Mon.’s Devo - Good and Bad Figs

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15
God made it clear that the prophets that the people listened to were not sent by him because if they had been from him their message would have turned the people back to him. Their prophesies were lies that they swore were from God and God was tired of their lies.
Once Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’s son and the officials were taken into captivity to Babylon, God showed Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs. One was full of very good figs and the other with very bad figs. The good figs pertained to the good people that God sent away into exile. He would watch over them and bring them back to Jerusalem one day. The other basket of bad figs represented all of Judah’s bad kings and officials who had been taken into exile. These people who had refused to lead the people into repentance would be treated badly and not return to rebuild Jerusalem. They would die in captivity.
To all the people of Judah that were left, Jeremiah told them that because they had turned away from the Lord and refused to repent, they would be in captivity for 70 years in Babylon. After that time, God will cause every nation on the earth to drink the wine of his wrath and they will all be brought down because they came against Jerusalem at some time during their past. This is a picture of the end when all the nations will be judged according to how they treated Israel. That is still true about nations today. Thank God we have a president who honors Israel.
In Thessalonians, there were false teachings that the day of the Lord had already come. Paul told them this was not true because the main event that had to come first was the appearance of the Ant-Christ. He was being held back until God said it was time to appear. The saints will be gathered to heaven first then he will appear on earth and do all sorts of miracles and signs to get people’s minds off the fact that so many righteous people just raptured off the face of the earth. He will bring the counterfeit peace to try to be the answer for the people’s fear.
Thank you Lord that you bestow favor and honor on your people and no good thing will you withhold from those who walk blameless before you.