Who Makes It Out of the Tribulation? Matthew 24:29–31
What will happen immediately after the Great Tribulation ends? Scripture reveals that before the Millennial reign begins, King Jesus will issue His first command—separation. The righteous will be distinguished from the unrighteous as angels gather the elect and remove those who rejected God. Through powerful parables of wheat and weeds, good fish and bad, and sheep and goats, Jesus made it unmistakably clear that a final division is coming. The question every believer must consider is simple yet eternal: where will you stand? Who Makes It Out of the Great Tribulation? That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.
This Week: Choose your side now—because when the final separation comes, there will be no middle ground.
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Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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Podcast Notes:
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Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV) — 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
If you recall from a previous podcast #S4–049: What the Bible Says about the End of the World, Matthew twenty-four and twenty-five are set in chronological order.
Verse twenty-nine starts out with the chronological marker ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days’.
So per the timeline, the Great Seven Year Tribulation has just ended.
Just ended meaning the previous twenty-four hour period.
Verse thirty describes the Second Coming of Jesus.
In podcast #S5–001: Escaping the Carnage of the Great Tribulation, we detailed the Second Coming of Jesus.
Remember, He has touched down now on planet earth.
His feet have split the Mount of Olives in two.
King Jesus has arrived! Hallelujah!
Planet earth is smoldering in the ashes of Armageddon.
What is Jesus first course of business?
What is the first order of business on the first day of the Millennial reign of Jesus?
The Great Gathering
Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV) — 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The first executive order of the new King of planet earth, will be to send His angels out to gather His elect.
Think on that a moment.
Think of the ravaging devastation of twenty-one divine judgments which have already occurred.
There’s carnage everywhere man.
Corpses are piled up like heaps of useless metal.
Blood flows everywhere like water from a fire hydrant.
It’s gory kind of bad out there and what is Jesus first order business? — separation.
Not clean-up, separation.
Not bury the dead, separation.
Jesus said one day to a man wanting to use the excuse of his fathers death to avoid discipleship:
Matthew 8:22 (ESV) — 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Jesus first order of Kingdom business is to separate the righteous from the unrighteous.
A Mixed Multitude of Tribulation Survivors
What we need to realize as we take a snapshot of planet earth the day after the Tribulation is this.
The survivors of earth's population, at this moment in time, reveal a mixture of saved and unsaved people.
Some have gotten saved during the Tribulation and made it through to the other side.
Some have refused salvation and have made it through to the other side.
What we have is a mixed multitude.
A mixed multitude has always existed since the days of Cain and Abel.
Believer and unbeliever, saint and sinner have grown together in the fields of planet earth since time immemorial.
John the Baptist Speaks On Separation
Listen to John the Baptist on the subject of a mixed multitude.
Matthew 3:11–12 (ESV) — 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist told the religiously hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducee’s that Jesus will separate the wheat from the chaff.
I don’t know if he realized that these words had a literal time stamp on them.
That there would come a day when the wheat and the chaff would be separated.
Chaff speaks of unbelievers.
Wheat speaks of believers.
Knowingly or unknowingly, the Baptist predicted a great separation to come.
Jesus, Using Parables, Speaks On Separation
Jesus also spoke on this very separation event three times in the gospels.
And, He used parables to do it.
Here’s the first.
The Parable of the Good and the Bad Seed of the Field
Matthew 13:24–30 (ESV) — 24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
In another similar parable, Jesus preached the same message using fish instead of seed.
The Parable of the Good and the Bad Fish of the Sea
Matthew 13:47–50 (ESV) — 47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Parable of the Good Sheep and the Bad Goats
One more time, another similar parable, this time Jesus using goats and sheep fish instead of seed and fish.
Matthew 25:31–46 (ESV) — 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
There’s no doubt of what Jesus meant in these three parables.
The message is crystal clear.
The reason we can be so sure is because the disciples came to Jesus and specifically asked Him to explain the Parable of the Good and Bad Seed.
Jesus uses a similar analogy as John the Baptist.
He speaks of wheat and weeds.
Two kinds of men are in view here.
A righteous man who sows good fruit bearing Kingdom of God expanding seed.
A wicked man who works in the sows weeds into the good man’s field.
This man works in the darkness of night meaning that his intention is deception.
He smiles warmly in the face of his neighbor during daylight but at night he slithers like the cold hearted snake he is.
