Matthew 24:37 (NKJV) "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."
Now, Jesus is giving His disciples the signs of His coming and the end of the age. He doesn't want us to be in the dark; He wants us to be ready. And He points back to the days of Noah.
In those days, people were going on with business as usual, eating, drinking, marrying, totally oblivious to the judgment that was about to fall.
Noah preached righteousness for years, but they didn't listen. The earth was filled with violence, and every imagination of the heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5, 11). Then suddenly the flood came, and only Noah and his family, who walked with God, were saved in the ark.
Folks, I believe we're seeing those same conditions today. Outwardly, life goes on, people work, shop, get married, pursue their pleasures, but underneath, there's a deep moral decay.
Good is called evil, evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Lawlessness is abounding (Matthew 24:12).
These are the very signs Jesus said would mark the approach of His return.
Let's look at a few of them right here in our own nation.
Everyday Indulgence and Escape: Drunkenness and Drug Use
Jesus said they were eating and drinking until the day Noah entered the ark (Matthew 24:38).
It wasn't that eating and drinking were wrong; God gave us food and drink for enjoyment, but it was the excess, the escapism, the lack of concern for God.
The Bible warns us, "Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation" (Ephesians 5:18), and calls us to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8).
In the UK today, alcohol use has actually dropped to some of the lowest levels on record; many folks are cutting back, with average intake low and more going alcohol-free.
But heavy drinking still goes on, and bingeing leads to broken lives, violence, and families torn apart. It's that same spirit of indulgence apart from God.
And drugs? The latest surveys show about 8.7% of adults using illicit drugs in the past year, around 2.9 million people.
It's steady, but among the young it's higher, and those powerful synthetics are causing more deaths than ever.
People are numbing themselves, running from reality, just like in Noah's day, seeking pleasure without the Lord.
Sexual Immorality and Moral Inversion
The heart of man in Noah's time was only evil continually. And the New Testament ties end-time conditions to unrestrained sin, including turning from God's natural order (Romans 1:26-27; Jude 1:7).
Today, what the Bible calls sin is openly accepted, and even celebrated, and homosexuality and other lifestyles are promoted in the media, schools, and law.
It's business as usual on the surface, but hearts are far from God.
This is the moral inversion Jesus warned about.
Antisemitism Rising
One of the clearest prophetic signs is the rising hatred against the Jewish people. God has a plan for Israel (Romans 11; Zechariah 12), and Satan hates it.
In the UK, reports show over 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, the second-highest ever.
Attacks on synagogues, homes, and schools are heartbreaking. After events like that terrible synagogue incident in Manchester, numbers spiked and this hatred is increasing, just as Scripture said it would before the Lord's return.
Disrespect for the Elderly
The Lord tells us to honour the grey head (Leviticus 19:32). But today, many elderly feel forgotten. NHS waiting lists are still long, millions in line, older folks suffering most in corridors in hospitals or at home, where they can’t use the complicated NHS app to book an appointment to see a doctor.
Isolation, poor care, it's a reversal of God's values, showing how far society has drifted.
Perceived Corruption and Two-Tier Justice
Corruption and unfairness grieve the heart. Accusations of two-tier policing, some treated one way, others another, erode trust. Leadership scandals, resignations, broken promises, it's like the violence filling the earth in Noah's time (Genesis 6:11).
People sense the system is corrupt, and it stirs frustration.
God's Judgment Through Leadership, and a Call to Repentance with Hope Rising
Folks, the Bible is clear: when a nation turns its back on God, He sometimes allows or even appoints leaders who reflect that rebellion, foolish, corrupt, or clownish rulers as a form of discipline.
In Hosea 13:11, the Lord says, "I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath." Isaiah 3:4 pictures immature leadership: "I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." It's God's way of humbling a people, shaking them awake, just like He used bad kings in Israel and Judah or raised up foreign nations to judge His own.
In the UK today, many believers look at the leadership, out-of-touch decisions, scandals, perceived corruption, two-tier justice, and sense this very thing.
Could God be giving us what we've asked for in our rebellion, to bring us low and drive us back to Him? It's sobering.
The nation needs to repent and to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wicked ways.
As the promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 declares, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Things may look too far gone, moral decay deep, churches often trading solid teaching for entertainment: lights, smoke, loud music, and shallow sermons that feel like wet toilet paper instead of the nourishing Word.
We need more Bible-teaching fellowships, like the simple, verse-by-verse expository style God has blessed our ministry, where truth is proclaimed plainly, leading people to Christ.
But here's the hope, brothers and sisters, God is never without a remnant. Even now, in the midst of judgment's shadow, He's stirring hearts, especially among the young.
Bible sales in the UK reached a record high in 2025: £6.3 million total, up 134% in value since 2019, with physical copies surging over 100%. Reports point to Gen Z driving much of this; young people are hungry for truth, spirituality, and meaning in a chaotic world.
They're buying Bibles, seeking answers, and some surveys show church attendance rising among 18-24-year-olds.
It's not a full national revival yet, but a quiet moving of the Spirit, young men and women turning to the Lord, picking up the Word, ready for real discipleship.
Like in Noah's day, when wickedness filled the earth, but grace was found by one faithful man, God is preparing an ark of safety in Christ.
Repentance starts with us, His people, leading the way in prayer and holy living. Pray for our nation, for leaders to be humbled or replaced by godly ones, and for more solid churches to rise up.
The young ones coming to faith need mentors grounded in Scripture, not show.
The Lord is gracious and long-suffering. He's calling us back. Let's respond while there's time.
The Hope: Look Up, Be Ready
These things can trouble us, but they shouldn't surprise us. Jesus said when you see these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near (Luke 21:28 NKJV).
Just like Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8) and walked with Him, so can you and I.
Amid the storm, stay close to Jesus, study the Word, pray, fellowship, and share the Gospel.
The Lord is coming soon. "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:44 NKJV). Don't be like those in Noah's day, oblivious until it's too late.
Walk with God today. He's faithful, and He's coming for His own.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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