God has presented prophecy and signs that will appear as the final end approaches. Jewish history tells us that God told the people on earth, prior to the flood, when judgment and punishment would come and it occurred as predicted through that flood. I believe God has given to all who have lived since the flood, definite signs that the earth again would end as we now know it and probably for the same reason, man’s immorality and wickedness. If God does not intervene with His plan, we could all be destroyed by a nuclear war. Then the only ones left would be Satan and his millions of demons.

In my research there are about as many versions as there are theologians. From all of the information I have gathered, the following is what I believed happened and is going to happen.

It begins in the fifth and sixth chapters of Genesis. It starts with a man named Enoch who at the age of 65 had a son Methuselah. There are different definitions for that name but a number believed it to mean: “When he dies judgment or his death shall bring judgment.” Enoch was also the grandfather of Noah, Noah’s name means: “He shall bring relief”. Enoch, Methuselah and Noah tried to persuade people on earth to live a godly life. It is possible that God provided as much prophecy in their time as ours. Of course, it would all have been destroyed. It seems there were a few who believed but most rejected their teaching. If history is accurate, it was not a surprise that a flood was coming and it would be the end for anyone who was not living as God had required. History also tells us that they knew for at least the life of Methuselah or 969 years. They were given a long time and a chance to repent. Yet, as today, most were unwilling to change. The carnal nature of man then seems to be the same today. They and our world neglect to alter how they lived and worship God.

Genesis 5:21 – 27 – “When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.”

It was believed that as long as Methuselah was alive there would be no judgment but when he died then the flood would come. Of course, that would not happen until the ark was completed. We know our end-time will not come until the building of the Jewish Temple is complete and operating. This time instead of building an ark it will be the Temple. The flood came approximately 1656 years from the day Adam was created.

Genesis 6:5 – “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.”

Genesis 6:12 – 14 – “God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.” NLT

For 120 years Noah and his family diligently worked building the ark as God had specified. The people were told that when the ark was finished there would be a flood and that was God’s judgment. They also knew that the end would come at Methuselah’s death. Of course, there was no knowledge as when that exact time would occur. However, God in His mercy allowed Methuselah to live longer than anyone, allowing everyone to repent and live a holy life to escape His punishment. Scripture says our end-time is being delayed to allow everyone who will accept Christ as their Savior to have eternal life with God.

I was able to see two parallels in the first judgment and the one to come. One was building an ark and the other building a Jewish Temple. Previous presidents have asked Israel to give up the West Bank which is Judea and Samaria. It appears that they will be required to do so. This also could be a sign of what is likely to happen.

Matthew 24:15 – 19 – “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!” Quotes from Jesus!

Let us look at the parallels. Enoch and Elijah both were raptured, taken to heaven without dieing. Believers are promised the same prior to our end. A day will come as stated in II Kings 2:11 – “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” This is a prelude as to what happens in our future.

The building of the ark before the end to that civilization and the building of the Jewish Temple were signs that God gave as a warning the end was coming. Both were a measurement of time before the final curtain. There were followers of God prior to the flood but in God’s grace he allowed each to die and not face the devastation. The same will happen to believers now; they shall be raptured in order to escape the desolation to come. I Corinthians 15:52 & 53 – “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”

For those who gave attention and listened then, and those of us today, were/are aware of the signs and what was/is to come. God ministered for years through the teaching of Enoch, Methuselah and Noah. They foreknew that the end would occur if they did not repent of their ways and worship God. However, their hearts were so hard and in the end everyone that was destroyed in the flood had hearts so hard they were unwilling to change their way of living.

God uses history to help understand the future. The plagues that happened during Moses time will again occur in our later days. When the end comes there will be absolutely no excuse for anyone to say: “I just never knew what God required or what was going to happen if I did not believe”. It wasn’t true in Noah’s time and there will be no excuses in our end-times. The only reason the end has not already come is because we have a God of love and mercy that wishes none shall perish and miss eternity with Him. We have the same God that gave those prior to the flood the same opportunity to change and believe, but they didn’t. The Bible is history just repeating itself! If He destroyed earth once chances are He will do it again as He said He will. But most never learn from history. It’s not too late to repent and worship God! But some day it will be!