Recently I heard a well-known prophecy teacher discussing Lot’s wife. He basically said that Lot’s wife was worldly, and she couldn’t let go of the world of the things that entice, seduce, and allure us all. Because of her “worldliness,” she was destroyed, turned into a pillar of salt when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire and brimstone by our Most High God.
While I think scripture is pretty much silent on Mrs. Lot, I think this prophecy teacher holds a possibility of being correct in his assessment, but I think he’s probably mistaken. But as I said: scripture is really silent regarding Mrs. Lot.
BTW: This prophecy teacher I refer to is brilliant! I think he holds an excellent grasp of how current events likely tie into Bible prophecy. I just disagree with him on how we should remember Lot’s wife.
Luke 17:32 cautions us to remember Lot’s wife. This warning is not necessarily telling us how worldly she potentially was. It’s really a caution regarding a greater truth and likely has nothing at all to do with if she was or if she was not worldly in her attitudes and perspectives.
If one reads this single verse within the greater context of Luke 17:20-37, it’s really a warning to the Jewish people specifically and to a future group of people in general. The passage is really discussing how suddenly the destruction of last days events will come upon the people of the last days, i.e., during the 70th week of Daniel or the seven-year tribulation period.
Luke 17:22-24: On that single day, when our Lord Jesus returns at His second coming, everyone will know it. If one is paying half attention, one will not miss it. There is no need to listen to a false prophet or false teacher who is attempting to deceive and misguide. The Lord Jesus makes it plain and simple. He doesn’t want anyone to get His second coming wrong. He makes it completely and utterly obvious. When He returns, it will happen suddenly and obviously, like lightning contrasted with a darkened sky.
Luke 17:26-27: As it was in the days of Noah … people were going about what was normal daily life for them in those days. On that single day when the flood and destruction came upon the people of Noah’s day, they were without a clue. Even though they likely heard Noah, a preacher of righteousness, talk about the coming worldwide flood and worldwide destruction, the people of that age did not take God’s word preached by Noah seriously. They either ignored Noah’s warnings or rejected God’s word as preached by Noah.
For practical purposes, the people of Noah’s age had no idea what was coming. They were clueless. When the flood and worldwide destruction came, it came immediately and suddenly. I can’t say it was without a sign: Noah building the Ark and preaching God’s word was warning and sign enough.
The people of Noah’s age were destroyed and taken away by the immediate and sudden flood and the worldwide destruction that ensued.
Key takeaway: The flood and ensuing destruction came immediately and suddenly.
Luke 17: 28-30: Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot. Here we see our Lord Jesus comparing Lot’s days to Noah’s days. Our Lord Jesus and Most High God tells us the people in Lot’s days were also going about what was normal daily life for them. Fire and brimstone and total destruction came upon them immediately and suddenly without any outward signs or warning but one.
Because of their unbelief and wickedness, they, too, were clueless.
Luke 17:30: Even so, immediate and sudden destruction will come upon the people of the world on some future day when the Lord Jesus returns a second time.
Luke 17:31: In those days of the Lord’s second coming, the Jewish people won’t have the time to rent a moving van to haul away their household goods; they won’t have time to return home to sort through one’s wardrobe to pack for a trip. In fact, they are cautioned not to even attempt to do so. Any delay in escaping the immediate and sudden nature of events in those days is likely to end in that one’s sure destruction, death, and falling under the Most High God’s wrath. See Matthew 24:15-31 and Mark 13:14-27.
Luke 17:32: Remember Lot’s wife … she was dragging her feet. She delayed. She was looking back when she should have been running away. She was still on ground zero when the fire and brimstone and immediate and sudden destruction and the wrath of our Most High God fell.
Genesis 19:12-15: Scripture tells us that Lot and his wife had at least two sons-in-law, which means they also had at least two more daughters. And while scripture is silent, potentially, they had grandchildren, too.
I think Lot’s wife, while maybe pining after her worldly possessions, was more likely mourning the immediate and sudden destruction of her daughters, sons-in-law, and maybe grandchildren. Perhaps she was already longing for those she knew had already fallen or would soon fall under our Most High God’s blazing fiery wrath. But I don’t know this for certain; scripture is silent. However, it possibly explains Mrs. Lot’s foot-dragging, delay, and looking back.
I wonder about Mrs. Lot’s attitude regarding stuff and material possessions. In Genesis 14:14-16, we see the story of Abram rescuing Lot. Abram brought back Lot, all the goods that were stolen from Sodom and Gomorrah, and the women and people. Mrs. Lot was probably among those women who were taken captive. I wonder about her attitude of how she potentially truly valued life, freedom, and liberty as opposed to the value of merely owning goods and stuff.
Scripture is silent as to her motive and why she delayed.
