Revelation 12:16 NASB “But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.”

Whoa, hold up here a minute; the earth helped the woman.

Helped is the Greek word boēthéō. It means to run on hearing a cry, to give assistance.

How do you read a statement like this and not see the earth as having some ability to comprehend and communicate?

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

(Luke 19:39-40 NASB)

Here again, I see the earth as having the ability to communicate and comprehend, and the Psalmist conveys the idea that everything can call out to God.

Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy” (Psalms 98:7-8 NASB)

• “the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.”

Yes, I realize I am limiting God by thinking this way, but I can only see one logical thing; and that would be the earth splitting open and any water flowing after escaping Israel, going into the crevice.

Mouth is an interesting Greek word that I became acquainted with in Horticulture. It is the Greek word stoma and means the mouth as if a gash in the face. In plants, it is an opening on the bottom of leaves from which the plant exchanges oxygen for carbon dioxide.

Revelation 12:17 NASB So the dragon was enraged with the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

When I began this study into Revelation 12 I said, we have come back to our history lesson again.

If I apply that thought to Revelation 12:17 am I talking history or a future event?

The answer is both. History because Satan fell before time began, and has been at battle, in an attempt to kill off anyone who may have become the man child himself.

Page two.

Of course, after Jesus Christ came, and the Father announced that He was the beloved Son in whom He was well pleased, there was no longer a need to kill off man-child possibilities. Don't get me wrong, Satan is still out to kill you, through one of his demonic cohorts, but the reasons have shifted to, you look like the one I hate – Jesus.

“So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

In this case, the man child is Israel, the nation; and all attempts at destroying Israel have failed. So he goes and, not just bothers, but makes war with the rest of her children. These are either, the followers of Christ or the Jewish community. I lean toward them being followers of Christ.

How do I know that?

Because, for one, they keep the commandments.

Ah, but can any of us keep the commandments?

No, and that is why we needed a savior.

You might think that we Christians are the ones that keep the commandments, but look within the church and then tell me, how many hold tightly to the testimony of Jesus?

My first reaction is to say, not many. Oh sure, we gather there, but it is more of a social gathering and our commonality is a thin moral fiber called God.

I occasionally think that as a blogger, that does Bible studies daily, that I am holding to the testimony of Jesus more than most; however, I know me and know that I have my bad days as well. It is conversations like this that make me think that we need to realize how God thinks is all that matters; that is where a statement like this comes into play. “I have engraved you on the palm of my hand, and I will never forget you.”(Isaiah 49:17 )This passage demonstrates the depth of God's love for you.

When I read the Revelation there are always two main themes running through my head.

First, this book is a book about Jesus (We are told immediately that it is a revealing of Jesus;) that seems odd doesn't it, especially since, in many ways, the gospels revealed Jesus to us. But, for the most part, the gospels revealed Jesus as a gentle shepherd, who draws all to Himself through His actions and message; and, the gospels revealed Jesus as the lamb who was slaughtered and placed upon the cross.

Another thing that I am aware of is that an uncountable number, get their heads clear and hold on to Jesus; this, of course, costs them their physical lives.

Have you ever thought about that?

It is these puny, temporary lives that impede us from seeking out the God who made us.

Why then, wouldn't we want to clear ourselves and join Him?

I am not talking about suicide, I am talking about changing your focus off worldly desires and on to Jesus. Death has a way of doing just that, as it removes you into the spiritual realm; if you belong to Christ, then you are immediately in His presence at death, while those outside of the family, merely lie quietly, waiting for the final judgment. This final judgment is what you see in Matthew 25, and yes, there is mercy shown to those who acted like sheep. The sheep are defined as those who provided for Jesus by showing mercy to other humans in need. Read the story and you will understand.

Turning your life to Jesus now, before what many call the “tribulation” comes. If you have been living under a rock, then you may not be aware that the Taliban has been given control of Afghanistan once again; and, they are killing Christians and those who assisted the Allied forces. For them, the tribulation has begun, and yet, what we call "the tribulation," is wrath from God and far worse than what we have been seeing. Turn to Jesus, and give Him your life.

Biblical characters that demonstrated trust. Let's look at Noah.

