June 13: The Countdown (part 2)

At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. . . Daniel 12:1a

We are given a “type” of the world’s end-time countdown in the scenario presented prior to the Flood of Noah’s day. There are two periods of that countdown. The antitype also consists of two periods. For Noah’s contemporaries, the first period lasted 120 years (Genesis 6:3). The second period lasted one week (7:10). The first period is an open display of the generous and longsuffering nature of Yahweh. During this time, the option to repent was available.

Once the second segment of the countdown begins, the opportunity to repent is no longer available. Yahweh alone determines the point of its beginning. He is the omniscient One who knows when every detail is as ready as it can possibly be (see Isaiah 5:4).

So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded [Noah]; and the LORD shut him in. 7:16

Those last five words are incredibly significant. When the LORD shut him in, the second period of the countdown began. Although the people outside the ark were unaware that their probation had closed, their fate was sealed. They blithely continued in their rejection of Noah’s message, just as before—and did not know until the flood came and took them all away (Matthew 24:39), as Jesus points out.

Noah had built the ark according to the divine plan; he understood that there was no way whatsoever for him to close that massive door from the inside. Our loving Commander in Chief guides and instructs each of us regarding what we need to do, and then He places His seal on our obedience by doing the impossible. The word translated shut may also be translated sealed. For example, the same word appears twice in Daniel 12:4a: But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end. Noah and his family had the seal of God upon them for the trouble just ahead…

We are living very near the end of earth’s history: in the time of the end. The little book of Daniel has indeed been opened to us, just as prophesied by the apostle John (see Revelation 10). Fortunately, probation is still open, as we are still in the first period of the countdown which began at the end of the 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14. We do not know when this first period will end. As stated before, Yahweh alone determines that moment. (Matthew 24:36, Acts 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1). When the winds of strife that are currently being held back are released,

. . . there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was . . . Daniel 12:1

Jesus, our Example, said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is still day; the night comes when no one can work.” John 9:4

to be continued . . .