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It is written:
Genesis 7:23-So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
Many in the religious world subscribe to the teachings of the secret Rapture doctrine, which claims that Christ will quietly “rapture” the church and the rest of the world will then continue on for seven years. Of course, the doctrine of the Rapture is a relatively new invention, going back to John Nelson Darby, a preacher who lived between 1800-1882. He was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren, a religious denomination that became quite popular around that time. Darby became acquainted with a young woman named Margaret MacDonald, who had an interesting new theory about the Second Coming of Christ:
“John Nelson Darby (1800–1882) was an ex-Anglican priest who founded the Plymouth Brethren movement, and his apocalyptic view appealed to a young nation that was just recovering from the trauma of the Civil War. Christians who adhere to his theology are known in some circles as the Darbyites, although they dislike this name. Around 1830, Darby met fifteen-year-old Margaret Mac-Donald, who claimed to have had a private revelation of a secret rapture that would occur shortly. Not all Christians would be included in this rapture, however. Only certain especially faithful believers would be rescued. From this beginning, Darby and his followers developed a system that taught that all true believers would be rescued in a secret rapture that was distinct from the second coming of Christ. Although they never state it in this manner, this amounts to two future comings of Christ, or at the very least, two stages of the second coming. They justified this novel doctrine by claiming that, in the first stage, which was the secret rapture of only believers, Christ would not actually set foot on earth. Believers would “meet Him in the clouds” and go back to Heaven with Him before He touched down. There would be a “judgment” of Christians’ works at that time.” (David B. Currie, Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind, 14 (Kindle Edition): Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press)
From here, the idea of the Rapture was born!
One of the passages that our friends and neighbors go to in order to try and justify this teaching is the statement of Jesus in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:40-41-Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
It is argued that at some point in the future, saved people will be mysteriously and suddenly taken by God while the dammed are left behind.
Surely, it is alleged, this must be a secret Rapture of the saved!
The argument, however, falls apart when we realize that the ones who are going to be “taken” are actually the unsaved: and the ones that are “left behind” are actually the ones who are the saved!
Let’s study.
The first thing to notice is that in Matthew 24, Jesus is addressing three questions that His Apostles had asked Him about.
Matthew 24:3-Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
The Lord had been talking about the fact that there would be a great judgment upon the city of Jerusalem in which the Temple itself would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2). This conversation in Matthew 24 took place shortly before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion which happened in 30 A.D. The signs that He prophesies about in Matthew 24:4-34 all came to pass in the destruction of Jerusalem that took place forty years later, in 70 A.D.
Matthew 24:34-Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
However, Jesus then changes the conversation to discuss events that will take place beyond A.D. 70.
Matthew 24:36-But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Notice the phrase “but of” in verse 36. It is the Greek phrase “peri de,” and it had the important meaning of changing topic. As one author points out:
“In Matthew 24:36 we come upon an subject-matter transition device: “But of that day and hour no one knows.” The introductory phrase here in the Greek is: peri de (“but of, concerning, regarding”). This grammatical structure suggests a transition in the passage involving a change of subject. We may see this phrase frequently marking off new material, as in Matthew 22:31; Acts 21:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; and 5:1. Allow me to quickly focus on several very clear subject-transition uses of peri de in 1Corinthians. There we see that Paul is turning his attention to one question after another that the Corinthians asked him: “Now concerning the things about which you wrote” (1 Cor 7:1). “Now concerning virgins” (7:25). “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols” (8:1). “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren” (12:1). In each case he is clearly introducing new subjects that respond to different questions presented to him.” (Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., The Olivet Discourse Made Easy,: You CAN Understand Jesus’ Great Prophetic Discourse, 2449-2469 (Kindle Edition); Draper, Virginia; Apologetics Group Media).
So, Christ is now switching attention in Matthew 24:36 away from the destruction of Jerusalem. His focus now moves on to the third question the Apostles had asked, regarding His Coming at the end of the age.
Second, Jesus is now going to describe many of the people who will be in the world at the end of the age. He is going to use an analogy of the people who will be living then with the people who lived during the time of Noah!
Matthew 24:38-41-For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Please notice that the ones who were “taken” in Noah’s day are the wicked who were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” The flood came and “took them all away.” This is used as the preceding example of the two men in the field and the two women grinding at the mill when Jesus returns.
