Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37 NIV84).

Many comparisons of our world today to the depravity, wickedness, and violence (Genesis 6:5–11) that occurred in Noah’s day have been made by thoughtful students of the Bible.

I do not discount these similarities, but I want to focus attention on the one comparison that seems to have been overlooked and, yet, is the core issue to the entire story of Noah — one that is again taking center-stage in our time: climate change.

Noah lived in an era of impending catastrophic climate change with world-ending implications. Through Noah, God sent the message to the world that the climate was going to change — that rain and a worldwide flood were coming that would transform the face of the planet and alter weather patterns from that point forward. And safety would be found only in trusting God and following His plan.

The scientists of Noah’s day were deniers of God’s message. Accusing Noah of being a fanatic, they convinced the populace that such climate change was not possible — yet all but the few who got on the ark drowned in the flood.

Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation, in which those who trust God and understand the truths of His Word are pitted against the humanist scientists, politicians, and activists over the issue of climate change — except this time, the two groups have flipped sides on the issue.

The scientists and others who don’t embrace the design-law biblical worldview are using fear of climate change and the threat of impending destruction as weapons to try to impose a new world order — one in which a new ruling council will “save the planet.” But those who trust in God and believe the Bible know there is no saving this planet without our Creator.

And God will only save us by destroying all sin, disease, and defect and restoring the planet back to perfection — which means the world as we know it is doomed; praise God!

From a biblical worldview, the earth has been slowly warming ever since the global ice-age that occurred in the aftermath of the global flood. This is not some strange, mysterious, and unknown process — it is predictable and inevitable.

Evolutionists, of course, acknowledge an ice-age, but their timeline is quite different from a biblical worldview:

Scientists have recorded five significant ice ages throughout the Earth’s history: the Huronian (2.4-2.1 billion years ago), Cryogenian (850-635 million years ago), Andean-Saharan (460-430 mya), Karoo (360-260 mya) and Quaternary (2.6 mya-present). Approximately a dozen major glaciations have occurred over the past 1 million years, the largest of which peaked 650,000 years ago and lasted for 50,000 years. The most recent glaciation period, often known simply as the “Ice Age,” reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before giving way to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.[1]

Because the rejecters of the biblical worldview have a timeline of billions of years, their understanding of what is happening is terrifying to them. They see the evidence of global warming as a marked and sudden change to what they believe is a climate that has been fairly stable for millions of years. But actual measurements of earth temperature have been taken for only the last 150 years of earth’s history. Prior to that, no measurements were taken and all such graphs and charts showing earth temperatures beyond the 150-year span are based on estimates, assumptions, and calculations — but not actual scientific measurements.

When the measured temperatures of the past 150 years are viewed in a timeline of billions of years, there appears to be sudden and drastic change happening. But when the same data is viewed in a biblical worldview of a global flood of approximately 5,000 years ago, followed by an ice-age with gradual warming since, this is not a sudden change, but a continuation of a process that has been transpiring since the flood.

Both worldviews (biblical and godless) teach that the earth is currently warming. The godless worldview presents a terrifying picture of manmade causes, alleging that this is new and destructive and that we must take urgent action to save ourselves and the planet.

Those who hold a biblical worldview also realize the planet is warming, but they are not terrified because they understand that it has been happening for 5,000 years and will continue to happen until the Lord returns. We know that this planet will not survive in its current form and nothing we do can save it — but we also know that there is a better world to come: the earth made new by our Creator God.

In the antediluvian (pre-flood) day, God’s man, Noah, took the position of warning people about impending climate change, saying there was nothing to do but trust in God and get on the ark. But the rejecters of God denied the message and continued to follow their own way.

Today, a similar process is occurring: The world is focused on a message of impending world-ending climate change and God’s people, just as in Noah’s day, realize that their only hope is in trusting God and awaiting His appearing to deliver us from the catastrophic end of this world of sin. But those who deny God and those religious leaders who teach God’s law functions like human law — imposed rules — instead are forming a coalition to save this sinful world.

The pope has called for a meeting of world leaders to create a coalition to educate our children on how to save this planet.[2] The goal is to create a worldwide confederation of religious groups and state governments that will unite around the pending threat of global warming to create a new education system, economy, and ultimately a new “humanism.”

