The title of this post is a quote from Matthew 24:37: "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." (NKJV) In the past, I have wondered just what this meant. I recently learned something that may shed some light on this issue.

In a recent column, Janet Folger references one of her radio shows during which an interesting claim was made. According to Folger, and to Rabbi Aryeh Spero, who was a guest on the show, the Babylonian Talmud states that during the "time of Noah," prior to the Flood, marriage contracts were written between men. Folger and Rabbi Spero further assert that this is the only time in all recorded history when this has been the case -- until now. The main topic of the radio show was the ruling by the California Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage, though of course homosexual marriages have already been recognized in other states for some time now. If Folger and Rabbi Spero are correct, then this is a very interesting distinction, a unique similarity between the current period in history and that one.

Having said that, the Lord does provide a bit of an explanation of Matthew 24:37 in the following verses:

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:38-39, NKJV

These verses indicate that the Lord's meaning was, at least in part, that the wicked people would be completely oblivious to their impending doom. They will not know the Scriptures, and they will have dismissed any warnings they might have received about the end times as lunacy. Nonetheless, the Lord's mention of marriage in v. 38 may point towards homosexual marriage. There is nothing directly in the Scriptures to indicate this, and that is clearly not the primary meaning of the verse, but it is possible.

Even if it is true, I do not believe that our current age is "as the days of Noah were." Recall that the Lord expressed willingness to spare Sodom and Gomorrah in the event that ten righteous people were found living there (Genesis 18:16-33). Of course, there were not ten there, but only one. Likewise, there was only one righteous man in the "days of Noah," and so the Lord did not spare the wicked then, either. With regard to His return, the Lord gave an indication that there may not be many righteous left at that time in Luke 18:8: "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Now, even given the sorry state of the church these days, I believe that there are many, many more than ten righteous people in America today. This will change, though, as the criminalization of Christianity progresses, and lawlessness spreads across the nation. The ruling in California is a major step in this process, but it is still just a step.

As believers, we must all turn to the Lord, pray for His mercy, and witness to unbelievers at every opportunity. Make no mistake, He is coming! Will you be ready?