Before that, we know we can consider them as types only if they have been directly or indirectly declared to be so in the Bible. (See Grace – Blossom 4:June 08, Para 01; Blossom 18:July 08, Para 01; Blossom 28:April 10, Paras 01,02,04). Therefore, let us first find out where in the Bible we see such declarations for these three events. Jesus himself directly declares two of them – the events of the days of Noah and the days of Lot – as types of the Gospel Age’s end times – “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man… It was the same in the days of Lot.” (Luke 17:26, 28). So there is no doubt about these two events being types of the end times. Regarding the third one, the Bible does not explicitly declare the end times of the Jewish Age as a type of the end times of the Gospel Age. But it has been indirectly mentioned so in the prophetic book of Daniel. In an earlier issue of Grace (See Grace – Blossom 32: August 10), we studied about the ‘seventy sevens’ prophecy that Gabriel delivered to Daniel. In that prophecy, which was about the Jewish Age’s end times, it is mentioned – “The end will come like a flood” (Dan 9:26). The flood mentioned here is indeed the Flood of the days of Noah (Isn’t that the only and important flood in Biblical history?). Therefore it essentially compares the Jewish Age’s end times to the days of Noah. And as we saw earlier, the days of Noah have directly been compared by Jesus with the Gospel Age’s end times (Luke 17:26, 28). In that case, the Jewish Age’s end times compared with the days of Noah by Daniel 9:26 should also be comparable with the end times of the Gospel Age. Thus the Bible subtly points to the end times of the Jewish Age as a type of the Gospel Age’s end times. Hence these three events are not types that occurred in the imagination of fallible human minds. Rather they are true types declared by the Bible. So without any hesitation let us boldly proceed to study them with sound Biblical assurance.
(2) Now let us set out to discover the characteristics of the Gospel Age’s end times by comparing these three events. In our previous issue, we found out from Daniel 12:4 that an increase in knowledge is a special feature of these end times. We had also noted that we could realize the importance of properly utilizing this increase in knowledge by studying and comparing the aforementioned three events (See Grace – Blossom 33:September 10, Para 09). Let us see how the importance of knowledge comes out in these three events. First let us consider the days of Noah. In a future issue, we will study this type in its fullness. Right now, let us look at it in brief. The days of Noah are a wonderfully perfect type of the end times of the Gospel Age. Why so? The times of Noah are actually the end times of the first world. And the end times of the Gospel Age are the end times of the second world. Therefore these two are the end times of the first and second worlds respectively. And hence the similarities between them are a beautiful divine design indeed! That being the case, in this type, Noah with his family signifies the Church. The Ark that helped save them represents Christ. Noah’s family entered into the Ark and escaped the destruction of the first world. Likewise, Christ’s Church attains salvation by being in Christ and escapes the destruction of the second world. The people of the world die in Adam. But the Church dies in Christ and hence is to achieve a resurrection with no threats of a second death. In an issue of Grace (See Grace – Blossom 28:April 10, Para 04), we saw that types and anti-types would have not just similarities, but also some differences. Likewise, these two have some differences too. For instance, the first world was destroyed by water. But the second world’s destruction would be by fire (2 Pet 3:6, 7). That being the case was there anything during the days of Noah like the increase in knowledge during the Gospel Age’s end times that only the ‘wise’ would ‘understand’? Yes, indeed. So what was the knowledge during those days that the wise Noah family (representing the Church) understood? It was the knowledge that the first world was to be deluged and destroyed by flood waters. Others did not understand that. And so they were destroyed by the flood. During the end times of the first world, what saved the Noah family was their knowledge about the impending destruction. Therefore it becomes clear that it is critical for us to understand the increase in historic/scientific/biblical knowledge during the present times of the end of the Gospel Age. In an earlier issue of Grace (See Grace – Blossom 21:October 09), we had studied in detail