“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37-39)
Jesus knew there was a great deal of antagonism towards Him and it was increasing. He knew that He would be crucified in a few days so He delivered a sermon on the Last Days, the end times. He needed to warn his followers so they would not confuse what was to happen to Him with the Last Days. They would rightly perceive (after the fact) that the crucifixion and resurrection which followed caused a major upheaval in the spiritual structure of the Universe. This cataclysmic event was not to be confused with the final Day of the Lord.
Jesus compared the last days to the time of Noah. While we do not know how many people were living at that time, we can be sure that none of them were righteous in the Lord’s eyes, none except for Noah and the 7 members of his family. Except for this small remnant, the rest of the world was engaged in gross, unremitting sin, and idolatry without love or sympathy for anyone else, not even those of their own families. And, based on what the Lord says in Genesis 9:4-6, it is possible that they were engaged in brutality and barbaric behavior toward animals as well as their fellow human beings.
That is what Jesus predicts the world will be like at the end times, right before His Second Coming. Indeed it would seem from what we perceive now in our world, that we are heading for such a world dominated by the godless and the idolatrous who condone and promote lawlessness, disrespect, sensuality, and violence.
The church, that is, we faithful believers, must take note of these signs of the times. No one knows the time, so we must treat each day as if it were the last. And for many it is. May no one go to judgment and damnation because of our foolish disregard for the Lord’s commands and warnings.