120 Years

 

While Jesus was teaching his disciples about His second coming, He made a strategic comparison to God’s judgment at the flood, saying, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Mt 24:37). This statement may have more implications than just the fact that people were carrying on, life as usual, right up to the very last day.

Jesus made it very clear that the people of Noah’s day were warned, but they ignored the warning. They couldn’t believe that anything would change the course of the world to which they were accustomed. And it’s the same, today.

Over a long period of time the wickedness of mankind grew ever greater. Their hearts were evil all the time (Gen 6:5). So, God said that His spirit would not put up with man forever, therefore his days are limited to 120 years (Gen 6:3). That was a prophetic pronouncement ­­-- judgment was on the horizon. The sign of that prophecy was the giant ark being built, probably over the span of the 120 years. When the animals began walking up the gangplank it was clear that judgment would begin any day now.

As in the days of Noah, God has a time frame for fulfilling his warnings of impending judgment upon this generation. The signs to mankind are made clear in the prophecies of Revelation. And it just may be that the same 120-year time frame is part of the meaning of the phrase, “as in the days of Noah.”  One reason for such a long warning period is that God is patient, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (II Pet 3:9).

God revealed to John the apostle that there would be seven trumpets, the first six warning mankind that judgment was imminent. The seventh trumpet is the actual outpouring of His judgment upon the whole earth, and like the flood it will transition into a new era in His redemptive plan, namely, the Millennial Kingdom. These seven trumpets are not judgments of God to be meted out during the Great Tribulation, as many have taught for nearly 200 years. In fact, the time span of the trumpet warnings is actually similar to the days of Noah. The trumpet warnings have been occurring for over 100 years. The first trumpet was World War 1, the second trumpet was Word War 2, the third trumpet was Chernobyl, the fourth trumpet was climate change, and the fifth trumpet was the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. The sixth trumpet is yet to sound, which will be the build up to Armageddon, masterminded by the lawless one who will lead a large Arab army against Israel.

If the time frame of 120 years is a legitimate component of Jesus’ statement, “as in the days of Noah”, then we have a possible time frame of God’s warnings leading up to the second world judgment. World War 1 began in 1914, and the next four trumpet warnings occurred throughout the twentieth century. If the coming of Christ in judgment occurs 120 years after the beginning of the trumpet warnings, that would place it about 2034. Christians will be rescued from that great outpouring of God’s wrath, being gathered up to meet the Lord in the air when He returns, at the last trumpet. But we, the Church, will be here through the trumpet warnings and the extreme tribulation of the last few years leading up to Christ’s return. Part of that extreme tribulation will be ever increasing wickedness, the destruction of America, and the rise of the eighth beast and the oppressive buildup to Armageddon. We need to understand the prophecies of Revelation accurately so that we can be ready to stand firm in faith when tribulation comes.