about how the days of Lot serve as a type of the Gospel Age’s end times. Wasn’t it the knowledge about the imminent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah that had saved Lot’s family? Therefore, even during the days of Lot, it was vital to understand the knowledge revealed at that time. Finally, let us look at how important it was to understand the knowledge disclosed during the end times of the Jewish Age. Between 66 A.D. and 73 A.D., the Jewish Age ended with the heavenly judgment of destruction that fell upon Jerusalem and Judea resulting in the complete abolition of ‘sacrifices & offerings’. We had looked at this in-depth while studying the ‘seventy sevens’ prophecy in an issue of Grace (See Grace – Blossom 32:August 10). In the Judea of that time, while others were destroyed, those who followed Christ, when they saw the Roman armies that were ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, understood that Judea’s judgment was at hand, remembered Christ’s instructions to flee from Judea and promptly fled to escape its destruction (Matt 24:15,16; Luke 21:20,21; See Grace – Blossom 32: August 10, Para 09). In particular, Jesus had taken up Prophet Daniel by name and asked them to study the ‘seventy sevens’ prophecy recorded in Daniel’s prophetic book (Matt 24:15, Mar 13:14). Yes, that prophecy was indeed the knowledge to be understood by the Christians of those times. The people who listened to Jesus studied the ‘seventy sevens’ prophecy. And as we found in our own study, they too would have discovered that the divine judgment on Judea would last for seven years and would have understood that as the ‘elect’ people they would have to flee away from Judea in the short available time (See Grace – Blossom 32:August 10, Para 09). We might also remember that we saw historical evidence in our study for such an escape by many Christians during that time. Therefore it is clear that it was critical for the Judean Christians of those times to understand the knowledge revealed at that time to escape the destruction that came upon Judea during the end of the Jewish Age.
(3) Thus we saw how critical it was to understand the knowledge revealed at the corresponding time period in each of the three typical events. So it becomes obvious that it must be vital for us to understand the increase in knowledge during the present end times of the Gospel Age typified by those three periods. Truly, even if we know all the basic tenets of the truth about Christ, if we do not understand the increase in scientific knowledge of these times, we would be vulnerable to stumble and fall some day if not today. Likewise, if we ignore the gain in prophetic knowledge that occurs due to scientific advancements and continue to follow old and familiar but incorrect historical explanations, there are chances to stumble not just for us, but also for those new in Christ upon whom we thrust those explanations. In later days if they discover those historic dates to be inaccurate, we might become the reason for them getting dejected to the level of doubting even the fundamental truths. Accurate prophetic knowledge is vital in these times. It is indeed true that even during the present times, a person comes into Christ fully even if he or she gets baptized knowing only the fundamental truths about Christ (See Grace – Blossom 27:Memorial 10, Para 04). But if that person does not wisely understand the prophecies that have been unsealed and revealed during these end times like the ones about the Anti-Christ, the Second Presence of Christ and the forthcoming Kingdom, his or her race would be very tough to run. As such people, having not been able to interpret the times, would be vulnerable to be swept away by the trials of these times. Wasn’t it the failure to properly interpret the signs of their times that led to the stumbling of many Jews during the First Advent of Christ? (Matt 16:3). Hasn’t God permitted the current increase in knowledge because He considers it necessary for these times? That being the case, would it be prudent of us to ignore that? Therefore, knowledge may be scientific, historic or prophetic. It is so critical to wisely understand all kinds of knowledge that comes out of the increase during the end times. That’s what those three typical events reiterate. It was the knowledge revealed during their own times that saved Noah family, Lot’s family and the Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times. We too can run our race properly only if we enrich ourselves with the God- permitted knowledge that’s exploding in the present times. Hence, let us make real efforts with prayer to do so.
