Why were people unaware until the flood came, as stated in Matthew 24:39? Canonical Text and Key Term Matthew 24:39 – “and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Greek: καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν (kai ouk egnōsan) – “and they did not know/recognize.” The verb γινώσκω indicates experiential knowledge; the aorist points to decisive failure. Literary Setting in the Olivet Discourse Jesus answers the disciples’ request for “the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age” (24:3). By selecting the Noah narrative He anchors future judgment in an unquestioned historical event, using it as a typological preview of His return. Just as judgment once interrupted ordinary life, a final, climactic intervention will intrude on a complacent world. Historical Back-Ground: Days of Noah (Genesis 6–7) 1. Rampant corruption and violence (6:5, 11–13). 2. Divine patience of 120 years (6:3) during which Noah, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), built the ark. 3. Global cataclysm: “all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened” (Genesis 7:11). The universality of the judgment explains why Jesus can apply it to the universal judgment to come. Why the Generation Was ‘Unaware’ 1. Willful unbelief (2 Peter 3:5) – a deliberate suppression of truth despite clear warning. 2. Moral hardening (Genesis 6:5) – continual evil thoughts dull spiritual perception (Hebrews 3:13). 3. Normalcy bias – “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (24:38) shows life proceeding without interruption; routine bred complacency. 4. Mockery of prophetic warning – implied by Noah’s solitary stand (cf. Ezekiel 33:32). Ancient Near-Eastern flood scoffers are echoed in later scoffers of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:3–4). 5. Spiritual blindness induced by demonic influence (Genesis 6:1–4; Ephesians 2:2). Age of the Earth and the Flood: Empirical Corroborations • Continent-wide sedimentary megasequences (e.g., Tapeats Sandstone to Redwall Limestone of the Grand Canyon) laid down rapidly by water offer large-scale confirmation of a catastrophic inundation. • Marine fossils on the Andes and Himalayas, and polystrate tree fossils penetrating multiple strata, demand rapid burial and uplift. • Radiohalos in zircon crystals indicate short-lived radioisotope decay consistent with accelerated processes during a singular cataclysm, not eons. • Over 300 flood traditions worldwide (Babylonian, Maori, Inca, Chinese Miao, Algonquin) preserve collective memory. The Gilgamesh epic, though distorted, corroborates a real event of vast scope. Archaeological and Manuscript Reliability Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QGenf (c. 150 BC) contains Genesis 6–7 wording identical to the Masoretic consonantal text, demonstrating textual stability long before Christ cited it. Papyrus 45 (early 3rd century), containing Matthew 24, affirms the continuity of the New Testament witness. No textual variants affect 24:39. Theological Rationale God’s judgment is never arbitrary. The long construction of the ark (about a century) functioned as visible sermon and physical evidence. The populace’s ignorance was therefore culpable, not due to inadequate revelation, but to obstinate unbelief—mirroring later generations that reject the risen Christ despite the “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3). Eschatological Parallel Just as the door of the ark finally shut (Genesis 7:16), the offer of grace will close when the Son of Man appears (Revelation 22:11-12). Both events arrive suddenly yet after ample warning. Christological Fulfillment The resurrected Lord (Romans 1:4) guarantees the certainty of final judgment (Acts 17:31). The historical reality of an empty tomb—attested by enemy admission (Matthew 28:11-15), early creed (1 Corinthians 15:3-5), and multiple eyewitnesses—grounds His authority to declare the end from the beginning. Practical Exhortation Therefore: • “Stay awake” (Matthew 24:42). • Preach as Noah did (2 Timothy 4:2). • Pursue holiness amid cultural apathy (2 Peter 3:11-14). Key Cross-References Genesis 6:3, 5-13; 7:11-23; Psalm 95:7-11; Proverbs 1:24-33; Isaiah 55:6; Ezekiel 33:31-33; Luke 17:26-27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:3-10; Jude 14-15; Revelation 3:3. |
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