There was a time when my actions caused my world to collapse. That collapse drove me to my knees and toward God with a passion that I did not realize was in me. I read the Bible incessantly, and in so doing I found a God of mercy and grace. I found all this through Jesus, the Son, but then, isn't the Son of God an exacting image of the Father. It seems that when you find something this good, you want to share it, and so I tried. The problem is that the religious crowd was raised on a God of judgment and punishment, and they preach that side of Him that was meant for Satan and his followers. Maybe that is why so many people fear God. I guess it is safe to say that, this characteristic I found in Jesus permeates everything I do and say; at least I try to live my life that way. The reality of that statement is that I frequently have to set aside my judgmental attitude (the one I was raised with,) and look for the mercy. That said, a few months ago our men's Bible study was focusing on Trust, and who the Biblical characters were that demonstrated trust. The Bible is filled with them. Let's just take a look at one, Noah.

Let's assume we know little about the man, and we stumbled upon this description in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:7 MKJV By faith Noah, having been warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Now, what can we say we know about him?

• By faith, Noah was warned of God about the coming of things he had never seen, experienced, or explain.

In the old testament, many were spoken to by God. However, when you read their stories, you find out it was through some incredibly vivid dreams. Abraham could be used as an example of a man who had some explicit dreams. In these dreams, given to Abraham, God's plan was laid out. Here also, there are repercussions because you now have insight into the future.

• It goes on to say, that Noah was moved with fear to prepare an ark.
  Fear is the Greek word eulabeomai meaning to be circumspect, that is, (by implication) to be apprehensive; religiously, to reverence. Strong's

Circumspect – means, looking on all sides, looking around. Hence, Cautious; prudent; watchful on all sides; examining carefully all the circumstances that may affect a determination or a measure to be adopted. Webster's Dictionary

Since there was no apparent need for boats, he might have been hard-pressed to understand how to build one, especially one of such proportions. How did Noah deal with the variables involved with those instructions? Around him, as he went off to harvest lumber, were large, aggressive, warring tyrants; that aspect alone could cause you to walk with caution; then there was the word that God gave him, most likely through a dream, indicating that all flesh would die. Was it common for God to talk with men at this time? Apparently not, as most men were only violent and their thoughts were solely evil.

We speak of Noah as a preacher and living testimony, but to whom?

As far as we know there were no vessels, nor were there any large bodies of water and therefore no reason to build boats. Noah had to look like the fool in their eyes. Conservative estimates put the process of building this boat between 55 and 75 years, and the time frame alone would make you the madman. Noah's sons would have been too young to be of much help, and I doubt he got any help from the unfriendly community around him. Cutting trees, shaping lumber, and the daily effort of feeding his family would have hindered our traditional concepts of preaching and evangelism.
If anything, Noah's witness came from his actions and persistence.

Since fear, a word used to describe Noah includes being circumspect as a definition; to be so, conveys the idea of carefully examining all the circumstances. Maybe this fear had more to do with what God had pronounced. Another side of this picture that you rarely hear. Noah is not a fool, and the possibility that God's design could carry all men is ludicrous. The obvious point is that Noah can see that virtually everyone will die. What did Noah do with this understanding? He kept building and preaching as if that was necessary.

• Noah's actions brought about the salvation of his household.
  But, what does that mean? Since we comprehend the outcome of the story, we know that it involved his sons and their wives. Why would this be an issue? You would think that Noah raised his sons to be just like he was, a follower of God. But, how often does that happen? When you consider the underlying perversion that Ham reintroduced into the mix, you should be able to understand that anyone can wander, even if briefly.
  • Noah's actions and determination condemned the world.
    Condemned is the Greek word katakrinō, and according to Strong's concordance, means to judge against, that is, sentence: - condemn, damn. The Word Study Dictionary adds, to pronounce sentence against someone or something.
    I have a question Didn't God condemn the earth and bring the flood?
    Let me show you something. Verses 1-3 indicate something radical is beginning to happen on the earth, that is not good, and entirely contrary to God's plan. And yet, as it happens, there is no assignment of punishment or destruction. The interactions between “the sons of God” and the daughters of men become so extreme that we get verse four, which speaks of giants in the earth. The verse also points out that the same giants became mighty men, as though that was a good thing. If you do a quick study of the word mighty, you find the expression gibbôr, which means warrior tyrants.
    Genesis 6:1-4 KJV And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
    Genesis 6:6,7 demonstrates a shift in God's attitude and direction for the earth, at least for the moment.
    “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” KJV
    This passage shows that the change has everything to do with these “sons of God” and their influence, not only in the earth but mankind. The redeeming quality seems to point to one man, Noah. Some that I listen to have stated that Noah's was the only bloodline not impacted by this demonic interaction with women, which produced these giants.
    Giants is the Hebrew word nephil; properly, a feller, that is, a bully or tyrant: - giant. A feller - One who hews or knocks down. Isa 14.
    And yet in the midst of these Nephilim, there was a man.
    Genesis 6:8 NASB But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
    Favor is the Hebrew word mâtsâ'. A primitive root; properly to come forth to, that is, appear or exist; transitively to attain, that is, find or acquire;
• For his efforts, Noah became the heir of righteousness; a righteousness that only comes about through the usage of, or the having of faith.