According to the Vatican, “This means recognizing the world’s interconnectedness and re-thinking economics, politics, growth, and progress, giving pride-of-place to an integral ecology that rejects the throw-away culture.”[3]

Under the umbrella of the pending threat of global warming, it will be argued that economies and populations must be managed regarding their use of energy and carbon emissions. National sovereignty will be subordinated to this global coalition and, in all likelihood, it will be argued that in order to save the planet, a weekly day of rest is needed to reduce carbon output. In his 2015 encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis wrote:

On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the “first day” of the new creation, whose first fruits are the Lord’s risen humanity, the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims “man’s eternal rest in God.” … The law of weekly rest forbade work on the seventh day, “so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your maidservant, and the stranger, may be refreshed” (Ex 23:12). Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others… [4]

The Vatican is positioning itself to be the leader and unifier of this global coalition — all under the umbrella of saving the planet.

But the Bible tells us that we cannot save the planet — we cannot save ourselves, that things are going to get worse, that weather patterns are going to change, that storms and natural disasters are going to increase, and that the temperature will rise:

• “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:7, 8 NIV84).
• “The water became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in the sea died” (Revelation 16:3 NIV84).
  • This is describing the flow of water, not the composition of the fluid. The law of love is the law of giving, the principle upon which life is built. Everything that lives is designed to give. The life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11), and blood circulates and continues to circulate until the person dies. But the blood of a dead person doesn’t circulate. Thus, the Bible is teaching that the normal flow and circulation of the oceans will be disrupted or changed, contributing to marine creatures dying. This will also contribute to weather changes and famines in diverse areas.
• “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fiery heat. They were burnt by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues” (Revelation 16:8, 9 NIV84).

Yes; the Bible predicts significant global warming before the coming of Christ. And people will curse the “name,” which means the character of God. They will deny God and reject His methods of love and, instead, seek to save themselves through implementation of a coalition government of states and religions that will control commerce and ultimately worship — all through imposed law.

But why is the earth warming and the weather changing?

The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on earth is the Spirit temple — the hearts and minds of people. As billions of people reject God and harden themselves to His voice, His Spirit is slowly withdrawn from the earth. As this occurs, God’s sustaining and governing presence is also slowly withdrawn and the angels holding back the four winds of strife loosen their hold (Revelation 7:1–3).

God is the Creator of space, time, energy, matter, and life. His laws are the laws upon which reality is constructed to operate — the law of gravity, laws of physics, laws of health, and the moral laws. As God respects our choice to reject Him and slowly withdraws His presence from the earth, nature begins to unravel and more and more natural disasters occur — including the ever-increasing warming of the earth.

Godless scientists will promote their theories regarding carbon emissions and how we can save the planet by regulating our economies and individual lives. Religious leaders who promote the lie that God’s law functions like human law — imposed rules — will join with political leaders and convince their adherents to get governments to pass laws to control commerce (no one can buy or sell save him who has the mark of the beast). Things will continue to get worse because it isn’t about carbon emissions; it is actually about a planet slowly disconnecting itself from God’s life-sustaining presence. Just like in Noah’s day, this message from God will be rejected and the masses will listen to the scientists and religious leaders and work to try to save themselves.

Some may argue, “But aren’t we supposed to be good stewards of the earth? Doesn’t the Bible teach that God will destroy those who destroy the earth?” (Revelation 11:18).

Yes; we are to be good stewards, which means we practice God’s methods and principles in the governance of self:

• We are self-controlled (last fruit of the Spirit).
• We are patient, kind, gentle, loving — we don’t exploit people and we don’t exploit the environment (meaning we have developed Christlike character).
• We do not pollute.
• We do promote policies and standards for clean environments (regulations on industrial waste, etc., to keep our environments safe).
• We do not abuse and exploit animals, which would lead us to vegetarian lifestyle. (One of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases is the global livestock industry.[5])

But while doing all these acts of good stewardship, because they are in harmony with God’s methods and principles, we simultaneously recognize that such activity will not save the planet because the earth will continue to deteriorate as people slowly close God out of their hearts and His life-sustaining presence is slowly withdrawn.

This is an important truth to realize, because those without a design-law, biblical worldview will join forces (church and state) to impose laws to coerce others in a misguided attempt to save the planet.

Truly, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man,” (Matthew 24:37 NIV84).

[1] https://www.history.com/topics/pre-history/ice-age

[2] https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-09/pope-francis-educational-alliance-new-humanism.html

[3] Ibid.

[4] https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

[5] https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/eating-less-meat-essential-to-curb-climate-change-says-report

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-environment/