Yesterday I had a conversation with someone and we were discussing Biblical prophecy, the timing of the rapture and why one should prepare. As I was explaining that the Bible doesn't teach a pre-tribulation rapture, she brought up the verse about the two in the field, one taken and one left.
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. Mat 24:40-41
That's the standard verse used by pretribbers to prove that when the rapture happens, that Believers will suddenly disappear, leaving the sinners to go through the Tribulation.
Sounds good, right?
Maybe not. I believe that when you read the Bible you should not just take a scripture here and a scripture here, OUT OF CONTEXT, to prove a point. Unfortunately, that's what happens here.
Proponents of the PTR (pre-trib rapture) totally ignore the entire teaching of the Lord that comes before...especially, immediately before verse 40.
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. Mat 24:37-39
So let's look at those verse, especially verse 39:
"knew not until the flood came..." Who "knew not"? "They" who were "eating, drinking, marrying...". Afterall, it couldn't be talking about Noe/Noah, since he obviously "knew" what was coming.
So "they knew not until the flood came (judgment) and took them away..."
Who got taken away? "They". The unbelievers. The ones that "knew not"
Then the Lord goes on to say "...so shall ALSO be coming of the Son of man be..."
So what was going on in Noah's day before, during, and after the flood will be what we can expect at the second coming. Right?
Are we are the same page?
Immediately, the Lord continues by saying "Then..." What's the "then" referring to?
Well, He just said "the coming of the Son of Man be. Then..."
It's a continuation of the same thought.
"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."
Then...one shall be taken and one left.
So the Lord is saying there's a connection between those that the flood "took away" - the flood being judgment - and the one in the field who shall "be taken". Who was taken in the flood? The unbeliever. Therefore, who is taken from the field and the mill? The unbeliever?
WHAT?!!!
Yep. If you read the Word, NOT taking verses out of context, but reading them in conjunction with those verses that come before and after, then you will see Jesus was explaining one single thought...and that is that those taken (destroyed) in the judgment of the flood, and those who will "be taken" in the coming judgment are the same...the unbelievers.
While those who survive or remain are Noah and other Believers.
Now if this is the case, there will other scriptures to show this. Right? Right.
Psalm 37.
Here's what the Word says about the outcome of the evildoers:
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Psa 37:1-2
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. Psa 37:10
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. Psa 37:12-13
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Psa 37:14-15
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Psa 37:17
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. Psa 37:20
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:38
So there you have 11 in just one portion of scripture that makes it obvious that God is going to destroy the wicked. Well, that's something that no matter which side of the timing of the rapture you are on, we can agree upon. God is going to destroy the wicked.
But...what about the righteous? If it is the wicked who are "taken away" and the righteous "left" then, there should also be confirmation of that. There is...
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9 To "inherit" something you have to be there...be present to inherit.
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34 Again, "inherit". And the righteous will see the wicked "cut off" or destroyed..."taken away."
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. Psa 37:29 Again, for the 3rd time in the same passage we see the righteous will "inherit the land".
Now, you can search elsewhere in the Word and you will see that it is consistent.
The wicked are destroyed, taken away, while God preserves the righteous who will inherit the land/earth.
In the next study, we'll look at the other favorite concept of PTR theory...God has not appointed His saints to suffer His wrath.
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. Mat 24:40-41
That's the standard verse used by pretribbers to prove that when the rapture happens, that Believers will suddenly disappear, leaving the sinners to go through the Tribulation.
Sounds good, right?
Maybe not. I believe that when you read the Bible you should not just take a scripture here and a scripture here, OUT OF CONTEXT, to prove a point. Unfortunately, that's what happens here.
Proponents of the PTR (pre-trib rapture) totally ignore the entire teaching of the Lord that comes before...especially, immediately before verse 40.
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. Mat 24:37-39
So let's look at those verse, especially verse 39:
"knew not until the flood came..." Who "knew not"? "They" who were "eating, drinking, marrying...". Afterall, it couldn't be talking about Noe/Noah, since he obviously "knew" what was coming.
So "they knew not until the flood came (judgment) and took them away..."
Who got taken away? "They". The unbelievers. The ones that "knew not"
Then the Lord goes on to say "...so shall ALSO be coming of the Son of man be..."
So what was going on in Noah's day before, during, and after the flood will be what we can expect at the second coming. Right?
Are we are the same page?
Immediately, the Lord continues by saying "Then..." What's the "then" referring to?
Well, He just said "the coming of the Son of Man be. Then..."
It's a continuation of the same thought.
"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."
Then...one shall be taken and one left.
So the Lord is saying there's a connection between those that the flood "took away" - the flood being judgment - and the one in the field who shall "be taken". Who was taken in the flood? The unbeliever. Therefore, who is taken from the field and the mill? The unbeliever?
WHAT?!!!
Yep. If you read the Word, NOT taking verses out of context, but reading them in conjunction with those verses that come before and after, then you will see Jesus was explaining one single thought...and that is that those taken (destroyed) in the judgment of the flood, and those who will "be taken" in the coming judgment are the same...the unbelievers.
While those who survive or remain are Noah and other Believers.
Now if this is the case, there will other scriptures to show this. Right? Right.
Psalm 37.
Here's what the Word says about the outcome of the evildoers:
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Psa 37:1-2
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. Psa 37:10
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. Psa 37:12-13
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Psa 37:14-15
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Psa 37:17
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. Psa 37:20
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:38
So there you have 11 in just one portion of scripture that makes it obvious that God is going to destroy the wicked. Well, that's something that no matter which side of the timing of the rapture you are on, we can agree upon. God is going to destroy the wicked.
But...what about the righteous? If it is the wicked who are "taken away" and the righteous "left" then, there should also be confirmation of that. There is...
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psa 37:9 To "inherit" something you have to be there...be present to inherit.
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:28
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Psa 37:34 Again, "inherit". And the righteous will see the wicked "cut off" or destroyed..."taken away."
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. Psa 37:29 Again, for the 3rd time in the same passage we see the righteous will "inherit the land".
Now, you can search elsewhere in the Word and you will see that it is consistent.
The wicked are destroyed, taken away, while God preserves the righteous who will inherit the land/earth.
In the next study, we'll look at the other favorite concept of PTR theory...God has not appointed His saints to suffer His wrath.