Now I have to ask, what is faith? Webster's dictionary tells us,

FAITH, n. [L. fides, fido, to trust; Gr. hupóstasis meaning to persuade, to draw towards anything, to conciliate; to believe, to obey.

Noah, given a path to follow, chose to follow God. What other options do you suppose Noah had? One gave hope of a better future, while the other probably involved your imminent demise at the hands of warrior tyrants.

Scripture defines faith as: ”the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 MKJV

Other translations define faith as:

The realization of, or The essence of the thing not seen. Moffatt's translation, tells us that it “means we are confident of what we hope for.”

The Word Study Dictionary defines the Greek word hupóstasis as - to place or set under. In general, that which underlies the apparent, hence, reality, essence, substance; that which is the basis of something, hence, assurance guarantee, to have confidence in (with the obj. Sense).

I want you to see something. If you start with the Jewish understanding of time, it puts us at 4004 B.C. - the fall of man and the beginning of recorded time. Counting backward using the ages given to us in Genesis chapter five, you find some extraordinary bits of information. For example, Adam overlapped Enoch by over three hundred years. So, if you ever wondered how Enoch gained the understanding and ability to talk so intimately with God that he could just walk off the earth, this interaction with Adam is a strong possibility.

What about Methuselah? He was the oldest man on the earth, living 969 years. Does that mean that he died in the flood and was therefore included among the unrighteous? I don't think that is the case. Many years ago I heard someone say, that Methuselah's name meant, "when he dies, it will come." I looked for solid evidence of this statement for years. Just recently I found this, ("he dies, and it (the flood) is sent.") A name given prophetically by Enoch, or given after the event. Phoenician inscriptions use methu or betha ("a man"). Fausset's Bible Dictionary. By Andrew Robert Fausset, co-author of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE. It appears that Robert Fausset pursued this through Phoenician writings, but that is not clear, and I can still find nothing more to back this claim. What I do have is Strong's concordance, which defines Methuselah's name according to the Hebrew.

H4968 - methu^shelach - From H4962 and H7973; man of a dart; Methushelach, an antediluvian patriarch: - Methuselah.

Man of a dart means nothing to me, but the name Methuselah is a combination of names.

H4962 - math - From the same as H4970; properly an adult (as of full length); by implication a man (only in the plural)

Was he born an adult? No, but the possibilities are good that Methuselah would reach full adulthood. We know that happened.

H7973 - shelach - From H7971; a missile of attack, that is, spear; also (figuratively) a shoot of growth, that is, branch:

Considering that we get our names, typically within minutes of our birth, how is possible that a name, given so early, could define our future and how we act? In a way, the name does not decree the course our lives will take, but I believe that God has His hand in everything. What we see as a human choice or mere coincidence, is no less than God's influence in our lives. For the most part, this is God spelling out the direction your life will take.

Now, I could understand "a missile of attack," from several directions, but one of them could be perceived as God's plan and direction for Methuselah's life. If you look at the figurative portion of the definition, which conveys that Methuselah could or would be representative of a shoot of growth, or a branch. All of which represent life. What do we know of that matches that terminology?

Isaiah 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.

Zechariah 3:8 'Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

So, the branch then is Jesus. Can we be so bold as to say that Methuselah was a type of Jesus?

Noah, in light of the world in which he lived, and the timeline we can understand, makes him shine all the more brightly. We know from scripture that there were Nephilim in the land. These sons of God that we understand to be fallen angels essentially mated with human females and produced extraordinarily large beings. Because of the information that, not only Adam had access to, but the others that may have had this same information, like Enoch, apparently shared this information. Anyone with common sense can see that there were some highly intelligent and vicious men walking the earth. Should you decide to do a word study on the phrase “mighty men,” you will find that it means warrior tyrants. This scenario was the world, not only Noah but many other men of God. Some have said that Noah's family line, which I just spelled out above, was the only lineage that had not become contaminated by the demonic influence.