Matthew 24:37-39 - Just as the days of Noah & the flood (1st century historical fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:37-39 (1st century historical fulfillment?)
Matthew 24:36 - No one knows about that day and hour (1st century understanding & imminence?):
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Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:33 - When the time is (1st century imminence & historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:37-39
Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29 - Just as the days of Lot & Sodom it rained fire (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:40-42 - One is taken one is left (1st century historical understanding and imminence?):
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Matthew 24:37: "For just-as the days (of) Noah (were), so will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man."
Matthew 24:38: "For as in those days before the flood they-were eating and drinking, marrying and giving-in-marriage, until which day Noah entered into the ark,"
Matthew 24:39: "and did not know until the flood came and took-away everyone, so also will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man."
1st century timing?
The events described in Matthew 24:37-39 (which is referring to the day Noah entered into the ark and the coming of the Lord) seem to be connected to the events described in Matthew 24:17-18 (which is referring to "that day") because a similar account found in Luke 17:26-31 is seemingly connecting the two. Matthew 24:33-34 indicates that this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Matthew 24 contains similar passages as several passages found in Luke 17.
Here is an illustration of similarities between Matthew 24 and Luke 17 (their connections are represented with lines) (click to expand):
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A similar account to Matthew 24:37-39 found in Luke 17 reads:
Luke 17:26: "“And as it-happened in the days (of) Noah, so it-will-be also in the days (of) the Son (of) Man —"
Luke 17:27: "they-were-eating, drinking, marrying, being-given-in-marriage, until which day Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed everyone."
Jesus then said 4 verses later in Luke 17:31: "On that day, let (he) who will-be on the housetop and his goods in the house not go-down to-take them. And let the (one) in (a) field likewise not turn-back to the (things) behind".
This verse in Luke 17:31 is similar to Matthew 24:17-18 which reads: "Let the (one) upon the housetop not go-down to-take the (things) out-of his house. And let the (one) in the field not turn behind to-take his cloak".
This is significant because Jesus then addressed in Matthew His 1st century disciples in Matthew 24:33-34 by saying: "So also YOU — when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that it-is near, at (the) doors. Truly I-say (to) YOU that this generation by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place" (Matthew 24:33-34).
Here is an illustration of the connections described above (click to expand):
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"This generation" in the days of Noah in contrast to "this generation" in the days of the Son of Man?
Consistency with Daniel 9:
Jesus mentioned "Daniel the prophet" (Matthew 24:15) and also mentioned that it will be just like in the days of Noah when "the flood came and took-away everyone" (Matthew 24:39).
It is written in Daniel 9 about "Jerusalem" (Daniel 9:25 - Masoretic) that "the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood" (Daniel 9:26 - Masoretic). In Daniel 9 the end of Jerusalem is said to come with a flood.
For more similarities between Matthew 24 & Daniel 9: Click here.
What can a flood mean in Daniel? 2 chapters later in Daniel, an army can be said to overflow (like a flood would) when attacking, as it is written:
"the king of the south will come into his kingdom and will return to his own land. But his sons shall be stirred up and shall gather a multitude of great forces. And coming one shall come and overflow and pass through" (Daniel 11:10 - Masoretic).
"the king of the north shall come against him like a tempest, with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships. And he shall go into the lands and shall overflow and pass over" (Daniel 11:40 - Masoretic). Daniel 11:40 would even have a parallel account in Nahum that reads: "with an overflowing flood He will make a completion of the ones stirring up, and darkness will pursue His enemies" (Nahum 1:8).
Could the end of Jerusalem come with a flood of an army?
1st century events
The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that in the 1st century around AD 70 the end of Jerusalem came after that the Roman army attacked it and demolished it. The end of Jerusalem could have been described as having come with a flood of an army.
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
(7:1:1): "Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, ...it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind."
Early Christian author
Around the 4th century, the Christian historian Eusebius wrote in "The Proof of the Gospel":
Book VIII: "And the people of the governor that comes will destroy the city and the holy place.” Meaning that the city and the Holy Place are not only to be ruined by the leader to come, whom I have identified in my interpretation, but also by his people. And you would not be far wrong in saying, too, that the Roman general and his army are meant by the words before us, where I think the camps of the Roman rulers are meant, who governed the nation from that time, and who destroyed the city of Jerusalem itself, and its ancient venerable Temple. For they were cut off by them as by a flood, and were at once involved in destruction until the war was concluded, so that the prophecy was fulfilled… You will find an accurate account of it in the history of Josephus."
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