As in the Days of Noah: The Flood, the Signs of His Coming, and the Ark That Still Saves
The short answer: Yeshua said His return would be like the days of Noah: people carrying on with life, unconcerned about judgment, until the door closed and the flood came (Matthew 24:37–39). In the same discourse He gave signs to watch for, from deception and wars to persecution and the gospel reaching every nation. The flood account is not only history; it is a warning and an invitation. Yeshua is the Ark, and the door is still open.
A righteous man in a corrupt world
This teaching works through the Torah portion Noach (Genesis 6:9–11:32). Noah is called righteous and blameless, tamim in Hebrew, meaning complete or whole, and he walked with God (Genesis 6:9). In contrast, God looked on the earth and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way (Genesis 6:12).
The theme of the portion is not really the flood. It is the remnant: one man who trusted God and was willing to look foolish for the sake of obedience, and was carried through the judgment because of it.
A flood remembered around the world
Cultures across the ancient world preserved stories of a great flood. Mesopotamian accounts tell of Ziusudra, Atrahasis and Utnapishtim, each with a faithful man, a warning, a great boat, animals and a flood that destroys the rest of humanity.
Some say these parallels prove Genesis is myth. Pastor Chris sees them the opposite way: a real catastrophe remembered by the nations after they were scattered at Babel, with the stories drifting over time while Scripture preserved the true account.
Religious, but on their own terms
The generation of the flood was not short on knowledge of God. Genesis's own chronology lets Methuselah's life overlap Adam's by centuries and end just before the flood. People knew; they simply wanted religion on their own terms.
That is still true. Pastor Chris pushes back on calling people "unchurched," as if the cure were a building. The honest word is unsaved. Changing our vocabulary to sound gentler has not made the need any less urgent.
As it was in the days of Noah
"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away" (Matthew 24:37–39).
Noah was likely the laughingstock of his community while he built. True faith shows up when a person is willing to endure ridicule, and sometimes hostility, for obedience. Yeshua warned it would be the same before His return.
The signs Yeshua gave
No one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), but Yeshua told us to recognize when it is near, even at the doors (Matthew 24:33). In Matthew 24 He lists signs including:
Religious deception and many claiming to come in His name (24:4–5).
Wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation (24:6–7).
Famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places (24:7).
All of these as the beginning of birth pains, increasing in intensity (24:8).
Believers hated, persecuted and killed for His name (24:9). Ministries like Open Doors report hundreds of millions of Christians living under high levels of persecution today.
False prophets rising and deceiving many (24:11).
Lawlessness increasing and love growing cold (24:12).
The gospel of the Kingdom preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (24:14).
The time of trouble
The prophets describe a final time of distress. Daniel 12:1 speaks of a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, when Michael stands up for God's people. Jeremiah 30:7 calls it the time of Jacob's trouble, "but he will be saved out of it." Yeshua calls it great tribulation, and says those days will be shortened for the sake of the elect (Matthew 24:21–22).
Sheep and goats
Matthew 25:31–46 describes the Son of Man seated on His throne, separating the nations as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. To those on His right He says, "Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom." To those on His left, "Depart from Me." There is no third option, just as there was no third option once the door of the ark was shut (Genesis 7:16).
When the door closes on the ark, you will either be safely inside or you will perish.
Yeshua is the Ark
Noah was not saved by building a boat. He was saved by trusting the God who told him to build it, and stepping inside. Today the Ark is a Person. Yeshua carried the judgment for us on the cross, and He rose from the dead so that everyone who is in Him passes through judgment into life.
If you have not yet trusted Him, do not wait. Salvation is a free gift; it cannot be earned by good works or religious rituals. Turn from sin, put your trust in Yeshua alone, and then follow Him in immersion. If you are not sure where you stand, pray Psalm 51 as your own prayer.
And once you are inside, grow. Feed on the word daily, as a newborn longs for milk (1 Peter 2:2). Job said he treasured God's words more than his necessary food (Job 23:12).
You can also read our teaching on Noah and the remnant for more on this Torah portion.
Frequently asked questions
What did Jesus mean by "as in the days of Noah"?
In Matthew 24:37–39 Yeshua says people before the flood went about daily life, unaware, until judgment came suddenly. His return will catch the world the same way.
What are the signs of the end times in Matthew 24?
Deception, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, false prophets, increasing lawlessness, and the gospel preached to all nations.
Do other cultures have flood stories?
Yes. Mesopotamian accounts of Ziusudra, Atrahasis and Utnapishtim share many elements with Genesis, which many believers see as memories of a real event.
How do I get into the Ark today?
By repenting and trusting Yeshua alone for salvation. It is a free gift, received by faith, not earned.
Take the next step
If this stirred something in you, do not walk it out alone. Join our free online Bible study community on WhatsApp. We meet weekly to study the Word, ask hard questions, and grow together — Prophetic Bible Study on Wednesdays, Standard Bible Study on Mondays, and Women's Bible Study every other Tuesday.
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