(4) Another common feature we notice among these three typical time periods is: the fullness of sin. God is immensely patient. He does not take any pleasure in the death of anyone. Only when the sins of a man or nation cross the limits and achieve fullness, God destroys. For instance, read this verse – “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” (Gen 15:16). God could have settled the Israelites in Canaan during the times of Abraham itself. Instead, He did not permit them to settle there till the fourth generation. It was because the time had not yet come to destroy the Amorites who had been living at Canaan. Their sin had ‘not yet reached its full measure’. So the Israelites waited till the fourth generation. Because their sin was not full yet, God did not destroy the Amorites even for the sake of the Israelites, His own chosen people. From this, we know the distinguished nature of divine justice. Likewise, it was the fullness of men’s sin that prompted God to destroy the first world during the days of Noah – “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.” (Gen 6:11, 12). Even during the days of Lot, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so grievous and so bad that it reached God’s presence. That’s why God destroyed those cities (See Genesis 18:20,21). Also during the Jewish Age’s end times, the sins of the Jewish people had reached God’s presence because of their continuous transgressions including their handover of Jesus, God’s Messiah to be crucified. Only after patiently giving them many opportunities to repent, did God end the Jewish Age – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate.” (Luke 13: 34, 35). Thus, in all these three typical times, we see the common feature of sin reaching its full measure. That’s why the first world, Sodom-Gomorrah and first century Judea were destroyed.
(5) Presently we know that Yahweh God is to destroy this second world very soon. We just saw that God does not deliver such a judgment of destruction until sin reaches its full measure. In that case, it becomes clear that sin has achieved fullness during these end times of the second world. These end times are indeed times of great sin. Heinous sins like murder and looting are on the increase. But the degradation of the present world’s virtues serves as a more serious trial to us. If we look at the world of today, a majority of people consider it fine many an activity that has been deemed wrong by the Bible. Not only that. The people who point to the difference between right and wrong are considered as closed-minded or socially backward-thinking. We are certainly living in a time when the truth is branded a lie and a lie is deemed the truth. Such an environment is a great trial for us. As minor sins are committed often casually in these times, we too sometimes might start thinking ‘This is just a minor sin. Not like a murder or theft. Everybody does it’. And we might start living according to the times. In the eyes of God, there is no differentiation of minor sin – major sin. Therefore we need to strive to be truthful and faithful in all things. It is indeed tough to do that today. As the world lies submerged in sin, even if we start a regular business enterprise, we end up having to lie about things. Sometimes we have to bribe people. As the worldwide economic collapse of the last two years has showed us, corruption is rampant all over the world in governments, authorities and business institutions. Therefore, it’s tough for us to lead a just life. Injustice is praised and being just is mocked as haplessness. Since the love that existed in human relations has died down to a large extent, nowadays disputes over property or money even among blood brothers and sisters are widely prevalent. Tolerance has decreased and money enjoys more importance than love and relationships. To be like that is actually considered wise. This is the current situation in our world. But we are not to live like the world. Because is this actually our world? – “As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19). Therefore, we should not consider money as the foundation of our life like the world does. Instead we should build our life on the foundation of the love that Christ has shown us. Likewise, it may be a minor sin that almost everyone often commits. But us doing even that is wrong. The Bible asks us to follow all laws and rules of governments that do not conflict with our spiritual lives (See Matt 22:21, Rom 13:1-7, Tit 3:1). Therefore be they may government taxes, or laws and regulations, no matter how minor they may be, we should follow them. Just because others don’t do so doesn’t mean we should follow suit. We should lead a life that’s as righteous as possible. We should not commit even any minor sin boldly. If we fail due to our fleshly weaknesses, we should immediately seek forgiveness from God and rectify the wrong that was committed. For those who doubt the feasibility of leading such a life, the lives of Noah, Lot and the Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times serve as important lessons. Even when the entire world was in sin, Noah was righteous all alone (Gen 6:8, Heb 11:7). Lot too lived righteously among the lawless men of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Pet 2:7, 8). And the Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times did not lose their faith even when they lived among the sinful Judeans who had hated Christ and crucified him. Therefore, we too have no excuse. But, how is it possible to live like that? There is only one way. Keeping in mind the fact that the world is to be destroyed, we should not give importance to worldly activities like planting and building, and rather focus our lives on spiritual things. The people who were destroyed during these three typical times had not been like that and had instead been intent on worldly functions like selling and planting. And so came their destruction (See Luke 17:27, 28). If we were like that, money would seem more important than love. Committing minor sins might appear ok. As to thrive (to achieve money and fame) in this sinful world, taking a wicked sin-filled path is very much necessary. In an earlier issue of Grace (See Blossom 16:May 09, Para 04), we had seen that earning money for our basic amenities and for gospel/church work is not wrong but it’s wrong to think about accumulating it as wealth. Moreover only if we are famous in this Satan-ruled world, it implies that there is something wrong about us in the eyes of God. As per Christ, this world would rather accuse/persecute us. Therefore, in these sin-filled end times, if we focus on worldly things like the people of the days of Noah-Lot, we would definitely be overcome by sin. Jesus beautifully sums this up when he talks about our very own these end times – “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33). Yes, in these end times if we seek money-wealth-fame to keep our lives, we would take the sinful path. We need to abstain from the prevalent sinful ways of the present times and stand separate & firm like Noah, like Lot & like the Judean Christians of the end times of the Jewish Age. Let us be cautious.
