The Noah generation
And Enoch
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken (paralambanō) and the other left (aphiēmi). 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken (paralambanō) and the other left (aphiēmi). 42 Therefore be alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken (paralambanō) and the other will be left (aphiēmi). 35 Two women will be grinding at the mill together; one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
The current generation is likened to the generation in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot (Luke 17:28).
People are going about everyday life, generally unaware of their sin towards God and that there is a judgement coming.
At the same time, the Church seems to have largely forgotten about preparing for the rapture.
Although the term rapture is not found in the Bible, there are various descriptions of this event.
Being taken (Matthew 24:40-41, Luke 17:34-36, John 14:3) - paralambanō: to take to one’s side, receive to one’s self, to be carried off
Caught up (I Thess 4:17) - harpazō: to seize, take away, snatch away, convey away suddenly, transport hastily
Taken up (Hebrews 11:5) - metatithēmi: to transport, to transfer, to translate out of the world
Taken (Hebrews 11:5) - metathesis: a removal, translation
In the Old Testament, the life of Enoch could also represent the rapture of the Church.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up (metatithēmi) so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken (metatithēmi) him”; for before he was taken (metathesis) he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
This includes a quote from Genesis 5:24 - “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
Enoch was a prophet and prophesied before Noah’s generation and the Flood about the second coming of Christ in judgement.
14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh in descent from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his holy ones
15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly acts that they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
The end times appear to be rapidly approaching as the labour process appears to have begun.
The question then becomes, whether we will be part of the Noah generation to face judgement, or the Enoch generation that will not see death.
24 and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Do you think that America is under chastening, or under judgment?
Do you believe a pre-wrath rapture? I do, after much study. I'll continue to read your Substack.