Isaiah 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isaiah 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isaiah 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
 

Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Naturally wine comes out of a winepress, and this wine from the winepress of the wrath of God makes up the wine of God's wrath that is poured upon those who take satan's mark. This is why they are left behind in the field by Christ. He doesn't want them for they are foul.

Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship
the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

To learn more of the wrath of God and how it relates to the seven plagues visit this link:

 https://www.angelfire.com/wa/warriorwarrior/sevenvials.html

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I'd like to digress slightly in order to give an example of the difference of being part of a firstfruit's harvest and the rest of the inferior, unwanted fruit.

If you are not aquainted with Robert Frost's work, I highly recommend that you do so. A great poet, but not a bible teacher, however this certain poem will make the point I am after.
 

After Apple Picking       Robert Frost

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.

And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

One of my many favorites, but I had no idea it would be used in a bible study one day.

"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth."

This is the portion I want to point out. This poem is about many things, but one of them is the harvest of apples.

"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall."

Can you not hear the gentleness and love in these words for these special fruits? If you have ever picked apples you will know that not all are so desirable. Those you do not care for are either passed over, or knocked to the ground to be out of your way for the choicest fruit. And how gently you carry and how you cherish the best of the harvest. God is no different.

"For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth."

And thus happens to the rest, deformed, mal-developed, dropped, passed over, bruised, etc etc. These are the fruit that is unwanted. The only good these are for is for making cider. The less than perfect fruit goes here, as of no worth because the apple cider heap isn't picky. It takes any of them, no matter how bad they are. It's a punishment basically. Only the best of the best are picked out gently, but the rest go to the heap!

That's what I wanted you to see. This is the difference between the firstfruits who are taken first by Christ at the 7th trump harvest of the field, and those who are left behind and discarded for the winepress heap.

Ok, poetry lesson is over, back to study  *smile*
 

Now back to Matthew 24:

Remember what the subject is, His return.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Christ is comparing himself to a thief. We are to be awake and watch for His return. Those who do not will be very sorry because He will return suddenly, without warning, and completely take the world by surprise even though it's written and the world should know better.
 

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

This is what He comes to steal. Those who are watchers and are watching for Christ do not lose their garments. Those who are asleep will lose their garments, and will be naked and shameful. He comes to expose the sins of the world, to make known their nakedness.
 

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

This is our clothing, and if it's taken from us then we have no righteousness to cover us and we shall be as naked as Adam and Eve were in our shame.
 

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Either you are ready for it or you aren't. Watch for Him.
 

1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Just like when His return was compared to Noah's flood and they thought all was well, peace and safety for them, and suddenly the flood came and they were destroyed! It's just like when He returns! They shall not escape!

1 Thessalonians 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Amen, we know Him, we know His word  and we know when He returns and we shall be waiting for Him. We won't be naked or ashamed when He returns.
 

Back to Matthew and yet another example of what Christ's return will be like.
 

Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Matthew 24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Matthew 24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Matthew 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Matthew 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Matthew 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Again, the lesson here is knowing and caring about when Christ returns. If you do wickedly you will pay the price, you will be left in the field, and you will be punished.

This ends the chapter but the same thought continues in the next one, however I feel that the subject and timeframe for the one taken and one left is thoroughly documented so it will be left to the reader to continue into the next chapter if so led. God bless and good luck.






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