The pre-flood civilization mirrors modern society in almost every way—activity, technology, population, and violence—with the striking difference that it had no civil government, no organized worship, and no religion.
Les Feldick teaches that the pre-flood world was a highly active, populated, technologically advanced civilization whose moral and spiritual condition had hit rock bottom. He says the people were so busy with ordinary life that they had no time to think about the coming flood, and we are 'not one bit different' today. The one major difference he points to is the absence of civil government and a system of justice in the pre-flood world, whereas modern society still has some semblance of order while showing the same violent tendencies.
Genesis 6:11-12 — This verse explicitly describes the pre-flood earth as corrupt and filled with violence, which is the heart of the comparison to modern society.
Matthew 24:37-39 — Jesus directly compares the days of Noah to His second coming, connecting the ordinary busyness and worldliness of that civilization to the end times.
The Bible does not describe the pre-flood civilization as primitive. In Genesis 4, we read of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, who took two wives—the first mention of polygamy—and boasted, 'I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt' (Genesis 4:23-24). This shows that violence and a disregard for human life were present from early on. By the time of Noah, Genesis 6:5 says, 'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.' Genesis 6:11-12 adds, 'The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.' Jesus Himself made the comparison in Matthew 24:37-39: 'But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' He described people 'eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage' right up until the flood came and took them all away. Scripture never gives population numbers or details about technology and government; it emphasizes moral corruption and violence.
Les Feldick describes the pre-flood civilization as a great, highly advanced society—not a world of cave dwellers. He calls it a 'kinetic civilization' that exploded in technology and population (Clip 3). In the roughly 1,650 years from Adam to the flood, he believes the earth probably reached 4 to 5 billion people, comparable to the world population of the 1970s or even today (Clips 3, 4, 5). He emphasizes that these people were incredibly busy, living in intense activity with no time to think about the coming flood (Clips 1, 6). Les also stresses the moral and spiritual collapse of that society. The epitome of its corruption was violence and murder (Clip 2). There was no human government, no system of justice to maintain law and order, no organized worship, and no religion (Clips 0, 5). In Les's teaching, modern society mirrors all of this: hectic busyness, growing violence, and the rapid falling apart of the Christian fabric. He concludes that we are 'not one bit different' and that the return of Christ is near, just as Jesus said it would be like the days of Noah (Clips 1, 7).
Les Feldick is clear that the pre-flood world was not primitive. He calls it a 'great civilization' with intelligence and technology, despite having sunk morally and spiritually to rock bottom (Clip 0). He describes it as a 'kinetic civilization' whose natural aspect exploded in technology as well as population (Clip 3). By the time of the flood, he says, there was tremendous technology, and the flood came so instantly and completely that there was no time to escape (Clip 4).
Les estimates that by the time of the flood, about 1,600 years after Adam, there were probably 4 billion people on the earth—roughly the world population of the early 1970s (Clip 3). He argues that population growth reaches a point where it doubles and then explodes, making it 'an easy, easy mathematical time' to reach 4 to 5 billion in 1,650 years (Clip 4). He even says there may have been as many people at the flood as there are on the planet today, possibly more (Clip 5). Les is careful to present this as his opinion based on the biblical timeframe, not as a number stated in Scripture.
Les teaches that pre-flood society became totally corrupt and that the epitome of that corruption was violence and murder (Clip 2). He points to Lamech in Genesis 4, who boasted of killing a man, as an early example of the culture's brutality (Clip 0). Above all, Les notes that there was no human government or system of justice to maintain law and order, so violence was unrestrained (Clip 0). He also suggests that the constant hyperactivity of the people helped precipitate so much wickedness, noting that in our own day people caught up in riots and street violence seem unwilling to stay at home (Clip 6).
Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39 that as it was in the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Les Feldick applies that directly to today. The pre-flood people were so caught up in eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage that they gave no thought to the coming flood (Clip 1). Les says we are not one bit different. He sees the very fabric of what we call Christian society falling apart in our own day, just as the human race removed itself from God in only 1,650 years (Clip 7). For Les, this rapid moral collapse is a clear sign that we are approaching the end time (Clip 7).
No Civil Government Before the Flood
Lamech's boast in Genesis 4 shows how quickly violence appeared, and Les notes there was no human government or justice system to hold it in check.
Intense Busyness Left No Time to Think
Les says the pre-flood people were so busy with intense activity that they had no time to think about the coming flood, and he says we are not one bit different.
The Epitome of Corruption Was Violence
Les teaches that pre-flood society was totally corrupt, with violence and murder as the most extreme expression of that corruption.
Population Reached Around 4 Billion
Les estimates that by the flood, about 1,600 years after Adam, there were probably around 4 billion people—about the world population of the early 1970s.
High Population and Tremendous Technology
Les explains that population exploded to 4 or 5 billion and the world had tremendous technology, but the flood came instantly, leaving no time to escape.
No Civil Government, Organized Worship, or Religion
Les states that for 1,650 years before the flood there was no civil government, no organized worship, and no religion as far as Scripture shows.
Hyperactivity Mirrors Modern Life
Les draws a direct parallel between the go-go-go lifestyle before the flood and today's busyness with weddings, work, and constant activity.
Days of Noah Point to the End Times
Les applies Jesus' words that as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the second coming, and says we are rapidly approaching that time.
Genesis 4:23-24: And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
This is the first mention of polygamy and shows early boastful violence, which Les uses to illustrate the lawless pre-flood culture.
Genesis 6:5: And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This verse shows that the corruption of the pre-flood world was total, extending to every thought of every person.
Genesis 6:11-12: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
This is the biblical basis for the association between the pre-flood world and widespread violence.
Matthew 24:37-39: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Jesus Himself compares the ordinary busyness of the pre-flood world to the period just before His return, which is central to Les's teaching.
No. Les Feldick describes it as a great civilization with intelligence and technology, and he says it was a 'kinetic civilization' that exploded in technology and population.
Les says the society was totally corrupt, and the epitome of that corruption was violence or murder. Genesis 6:11 confirms that the earth was filled with violence.
Les says we are not one bit different. People today are just as busy and occupied with ordinary life, and he sees Christian society falling apart at a similar pace.
No. Les Feldick estimates the population may have been 4 to 5 billion based on the 1,650-year timeframe, but this is his opinion rather than a number explicitly stated in Scripture.
Watch the Teaching: Who Did Cain Marry? & The Mystery of Enoch (Genesis 4-5 Bible Study)