Ⅲ
God needs to end this age—Rom. 12:2; Eph. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:4; Titus 2:12:
A
The situation before the Lord's coming will be like that in the days of Noah—Matt. 24:37-39:
１
Noah lived in a crooked and perverse age—Gen. 6:1-22.
２
In Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:26-27 the Lord Jesus likened our age to the days of Noah:
ａ
The conditions of evil living that stupefied the generation of Noah before the flood portray the perilous condition of man's living before the great tribulation and the Lord's parousia—Matt. 24:21, 3, 27, 37, 39.
ｂ
If we would participate in the overcomers' rapture to enjoy the Lord's parousia and escape the great tribulation, we must overcome the stupefying effect of man's living today—Luke 21:34-36.
B
Today there are only two things on earth—the crooked and perverted generation and the church as the corporate expression of Christ—Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:15; 1 Cor. 1:2; 12:12, 27.
C
If we would be the corporate expression of Christ in the church life, we need to be today's "family of Noah" building the corporate Christ as the ark that will deliver us from the crooked and perverted generation and usher us into the coming age of the kingdom of God—Gen. 6:8—8:3; 1 Cor. 12:12; Phil. 2:12-13; 1 Pet. 3:20-21.
D
The ark built by Noah is a type of Christ as the salvation of God's elect; the ark that we are building today is the corporate Christ, the church, as our salvation from today's crooked, perverted, and evil generation—vv. 20-21; 1 Cor. 12:12, 27.
E
The church life is today's ark to terminate the present age and bring in God's kingdom—1:2; 12:12, 27; 1 Thes. 1:1, 9-10:
１
The Lord desires "the family of Noah" to build the ark and testify against the trend of the age so that He can use them to terminate the age and bring in the kingdom age—Heb. 11:7; Rev. 11:15.
２
What we are building in the church life is the corporate Christ as the ark for our salvation and for the salvation of the ones under our care—1 Cor. 12:12; 14:26; Phil. 2:12-13.
F
God wants the church, the ark, where we can be saved from today's evil generation—Acts 2:40-47:
１
God wants to save us—through this ark—from the crooked generation and usher us into God's kingdom to fulfill His eternal purpose—Matt. 6:33; 13:43; Luke 12:32; Rev. 11:15.
２
God cares for whether or not we are in the ark, the proper church life; He wants us to be a part of the corporate Christ, part of the testimony of Jesus—1 Cor. 12:12; Rev. 1:2, 9, 11, 20; 22:16.
G
When this ark is built up, the Lord Jesus will return—19:7; 22:7, 12, 20:
１
The Lord has not come back yet because He is still waiting for the ark to be built—Matt. 16:18, 27.
２
When the testimony of the church in the Lord's recovery is matured, the Lord Jesus will return—Rev. 19:7; 22:7, 12, 20.
Morning Nourishment
Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah…prepared an ark for the salvation of his house…and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.Acts 2:40 …Be saved from this crooked generation.
Rev. 11:15 …The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.
Today is the day of the living Jesus, and God wants a people who live by this Jesus. These people will be today’s Noah, who terminate the present generation and usher in the coming age, the age of the kingdom. This is what the Lord is doing today…. His work is to attract His lovers and seekers who have a pure motive with an open spirit to follow Him in an absolute way so that He may have the church life to protest to the whole world against the present trend, terminate this present age, and bring in God’s kingdom. This is God’s purpose that He is fulfilling today….The Lord desires “the family of Noah” to build the ark and testify against the trend of the age so that He can use them to terminate this age and bring in the kingdom age. What we are building in the church life is today’s ark for our salvation (Phil. 2:12) and for the salvation of the ones under our care. (CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 1, “The Testimony of Jesus,” p. 280)
Today’s Reading
Noah was saved not only from God’s judgment but also from the crooked, perverted, and evil generation. When Noah went into the ark, Jehovah shut the door (Gen. 7:16). It is as if God were saying, “Even if you change your mind, you cannot get out. I have shut you in, and you must stay here.”… In one sense Noah was saved and rescued, but in another sense he was imprisoned. One of his daughters-in-law might have said, “I prefer my old house with many bedrooms, bathrooms, and a large living room. What you preached to us was good, but this ark is like a prison.”… Noah might have replied to his daughters-in-law, “What can I do, and where can we go? I cannot open the door. It is not up to me; it is up to Jehovah. He shut us in. We simply need to remain here. Do not be bothered; be patient and wait for a little while longer.” After the flood Noah came out of the ark with his whole family and entered into a new age (8:16, 18).At Noah’s time there must have been more than eight persons who feared God and believed in Him. According to Genesis 5, the early forefathers lived for a long time. Being godly, they taught their second, third, and further generations to fear God and trust in Him. Therefore, we can be assured that besides Noah and his family, there must have been a number of others who believed in God. Although these may have been saved from eternal perdition, they were not saved from their perverted generation, and they were not ushered into the new age. Some may question how it could be that some outside the ark were saved. However, consider the daily life of many who believe in the Lord Jesus, who go to the movies, attend nightclubs, watch television, and follow the modern fashions. Those who partake of these corruptions may be saved from eternal punishment, but they have not been saved from today’s crooked generation, and many will not be ushered into the kingdom of Christ to be kings there. No one who has truly been saved from today’s crooked generation follows the course of today’s present age. On one hand, we are saved because we believe that the Lord shed His blood and died for us. Therefore, we will not perish for eternity. On the other hand, though, we may still go to the department stores to buy the things of the modern, worldly fashions. If the Lord comes tomorrow, are we assured that He will usher us into His kingdom? Rather, we may be punished along with the present generation. (CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 1, “The Testimony of Jesus,” pp. 321-323)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 1, “The Testimony of Jesus,” chs. 1, 3-4, 6-8; CWWL, 1977, vol. 1, “The Lord’s Recovery and the Present Situation of Religion,” chs. 1, 4