Friday, December 31, 2010

The Wheat, the Tares, and the End of the World: Part 2

In the last post, we saw that the Harvest of the Wheat and Tares:
  1. Was a singular event
  2. Took place at the end of "this" world
  3. Took place prior to the Kingdom of Christ on earth
  4. Was comprised of the angels gathering the lost together, the angels gathering the saved to Christ, and then the angels gathering the lost into fire/destruction

I'd like to focus on #2, the Harvest of the Wheat and the Tares occurs at the "end of the world."

The Lord Jesus told his disciples that he would be with them "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). Comparing scripture with scripture, that means that he would be with them right up unto this Harvest where the saints are gathered to meet him in the air, and the lost are gathered to be destroyed.


The Gospel is to be preached right up until this Harvest, right up until the end. The Lord Jesus said, " And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.” The Gospel that Jesus preached - "this gospel" - is the same one that we preach, and will preach, right up until the "end of this world."


Look for a moment at Matthew 24:29-31:

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days (v. 29)...then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

This is yet another description of the same Harvest, but these verses specifically focus on the gathering of the Wheat, i.e. the elect. Notice the timing, it is immediately after the tribulation. (More on this later.)


If the Wheat were raptured out SEVEN years before the Tares were gathered to be burned, could it be said that they grew together unto the end?

No, it could not.



Don't forget our earlier posts. They all complement each other. Jesus is with the believers right up until the "last day" which marks the "end of this world." On that day, the last trump will sound to signal the first resurrection. The unbelievers will have been gathered together at Armageddon in preparation for the final battle. The believers will then be gathered to meet the Lord in the air, and escort him the final stage of his journey. The Lord's enemies will be destroyed, being gathered until fire and destruction. Then the Millennial reign of Christ with his saints begins, and the Lord rewards his servants for their faithfulness.



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