(6) Finally, another salient feature of these end times is the fact of end being near. That in itself becomes a great trial for us. How so? God has already set the year for the destruction of the second world. He knows the date and time (Acts 1:7). We do not know for sure which year it is. But before that end, we have to complete our race. The spiritual races of the Christians of earlier times lasted till their natural deaths. That is, they had time till their lives ended to confirm their faith by doing works of faith like spreading the gospel and activities of church growth and maintenance. But it is not the case for the Church of the End Times. We have to confirm our faith by works of faith and finish our race before the end of this world. As this second world’s end might come earlier than our natural deaths from aging. So we have to do our works with great urgency. Because it’s not possible in these end times to be casually assuring ourselves that we would passionately do God’s work later after we first secure our worldly lives (i.e. our economic and familial situations) to some extent. We do not know the year when this world is going to be destroyed. It may very well be the current year! So before the end of this world, we need to confirm our faith. Otherwise we shall be destroyed along with the world. Before the end of the world, only those who had fulfilled their faith would die in Christ and be taken up (1 Thess 4:16, 17). We could see this in all three of the typical events. Noah had to complete building his Ark and enter it before the Flood came. Instead if he had been building the Ark lazily and had procrastinated, he too would have been destroyed. Noah had to complete building the Ark that was his work of faith before the first world ended (Heb 11:7). Likewise, Lot too had to flee the city before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And his wife who did not fully obey that command met with destruction (Luke 17:32). The Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times had to flee Judea before it was destroyed (Matt 24:15-20). Do you see now? In all the three events that typify the end times of the Gospel Age, the faithful of those times had to save themselves before a particular end/destruction. It is the same case now! Moreover, the faithful of all those three time periods were warned by God about the great impending destruction. God warned Noah (Gen 6:13). Lot was warned by angels (Gen 19:12, 13). And the Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times were warned by Jesus (Matt 24:15-20). Likewise, we who are the Christians of the Gospel Age’s end times, are warned of the world’s end being near by signs like the end of the Anti-Christ’s reign and the commencement of the Second Presence of Christ since 1874 A.D. – “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:27-31). Yes, the fulfillment of many prophecies including Christ’s Second Presence serves as signs for us to understand that the second world is soon to be destroyed to pave way for the Kingdom of God to be established. We, the Church of the End Times, have sensed these signs. So we need to do our works of faith with great urgency to complete our race before the end of the world comes.
