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This interpretation of Luke 17:25 offers a framework for viewing the subsequent references to the days of Noah. Baha'u'llah must suffer and be rejected even as Noah suffered and was rejected. Then, heedless of His message, many are 'left', (i.e. brought down in the spiritual crises of this age) while others accept His Faith and are 'taken' (Matt. 24:40). (149:3) Modern Criticism of the Flood Story-- Many modern critics have noted that different versions of the flood account appear in ancient myths and even extant myths among primitive cultures today. One of the most famous versions of the flood story is recounted in the Epic of Gilgamesh which is believed to predate the writing of Genesis. The parallels have led some to discount the validity or divine inspiration of the traditional biblical account. Some view it as simply an adaptation of an ancient myth. There are, however, several crucial differences between the story as it appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh and in the Book of Genesis. In the Gilgamesh version, the flood is the product of a quarrel between the gods, but in the Genesis account the story takes a moral direction and is cast in the context of humankind's relationship to God. The flood is thus divine retribution for the sinfulness of humankind. Salvation is ensured for those who respond to and are faithful to God's covenant.
(149:4)
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