“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:” (Jeremiah 3:14)
Whatever we read in the Old Testament about Israel can be applied to us, the church. That statement is possible because we have been grafted in and have become part of Israel. Paul makes an analogy referring to Israel as an olive tree which branches were broken off. And where they were broken off, the Gentiles were grafted in, to become part of that tree. And so Paul illustrates how we are part of Israel. We get our life, our substance from the root of that tree. (Romans 11:11-24)
In our Scripture of study, the Lord is talking to His children. Unless you understand that the church is the bride of Christ, the Scripture is confusing because He is calling His children, then He is saying He is married to them, which naturally is crazy. People don’t marry their children. So here it shows that the church is made up of the children of God, those who believe in Jesus, (John 1:12) who is the bride of Christ. The church will be taken by the Lord to Zion. Zion is Jerusalem. But the prophet although he didn’t have full knowledge is referring to the New Jerusalem.
In this verse, Jeremiah writes that the Lord will take “one of a city, and two of a family.” It’s a reference to the rapture. Jesus made reference to it also when He was teaching about the last days. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:36-42) It will be a great disappearing of people. It will be the disappearing of the church. We can’t even imagine the panic and confusion that will ensue. And we can’t imagine the lies told by the demonic world to explain it.
In the very first phrase of Jeremiah 3:14, the Lord addresses His children and the bride of Christ with the commandment, “Turn, O backsliding children...” The Lord is telling His children, believers in Jesus, part of the church which may be Gentiles and Jews to turn from sin, to return to Him and to be prepared for His return. Does this mean that there are Christians who are in continual sin and in danger of missing the rapture? For certain, there will be those who will not be ready for the resurrection of our bodies. Jesus warned the people with the parable of the ten virgins. Five were left behind because they were not ready. They didn’t have enough oil in their lamps and missed the coming of the groom. (Matthew 25:1-13)
While I personally believe that Christians cannot remain in sin because of the Holy Spirit, we struggle sometimes more than other times with sin that has surfaced in our lives. It’s part of the process of the Holy Spirit, revealing to us that we have this sin in us and to put it to death and end with it. This is done through confession, repentance and restoration as the Holy Spirit makes us more into the image of Christ. This is the process of sanctification. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Corinthians 3:18) When this sin is revealed and we realize it, get rid of it as soon as possible because we don’t know the time of coming of our Lord. We want to be ready. We want to leave in the rapture. We want to be part of the first resurrection.
I meet many brothers and sisters who sin and remain in that sin because they know they have failed. To them the Lord says, “Turn...” There is forgiveness. (1John 1:9) There is restoration. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Jesus will come and take ...one of a city, and two of a family...” and take us to the New Jerusalem.
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