Bible PROPHECY for the ENDtime

[jsm]

Two things to consider about the flood:

1. God was STRIVING BY HIS SPIRIT with all the living during the years before the flood:

“And the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’” Genesis 6:3.

What is the benefit to those who respond to the striving by the Spirit of God?

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:27.

2. At the very least, Noah WAS "PREACHING" by his work in building the ark. This fact is obvious, whether or not you accept Hebrews as inspired:

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, PREPARED AN ARK...BY WHICH HE CONDEMNED THE WORLD and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7.

Compare this with the “PREACHING” of Hosea by his ACTIONS in chapter 1. And Jesus by His ACTIONS in John 8:1-11.

The supposed "logic" presented by mm in an attempt to refute EGW is a very sad case of pure foolishness! I pray he and his group will ask for the Spirit of God to help them in an intelligent search of ALL the inspired writings available to us.

[John317]

Quote:

John317: The answer, I believe, is that God had Noah preach in order to give people he loved an opportunity to change and be saved if they chose."

Musicman1228: I think that you are just guessing at this, John, because there is nothing in Scripture that indicates that this occurred.

But the Scriptures do speak of Noah's preaching, in 2 Peter 2: 5. The Scriptures call him a preacher of righteousness for only one reason, and that is because he preached during the time he was building the ark in preparation for the Flood. That huge boat took a long time to build, and you can be sure that people would have been curious as to why Noah would build a ship like that. You can also be sure that when they asked him, he told them. And I'm sure he didn't say this ship is only for me, so you can't come.

You also have Scripture in 1 Peter 3: 19, 20 which refers to the Spirit of Christ preaching through Noah to the antediluvians while the ark was being prepared. It says that during those 120 years when the ark was being prepared, "the longsuffering of God was holding forth a welcome," or "the long-suffering of God waited out to the end."

Another Scripture, Hebrews 11: 7, clearly implies the same thing when it says that Noah's faith in building of the ark, before there was any sign that a Flood was coming, "condemned the world." In what sense was the faith of Noah in preparing the ark a condemnation of the world? One of the ways it condemned the world was that it showed God would have saved them also if they had had the same faith that Noah had. This could only be if they were warned and given an opportunity to repent and be saved. This is what showed that God was right in destroying the world by a flood. God doesn't have favorites: God would have done the same for all the antediluvians that He did for Noah.

Quote:

Musicman1228: Why is it so difficult to believe that God passed judgement on the people of the world, and then carried out that judgement by executing the wicked in the Flood? This is exactly what He told Noah that He would do. The decision actually was placed on Noah; God was going to destroy the world and He told Noah to build an ARK to save himself and his family. Noah could have refused to obey God and God would have destroyed the world including Noah and his family had they not built the ARK.

We're pretty close on this paragraph, MM. I just accept the Bible's statements about Noah's preaching to the antediluvians before the sentence was carried out.

Quote:

Musicman1228: We see this very same type of situation with Sodom and the cities of the plain. God told Lot that He was going to destroy Sodom and to get out. After a bit of haggling on Lot's part He finally left with his family, and God destroyed Sodom. If Lot had decided to stay in Sodom God would have destroyed him with the city.

We agree here, too, except that you seem to be forgetting that the narrative says God came down and investigated to see if the city was as evil as had been reported. It was at that time God had his talk about it with his friend. Abraham. That was the purpose of the angels' visit to the city. They found that the city was indeed as evil as had been reported.

Quote:

Musicman1228: ....There is a time for warning and a time for judgment to be carried out. The world of Noah's day have plenty of warning from Adam through Enoch. There comes a time when God says 'Enough is enough' and simply does what He said He would do.

We agree pretty much here, except that I believe on the basis of the Scriptures cited that God gave the people an opportunity to repent during Noah's preaching when the ark was being built. In other words, their probation wasn't closed until the ark was finished. God kept open the possibility of their being saved until they completely rejected all pleas to repent. That's why the Scripture speak of "the long-suffering of God waiting out to the end." Our God is like that-- He is very patient and kind and doesn't want anyone to perish. He even sends preachers to appeal to wicked people who don't deserve another chance but who really deserve to die. He doesn't give up on us easily. We're blessed that He's the same God He was in the days of Noah. Except for that, we'd both be dead already.

[John317]

Weclome, Richard.

[jsm]

The following by John is very important:

"while this blotting out of sins is going forward in heaven, we are to be separating sin from us. This means God empowers us to overcome sin [Ezekiel 36:27], not merely to have sins covered. In other words, God helps us get to the point where we are not constantly asking forgiveness for the same old sins year in and year out. The blotting out of sin in the record books in heaven can only be done as we are blotting them out of our lives."

