When great and wise men had proved to their satisfaction that it was impossible for the world to be destroyed by water, when 104 the fears of the people were quieted, when all regarded Noah's prophecy as a delusion, and looked upon him as a fanatic--then it was that God's time had come. "The fountains of the great deep" were "broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened," and the scoffers were overwhelmed in the waters of the Flood. With all their boasted philosophy, men found too late that their wisdom was foolishness, that the Lawgiver is greater than the laws of nature, and that Omnipotence is at no loss for means to accomplish His purposes. "As it was in the days of Noah," "even thus shall it be in the days when the Son of man is revealed." Luke 17:26, 30. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. When the reasoning of philosophy has banished the fear of God's judgments; when religious teachers are pointing forward to long ages of peace and prosperity, and the world are absorbed in their rounds of business and pleasure, planting and building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting God's warnings and mocking His messengers--then it is that sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Da store og kloge mænd til deres egen tilfredsstillelse havde bevist, at det var umuligt, at verden kunne forgå ved vand; da folks frygt havde lagt sig; da alle regnede Noas profeti for et bedrag og betragtede ham som en fanatiker - da var det, Guds time var kommet. Da "brast det store verdensdybs kilder, og himmelens sluser åbnedes" og spotterne omkom i syndflodens vande. På trods af al den filosofi, menneskene pralede af, opdagede de for sent, at deres visdom var dårskab, at lovgiveren er større end naturlovene, og at den Almægtige ikke mangler midler til at gennemføre sin vilje. "Som det gik til i Noas dage" "på samme måde skal det gå den dag, da Menneskesønnen åbenbares." Luk. 17, 26. og 30. "Herrens dag skal komme som en tyv; da skal himlene forgå med brag, og elementerne skal komme i brand og opløses, og jorden og alt menneskeværk på den skal brændes op." 2. Pet. 3, 10. Når filosofiens ræsonnementer har forjaget al frygt for Guds straffedomme, når religiøse ledere peger fremad mod lange tider med fred og fremgang, når verden er optaget af forretninger og fornøjelser, af at plante og bygge, af gilder og munterhed, og når den forkaster Guds advarsel og håner hans budbærere - da er det, at undergangen pludselig kommer over dem, og de skal ingenlunde undslippe. (1. Tess. 5, 3.)