In the previous blog we saw that the Lord’s statement: “but of that day and hour no one knows” is about the end of the aeon. The time following Israel’s great tribulation is called the day of wrath (Rev.6:17). This is a time when judgments are coming upon the nations. The end of this period is also the end of the aeon. But because we do not know how long the day of wrath will last, it is also unknown when exactly the end of the aeon will be.
cannot be calculated
The end of the eon cannot be calculated, as is the case with the great tribulation, because we know that it lasts 1260 days (Rev.11:3; 12:6), from the moment an idol is set up in the holy place (Matt.24:15). One will only be able to look at the signs and deduce from them that the end of the eon is near.
37 For as the days of Noah, so shall the presence of the Son of man be.
38 For just as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and they knew it not until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the presence of the Son of Man be.
taken away
“For it will be as in the days of Noah,” connects this statement with the previous verse. Even in Noah’s time, people were not aware of what was going to happen or when. When the time came, the flood came and took them all away. This will also happen at the end of the aeon when the Lord establishes His Kingdom throughout the world. This will be unexpected for the disbelievers. When the aeon to come comes and the Kingdom is established worldwide, no disbelievers will enter there and they will also be taken away from the earth. This issue concerns most of the rest of Matthew 24 and Matthew 25.
hard-nosed
If we look at the judgments of the seven trumpets that come upon the nations in Revelation (8-10), we may find it difficult to imagine the above. Despite these judgments, people will continue to live ‘as if nothing is wrong’. They know that these judgments are from God, but they will not submit. They blaspheme the name of God, but do not consider (Rev.16:9,11)
did not confess it
And they knew it not, they took not notice of the judgment announced, and that the unbelievers will be taken away. Man is hard-hearted. Earlier we referred to the words in Psalm 2, where it is described that the nations are set against God and His Christ and they will not submit (:2-3). And also to Psalm 110, which says that the Lord will reign in the midst of enemies. He will be the King of Israel and it will be visible to all. Also the nations will hear that the judgments that are coming upon them are from the Lord, but they will not submit.