[jasd]

Re Noah preached to the antediluvians whom Gd intended to summarily destroy:

Quote:

Quote:Musicman1228

...there is nothing in Scripture that indicates that this occurred. Why is it so difficult to believe that God passed judgement on the people of the world, and then carried out that judgement by executing the wicked in the Flood? This is exactly what He told Noah that He would do.

Oy!—indeed. Perhaps it is because of subscription to – every wind of doctrine? :-(

[Dr. Rich]

John wrote: "The people of Nineveh were also condemned to die..." Actually John, you are wrong. Big difference here. At the flood, there was no 'ifs' or 'buts' or any conditions at all. God told Noah to build ONE size ark--and there were no conditions to build it bigger IF anyone supposedly believed Noah when he supposedly preached (which he didn't). Jonah was set to Nineveh to warn them that IF they did not repent and become righteous, that God would destroy them. Therefore, they were NOT condemned to die. Big difference here John!

[jsm]

Rich, what supposed Bible version are you using?

All the versions I know agree with the nkjv, which reads:

"He [Jonah] cried out and said, 'Yet forty days and Ninevah SHALL BE OVERTHROWN!'" Jonah 3:4.

There is no "IF" in that.

The people DID believe and repent, and people before the flood could have done the same. God would have made provision for that, just as He did for Ninevah.

"God saw...that THEY TURNED from their evil way; AND GOD RELENTED from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them. AND HE DID NOT DO IT." Jonah 3:10.

Peter explained this LOVE of God in action, when he wrote:

"The Lord is NOT slack concerning His promise as some count slackness, but is LONGSUFFERING toward us [120 year warning before the flood], NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH but that ALL should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

[Musicman1228]

Experts in TC have serious doubts as to whether the disciple Peter actually wrote 1 and 2 Peter so the theology of these two books is suspect, however there can be NO doubt that God does give everyone the opportunity to choose either for or against Him during the final events that lead to the eventual destruction of sin and and those in whom sin exists. This choice is not a verbal claim only but must include a demonstration of obedience to the Commandments of God. Those that refuse to do this WILL receive the Mark of the Beast and WILL BE lost for eternity. God does not WILL this (as in predestination) but He will accept and abide by the choice that we make even if it hurts Him to do so.

[Dr. Rich]

Stan, I can't believe you are even questioning what I said. Try reading all of Jonah and you will see that it was God who told Jonah to warn them. Try finding where God told Noah to warn anyone! Total difference my friend. Night and day! You can assume anything you want--but then that is just it--assumption. I will stick with what was written because that totally makes sense.

You might want to take a peek at Matthew 25's ten virgin prophecy. The five foolish virgins did go search for oil and came back and wanted to be let in. Take a gander at what Jesus tells them. Does He tell them, "Oh, well I am sorry, come right on in because you know that I love you and my grace is sufficient?" Nope-cause they were toast because they had plenty of warning by the 144k, instead they just poo pooed the warning like many are doing on this thread. Oh well???

[BobRyan]

John wrote: "The people of Nineveh were also condemned to die..." Actually John, you are wrong. Big difference here. At the flood, there was no 'ifs' or 'buts' or any conditions at all. God told Noah to build ONE size ark--and there were no conditions to build it bigger IF anyone supposedly believed Noah when he supposedly preached (which he didn't). Jonah was set to Nineveh to warn them that IF they did not repent and become righteous, that God would destroy them. Therefore, they were NOT condemned to die. Big difference here John!

Hint - there is no "IF" in Jonah's message. It was a flat out "40 days and you are dead" message.

The same conditional prophecy application existed for Noah's message as existed for Jonah's message.

Had the people listened to Noah and repented - they would have averted the crisis altogether.

in Christ,

Bob

[jsm]

MM & Rich, some of what you say is true, but, there is much insidious error mixed in; and that makes it all very dangerous for anyone to consider.

That is a tactic Satan successfully used with Eve, but not with Christ.

You do not accept as inspired any of what Paul or Luke or EGW wrote; and now I find you are casting doubts on what Peter wrote. That is very sad.

As stated before, 2 Peter 3:9 reads:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

That same thought is expressed in Ezekiel 33:11

“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

God gave people before the flood 120 years to repent, while Noah was building that ark as a clear indication to all that he believed what God had told him.

"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7.

That applied to Noah -- as well as the following:

"When I say to the wicked, 'You shalt surely die,' and you give him NO warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.

"Yet if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." Ezekiel 3:18-19.

The preponderance of the evidence shows that Noah was indeed "a PREACHER of righteousness." 2 Peter 2:5.

[Musicman1228]

Originally Posted By: Dr. Rich

John wrote: "The people of Nineveh were also condemned to die..." Actually John, you are wrong. Big difference here. At the flood, there was no 'ifs' or 'buts' or any conditions at all. God told Noah to build ONE size ark--and there were no conditions to build it bigger IF anyone supposedly believed Noah when he supposedly preached (which he didn't). Jonah was set to Nineveh to warn them that IF they did not repent and become righteous, that God would destroy them. Therefore, they were NOT condemned to die. Big difference here John!

Hint - there is no "IF" in Jonah's message. It was a flat out "40 days and you are dead" message.

The same conditional prophecy application existed for Noah's message as existed for Jonah's message.

Had the people listened to Noah and repented - they would have averted the crisis altogether.

in Christ,

Bob

And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Gen. 6:6-8.

Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Gen. 6:11-13.

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. Gen.6:17-18.

There is nowhere in the Genesis account of the Flood where God tells Noah to preach to the people of the earth that salvation was available to them if they would but get on the Ark. God stated that He was going to destroy the earth and those that dwell on it because the entire population of the world was abjectly sinful, except for Noah. God in His mercy allowed Noah's family to join him on the Ark. It is only with Noah that God made a Covenant, not with anyone else on earth.

My daughter isolated the problem, as she often does when I talk with her about spiritual issues. She is quite a spiritual young lady. She observed that "New Testament Christians" cannot comprehend that the God of the NT is the same God as the God of the Old Testament. She said that the God of the Old Testament destroyed sin whenever and where ever it was lawful; and along with the sin He was forced to also destroy the people who kept the sin inside of them. I took it a step farther and postulated that this was because the God of the New Testament was devised by Paul to be a God that only displays LOVE and not PUNISHMENT. The God of the OT is exactly the same as the God of the NT as defined in the life and teachings of Jesus. And THAT is where the conflict lays.

My daughter mentioned the woman caught in adultery. She said that Jesus first forgave her her sin, then He said for her to 'Go and do not sin anymore.' What we have always assumed was that even though Jesus said this to her, she being human, could not possibly follow the instruction of Jesus and she at some point went back to sinning. This is absolutely NOT TRUE. Jesus forgave her, told her go sin no more, and that is exactly what she did. There is no evidence that when Jesus said it that it was not done.

There is also no evidence in the OT Scripture account of the Flood that God commanded Noah to warn the people of the earth that destruction was coming. This fits perfectly with what Jesus said in Matt. 24: 37;

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matt. 24:37-39.

So when Jesus Himself says that the people before the flood were unaware of the flood until it came and killed them I, for one, believe Him, and take Him at His word. I don't try to make what He says fit some predetermined theology of my own, I merely accept what He says as God's TRUTH.

[BobRyan]

There is nowhere in the Genesis account of the Flood where God tells Noah to preach to the people of the earth that salvation was available to them if they would but get on the Ark. God stated that He was going to destroy the earth and those that dwell on it because the entire population of the world was abjectly sinful, except for Noah. God in His mercy allowed Noah's family to join him on the Ark. It is only with Noah that God made a Covenant, not with anyone else on earth.

As there is nothing in Jonah's message that says "repent before the 40 days and all will be well".

We do not see Noah saying "repent before the ark is finished and all will be well".

And yet - that is the nature of conditional prophecy as God Himself defines it in His message to Jeremiah.

The point remains.

in Christ,

Bob

[Dr. Rich]

Point does remain--God did NOT tell Noah to warn anyone and God told Jonah to warn someone. If you don't see the difference then I can't help that. You were not there to listen to all the Jonah had to say, and I am sure that his message was much more then what is in the bible--but the thing is about warning and not warning. With Noah, God told Noah to build an ark one size--and that only Noah and the family would be saved. With Jonah, God told Jonah to actually WARN them. What they did is irrelevant- it was what God told them to do what was important.

Another point is this, that you can argue what you want because of what you believe, but it will never do you any good because your mind is not open to receive the truth.

[Musicman1228]

There are conditional prophecies such as in Dan. 9: 24 where God gave Israel 490 years to accomplish what He as set for them to do. They did not do what God commanded so God removed Israel as the Kingdom of Heaven in 33 AD.

