The descendants of Seth were called the sons of God and the descendants of Cain were called the sons of men.

The descendants of Seth were called the sons of God; the descendants of Cain, the sons of men. As the sons of God mingled with the sons of men, they became corrupt and, by intermarriage with them, lost, through the influence of their wives, their peculiar, holy character, and united with the sons of Cain in their idolatry. Many cast aside the fear of God and trampled upon His commandments. But there were a few that did righteousness, who feared and honored their Creator. Noah and his family were among the righteous few. Cc36.6

Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

The sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of Cain were and they took them as wives but through the influence of their wives they were corrupted. The sons of God lost they’re godly character and they joined in the general apostasy. Until at last, there was only a few who remained worshipers of God. There was Methuselah and some others who died before the flood and there was Noah and his family. These were the only ones left.

Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

The Spirit of God would not always strive with man. In fact the perversity of man triumphed over the restraints of the Holy Spirit

Genesis 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

The wickedness of man triumphed.

Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

The wickedness of man was so great and had increased so much, that God was grieved that He made man. He determined to destroy man off the face of the earth. In verse 3 that destruction was determined 120 years beforehand. There was time given for them to be warned and if they refused, they would suffer the consequences. This period of probation was given before God would destroy man. The people before the flood were called antediluvians. The word comes from ante-deluge, which means before the deluge or before the flood.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

The spirits in prison were the wicked antediluvians, the people before the flood. These verses are saying that Christ through the Holy Spirit went and preached to the antediluvians. How did Christ do this? The Holy Spirit came upon Noah. Noah preached the message of warning that Christ gave him. He preached for 120 years while the ark was preparing preaching to the spirits in prison. But in what sense were the antediluvians in prison?

Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;

When Christ began His ministry he quoted these words. He went and preached to the people there in His day in prison. They were in prison because that was the darkest point in the history of mankind when Christ came. The people were shut up in the darkness of error under the condemnation of sin. In the same sense the antediluvians were in prison. They shut up under a sentence of condemnation. Their days were limited to 120 years. Their only way of escape from impending destruction was through the preaching of Noah. God was longsuffering. He warned them for 120 years, 120 years of probation while Noah was preparing an ark of safety. All this time Noah was building a great ship on dry land

Willingly Ignorant

From creation to Noah’s time no rain had fallen on the earth. The earth was watered by a mist or dew that rose up from underground reservoirs.

Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground.

2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

There was this mist that watered the ground. The antediluvians had never experienced rain and probably never know what flood would be like so when Noah began to preach that the earth was to be destroyed by a flood of water, the people thought Noah was crazy. The wise men of the day reasoned that since it had never rained, it was impossible for rain to fall. When Noah’s preaching aroused the fears of the people, the wise and learned men quieted their fears. They said it is contrary to the laws of nature for rain to fall. It’s against the laws of nature so it can never happen. Look at this comparison between the last days and Noah’s day.

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Here the reasoning of the antediluvians as compared with modern reasoning. Before the flood they reasoned that nature is above God. That the laws of nature are so fixed that God himself cannot change them. They said, “all things continue as they were since the beginning of the creation”. Nothing ever changes. If there was any truth in what Noah said, then surely the great and wise men would understand the matter. The people reasoned this way

Today they reason in similar ways. They say, “the laws of nature are set and that all things continue in a uniform manner”. When nature starts to become chaotic they say, “oh it’s just an evolutionary cycle, nothing to worry about”.
People today are willing ignorant that the earth is reserved unto destruction. They think that things will always continue as they are and they live like that too.

The Storm Breaks

God said to Noah and his family come into the ark.

Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Now also all the animals were gathered into the ark. Then God shut the door of the ark. This meant that probation had closed for the antediluvians. But nothing happened for seven days.

Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

The people outside the ark thought that because the prophecy of Noah hadn’t been fulfilled immediately and that Noah was deceived and that it was impossible for the world to be destroyed by a flood. But at the end of the seven days clouds began to gather. This was a new sight because the antediluvians had never seen rain clouds before. It would have been very foreboding. The dark clouds gathered thicker and thicker and rain began to fall.

The people still tried to think that it was nothing very alarming. They were so fastened in deception. But the rain began poured down in torrents. The Bible says the windows of heaven were opened. For a time the rain soaked into the ground. But soon the water began to rise, and day by day it rose higher and higher. Each morning as the people found the rain still falling they looked at each other in despair. And each night they said, “Raining still!”

