#DailyDevotion Don’t be one of those who are taken. Be left behind!
January 17^th

Read Ezek 39:1–10, 17–29

Eze 39:17-20  “As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, ‘Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood.  (18)  You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth–of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan.  (19)  And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you.  (20)  And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,’ declares the Lord GOD. ..22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward.  (23)  And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.

The Revelation to John depicts this as well, Rev 19:17 “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  (18)  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  Jesus also foretold of it, Luk 17:34-37  I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.  (35)  There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”  (36)  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.] (37)  And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

 It doesn’t sound like good news.  For those who are taken it isn’t.  They shall be food for birds.  But for the people of God on that last day it will be a day of great joy.  God gathers his Israel also.  Though they and we have sinned and continually sin grievously against the Lord.  We cast ourselves upon the mercies of God found in Christ Jesus.  For the sake of the Name of Jesus the Lord God forgives us our sins.  We shall forget our shame and the sins we have committed.  We shall dwell securely in the land, the new heavens and new earth he has prepared for us.  The world will know on that day that Jesus is Lord, the creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.  He is the Judge of the living and dead.  Those who have put their faith in the son of God will never have to fear anyone or anything again.

However on the last day when Christ returns, it will not bode so well for all who have not repented of their sins, though the Lord had sent signs and wonders in the world to call men to repentance all their lives.  Young, old, rich, poor, religious or spiritual, all alike are condemned for their sins and more importantly, they have rejected the good news, the free gift of eternal life offered to all mankind in Christ Jesus. A horrible death, a terrifying realization as they are raised from the dead and being cast into the lake of fire to suffer for all eternity, is their fate. Don’t let that be your fate.

Lord God, heavenly Father, on the day of your Son Jesus Christ’s return, may we be found those who are left behind to be gathered by your holy angels into your grace and may the glory of your name be known in all the earth.  Amen.