Billy Graham, the famous American evangelical Christian evangelist, just celebrated his 98th birthday. Some estimate that Graham has preached to more people in person than anyone else in the history of Christianity. He has often been on Gallup’s list of most admired people.
Recently, this Baptist minister warned that “God’s judgment is due to return to Earth.” Just as a Day of Judgment came to our world during the time of Noah, so it will come to our planet at the end of time. Graham points to Genesis 6:5, which says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Graham indicates that “he has no way of knowing when the end of the world will truly happen,” and he adds that it “may be a hundred years or a thousand years from now.” Yet, when one considers the signs of Christ’s soon return, it’s difficult to imagine that life will continue on earth as it has for another millennium.
Jesus’ second coming will be a surprise and will not be a surprise. Some people will be completely shocked when Christ comes back to our world and some will be waiting expectantly—it depends upon whether you are watching for His appearing or living life as if Jesus will never come. The Savior explained:
“As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37–39).
The people of Noah’s day “did not know” because they were unprepared. God gave them warnings, but they were intent on living life without the Lord. The same will be true today. People will be utterly caught off guard by Jesus’ return, even though the signs of Christ’s second coming are shouting at us from every corner of the globe.
We see wars and rumors of wars on every hand (Matthew 24:6, 7). People’s hearts are trembling with fear over the woes of this world (Luke 21:26). Times are perilous and the moral decay of society continues to plunge to new depths (2 Timothy 3:1–4). Natural disasters are increasingly striking the earth (Matthew 24:7).
God’s final message to humanity indicates a judgment is coming. The Bible sounds the cry, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:6). Let us also study the Bible and believe Christ’s words: “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” (Matthew 24:33).
Learn more about the days of Noah and Lot and there connection with our times. Watch
Days of Noah and Lot, with speaker Pastor Doug Batchelor.