[Scripture]
Genesis 7:11~12
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. 12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This is 110th Lecture on Genesis.
Genesis 7:11 says, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.”The bible clearly tells us the exact date when the judgment of great flood took place.
Then, when did Noah realize, even roughly, the time that the judgment of flood would take place?Noah had a rough idea about when it would happen, if not the exact date. He also knew his role. That is; Noah knew that virtually the entire human race would be brought to extinction by the flood, and that mankind would flourish again through him.
Before Noah knew about this, he remained unmarried. He did it to live a life separated from the world in which sins had become so rampant.After he knew God’s plan, however, he married and had offspring. That’s why Noah had his sons after he had become 500 years old.
Through this fact, we can guess when Noah came to know that there would the judgment of the flood.In other words, the period of time that God gave to Noah to prepare for the judgment of flood was not just a couple of decades. God gave Noah an amount of time great enough to prepare the ark for the judgment.
This time period was not only for Noah, but also for the people of those days so that they could grasp the chance of salvation. For the long period of time, Noah endured with patience and did all things according to the word of God.He built the ark and prepared food. He warned people about the upcoming Judgment of the Flood. But it was only the eight members of Noah’s family that were saved from the Judgment of the Flood.
Dear brothers and sisters, This ‘end time’ is very similar to the days of ‘Noah’s flood.’God the Father already set the providence for the ‘end time’ even before the ages.And He has prepared for it.
Let me briefly explain the terms used here.’The end time’ refers to ‘the time when it is close the second Advent of the Lord.”The last days’ refers to ‘the ages from when Jesus was born till when He comes back again.’And it corresponds to general dictionary definition. Also, ‘the end of the age’ refers to ‘the moment the Lord comes back in the air’ and ‘the generation of the moment.’
Since God the Father foreknew what kind of church and shepherd is needed to save many souls in the end time, He has prepared for it for ages. It is just as He told Noah roughly when the judgment of flood would happen and had him prepare for it.
In the end time, even though we do not know the exact date and time, God tells us roughly when the Lord will come back. God gives a prep time for brides to adorn themselves and participate in the Wedding Banquet in the air.
Just as God told Noah to build the ark, He had the ark prepared to save countless souls in the end time.He first gave the word which is the spiritual ark, and then next He gave that the Grand Sanctuary was to be constructed.
Spiritual adoration of a bride or the construction of the Grand Sanctuary cannot be done in a short period of time. If you know when the Lord comes back a year ahead, can you adorn yourself as a bride in just a year?Those who have continually adorned themselves will just finish their preparation for that year.
But, for those who have been lazy in their believing lives or for who have just begun, the period of time of only a year will not be enough. They will be in hurry, but the fact is that it is inadequate time to be prepared properly.
It is the same with the preparation for the Grand Sanctuary construction. The actual construction may begin when it is close to the Second Advent of the Lord. However, the preparation for its construction should begin much earlier. First of all, we need spiritual preparation. Just as Noah needed a time to be acknowledged as a righteous man in his time, you need a time to be qualified to build the Grand Sanctuary. Since the start of this church, God the Father has proclaimed that He would build the Grand Sanctuary by the hands of sanctified children.
And when these spiritual conditions are met, God can allow the great financial blessing in the justice. Now, starting from the last Easter Sunday, April 20, your level of faith began to level off to spirit, and thus it is now that close to the moment of blessing.
For the last 4 years, I’ve been under such harsh spiritual training, and filled the 90% of the justice on behalf of the congregation. As its result, hundreds of you came into spirit. This process of leveling off to spirit will neither stop nor become slower, but in fact, it will accelerate. The competition in good faith has begun among you to advance to spirit, the deeper level of spirit, and whole spirit.
Just as Noah believed in the word of God the Father and did according to what He said, I urge you to march on only by faith and adorn yourself as a bride of the Lord according to the Word. Faith is to hope for things without changing of mind even though you cannot see them or touch them.When faith is acknowledged as being true in the justice, what you hope for that is given in reality becomes the assurance. I pray in the name of the Lord that you may remember this spiritual principle and keep the unchanging faith.
