Preflood Generation (Luke 17:27)

Jesus describes the activities of the unsuspecting preflood generation by listing four activities (Lk 17:27):

eating and drinking
marrying and giving in marriage.

He then describes the activities of the unsuspecting residents of Sodom by listing six activities (Lk 17:28):

eating and drinking
buying and selling
planting and building.

Several things are implied by these lists. First, numerologically: the fourfold list regarding the preflood generation is likely related to the four corners of the earth imagery common in Scripture. All four corners of their world were taken up with these four activities, leaving no room for discerning the coming flood or making preparations for it. This culminates with a fifth event, the flood, which may be linked with the military imagery often associated with the number 5. Or, if you want to include the Lord’s response to the preflood world, we have a sevenfold list, culminating in destruction:

eating and drinking
marrying and giving in marriage
Noah enters the ark
the flood came
the flood destroyed all

The sixfold list is even more pregnant: Six is the number of creation, and this list is the description of their “subcreation,” their cultural achievement in Sodom. Further, six is the (insufficient) number of man. Of course, the sixfold activity of Sodom is brought to an end by the “seventh” even of a “rain” of fire from heaven. This Sabbatical judgment “decreated” Sodom, destroying them all. Or, if we add the full description of the activities of Sodom and the Lord’s response, we get a list of 9 elements:

eating and drinking
buying and selling
planting and building
Lot went out
it rained fire from heaven
destroyed them all

Perhaps there is a link here to the 9 plagues of Egypt?

Second, notice that in both cases, Jesus, like Peter, emphasizes the escape of the righteous from the coming judgment. And Noah and Lot are linked to the son of man. Days are coming, Jesus says, when the disciples will be hoping for the “days of the son of man,” one of the days when the Son of Man is exalted. This links up with the two examples from Genesis, which are about the “days of Noah” and the “days of Lot” (vv. 26, 28). Son of Man-Noah-Lot: This might be a typology that shows that Jesus is the righteous one rescued like Noah and Lot. More likely, though, “Son of Man” has a corporate sense, and the totus-Son-of-Man is in view. This would make sense given the links with Daniel 7, where “Son of Man” at least includes the corporate people of God, and might even refer to the corporate people of God. This day will be the revelation of Jesus, to be sure; but it will aos be a revelation of the corporate Son of Man.

Third, contextual: Jesus is issuing a warning to the generation that is going to reject the Son of Man and cause Him to suffer (v. 25). He has been warning the Pharisees for a couple of chapters about their idolatrous love for money and possessions, and also has been teaching about proper eating and drinking in the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees and other Jews who reject Jesus are going to find that their love for possessions has brought them to ruin. They will be, at best, like Lot’s wife, who turned to salt when she looked back to the doomed city she was leaving.