There are unconditional prophecies such as the Dan. 8;14 prophecy of the 2300 evenings and mornings, wherein God said that at that time the He would begin to put the most holy place back into it's original condition. Also, the prophecies in Revelation concerning the events of the end of time (censer case down, 7 Trumpets, 7 Bowl of Wrath, Two Witnesses, etc.) are not subject to condition; they will be done just as God has said. There is no human condition that can interfere with those coming events.

The statements that God made vis a vis the wickedness before the flood and His response to it is prophecy of the second kind. God said He was going to wipe out sin from the world and preserve righteousness through Noah and his family and that is exactly what He did. There were no mitigating conditions stated by God that would have caused anyone other than Noah and his family to be aboard the Ark when the flood came. If there was then Jesus lied in making the statement He made in Matt. 24:37-39, and we know that Jesus cannot lie.

[jsm]

It looks like this thread will be devoted to helping mm & Rich know how to properly study and understand the Bible. I am praying for them and their little misinformed group.

What was it that people “DID NOT KNOW” in “the days before the flood”?

The context shows they DID NOT KNOW “THE DAY” when the flood would come.

Jesus does NOT say people did not know about the flood; just that they did not know the time, and did not prepare.

READ THE CONTEXT:

Matthew 24:36-44

36 “But of that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until THE DAY that Noah entered the ark, 39 and DID NOT KNOW [the day] until the flood came and took them all away, SO ALSO will the coming of the Son of Man be. 42 Watch therefore, for YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT HOUR your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had KNOWN what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at AN HOUR YOU DO NOT EXPECT.

Compare with Revelation 3.3

Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you do not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and YOU SHALL NOT KNOW WHAT HOUR I will come upon thee.

People in the time of Noah were willfully ignorant, and that is why THEY DID NOT KNOW:

Isaiah 47.10-11

“For you have trusted in your wickedness;

You have said, ‘No one sees me’;

Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;

And you have said in your heart,

‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’

THEREFORE evil shall come upon you;

YOU SHALL NOT KNOW from where it arises.

And trouble shall fall upon you;

You will not be able to put it off.

And desolation shall come upon you SUDDENLY,

Which YOU SHALL NOT KNOW.

John 12.35

Then Jesus said to them, “… he who walks in darkness DOES NOT KNOW where he is going.

Psalms 92:5-6

O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

A brutish man KNOWETH NOT; neither doth a fool understand this.

[Musicman1228]

“But of that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Matt.24:36.

The actual translation of the word KNOWS in Greek is MAKES KNOWN. James White makes this clear in his little book titled "Matthew 24". Also, if you look up the Greek usage you will see the same thing. This puts an entirely different meaning to the text:

“But concerning that day and hour no one MAKES KNOWN, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Matt. 24:36.

This does not say that we will never know when the coming in the clouds will be. It states that only the Father will make this known. Compare that with Rev. 1;1-2:

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,   who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw."

The Father revealed something to His Son that Jesus had not already known, that is, the day and the hour of His coming. 

I hesitate to say this, but why would I desire to be instructed in the understanding of prophecy by someone that is stuck in the exegesis of the past. No new truth can come out of an old method, a method that has here-to-fore provided inconsistent (to say the least) interpretations of end time prophecy. My method is different than your method and will yield significantly different results. You can argue the merits of your system 'till the cows come home', but that does not make your method correct and my method incorrect. I know all about the method (having studied using that method for years) our church has used for the past 160 plus years, and all it had yielded is confusion. You know nothing about my method except that you disagree with it because you have never studied prophecy using it, and because it challenges your interpretations. The telling factor is this: when events begin unfolding we will know for sure who has the correct method, hence the correct interpretation.

[jsm]

God said He was going to wipe out Ninevah. There were no mitigating conditions stated by God that would have caused anyone to question that:

"Then he [Jonah] cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Ninevah SHALL BE OVERTHROWN!" Johan 3:4.

When the king of Ninevah heard, he told people to turn away from evil; and also said: "Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?" Johan 3:9.

And the next verse says: "GOD RELENTED FROM THE DISASTER" because "THEY TURNED from their evil way."

"Then God saw their works, that THEY TURNED from their evil way; AND GOD RELENTED FROM THE DISASTER, that He had said He would bring upon them; and He did it not do it.” Jonah 3:10.

It would have been the same before the flood if people had TURNED from their evil way.

Compare this with the reaction of people after the close of probation. They CHOOSE not to repent:

Revelation 16.9

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and THEY REPENTED NOT to give him glory.

16.10

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

16.11

And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and REPENTED NOT of their deeds.

[Musicman1228]

jsm said, "It would have been the same before the flood if people had TURNED from their evil way."