The one that will be taken is the one that is likened with the people in Noah’s day who were wicked and refused to prepare. In other words, the ones that are “taken” are the dammed! This means that the ones who are going to be “left behind” are the saved ones that will be delivered.
One author has provided this excellent analysis of the passage:
“It is in this context Jesus spoke of being “taken” and “left.” This means those who were present at the time of the flood illustrate those who are “taken” and “left” at the return of Jesus after the great tribulation. On the one side were the ungodly who lost their lives, and on the other, Noah and his family who remained alive. The question is which term denotes which group. The answer can be derived from the continuation of Luke 17. In verses 34–36, Jesus said, “I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” At this, the disciples asked Jesus a question. Verse 37 reads, “And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’” The disciples evidently asked Jesus about those who are “taken” because they were obviously not asking about the ones who were “left” in the bed, at the grinding mill, and in the field. Notice the answer Jesus gave: “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” This is the same as what Jesus says in Matthew 24: 28: “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” (The Greek word translated “eagles” is rendered “vultures” in many translations since it includes vultures in the animal class of eagles.) Here, Jesus may very well be referring to Proverbs 30: 17, which speaks of birds of prey that eat the corpses of the ungodly. Thus, we see that being “taken” is directly related to the mention of dead bodies attracting birds of prey. In other words, being “taken” points to losing one’s life. The word “taken” is paralambano in Greek. Let’s look at some examples of how this word is used in the book of Matthew: “When he [Joseph] arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt” (2: 14); “Then the devil took Him [Jesus] up into the holy city” (4: 5); “Then he [the unclean spirit] goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there” (12: 45); “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road” (20: 17); “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium” (27: 27). These examples tell us the word paralambano is used in the sense of escorting, whether it be Jesus, Joseph, an unclean spirit, the devil, or soldiers who do it. Since the use of the word paralambano includes unpleasant circumstances, Jesus seems to be comparing those who will be “taken” in Matthew 24: 40 with those whom “the flood came and took” (v. 39). Apparently, the ungodly in the end time will be escorted away and perish at the return of Christ. The taking of the ungodly at this time appears to be the subject of what Jesus says in Matthew 13, where He states concerning “the end of this age” (v. 40): “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness” (v. 41). Thus, when Jesus returns, the ungodly will be “taken” by His angels, and they will lose their lives. Since the word “taken” has a negative connotation, then the word “left” would denote something positive. When Jesus in Matthew 24 uses Noah and his family to illustrate those who will remain alive when judgment comes at His return, it is worth noticing that in the flood account in Genesis 7, it says in verse 23, “Only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.” Noah and his family were those who remained alive at the time of the flood, and this shows that the word “left” as used in this setting is a positive term. We should also note that Jesus did not say ‘left behind,’ which conjures up a different meaning altogether. That being “taken” means to lose one’s life and being “left” means to preserve one’s life, is also apparent when we look at the sentence structure in Luke 17: 33 & 34: “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it [A], and whoever loses his life will preserve it [B]. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken [A] and the other will be left [B].” An end time prophecy in Zephaniah can also help us see the meaning of being “taken” and “left.” In chapter 3, verses 11 and 12, we read, “In that day . . . I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride . . . . I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people.” Again, we see indications that to be “taken” is a negative thing, and to be “left” is a positive thing.” (Robert I. Adams. EVERY PRE-TRIB ARGUMENT ANSWERED: Why Jesus Will Not Come Before the Great Tribulation, 30-31 (Kindle Edition): Williamson & Adams)
The evidence from the context shows clearly that the ones “left behind” in this text are the saved.
This, my friends, is simply another way that the Rapture doctrine is shown to be biblically incorrect.
We need to be ready for whenever Jesus returns.
Have you as a believer in Jesus (First Corinthians 15:1-8) repented of your sin and been baptized into Christ to become a new creation (Acts 2:37-47; Second Corinthians 5:17)?
If you are a baptized believer, are you walking with the Lord?
Or have you drifted away from Him in sin and apostasy? He is calling you back to Him and has promised forgiveness (First John 1:9).
We stand ready to assist you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.