In the unfolding of divine judgment, a profound separation of the righteous from the wicked emerges as a central theme. This division is vividly portrayed in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, where two distinct groups are revealed, testifying to the fundamental divide throughout human history. The partial separations seen in intermediate judgments serve as warnings to the unrepentant, urging them to turn from their ways. Historical accounts further illustrate this separation. In the story of the Flood, God distinguished the righteous, Noah and his family, before executing His judgment. During the ten plagues in Egypt, a clear differentiation was made before the plague of flies, as God set apart His people. This separation reached its peak in the tenth plague, where those who obeyed by marking their doorposts with lamb's blood were spared. Later, within the nation of Israel, separation occurred when only Caleb and Joshua, among the twelve scouts sent to Canaan, trusted in the Lord's faithfulness. As a result, they alone from their generation were allowed entry into the Promised Land, while the rebellious were denied. The imagery of the harvest also underscores this final and complete separation. In Revelation 14, two harvests—grain and grapes—are depicted, showing God's covenant people forever divided from their enemies. An inseparable chasm ensures that the two groups will never be together again. Paradoxically, each group receives what it desires: the wicked are shut out of God's presence for eternity, while the righteous are welcomed into His presence forever. This separation reflects the ultimate outcome of free will, as each reaps the consequence of their choices.

To be properly understood, these verses and Luke 17:34-36 as well must be read in context. Starting in Matthew 24:21, Christ describes the Great Tribulation and the end-time events which would lead up to His return. In verses 37-38, He refers to the time of Noah. Just before the Flood, people were going about their daily business when disaster came upon them suddenly. Jesus says that in this respect the end time will be like the days of Noah (verse 39). People will be living their usual lives, working in the fields, grinding at the mill, and so forth (verses 40 and 41) when end-time events fall upon them unexpectedly. This will be a time of such death and destruction that, unless God intervenes in world affairs, no one would survive (verse 22). Circumstances will force people to choose to submit to God or continue their rebellion against Him. Unfortunately, Revelation 6:15-17; 16:9, 11 tells us that most will choose rebellion. Matthew 24:40-41 can be applied in principle to another future event. At the beginning of Matthew 24, Christ's disciples specifically ask Him for a sign of His return and the end of the age (verse 3). In this light, verses 40-41 can be taken to mean that at Christ's return a separation will take place between those who attain to the first resurrection and those who do not (John 3:3-8; I Corinthians 15:50-53; Revelation 20:6). However, a secret rapture is nowhere contemplated in either Matthew 24 or Luke 17, as some teach.

Sanctification is basically indicating a setting apart, separating certain ones from others of essentially the same kind, thus making the one separate, distinctive, distinguishing from others by some peculiarities. Our sanctification, our being set apart, is the first act, or first step, or first stage of God's ever-expanding grace given wholly, completely, and totally because He loves us. God desires, He makes very clear, that we accept as a fact of our life and no longer look any further for a distinct answer as to why did He call me? He has His own reasons and we have to leave things like this to Him. He loves you in a different way than He loves your neighbor. That is something that we have to accept as a fact of life, not to brag about it, but to have the knowledge that the Great God of heaven who called you and me, loves us in a way that He does not love other people. There is a closeness that He feels toward us and He included you in His first stage of His great spiritual plan, and He has not done that for others. He set us apart from the crowd because He loves us. That is the beginning of sanctification. Our responsibility is to respond to His love. We are to use our faith to conform to His desires more specifically given in other places in His Word. God begins our relationship by telling us He loves us. The Days of Unleavened Bread deals with what we are to do as a result of the grace that He has already given to us, but do not expect that we will ever find where we fit anywhere into the flow of what is going on in the world, because the separation has already begun, as the days go by the separation becomes more apparent. We will consider a clear example of sanctification that fits right into the true understanding of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Joseph, by means of a peculiar event that appeared evil on the surface, was sanctified to God's purpose, he was set apart from the rest of the family. Egypt's national leadership took steps right from the start to keep the Israelites and the Egyptians separate within the nation. The Egyptians did this by restricting the Israelites living area to Goshen. They were separated away from the rest of the world at that time, however because the Israelites birth rate was so high and their growing population numbers became threatening, the Egyptians forcibly made the Israelites slaves. When it came time in God's purpose to separate the two different peoples much more permanently, God sent Moses to begin a serious process of separation through his preaching. However, the Egyptians refused to cooperate. We are seeing a reaction here between the world and those people that God is separating. He is still in the process of doing it, in my storyline here, but they are getting on one another's nerves, very badly. So the Egyptians refused to co-operate, because the Israelite slaves were too valuable to their economy. God then greatly aided, producing the separation by plaguing the Egyptians severely enough that the Egyptians came to desire that the Israelites leave. Thus in this true recording that which is given in the Bible of human history, we see God exercising His sovereignty. Thus the fifteenth day of Nisan began. Israel, in darkness, began separating themselves from Egypt. The word darkness is used. If it happened once it will probably happen again. Darkness will play a major role in the separation of people, even as it played a major role in Jesus' death. The darkness was very prominent and there is, I am sure, moral and spiritual darkness that is enveloping the Israelitish people. Darkness was already in other parts of the world, but the Israelitish people had a bit of light because they carried elements of true Christianity within their culture. That light is being put out, and as the Israelitish people and their cultures get darker and darker, you can be sure that relationships between the church and our own fellow Israelites are going to get just like they did in Egypt, more and