Thread by @glprater

#GeraldsDevotional
Not Everything Is As It Seems – The Final Separation

In today’s message, Jesus will finish His description of the last days by describing the ultimate end of the story for this world as we now know it. Earlier in His description, He had presented a picture of the initial separation of the people, the rapture in 24:40-42. This first

separation will be in the twinkling of an eye and no one will even know that it is happening until it is already done.

However, in this second and final separation, take note of two very important differences. First, everyone knows exactly what is happening (remember 24:29-31)

and they will know that it is the LORD who is coming down from Glory to do it. Notice how this time there is actual interaction and discussion between the LORD and the people.

The second point to note is the question “Who are these people with whom the LORD is speaking in this

final separation?” Remember that this is taking place at the end of the tribulation when Jesus said that if He didn’t return to stop it for the “elect’s” sake, no one would have survived (24:22). The bible says that when these events happen, there will be people who will shake

their fists at God (Revelation 16:11), still knowingly refusing to submit to Him. They don’t want to be with God and He won’t force them to.

The point here is that all of these people (the sheep and the goats) are people who in their minds think that they are Christians.

They just went through the time of Jacob’s trouble and some of them (the sheep) truly surrendered to Him during that time at a cost of great pain. Still others (the goats) did not change their ways from before the tribulation began. They still thought they were Christians when

they were not. This is the final separation and it will determine eternal destinies (25:46).

Summary of these Two Chapters:
It is still not too late. As we see the signs of that first separation approaching, it is still relatively easy to simply surrender to Him, admitting that

we have been trying on our own to do what we want and think we should do. It is easy to acknowledge that perhaps we have been deceived and ask the Lord for help. If we really understand and recognize that He and He alone is LORD, not anyone else, then we will make Him LORD over

EVERY area and moment of our lives. That way, when the Master comes, He will indeed find us busy being about our Father’s business no matter in what area of our lives it may be.

The alternative is that we may be like the foolish servants or virgins and miss the first invitation.

They will still have the opportunity to commit to the LORD, but it will come with great “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This was the last message of this series of the words of Jesus as He described the last days. So let’s finish out by reading as He describes how He will judge

the nations and separate the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25 beginning at verse 31.

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be

gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you

came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the

devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of

these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-46
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