How many times in the Church of God have we heard this saying, "as in the days of Noah"? The church was constantly looking for the latest crisis as a sure sign of the end times. The world around the church was perverted and falling apart, just like in Noah's time...while ignoring the fact that the church was falling apart and was also perverted with child molesters, rapists, stalkers, serial adulterers, and even murderers in its midst.
Churches, prophets, and false preachers have been saying this since the time the scriptures were first set to print. Whether it was the Romans, Greeks, Europeans, Germans, Russians, gays, abortionists, corrupt government leaders, etc. there was always someone out there that was causing the world to fall apart. The problem we face today is that when things go down the response is instantaneous and the world knows about it immediately. Before the internet and phone lines, news traveled slowly and reached people days, weeks, and months after something happened. The frequency is no higher today than it was in the previous generations. Though if you listen to the fake prophets of Armstrongism (Bob Thiel, Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Ron Weinland, Gerald Weston, Tony Roach, Zerubbabel, and others) you would think that the end was hitting us tomorrow.
Are there problems in the world? Absolutely! The problem in the COG is we have had false prophets in our midst who latch on to these stories in order to scare members into submission. Take a look at Doug Winnail's latest fear-mongering in the latest Tomorrow's World magazine. The exact same thing that he, Weston, and Meredith have been crowing about for 40 plus years now.
"When the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3), He told them, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6–8; Mark 13:7–8; Luke 21:8–10). And, while wars have certainly raged throughout history, there is no denying that the twentieth century saw the scope and magnitude of warfare and international conflict reach unprecedented levels."
"Jesus’ prediction that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” is an accurate description of what is happening today. The biblical Greek word for nation—ethnos—refers to a people, race, tribe, or ethnic group. The biblical Greek word for kingdom—basileia—means a nation, realm, or empire. Jesus prophesied that ethnic strife and wars between nations would dominate the news at the end of the age. "
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
Jesus warned of other conditions that would prevail just before His return. While cautioning that no one would know “the day nor the hour” of His coming, He warned that “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 25:13; 24:36–39). Scripture reveals that in the days of Noah, “the earth was filled with violence… all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Genesis 6:11–13).
Our modern society is permeated with violence—in our homes, our schools, our “entertainment,” and everywhere on the world scene. Jesus explained that, because of escalating violence, war, and immorality, “unless those days were shortened [by the return of Christ], no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:21–22). Jesus clearly understood the danger of human extinction, which became a real threat with the advent of the atomic bomb in the mid-twentieth century!
And the danger has persisted into the twenty-first century, exploding to new levels after the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil. “In the two decades since [the 9/11 attacks, the] 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force has been formally invoked to justify counterterrorism (CT) operations—including ground combat, airstrikes, detention, and the support of partner militaries—in 22 countries…. During that same time, the number of terrorist groups threatening Americans and American interests has, according to the U.S. State Department, more than doubled.… The 2001 AUMF has… already been invoked by Biden to cover an unknown number of military missions in 12 countries: Afghanistan, Cuba, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Niger, the Philippines, Somalia, and Yemen” (“The war on terror is going great—for terrorist groups,”
BusinessInsider.com, January 6, 2022). Peace? There is no peace!
We are living in perilous times, but the news is not all bad! Jesus concluded His prophecies of the end of the age on a positive note, saying that “when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:28–33). In the days of Noah, God intervened with a flood to put an end to human corruption and violence, yet He saved Noah and his family to repopulate the earth. In the years ahead, God will intervene again to put an end to corrupt human behavior and global violence. The Second Horseman of the Apocalypse, though he portends terrible ruin on the earth in the end times, also will precede the glorious soon-coming reign of the Savior, Jesus Christ! The Second Horesman: Violence and War
