Yes God removes our Babylon in us, the trees the mountains , burns the grass,etc. But He also removes it from the world. All parables are The many called and few chosen. Two groups. It is the theme
throughout the Bible.
To understand about Noah. Just read the Rapture paper under Rapture of the Wicked.i This article of Rays also explains the parable of the ten virgins, watching
and being SOBER. The trap/ snare is for the wicked, the good fish are kept.
Ray says it was always Gods intention for the elect to remain on the earth
and gives many scriptures to prove it.
The two grinding at the mill are two groups, one is taken , one is kept etc.
JGods judgement on the elect is now and judgement is the same for both the just and the unjust. The difference is the timeline and knowing the difference between affliction/ tribulation and wrath / indignation.
Thanks, Pamela, these were a few of the things I was looking for confirmation on.
Do you know why God is shortening the time for the elect? Does anyone have an answer to this question?
I did a little study on this not too long ago, as I thought it to be an interesting statement by Jesus. I studied the Old Testament stories as well as the New Testaments ones and came to some incredible realizations, but I won't mention them here at this time. Suffice it to say, the use of water as a symbol for cleansing whole regions and cities is quite ubiquitous throughout the Scriptures, even when it isn't obvious, i.e., Sodom and Gomorrah is one example. Anyhow, here's some Scripture from the Concordant Literal Version to consider in relation to your immediate question.
Rev 19:17 And I perceived another messenger, standing in the sun. And he cries with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which are flying in mid-heaven, "Hither! Be gathered for the great dinner of God,
Rev 19:18 that you may be eating the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of the strong, and the flesh of horses and of those sitting on them, and the flesh of all freemen as well as slaves, and of small and of great."Rev 19:19 And I perceived the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to do battle with Him Who is sitting on the horse and with His army."
Rev 19:20 And the wild beast is arrested, and with it the false prophet who does the signs in its sight, by which he deceives those getting the emblem of the wild beast, and those worshiping its image. Living, the two were cast into the lake of fire burning with sulphur."
Rev 19:21 And the rest were killed with the blade which is coming out of the mouth of Him Who is sitting on the horse. And all the birds are satisfied with their flesh.
The parable you are referring to in Mathew sounds awfully similar to the passage above from Revelation.
Mat 24:21 for then shall be great affliction, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world till now; neither under any circumstances may be occurring."
Mat 24:22 And, except those days were discounted, no flesh at all would be saved. Yet, because of the chosen, those days shall be discounted."
Mat 24:23 Then, if anyone should be saying to you, 'Lo! here is the Christ! or 'Here!' you should not be believing it."
Mat 24:24 For roused shall be false christs and false prophets, and they shall be giving great signs and miracles, so as to deceive, if possible, even the chosen."
Mat 24:25 Lo! I have declared it to you beforehand.
Mat 24:26 If, then, they should say to you, 'Lo! in the wilderness is he!' you may not be coming out' 'Lo! in the storerooms!' you should not be believing it."
Mat 24:27 For even as the lightning is coming out from the east and is appearing as far as the west, thus shall be the presence of the Son of Mankind."
Mat 24:28 Wheresoever the corpse may be, there will the vultures be gathered."
I became stumped when I couldn't figure out who these “birds which are flying in mid-heaven” from Revelation and “vultures” from Mathew represent. IF (big IF) these birds represent the Elect, then it would make sense they are picking humanity CLEAN. When I think of “flesh” I think of the carnal mind, but why would any flesh at all need to be saved? There's another piece of Scripture here concerning the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Mat 22:1 And, answering, Jesus speaks to them again in parables, saying,
Mat 22:2 Likened was the kingdom of the heavens to a man, a king, who makes wedding festivities for his son."
Mat 22:3 And he dispatches his slaves to call those invited to the wedding festivities, and they would not come."
Mat 22:4 Again he dispatches other slaves, saying, 'Say to those invited, "Lo! my luncheon have I made ready, my bulls and grain-fed animals have been sacrificed, and all is ready: Hither for the wedding festivities!"'"
Mat 22:5 Yet they, not caring, came away, one, indeed, to his own field, yet one to his merchandise."
Mat 22:6 Yet the rest, taking hold of his slaves, outrage and kill them."
Mat 22:7 Now the king is angered, and, sending his troops, destroys those murderers and sets their city in flames."
Mat 22:8 Then he is saying to his slaves, 'The wedding, indeed, is ready, yet those invited were not worthy."
Mat 22:9 Go, then, to the exits of the roads and whosoever you may be finding, call to the wedding festivities.'"
Mat 22:10 And, coming out into the roads, those slaves gathered all whom they found, both wicked and good, and filled is the wedding with those lying back at table."
Mat 22:11 Now the king, entering to gaze at those lying back at table, perceived there a man who has not put on wedding apparel."
Mat 22:12 And he is saying to him, 'Comrade, how did you enter here having no wedding apparel?' Yet he was still."
Mat 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Binding his feet and hands, cast him out into outer darkness.' There shall be lamentation and gnashing of teeth."
Mat 22:14 For many are the called, yet few are the chosen."
I'm tempted to believe some Scriptural “prophecies” above are still yet in the future, but some happened in the past and some are happening now. The shortening of time for the Elect's sake could simply be encouragement regarding how short our lives are as mortals? I don't know that for sure, so it's just a shot in the dark. However, if there was one thing I thought might be ONLY in the future, that would be the part about “great affliction” in the “Day of the Lord” at the Great White Throne Judgment/Lake of Fire. Are these aforementioned events the same as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?
FYI, I'm not making a big stand on anything I've presented here, just putting it all out there for discussion as I'm always open to correction and further study. Sorry if I couldn't answer your question adequately, as I simply do not know. God willing, maybe we can figure this out together.