The rivers began to break their banks. The water entered their houses and drove the people to the temples. As the storm gathered violence. Bolts of lightning wrecked their groves full of idols and the temples were swept away. The people wailed and moaned their hearts failing for the fear of it. The underground reservoirs were broken up.

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

7:12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Huge jets of water burst from the earth throwing out huge rocks with great force. Trees, buildings, rocks, and earth were hurled in every direction. The terror of man and beast was beyond description. They climbed to the highest points of land. Man and beast scrabbling together to reach the heights. But one high point after another was covered with water. Many cursed God while others were pleading for entrance to the ark knocking on the side of the ark “mercy, mercy”. But their fear and repentance came too late. Some even tried to break into the ark. They clung to the ark but the violence of the storm broke their hold. Amid the terrific storm Noah and his family were preserved in the ark.

Probation Closes

Now come back and look at something – when God shut the door of the ark. That was probation closed. It came unexpectedly to the antediluvians. They didn’t know that probation had closed. They were unconscious of it.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

See those words they “knew not”. They were unconscious that their probation had closed. When did they know? When did they become conscious of the fact? It wasn’t until the flood came, and took them all away. They knew not, until the flood came. They became conscious of the judgments of God when it was too late. It wasn’t until the water was up to their necks. That they came knocking at the door of the ark saying let us in.

Notice something else about these verses in Matthew 24. There a comparison is made between the close of antediluvian probation and the final close of probation. The final close of probation must come in a like manner. The wicked people of the earth will be totally unconscious of the fact when probation closes. They won’t know that it’s happened. They will only know when they start to realise the effects of the last plagues. Only then will they become conscious of the judgments of God when it’s too late.

When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. . . . {GC 490.2}

The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state–men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Before the Flood, after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life and mocked the warnings of impending judgment. “So,” says the Saviour, “shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:39. Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man’s destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy’s offer to guilty men. {GC 491.1}.

As in the days of Noah, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Suddenly unexpectedly without the wicked knowing . But look who else won’t know.

Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Here we have ten virgins. These represent professed Christians having their Bibles as lamps but look what happens to them:

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Five were ready. They went in and the door was shut. The door of probation was closed tight. Read on and see what happens to the other five professed Christians.

Matthew 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The other five came knocking on the door of probation when it was too late. These professed Christians were unconscious that probation had closed. They didn’t know as they were away trying to buy oil. They will only realise that the day of the Lord has come when they are up to their necks in the sufferings of the last plagues. Then they will come knocking on the door of probation saying, “Lord, Lord, let me in, let me in”. The same as the antediluvians that came knocking on the ark “let me in, let me in” but it’s too late.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Here again professed Christians are shut out. They’ve done many wonderful works in the name of Jesus but they haven’t done the will of God. That’s the thing. Look at the parallel passage in Luke.

Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out.

These professed Christians come knocking on probation’s closed door. They were unconscious of the close of probation. They didn’t know until the plagues came and they are outside the door. What a disappointment.

The great mass of professing Christians will meet with bitter disappointment in the day of God. {7BC 970.6}.

The vast majority will meet this disappointment and come knocking. They are unconscious of the time.

Present Truth

We don’t want to meet this bitter disappointment. How can we be secure? The present truth in Noah’s day was come into the ark else you’ll die in the flood. The present truth in Adam and Eve’s day was don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil else you’ll die. The present truth in Moses’ day was slay the lamb and put blood on the door post else your firstborn will die. The present truth in the Jeremiah’s day was to submit to Babylon else the Babylonians will come and destroy you. It’s a perilous thing to disobey present truth. To have any security at all we need to obey present truth. But there’s so many lies and deceptions out there in what guise will we find present truth?

Satan, when tempting Eve to disobey God, said to her, “Ye shall not surely die.” Genesis 3:4. {PP 96.1}

Satan tempted Eve to disobey present truth. And about the men before flood it says:

Great men, worldly, {PP 96.1}

Satan was speaking through them.

…honored, and wise men, repeated the same. “The threatenings of God,” they said, “are for the purpose of intimidating, and will never be verified. You need not be alarmed. Such an event as the destruction of the world by the God who made it, and the punishment of the beings He has created, will never take place. Be at peace; fear not. Noah is a wild fanatic.” The world made merry at the folly of the deluded old man. {PP 96.1}

The deluded old man with present truth. All the great and wise men of the earth were saying peace and safety. They were saying fear not Noah is a fanatic. He’s a deluded old man. But this old man building a ship on dry land where it had never ever rained before had the message of present truth. That if obeyed would have saved them from destruction. Present truth is not always so obvious to the beholder.

Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. {DA 232.2}.

Remember in what guise Christ came to this earth.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

You would have never guessed. Christ made himself of no reputation. He took the form of a servant. He humbled himself to the shame being crucified. Crucifixion wasn’t glorious as we think of it today. Crucifixion was the shameful punishment of criminals. Jesus the Messiah suffered Himself to be crucified. But this was so unexpected. Their minds couldn’t conceive it. They couldn’t believe this was present truth. Even His disciples couldn’t believe even when He told them plainly. It was not in accord with their ideas and their prejudices. That’s the problem. Therefore they were not ready to receive the truth in whatever guise it was presented. The Jews also rejected the present truth and suffered the terrible consequences. They were prejudice. We need to be careful about what prejudices we hold that may set us in contradiction to the truth. That so often it is not so obvious. .

Sealing Message

But where is it? Where is the present truth which is not so obvious? We need to obey it to avoid the coming destruction. Where is our Noah’s ark sitting on dry land where it’s never ever rained before?

The Lord has shown me that precious souls are starving, and dying for want of the present, sealing truth, the meat in due season; and that the swift messengers should speed on their way, and feed the flock with the present truth. I heard an Angel say, “speed the swift messengers, speed the swift messengers; for the case of every soul will soon be decided, either for Life, or for Death.” {RH, September 1, 1849 par. 8}.

The sealing message is still the present truth today. It will be proclaimed until all are finally decided for life or for death. The four winds are about to blow and wreak havoc across the face of the earth. God is about to plague the wicked inhabitants off the face of the earth and to be protected from that destruction we need the seal of God, the seal of God, which is found in the third angel’s message. This is our Noah’s ark.

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

This is like the blood on the door post. It will be our protection during the last plagues. To be sealed with the seal of the living God. This is meat in due season. Meat in due season is another way of saying present truth.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

24:46 Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

This servant is giving the present sealing truth, the third angel’s message sounding like a trumpet. Now look at the other servant.

Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

24:49 And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,

24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This servant of God says in his heart that my Lord delays his coming and because he says this in his heart, look what happens to him. The day of the Lord comes in an hour that he is not aware of. He will be unconscious of the close of probation. He has a portion among the hypocrites. When he is up to his neck in the last plagues he’ll finally realises that probation has closed. This servant like the others will say, “Lord, Lord, let me in”.

How do we say in our hearts that my Lord delayeth his coming?. How do we do this practically? He does not say that Christ will not come. He does not scoff at the idea of His second coming. [He believes in the Second Advent of Christ. He’s an Adventist] But in his heart and by his actions and words he declares that the Lord’s coming is delayed. He banishes from the minds of others the conviction that the Lord is coming quickly. His influence leads men to presumptuous, careless delay.

They are confirmed in their worldliness and stupor. Earthly passions, corrupt thoughts, take possession of the mind. The evil servant eats and drinks with the drunken, unites with the world in pleasure seeking. He smites his fellow servants, accusing and condemning those who are faithful to their Master. He mingles with the world. Like grows with like in transgression. It is a fearful assimilation. With the world he is taken in the snare. “The lord of that servant shall come . . . in an hour that he is not aware of”. {DA 635.1}

See what happens to the evil servant. He becomes absorbed with the world. He’s enjoying himself. But the problem is that when we become absorbed with the attractions there develops this unconsciousness of the shortness of time. We become unaware of the lateness of the hour. It’s not wrong to eat and drink and get married but to become engrossed with these things and reject present truth is the problem. If we become so absorbed with it all, ultimately we’ll find ourselves unconscious of the close of probation. That is our condition when we are asleep. When we sleep at night we are unconscious. The Bible actually uses this metaphor.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.

5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

They are in a stupor. The world has made them stupid to the hour we are living in. They are asleep. Unconscious of what is going on in the world.

2 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.

Here is what we want to be. Children of the light wide awake. In other words, we want to be fully conscious of the coming program of events. We need to know the prophecies leading up to the close of probation. Daniel 11 we want to know this. This is important and we want to be sealed on time so that we will be ready when the four winds are let loose.

The ten virgins are represented as watching in the evening of this earth’s history. They represent the church of professed Christians. This lesson should fill our minds with serious thought, and drive us to our Bibles, the Word of the living God. It should lead us to most earnest supplication that God will lead us into all truth. {16MR 271.4}.

Amen.