She stopped. She paused. She delayed. She failed to remove herself fully from ground zero of God’s wrath. She became collateral damage because she lingered and delayed. She failed to fully obey our Most High God’s warning as spoken by the angels in Genesis 19:17 … “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.”
Notice the conditional nature of this verse: if you remove yourselves fully from the plain, then you will survive, but if you fail to remove yourselves fully from the plain, then you, too, will be consumed and destroyed.
The Lot Family’s “salvation” was conditional on their total obedience to the Most High God’s word. Not partial obedience but total obedience.
Remembering Lot’s wife is not a commentary on how wicked or worldly she potentially was. It’s a commentary on full and total obedience to the Lord Jesus, Most High God’s inerrant, infallible, immutable, and totally sufficient word.
Luke 17:33: Our Lord Jesus warns the Jewish people of some future day that if they wish to survive, they must let everything go. They must act without delay or pause. Destruction is coming so immediately and so suddenly that a delay of any type will ensure that one is swept up in the destruction and wrath. A delay or pause will ensure one does not have enough time and opportunity to clear ground zero and escape destruction and wrath.
In Noah’s days, other than the Ark, there were no signs of the impending worldwide flood and worldwide destruction, no sign but the Ark and the preaching of righteous Noah. Noah spoke God’s word.
In Lot’s days, there was no outward sign of impending fire and brimstone and destruction, no sign except righteous Lot’s warning to his sons-in-law who treated Lot as one who mocks or as one making a joke. Lot spoke God’s word.
In the future coming days of the Lord’s wrath and destruction, the Lord Jesus does give the Jewish people a sign to indicate that they should flee. When you see the abomination of desolation abominating and desecrating the temple and showing himself as God in the third temple, then it’s time to flee. See Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15-16.
Those who believe the words of the Lord Jesus, Most High God, and without delay or without pause, flee to the mountains and will save their lives.
These will let go of everything. They will let go of material possessions, family, and friends in total obedience to God’s word. When the destruction comes immediately and suddenly, there is no time to convince or persuade unbelievers, family, friends, and loved ones. After all, they have Moses and the prophets … let them hear them. See Luke 16:29.
The prince who is to come, the Anti-Christ, aka the beast, will bring immediate and sudden destruction upon the Jewish people. He will begin to brutally slaughter the Jewish people without mercy. Any Jew who delays fleeing or who pauses will likely be swept up in this destruction. Zechariah 13:8 reveals that two-thirds of the Jewish people are cut off and die. Two-thirds did not believe and did not obey the words of the Most High God and fall under His permitted judgment.
One-third of the Jewish people hear the word of God and obey the word of God. They flee, and they survive.
Luke 17:34-37: Our Lord Jesus describes the gathering of living Jewish unbelievers who are destined for destruction in the day of His second coming. These people are gathered together suddenly and without outward warning or sign. The disciples ask the Lord Jesus: to where are these people gathered? To what location are they gathered? The Lord Jesus responds to his disciples (my paraphrased): you’ll know where their dead and rotting bodies are when you see the vultures, buzzards, and birds of carrion gathered together and circling the carnage.
They were sleeping in beds. They were working in the mills. They were working in the fields. They were going about what is normal daily life for them in that time period. Without outward sign, these unbelieving Christ-rejecters are also immediately and suddenly gathered for the Most High God’s destruction and wrath.
We remember Lot’s wife, not for her potential worldliness, but for her failure to totally obey the Most High God’s inerrant word; for her failure to follow instructions to the fullest; for her failure to heed the warning and advice of our Lord Jesus, Most High God.
Scripture is silent as to whether she was already mourning the destruction of her loved ones. If she was, her delay, her pause, is understandable. Grief frequently brings us to a standstill, to a time of paralysis. But obedience to the word and warning of the Lord Jesus must take highest priority. When fleeing the Most High God’s immediate and sudden wrath, there is time later to grieve and mourn.
For we Age-of-Grace Believers, we likely have family members and friends that are resistant to the lifesaving gospel of our Lord Jesus and who continue to reject Him. As watchmen and watchwomen, we remind family and friends that today is the day of salvation; now is the acceptable time to believe, trust, and choose the Lord Jesus alone. In the midst of the seven-year tribulation period, wrath and destruction will come immediately and suddenly from many directions and sources. Most will not have an opportunity to call upon our Lord Jesus. We, too, will mourn them later.
But right now, people of this world are not yet caught up in the events of Daniel’s 70th week, aka the seven-year tribulation period. For now, there is still time to avoid the immediate and sudden wrath that will certainly come.
Admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior. Believe in/upon the Lord Jesus that He is that Savior. Call upon the Lord Jesus to save you.
Today is the day of salvation. Right now is the time to believe on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and to trust Him and to follow Him, and to choose Him alone. Your Rapture Ride awaits you.
John Chandler
Email: jray810@msn.com