Taken & Left Behind

A very common misunderstanding of the bible is about those who are taken when Christ returns. Many say those taken are the ones raptured. Others say that a rapture is not going to happen because those who are taken are the ones God will destroy with His wrath and those left behind are God’s elect.

Let’s see what scripture tells us:

Luke 17:34-37 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

This passage tells us that some will be taken. The disciples asked Him “Where will they be taken?”. Jesus told them that where the body is, the eagles (vultures) will gather. Jesus is clearly saying the ones taken will be killed. They are not actually “taken” anywhere.

Jesus describes this as the days of Noah and Lot:

Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah 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.

The ones taken by the flood where the ones that were destroyed. So shall it be when Christ returns. The ones taken will be destroyed.

Luke 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Taken means destroyed not raptured or saved. Destroyed by the wrath of God just as the people of the flood and, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. However, there will be a rapture of Christ’s elect right before the ungodly are taken (destroyed). Christ’s elect will be saved from the wrath of God. These are the ones that will be “left”. Left to reign with Him.

This is the separating of the sheep and the goats.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ~ Matthew 13:30

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. ~ Matthew 13:38-40

This shows that the elect being raptured and the others destroyed happen the same day. Just as Noah’s family and Lot’s family were saved the same day God’s wrath destroyed. There was no second chance for the ones taken. “In the twinkle of an eye”. “Two will 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”.

It is very important to compare scripture with scripture. Do not read a verse or two and assume a meaning.