Matthew 24:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

NIV: For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

NASB: For 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,

CSB: For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.

NLT: In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

KJV: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

NKJV: 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,

The people in Noah's day (Genesis 6:5–8) were leading their normal lives, day after day. Everyone was doing what people do: eating, drinking, getting married, giving their children in marriage. They did not realize that absolute catastrophe was upon them until it was there. By the time they recognized what was happening, it was far too late. Jesus has just said that His second coming, the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:29), will be similar in that way. "Normal life" will not be paused or extraordinary. Everyone will just be going about their business as if life will go on as normal forever.

Those who were living on earth moments before the flood learned the hard way that God's judgment could bring normal lives to a quick and unexpected end. The same will be true when Christ returns in judgment. He will interrupt a world full of people expecting the next day to unspool just as all the days before it did (2 Peter 3:3–7; James 4:13–14).

Jesus tells His followers not to make this mistake. Rather, they should live in readiness for His return.

Matthew 24:36–51 contains an explicit warning which has frequently been ignored by false teachers. Nobody will know the precise time of His return to earth. Only God the Father knows when it will happen. Everyone will be caught by surprise at the sudden appearance of those signs, just as the people swept away in Noah's flood. Jesus' followers must live in constant readiness for His return. He uses a parable to illustrate this, describing the choices of two servants while their master was away. One was faithful and wise, the other wicked. When the master returned, the faithful one was rewarded, and the wicked one was cut into pieces.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/8/2024 12:35:06 AM