WHY YOU NEED TO BE READY NOW, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Do you know what happened just before Noah entered the ark? God instructed Noah: “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation” (Genesis 7:1, NIV). Then Noah, his wife, his sons, their wives, and the animals entered the ark.

As soon as Noah entered, God shut the door. This was not just a physical act, but a symbolic act of God’s sovereignty. God was in control of the timing of the flood, and it was His will to shut the door (Genesis 7:16, ESV). “The LORD shut him in” (Genesis 7:16, NIV) Noah didn’t have the power to open it again. Once God shut the door, no one else could get in.

However, here’s something surprising: the rain didn’t start right away. It didn’t flood the earth immediately. “The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12, NIV), but this occurred seven days after God shut the door. This delay serves as a powerful warning: even after the door was shut, the flood didn’t come immediately. There was still time for repentance, but that opportunity eventually passed.

The Door of Salvation Was Closed

This is where the theological significance lies. The door to salvation was shut by God, and it was only God who could open it again. When the door was shut, those outside realized too late that the opportunity for salvation had passed. Just as the ark was a place of divine safety, the door to salvation today is Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9, NKJV).

Yet, once the opportunity is lost, it is lost forever. The judgment of God was inevitable, and once it began, there was no turning back. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, ESV). Many people who were once indifferent or mocking Noah probably came to their senses and sought entry once they saw the storm clouds gathering. But their pleas were unanswered.

As the Bible states: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8, NKJV). Jesus warned us that, like the days of Noah, people would be caught off guard by His return. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37, NIV).

The Narrow Door

In Luke 13:24-28, Jesus says:

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’” (Luke 13:24-25, ESV)

Here, Jesus emphasizes the urgency of salvation. “Strive” (Greek: agonizomai) means to exert every effort. The narrow door symbolizes the way of salvation through Christ alone (John 14:6). Just as Noah’s ark was the only place of refuge from the coming flood, Jesus Christ is the only refuge from the judgment to come. The door will eventually be closed, and no one can force their way in once that door is shut.

In verse 25, when Jesus says, “I do not know where you come from”, He is referring to the fact that those who were not truly His followers those who didn’t truly repent and believe will be shut out of His kingdom. Knowing Christ is more than just superficial acknowledgment. It means having a personal, transformative relationship with Him (Matthew 7:21-23).

The Foolish Virgins and the Closing of the Door

In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish. The foolish virgins, who did not prepare for the coming of the bridegroom, found the door shut when they returned with oil for their lamps.

The bridegroom represents Christ, and the wedding feast represents the eternal fellowship with Christ in heaven (Revelation 19:7-9). The door that was shut symbolizes the final opportunity for salvation. The wise virgins were ready, but the foolish ones were left behind. Jesus ends the parable with the warning:

“Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13, NIV).

This teaches us that the time to prepare for Christ’s return is now. There is no second chance once the door is shut. Repentance and faith in Christ must happen before that door is closed.

The Rapture and the Imminence of Christ’s Return

The theological concept of the rapture is deeply connected to the parables of the door being shut. Just as the flood came suddenly, and people were swept away, so too will be the sudden return of Christ. The Bible says,

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NKJV).

The rapture (the event where believers are caught up to meet Christ in the air) will occur suddenly and without warning. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:42-44:

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:42-44, NIV).

The rapture will be a time of separation: those who are ready will be taken, while those who are unprepared will be left behind. This is why we must be ready now, because we don’t know when Christ will return.

“Blessed is that servant whom the master finds so doing when he comes” (Matthew 24:46, NKJV).

Be Ready: The Urgency of Salvation

In the days of Noah, the opportunity for salvation came to an end when God shut the door of the ark. Similarly, today, the opportunity to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ will one day come to an end when the door to salvation is closed. When that day comes, it will be too late to repent.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV). The message is clear: now is the time to be ready. The door of grace is open today, but it won’t remain open forever. Just as in Noah’s day, the flood of judgment will come suddenly and unexpectedly.

Maranatha.

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