Section 3 Chapter 4 – Knowing the time
When God approached Noah with His conclusions and action plan to bring sin and violence to an end, it had been over 1500 years (1530), since our first parents (Adam and Eve), had been escorted from their garden home. The first couple had been off the scene for over 500 years, but succeeding generations carried the promise of a Savior all the way for Noah’s consideration, he would be the one to transport the truth post-flood. I’m sure Noah’s observations concerning where societies endeavors had gone were right in line with his Maker. Righteousness always has the light on where the darkness is the greatest. Noah most likely lived in a remote rural area to help shield his family from the corruption. After-all, he had been living on the planet for 480 years when God approached him, which would provide an insane amount of life experience. At this point he was probably married but felt apprehensive about bringing children into such a corrupt environment. Scripture states he was 500 and begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. 5:32). Without a degree of certainty, it seems his wife and he had three sons close together: with Ham being the youngest (Gen.9:24), Japheth being identified as being the oldest (Gen. 10:21), and Shem the middle son. It was through Shem’s lineage that the Messiah would come.
So, from the time God shared His concerns for humanities survival, 15-20 years would pass before children were part of the family. Noah would eventually have 3 loyal helpers (than 6 with the wives), with the construction of the ship, but until they grew to be that extra pair of hands that would be needed, Noah would need to hire a crew. With the Ark being perhaps the most audacious project ever attempted by anyone or even a boat builder in that generation, I can imagine the site work alone would take years, as the land at that time was very lush and fertile. Just the preparation of the materials would be a significant challenge.
God knew that the time was right for decisive action to be implemented, humanity had been growing in knowledge and was experimenting with amalgamation (the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form), in some sense this could be a positive development, but with the super-natural inspiration from the darkness, sinful individuals could not resist distorting the very image of God in humanity with absurd combinations.
So, Noah gets the call from the heavenly bullpen and takes the ball after God’s nod of approval. The game is headed into the final innings, Noah’s warm-up will be the gathering of all the materials for the building the ship, and many home-runs needed to prepare it for a global catastrophe; the shouts from the radical crowd would be disturbing and intense, the weather would cooperate though, it was clear with no rain delays. The defense would need to be at the top of their game (no errors observed), the offense would be following the coaches’ instructions to the tee. The crazy thing was the winning pitch would be made by God Himself – the closing of the massive Ark door.
The bible informs us that the people did not know that their probation had ended when that door closed (Matt.24:39), but Noah knew that he and his family had been sealed in. Something else that Noah knew and that was that God loved him and had also given him a heads up, revealing the very year that the flood event would come.
God saw the mingling of truth and error magnified when the sons of God (the righteous), took wives from the daughters of men (the unrighteous), as the initiation point for a limited probationary period of 120 years. The two distinct groups had been growing since the conflict between Cain and Abel (Adam’s two sons). These unions were an unequally yoked relationship, what part hath light with darkness. Marriage was established to illustrate the atonement, the necessary offerings that God must provide for the saving of the rebellious race. This mingling of righteousness and unrighteousness was a step over the line, and the clock started to tick at God’s instruction to Noah. “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Gen. 6:3). Noah now knew the time (the year), God had scheduled for the destruction of the world and the cleansing of the planet. I’m sure the intensity of his warning message was at a fever pitch as that generation neared the 120th year.
Flash forward 2,500 years and we find Paul asking a similar question to the Romans; “And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:11-12).
Do we know the time? Can we calculate where we are in the Plan of Salvation? Paul said 2,000 years ago it was nearer than when we believed. If God provided Noah with a special heads-up before the flood, would He not consider us as worthy of such information, and especially at this critical time in history?
Before we answer let’s consider another example found in the Jewish dispensation near its probationary close. This has been called the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9. Many would contend that Abram was the father of the Jewish nation. He received the mantel of promise and truth from Noah before his death, remember Abram and Noah were alive together for 58 years prior to Noah’s death. This occurred 350 years after the flood event. So, the Jewish roots go back to Abram’s receiving the Messianic promise and eventually embarking on his journey to the promised land after leaving Hebron. However, their development as a nation is really birthed after they leave their captivity from Egypt with the crossing of the Red Sea. There is a lot that can be reviewed from history and the bible concerning the 2,000 years of the Jewish dispensation. The high note was the coming of the Messiah, even if they were not ready for the event. Unfortunately, it would be just 3 1/2 years after Messiah’s crucifixion that their probation as a nation ended, the year was 34 AD. The stoning of Deacon Stephen and the Gospel to the Gentiles marked the event.
There are some religious organizations that focus on the predictions in the book of Daniel that bring to light these events. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times” (total of 69 weeks or 483 days/years). The start date is found in the book of Ezra 7:11-26, The decree of Artaxerxes was issued in the 7th year of his reign, and according to ancient methods of chronology, went into effect in Jerusalem in the fall of 457 BC. If you understand the year day concept found in prophecy, the 483 days can also be applied as years, which brings us to the year 27 AD. This fulfills the prophecy accurately as Messiah came to the Jordon to be baptized, the outward sign of His initiation for priestly ministry.
“And after (the restoration completed in 408 BC), threescore and two weeks (62 weeks or 434 years), shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined”.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:24-27). The real focus targets the last week (70th week), in the middle of that week 3 ½ years from 27 AD takes us to the crucifixion of Messiah (31 AD). The remaining 3 ½ years brings us to 34 AD. This is when the Gospel emphasis shifts from the Jews to the Gentiles. It marks the end of the Jewish dispensation and the beginning of the Christian dispensation.
