[quote]Karado wrote:
King Kai wrote:
“Karado, you are wrong to assume that people have been “kept” from learning about these things. That’s simply not true - its not as if Christians are secretly hiding important information.”
Not purposely, more out of ignorance, especially in these times…I think the Nephilim WILL play a role in the coming
end times just as the era Jesus specifically pointed to…He didn’t point to the time of Sodom, THEY didn’t expect any judgment
there either…He pointed specifically to the Days of Noah because all flesh was corrupted at that time, including Animals,
WHY judgment on certain animals and NOT other kinds like the ones not corrupted and hauled into the Ark?
[/quote]
First of all, let’s look at the passage in question again. Matthew 24:37-42: "For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man… Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming."
Two points worth mentioning here. (A) It’s a basic rule of hermeneutics (interpretive theory) that you look to the text itself for its meaning before positing a background for its interpretation that cannot be defended from the text. This passage CLEARLY emphasizes the unexpectedness of Christ’s coming; it says absolutely NOTHING about the “corruption of all flesh.” Jesus draws an analogy between his coming and the speed and unexpectedness of the cataclysm in Noah’s day. This point is further clarified by Jesus’ concluding warning - “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming,” i.e., be prepared for the coming of Christ because it will be unexpected. (B) The Jews considered Noah’s flood the quintessential example of God’s judgment because it is presented as a move against all humankind; it was not limited to a single city. Thus, it is actually more logical in this context (i.e., where Jesus is discussing the coming judgment on the entire world), if one is going to refer to one of those events, to refer to the time of Noah. You cannot ignore the text’s own indications toward its meaning on a flimsy excuse like, “Jesus could have used a different example,” especially when the example he chose IS the quintessential example of God’s judgment.
Moreover, read Luke 17:24-30. "For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man come in his day. But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them - it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed."
This passage emphasizes two things that your interpretation missed. First, this text mentions both the Deluge and the destruction of Sodom. Secondly, in both examples it emphasizes the suddenness and unexpectedness of Christ’s coming.
Why the additional phrase not found in Matthew? Two possibilities…
- Matthew abbreviated Jesus’ speech and cut out the reference to Sodom because he considered it redundant, and thus Luke’s account reflects the fuller version of Jesus’ claim.
- Luke, under inspiration, took the speech from Matthew and added the reference to Sodom because it further emphasized the point of the Noah allusion. This suggests that Luke himself interpreted Matthew 24:37-42 as emphasizing the suddenness and unexpectedness of the flood, NOT the corruption of all flesh.
In either case, your interpretation fails to follow the text; mine, however, does.