110. Один возьмется, другой оставится

We see this in the world, that one will be taken, another will be left, for example: one is taken to an honorable position, and the other is left; one is taken into the army, and the other is left; one is taken to the feast, and the other is left, and so on. Christian! So it will be at the second coming of Christ. That night there will be two on one bed: one will be taken, and the other will be left; two will grind together: one will be taken, and the other will be left; two will be on the field: one will be taken, and the other will be left (Luke 17:34–36). The godly will be taken, but the wicked will be abandoned. The pious husband will be taken, but the wicked wife will be abandoned; and the pious wife will be taken, but the wicked husband will be left. The godly father will be taken, but the wicked son and daughter will be left behind; and the godly son and daughter will be taken, but the wicked father will be abandoned. The godly brother and sister will be taken, but the other wicked brother and sister will be left behind. The pious neighbor will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. The godly leader will be taken, but the wicked subordinate will be left behind; and the godly subordinate will be taken, but the wicked ruler will be left behind. The prince, the nobleman and the pious master will be taken, but the slave and his wicked servant will be left; and the pious slave and servant will be taken, but the prince, nobleman and wicked master will be left behind. The pious rich man will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. The pious beggar will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. The pious judge will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left. The pious master will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. The pious merchant will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. The pious farmer will take it, but the other, the wicked one, will be left behind. The pious master and artist will be taken, but the other, the wicked one, will be left behind. A godly slave and servant will be taken, but the other, the wicked, will be left behind. So one will be taken and the other will be left. Where? To Christ, to the kingdom of heaven. Where the corpse is, there the eagles will also gather together (Luke 17:37). Where the Head is, there the body will be. Where Christ is, there will be Christians. Where I am, there will my servant also be (John 12:26). For there will be election and assembly by faith and righteousness, and not by rank, rank, appearance, names and titles. God does not look at faces, but judges by the inner, by faith and conscience. Just as gold and silver, which has the royal seal and inscription, are confiscated and taken into the treasury, and what does not have it is left, so the soul that has the seal of the righteousness of Christ is chosen and taken into the kingdom of God, and the one that does not have it is swept away. The truth of Christ in a pious soul is like a royal seal, which shows that this soul is Christ’s. Such a soul will be taken into the kingdom of God as Christ's. Then, by the command of God, Angels will disperse throughout the entire universe and gather the pious, justified by faith, having the seal of the righteousness of Christ, like coins with the image of the king, into the treasury, into eternal life. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (Matthew 24:31). Then this word will be fulfilled: one will be taken, and the other will be left; the godly will be taken, but the wicked will be abandoned. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of God (Matthew 24:37). Before the flood they ate, drank, got married, and suddenly the flood came and destroyed everyone. It will be the same way at the coming of the Son of God: people will eat, drink, have banquets, have fun, get married, and suddenly the day of the Lord will come (ibid., 38-39). Then the trumpet voice will be heard: “Go to judgment!” Then a cry will be heard: Behold, the Bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him (Matthew 25:6). Then the apostolic word will be fulfilled: When they say: “peace and security,” then destruction will suddenly befall them (1 Thess. 5:3). The day of the Lord is already near (Rev. 1:3). Suddenly the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24 and 27). Christians! Let us repent and try to have the treasure of piety within us - so that we then will not be abandoned, but may we be taken up and caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). You might be interested in: