What then were these days of Noah like? Are the times in which we live similar to Noah’s day? Well we know from Genesis that they were sinful, immoral, idolatrous and godless times. We know it was so bad, and that the people of Noah’s day and their actions were so offensive and detestable to God, that they were beyond hope, and they had to be destroyed- but not everyone. There was one man who was righteous and because there was one holy man, that man would be the initial means to the needed renewal. Remember that the days of Noah included an immoral, godless society before the flood, but also, and more importantly, that through one righteous man, his family and then the world were saved, and right worship of God was restored. This may be the divine pattern which Jesus predicted would occur prior to His return, to accomplish the promised renewal of the face of the earth, which could take tens, hundreds or more years to accomplish.  

      The Bible doesn’t tell us that initially his whole family was righteous, but because of Noah’s holiness, his family was saved. So this pattern is personal conversion, then conversion of one’s family, then conversion of the Church, then conversion of the world. First the patriarch and/or matriarch needs to

get right with God, then get their whole family inside the ark of salvation, which is the Church, and, which as we all admit, is filled with a lot of other smelly creatures, (face it we’re not exactly the Love Boat).

b. Elijah too:  Jesus also pulls out a reference to Elijah in addition to Noah, when telling His apostles about the signs surrounding His second coming.

"Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things” (Matthew 17:11)

      Here Jesus was answering His apostles question about the Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah before the ‘great and terrible day of the Lord’. Here the very last prophecy from the Old Testament tells us what will occur: “he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:6).

      Did we all get that? The last Old Testament prophecy predicts that this latter day renewal will occur within the family – parent to child and heart to heart – which Jesus confirms and expands promising that “all things” would be restored. First comes the restoration of the family, then through them comes the restoration of the world. This is what we already know in our hearts, and what we see occurring all around us, the changing of many hearts, within families, then within churches, and one day the entire culture. Both prophecies of Christ, mentioning Noah and Elijah, point to the need for personal conversion, change of heart, family conversion, then comes the restoration of all things in Christ ( Ephesians 1:10). So to sum up and combine both prophecies of Jesus, with all apologies to our Lord and Savior: it all starts with one righteous person, then comes the family - heart to heart conversion of parent to child, then the family goes into the ark of salvation which is the Church, finally the sinful society is no more and the face of the earth is renewed. Sounds simple, especially because the ark is already built.

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Well, for one, the spiritual descendent of St. Peter, Pope Saint John Paul II told us so in proclaiming: “the future of the Church and the world passes through the family”

That’s fine, I liked the Pope, but what about the Bible?

For sure, both the Old and New Testament point to this family-first renewal; it’s all in there, but we have to put it together.

a. Days of Noah:  Jesus Himself tells us that just prior to His return, it will be like the days of Noah.

“When the Son of Man returns it will be like it was in the days of Noah” (Luke 17:26; Matthew 24:37)

How Do We Know This Renewal Begins With The Family?

I. Restoration Of The Family