What was just described was a brief example of God making known for the Jewish leaders the very year their probation as a called-out nation would end. Although lives were not ending like occurred with the flood story, a transition of a spiritual nature was taking place. Because the transition was a spiritual one, not very many were aware that a shift in mission had even occurred. The Gospel message would need to go to the world as had always been intended. The Sanhedrin had lost focus of its mission, to open blinded eyes, unstop closes ears; “ I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house” (Isa. 42:6-7).
The Christian dispensation began at the close of the Jewish era (34 AD), a new emphasis, a new paradigm would take precedence. The coming, living, dying and heavenly ministry of the Messiah would now be the focus, the manifestation of the Tabernacle service was now a living reality. The world for its final 2,000 years of probation would be confronted with a lifted-up living Savior, not just the promise of one. The sacrifices He achieved would be revealed and all humanity would be confronted with the “SO” love scripture mentions, Messiah was given in all three verb tenses (past-present-future). Near probations close, not just a warning message sounded, but it would be the “everlasting Gospel” that would be proclaimed.
As Paul reminds us of the importance of knowing the time (Rom. 13:11), we can be confident that God will bless us as well with a heads-up. Notice his words to the Thessalonians, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:1-9).
Paul is suggesting here that the true believers, the wise virgins (Matt. 25), because of the Spirits edification will have a knowledge of the time when Messiah will come a second time. For the secular world it is non-sense, for they are in darkness, not understanding the light. But for the believer God’s promises are sure, Messiah stated “…if I go, I will come again to receive you…” (Jn. 14:1-4)
The 2nd coming of Christ is a major theme in scripture especially highlighted in the New Testament. However, it is not the most important event that will transpire. Just prior to Christ’s return a symbolic door (like the literal one on Noah’s Ark), will be closed. John the Revelator brings it to light; “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev. 22:11). This describes a time in which the character of all mankind is fixed; either for good or bad, for saved or lost. This is the same picture that existed with Noah’s Ark, those outside the ship were sealed out, those inside were safely sealed in. The next verse in chapter 22 reveals the closeness of Christ’s 2nd coming to this door of probation closing; “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:11).
The key to understanding the closeness of this event and the heads-up God has provided just like He did with Noah, is interestingly the same statement. God didn’t just pull the number 120 out of a hat and hand it over to Noah. It was intentionally provided as it would indicate also the symbolic number of probation humanity would receive. Just as God did not leave Noah in the dark, prompting him to guess, or imply that He would send signs so that Noah would know the flood event was near. God supplied him with the precise time he had left to prepare for the scheduled event; this direct communiqué should reveal something important to us, was God speaking to us as well?
It is clear that Noah’s generation had 120 literal years of special probation. After the flood event and Noah’s death, Abram is chosen to carry the mantel of truth forward. It is in this segment of history (Jewish dispensation), that the number, 120 is again brought to view. Chapter 34 of the book of Deuteronomy was written we believe by Joshua, since Moses had been called to the mountain, his human probation about to end. Verse 7 is quite revealing as it indicates that Moses dies at 120 years of age. Moses himself like the ship Noah built, became very much associated with the plan of Salvation and the law of God specifically; both became symbolic of that very law. Notice what Joshua indicates in verse 7; “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated”.
This verse is quite revealing for just a few words; Joshua is indicating that there was no good reason for Moses to die, still in pretty good shape for 120, except it was God’s timing and to fulfill His purpose. Why would God bring His faithful servant’s probation to an end, seemingly prematurely and just before entering the Promised Land? I believe this is another literal and symbolic event indicating not only the literal close of a probation (Moses himself), but again symbolic of the close of human probationary time.
It is at this time in history that the Shemitah cycle (7-year agricultural cycle), comes into greater light, it had probably been put into effect after the flood since the soil was now quite out of balance. This was God’s prohibition of normal planting on the 7th year allowing the land to rest and also to build trust and reliance on God. After 7 of these cycles (49 years), the following year (50th), was called the year of Jubilee. The land rested also during this 50th year. The purpose other than a 2-year respite for the land was to establish a reset of economic and social considerations. If your property had been for some reason forfeited away it was simply returned to you.
From the beginning of the plan of salvation God would have known that probationary time would span 120 of these 50-year cycles. The 6,000 years of scheduled human probation would have meant little to those living centuries ago or even to Noah. When adding the 1,000-millennial period (which is the Shemitah rest for the planet), you complete the scheduled duration of what some call the Great prophetic week of time. Another, less definitive aspect is the number of generations that seem to come close to the same total. For example: from Adam to Noah were 10 generations – Abram to Messiah we could add another 41, this would leave 69 generations to complete the needed amount if that was a consideration, seems like we are about there.
All through scripture we find the breadcrumbs of this same ratio (6:1 ratio), even with the dimensions of the Ark; 6 times longer (300 cubits), than wide (50 cubits). The weekly cycle at creation initiated the ratio concept (6 days labor/ Sabbath rest). When checking out all the 7’s in the bible many of them are set in this same ratio.
The point is God had in mind not just Noah and that pre-flood world, but all of the human family when stating the workings of the Holy Spirit in His duration to confront and convict the world of sin. When the Lord declared, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man”, His work was not only done after 120 years for the antediluvians but would once again be rekindled to span the remaining pre-determined 6,000 for humanity. So, knowing the time, is more sobering than we can imagine. Let us purpose in our hearts to make that move into the Ark of safety, we have no time to lose.