Signs of the End - Part 1 of 5 - Pete Garcia -http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8220
Neither the Old Testament nor the New paints a positive picture of peace of the world leading up to and including "the 70th Week of Daniel"(aka the Tribulation). God has intervened three times in the past on a global scale, and will twice more in the future.
The Bible states that conditions will become so wicked in the future that if God doesn't intervene no flesh would survive. It would seem as it were, that the world will continue to atrophy until the point in which the geopolitical, societal, and religious situations become so irreconcilably wicked that God will once again intervene in the affairs of mankind in order to redeem those who are His, in perfect synchronization with the plan He's had since before the creation of the world.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
It is in the dispensational understanding, which we recognize that God chose to reveal His plan progressively, accordingly to the era, receiving a little more of what the overarching plan is. In other words, God didn't chose to reveal everything He could to Adam. He didn't reveal everything to Abraham. Nor to Moses. Yet, the varying amount each received would collectively speaking, paint the total picture of God's plan for the ages. This is an important concept to grasp because it not only explains how God has chosen to operate, but also why.
Man's Fall to the Flood
At the Garden, and before the fall, Adam was given dominion over the earth. He was God's chosen agent to rule over the Creation kingdom as theocratic administrator. When Adam and Eve sinned they committed open rebellion against their Creator and essentially handed over that kingdom to the enemy, Lucifer. In that light, they forfeited their right to rule and bequeathed the title deed to the earth, to the usurper. (Gen. 1:26-28, 3) Since that time, Lucifer (or Satan) has remained the defacto, albeit, temporary, administrator or manager of the earth ever since. (Luke 4:5--6, 1 John 5:19)
From the fall of Adam, until the time of Noah, we have this period that the Bible has relatively little to say about, yet covers a period (based of genealogies found in Gen. 5), of around 1,656 years. The observations about the following can be made of this specific time period;
1.There was no written Word of God (that we know of) in which man could use to understand God's intent and purpose for their lives here on earth.
2.It is assumed, that men and angels, were in much more direct relations than at any point after the flood. We see the results of the fallen angels, and potentially Satan's attempt to corrupt man's genepool through the 'hybridization' of the sons of God and the daughters of men. (Gen. 6:1-4, 2 Peter 2:4-5, Jude 1:6)
3.It is then assumed, that there were also good relations, or sanctioned relations, between angels (not fallen) and mankind, who served God in relating to man, God's plan's and intentions. Enoch prophesied and is presumed to have had some writings that was copied and/or preserved down through history. (Jude 1:14-15)
The net result being, mankind's wickedness grew exponentially until the point, in which the threshold of man's redemption had been crossed, and God would have to wipe man off the face of the earth and start over with only Noah and his immediate family. Considering the longsuffering and patience of God, (who's character hasn't changed from then until now), the condition man was in must have so egregious, and irreversible, that God had no other choice. Again, in God's omniscience, this was not a surprise, but perhaps, a foreseen reality that still pained God to have to see play out. (Gen. 6:5-7)
Curiously, Jesus stated that the Days just prior to His return, would be like the days before the Noahic flood. This brings some interesting things to mind we often don't consider;
1.The only way Jesus could have known what the days of Noah were like, is if He were there. So in saying it without coming out and saying it, He is declaring His eternality and Godhead by stating what life was like in the days of Noah, which at that time was 2,500 years prior. This is in the same vein as when He told the Pharisees in John 8:58 that before Abraham was, I am, He here is stating as a matter of fact, what life was like then. Nothing in the Tanakh (Old Testament) mentions the conditions that Christ is saying here as 'buying and selling, marrying and giving in marriage'. (Luke 17:27-28)
2.Jesus then, having perfect knowledge of the Antediluvian (pre-flood) world, would also know about the Nephilim, which were the offspring of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men. Interesting that He would reference this as being similar to the time just before His return, in that man has once again, crossed (and continues to cross) the threshold of unlocking the genetic secrets of mankind, as well as other technological barriers providing for instantaneous communication and information, space travel, teleportation, etc. Just as it is with the discovery and scientific efforts to resurrect ancient animals (mammoths, sabre tooth tigers, etc.), so to would discovery of those giants (if not already) to bring them back via genetic manipulation. We are the only generation since then that has had that capability.
3.There isn't any point inside the confines of the 70th Week itself that will bear any sense of normalcy as to support 'marrying and giving in marriage', etc. A massive departure of believer's simultaneously, one divine judgment after another, and all powerful satanic signs and lying wonders will rule the day. The days of Noah and Lot, must represent the time leading up to the 70th Week.
Conclusion
While we struggle with the increasingly antagonistic and antichristian decline of the United States and Europe, we need to recognize that this is exactly where the Bible says we would be in the last days. It is difficult to maintain a positive outlook on life when so many things are falling apart in the world, and it seems as if evil has the upper hand. Let me assure you, that it only 'seems' that way. We know how the story ends, and if our story ends a little earlier than before Christ physically returns for His bride, just know that either way, you will be in the Rapture either being resurrected, or translated alive. Also remember, that Jesus and the other writers in the Bible remind us of one important thing concerning the accuracy and comfort in the study of Bible prophecy...and now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. John 14:29