You are projecting your own personality into the interpretation. There is NOTHING in the Genesis account of the flood that suggests that this is in any way comparable to the situation in Ninevah. Does there never come a time when God must act on the stubborn, hard hearted people of the earth that refuse to obey God? The world before the flood knew who the God of Heaven was; they had thousands of years to learn about God from Adam through Enoch. God was not being cruel or unfair in punishing the world for taking a stand against the God of Creation. They already had their chance and chose against God in favor of the false god, the fallen angel of the Abyss.

The texts you cite in Revelation concerns the 7 Bowls of Wrath. These are not design for redemption (to get people to come back to the Lord), they are designed to punish the wicked that persecuted the righteous durning the Great Tribulation.

The 10 plagues of Egypt at the time of the Exodus were NOT designed by God to get Pharaoh to 'come to Jesus' (as it were). They were only designed to get Pharaoh to "Let My people go". They were punitive for a purpose other than redemption, and they worked perfectly.

[wayfinder]

The fact that God sent Jonah to Ninevah to warn of the distruction speaks to the fact that God knew that they would turn from their evil ways. If God had not sent Jonah the people would not have had an opportunity to change. God did not tell Noah to warn the world about the coming flood. God told Noah to build a boat so that he and his family would not be distroyed with the wicked.

Genesis 6:13 Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

14 "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood ; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

God said to Noah, "make for yourself"

[jsm]

mm, you avoided my comments on THE COMPLETE CONTEXT of Matthew 24:36-44 and instead diverted to an unrelated issue about verse 36.

You say "NO ONE KNOWS" in Matt.24:36 should read "makes known" the day or hour of Christ's coming.

That does not alter the fact that Jesus was talking about TIME in the context of Matthew 24:36-44. He was NOT saying that Noah kept his reason for building a ship secret.

I wrote:

What was it that people “DID NOT KNOW” in “the days before the flood”?

The context shows they DID NOT KNOW “THE DAY” when the flood would come.

Jesus does NOT say people did not know about the flood; just that they did not know the time, and did not prepare.

===============

"Some imagine that they have a wonderful zeal for God, that they are inspired to set things in order, that they have a spirit of discernment, when it is really an inspiration that Satan has imparted to them." EGW in RH 5/28/1889.

[Guest]

Amen Stan!!!

[Guest]

Quote:

The fact that God sent Jonah to Ninevah to warn of the distruction speaks to the fact that God knew that they would turn from their evil ways.

Where is the word "warn" used in connection with Ninivah?

[wayfinder]

mm, you avoided my comments on THE COMPLETE CONTEXT of Matthew 24:36-44 and instead diverted to an unrelated issue about verse 36.

You say "NO ONE KNOWS" in Matt.24:36 should read "makes known" the day or hour of Christ's coming.

That does not alter the fact that Jesus was talking about TIME in the context of Matthew 24:36-44. He was NOT saying that Noah kept his reason for building a ship secret.

I wrote:

What was it that people “DID NOT KNOW” in “the days before the flood”?

The context shows they DID NOT KNOW “THE DAY” when the flood would come.

Jesus does NOT say people did not know about the flood; just that they did not know the time, and did not prepare.

===============

"Some imagine that they have a wonderful zeal for God, that they are inspired to set things in order, that they have a spirit of discernment, when it is really an inspiration that Satan has imparted to them." EGW in RH 5/28/1889.

The Greek word is ginosko which means to know or to have knowledge of. In this case they knew nothing about the flood until it came and swept them all away. If Noah had been preaching the flood, they would definately have had knowledge of it, heeded or not. God reveals that life was going on as usual and the flood came without warning and swept them all away.

If you read my post you would have seen that God specifically told Noah to build an ark for yourself, God did not say and for the ones who would listen to his warning.

This is like the Sodom and the cities of the plain. God would have spared the cities if there were 10 righteous, there were not. God told Lot to leave Sodom so he would not be killed along with the wicked. The same type of warning is given at the end of the great tribulation "come out of her (Babylon/harlot/Great city) My people so you will not partake of her plagues. Revelation 18 is the account of the distruction of the great city. The righteous are told to leave the great city, just as Lot was told to leave Sodom.

[Guest]

It simply says they had no knowledge of the day it would come. Most all of them didn't believe it would come at all. So they were caught off guard. And like jsm said:

"What was it that people “DID NOT KNOW” in “the days before the flood”?

The context shows they DID NOT KNOW “THE DAY” when the flood would come.

Jesus does NOT say people did not know about the flood; just that they did not know the time, and did not prepare".