(7) It’s important to understand this clearly. We know that no one could achieve heavenly posts without doing works of faith like preaching the gospel and activities related to church growth and maintenance (See Grace – Blossom 24:January 10, Paras 05, 06). Only such works of faith confirm our faith. This is a truth that could be applied to churches of all times. But the deadline for members of the churches of other times to confirm their faith by works of faith was the end of their own lives. But since the world’s end is near now, we cannot say for sure that we would have such a deadline of the time of our natural deaths. This is because we don’t know when the world’s going to end. So we have to confirm our faith with great urgency. To understand this further, let us again look at the typical three events. In all those three times, we see a sense of urgency, a running. Noah had to run into the Ark before the first world was destroyed. Lot had to run away from Sodom and Gomorrah before they met with destruction. And the Judean Christians of the Jewish Age’s end times had to run away from Judea to escape its destruction. In these end times typified by those three times, we have to run with urgency in the narrow way to confirm our faith before the end of the second world. That is, there is no guarantee for us to have time till our natural deaths like the churches of the other times had. So without any more delay, we should totally devote ourselves to gospel/church works and confirm our faith. This urgency is only for the Church of the End Times. A question might arise in some minds. God is impartial. But how come He permits such a special trial only for the Church of the End Times? This is actually not partiality. As we saw earlier that the churches of different times are tested by trials of different types (See Grace – Blossom 33:September 10, Para 01). Moreover, God permitted for us not only this trial, but also an increase in knowledge (that we studied about earlier) during our times to help prepare us to overcome the trial. Thanks to that, we understand many prophecies that had not been understood by churches of many ages. We are also blessed to see the fulfillment of many prophecies – ‘the prophecies on the Anti-Christ, the Second Presence of Christ, the prophecies on the nation of Israel and many more’. Our faith is reinforced by them. Therefore, with our faith being strengthened and also being warned of the end of the world through prophecies, we have no excuse to offer. Yes, we are at the edge of time. So let us not waste even one second. Let us strive to confirm our faith before the end of the world by doing works of faith like preaching the gospel and helping the brethren.
(8) Furthermore, from the type of the end times of the Jewish Age, we come to know that we are very, very close to the end of the second world. The seven year judgment upon the Jews prophesied by Daniel 9:27 started in 66 A.D. (See Grace – Blossom 32:August 10, Paras 07, 08, 09). It was in that year the Roman-Jewish war started. If the Roman war on Judea had gone on without any break from 66 A.D. till 73 A.D., then everyone in Judea including her Christians would have been affected. But Christ had foretold that the days of distress upon Judea would be shortened so that the elect i.e. the Christians could escape (Matt 24: 21, 22). Likewise between 66 A.D. and 73 A.D., the Roman siege of Judea was stopped twice and peace prevailed for short times. Firstly around 66/67 A.D., the Roman armies that had invaded Judea suddenly withdrew and returned back. Then peace reigned for a short while. During that time, many Christians remembered Christ’s warning and fled Judea. Then the war commenced again. But the Roman armies again withdrew in 68 A.D. when the Roman Emperor Nero died. During that second short window of peacetime, the remaining Judean Christians fled from there. The war when it resumed, continued relentlessly till 73 A.D resulting in the total destruction of Judea. Aren’t the end times of the Jewish Age a type for that of the Gospel Age? In that case, did armies surround the second world that’s marked for destruction today like how armies had surrounded Judea that had been marked for destruction then? Yes, during the First and Second World Wars, the whole world was surrounded by armies. The fact we need to give attention is that peace prevailed twice amidst the wars of the typical end times of Jewish Age. Likewise, even though armies surrounded the world twice now during the end of the second world, the Two World Wars ended without the total destruction of the world to allow for the completion of the Church i.e. us. But as the type shows us (Wasn’t the war stopped only twice during the end of the Jewish Age?) there would be another World War. Armies would surround the whole world. And that would be the Final War that destroys the world. Yes, the Two World Wars serve us as a warning to do our works of faith with greater urgency and achieve completion. Back then, when the Christians saw armies surrounding Judea, they had to run from there. Today, we who have seen the world surrounded by armies twice should urgently hurry to do works of faith for achieving completion. Jesus told the Judeans to flee immediately without even delaying to go back to get their cloaks (Matt 24:16-18). Today, we too need to run with such urgency. If we think there is still much time before the world would be destroyed and slacken in our race, we too would be destroyed. Truly, we are in the last & final peacetime of the second world, standing at the brink of destruction. It’s vital for the Church of the End Times to realize that and do the works of faith with a sense of urgency.
(9) In our two issues, we saw what times are the End Times and that the trials of the End Times are increase in knowledge, fullness of sin and the nearness of the end of the world. We also realized that we are standing at the edge of the destruction of the second world. So let us pray God to help us run our race towards our heavenly goal with a sense of urgency. Amen!