One Taken and Another Left.
Matt 24:40, 41.
WE MAY mention two occasions connected with the coming of the Lord Jesus when a great separation will take place. The first will be when He takes the church away from the earth. The second will be a little later, when He comes to reign over Israel. One will be a separation of the righteous from the wicked, and the other will be a separation of the wicked from the righteous.
The verses before us refer to the latter. When Jesus comes in His glory to reign over Israel, at the close of this present age, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” And those who are thus taken, will be taken for judgment. For them it will be an awful moment, and the doom on which they shall then enter will be an awful doom. “The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:49, 5049So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49‑50)). Such will be the fearful end of the wicked Jews when Jesus comes to bless the nation. He will bless the righteous, but the wicked shall perish. Their part will be in “the furnace of fire.”
But we will now speak a little of the other separation, although it is not referred to in this Scripture. It is the one that you and I, my young reader, are the most interested in, because it will come first, and if we are not ready, we shall be lost forever. It may take place any moment, and so we should lose no time in being prepared for it. Any moment Jesus may descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and if we are ready, we will be caught up to meet Him in the air, but if we are not ready we will be left behind, and the door of salvation will be closed against us. Woe, woe, to those who are left behind when Jesus comes. Despair will seize them, and mercy they will never know. Are you ready, dear reader? Are you ready if the Lord Jesus should come tonight? If you are not ready, do not rest another moment until you have submitted to Jesus as your Saviour and Lord.
If the Lord tarry a little longer, we may see a little more as to this great separation, when we look at the parable of the ten virgins. But the Lord may come before we reach that, and so I desire to warn you now, lest you should not be ready. Receive Jesus now and submit to Him, and all will be well, whether He come now, or whether He tarry a little longer. Oh! will you not receive Him now; as you read these lines? His blood has been shed for you, but if you believe not, your guilt will be all the greater, and you will have to be judged not merely for the sins of immorality, but for the awful sin of slighting God’s offer of salvation, and rejecting His Son. Accept the Saviour now, and then you will be one of the happy throng that will rise up from the earth to meet Him in the air, when He descends from heaven to gather to Himself His blood-washed ones.
ML 08/28/1904