In his book, Oriental Illustrations of the Sacred Scriptures (1844), J. Roberts states that this nocturnal evil occurs in this way:
A man wishing to do his enemy an injury, watches for the time when he has finished plowing his field, and in the night he goes into the field and scatters “pig-paddy.” Says Roberts: “This being of rapid growth springs up before good seed, and scatters itself before the other can be reaped, so that the poor owner of the field will be some years before he can rid the soil of the troublesome weed.[2. James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), 437.]
Think about how evil this act is.
It takes years to get rid of this weed once discovered.
The wicked man here is a reprehensible being of a man.
His intent is harmfully heinous at it’s core.
The weeds Jesus refers to here is not ‘pig paddy’ nor is it like the weeds you and I may know.
He’s not talking about chickweed, dandelion or crabgrass.
He’s talking about a weed called darnel.
And, with that thought, here’s the historical background of the day.
Darnel grass is a strong grass closely resembling wheat or rye in appearance.
The seeds are much smaller than those of wheat or rye but it is extremely difficult to distinguish it from wheat or rye in its early stages.
If it is not eradicated early but is left until the time of harvest, it is cut down with the wheat and subsequently very difficult to separate.
The seeds are poisonous, either due to some chemicals naturally present or because of a fungus that grows within the seeds.
Early Greek writers were well acquainted with the poisonous effects of the darnel, and the plant is sometimes referred to as the drunken darnel.
It is also said to cause blindness.[3. Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Plants,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1709–1710.]
Darnel grass is what Jesus referred to as weeds.
It’s a poisonous grass which looks exactly like the real thing.
Can you see what Jesus meant here?
False teachers, hypocritically deceitful believers are the chameleons of the Kingdom of God.
They are the ‘darnel’ of this world.
They walk, talk and act like real deal believers but in conduct they’re mouths just hiss and spit out the poison of false doctrine.
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Good and Bad Seed
Matthew 13:36–43 (ESV) — 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Here’s the Explanation
The field is the world.
A world which has just undergone the cataclysmic events of the Tribulation.
The good seed is the sons of the kingdom.
These sons are the ones who made it out of the Tribulation.
The enemy who sowed them is the devil. *The harvest is the end of the age.
The end of the age is the end of Tribulation.
The reapers are the angels.
It’s just what Jesus said in Matthew 24:29 where he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call to gather his elect.
Notice the order here because it’s important.
Matthew 24:29 says the angels gather the elect.
Matthew 13:41 says the angels gather the lawbreakers, the unsaved.
It can be confusing.
But it really isn’t.
They are doing both tasks.
There are only two groups, saved and unsaved.
By pulling out one from the other, you automatically gather the other.
The angels are the reapers and they are pulling out the unrighteous out of the midst of the righteous.
They are going throughout the world and separating the darnel from the wheat.
They are looking for the bad fish from among the good fish.
They are looking for the goats from among the sheep.
Now, continue reading in Matthew twenty-four.
Two in the Field, One Taken
Remember the time line.
This is immediately after the Tribulation of those days.
Matthew 24:32–42 (ESV) — 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Do you hear that?
Two will be in the field, one will be taken, the other left.
Whose the one that’s taken?
It’s the ungodly that’s taken out of the field in judgment.
The righteous are left.
So, who makes it out of the Tribulation?
Well, everybody whose left standing in one sense.
But, it sure doesn’t last long.
Because, immediately after the Tribulation of those days, the angels go forth and separate and pull out the unrighteous from the righteous.
So if you are on the fence concerning Jesus, if you are thinking you can wait a while before you do anything with Jesus who is called the Christ, think about this question.
Does it make sense to rebelliously make it through the Tribulation knowing that immediately after the angels are coming for you in judgment?
You must come to the realization that the days of wanting to do your own thing are over.
It’s time to live for God right now.
Bow your heads and pray this prayer unto the Lord.
‘Father God, I come to you now in the Name of Jesus, and I ask you now to receive me as your son/daughter. I thank you for forgiving my sins by the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. I believe in Him and I believe in you. I ask you now to come into my heart. And I solemnly pledge that from this day forward, I will confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord. I will do what He says and what you say all the days of my life. Thank you for receiving me. Amen.’
🎧 Suggested Episode
If you found this teaching on The Tribulation helpful, check out “How to Grow in Faith: Five Questions to Ask” — it builds on today’s lesson.
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