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(Luke 17:36-37 KJV) "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {37} 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." Left Behind There are new fiction books being read and movies being seen by thousands of people that are based on a theoretical doctrine that could be called "Left Behind." According to it, the Saints will be taken, suddenly disappear, vanish in an any moment secret pre-tribulation rapture just before the Great Tribulation, and those left behind will have to go through that horrible and troubled time. Assumptions Believe it or not those assumptions are contrary to what the Bible reveals. By the way, before the Lord raptures His Church, He alerts the world in His coming. 1 He is not going to take His Saints out in a haphazardly way, leaving cars and planes crashing without drivers and pilots. When He descends (1 Th 4:16-17), He will come with clouds and every eye will see Him (Rev 1:7). It is interesting how the guys who hold to the contrary belief try to teach something that the Bible really does not show. I did not see the truth for the longest and could not figure out "one shall be taken, and the other left" until God's Holy Spirit led me to the right passages. It took a lot cleansing by the word of God to rid the error that was so embedded in my mind and heart. Please examine the following passages that are from two books of the N.T. to maybe see the truth and argue with them, not me. (Mat 24:36-44 KJV) "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. {37} But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. {38} 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, {39} And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. {40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {41} Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. {43} But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. {44} Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Luke 17:25-37 KJV) "But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. {26} And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. {27} They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. {28} Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; {29} But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. {30} Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. {31} In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. {32} Remember Lot's wife. {33} Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. {34} 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. {35} Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {36} Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {37} 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." The two similar accounts help various kinds of readers grasp what was said by Jesus. If you do not see it, I will help you. Before He comes again, it will be as the days of Noe (Noah) in which both books speak. Luke's account includes, "...as it was in the days of Lot...." He seems to bring about clarity in several ways. If we compare "took them all away" in Matthew 24:39 with "destroyed them all" in Luke 17:27 and 29, we find that "destroy them all" helps us to understand what "took them all away" means. Noah Only Remained [Left] Live... (Gen 7:23) And as for Noah who entered into the ark, consider Genesis 7:23 where it talks about every living substance was...destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained [left] alive, and they that were with him in the ark." That passage with the word "destroyed" validates what "took them all away" means. (Gen 7:23 KJV) "And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained [left] alive, and they that were with him in the ark." The Hebrew word sha'ar (H7604), which was translated "remained" in the preceding verse, was translated "left" in the NIV (and "left behind" in Exodus 10:26 KJV). The ones remained alive or left and in the ark were in good standing with the LORD. Thus, one could say took away and destroyed all the rebels and saved those who were left, which in like manner will occur when the Son of Man is revealed. Now, let us go to real eye openers. Both Matthew and Luke speak about "one shall be taken, and the other left." If you are a pretribber, you will stand in awe to what the Bible reveal. Where Lord? (Luke 17:37) What does the Lord mean by "one shall be taken, and the other left [aphiemi: G863]"? In Luke 17:37 He clarifies it some after a question from His disciples who ask, "Where, Lord?" in which I believe is in reference to "the one shall be taken." The Lord replied, "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Matthew recorded similar statement, but it is placed ahead of 24:36-44 in verse 28 and was in reference to the same time according to 24:27. Where will they be taken? It will not be in a secret pre-trib rapture, but to a place many are not aware of. Eagles Be Gathered (Luke 17:37) (Luke 17:37 KJV) "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." (Mat 24:28 KJV) "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." It appears to be where death is. We could ask other questions. Where is the body or carcase and where are the eagles gathered together? In those previous two accounts, I did not find further explanations, but in other New and also Old Testaments passages, I found more details of that event. Not only will the eagles (Greek word aetos (G105) was translated "vultures" in the NIV) be gathered (assembled) there, but also "all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven" according to Revelation 19:17, and "every feathered fowl" and "every beast of the field" according to Ezekiel 39:17. Each of the following two accounts is in part similar and has more or less details. All the Fowls...Gather (Rev 19:17-21) (Rev 19:17-21 KJV) "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper 2 of the great God; {18} That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. {19} And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. {20} And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. {21} And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Feathered Fowl...Assemble (Ezek 39:17-20) (Ezek 39:17-20 KJV) "And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. {18} Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. {19} And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. {20} Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD." What Kinds of People? The previous accounts also give details of what kinds of people and animals that will be gathered and their flesh eaten by the fowls (Luke 8:5) that fly and beast of the field, which will be kings, captains, mighty men, princes, horses and those who sat on them, all men, both free and bond, small and great, the remnant, animals and etc. Kings of the earth and of the whole world will be gathered (Zep 3:8) to the battle of that great day of God Almighty according to Revelation 16:14. And according to Ezekiel 39:1-5, Gog (Ezek 38:1-6) will be given "unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured." Gathered Kings (Rev 16:12-14) (Rev 16:12-14 KJV) "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. {13} And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. {14} For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Gog and All That Is with Thee (Ezek 39:1-5) (Ezek 39:1-5 KJV) "Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: {2} And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: {3} And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. {4} Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. {5} Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD." Called Armageddon (Rev 16:15-16) The one foreshadowing event spoken about by both the secular and religious segments today is called Armageddon. Many call a looming worldwide cataclysm by that name. (Rev 16:15-16 KJV) "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. {16} And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." Taken and Gathered Where? Taken and gathered where? To a place called Armageddon. It appears that gathering will begin first, even before the Saints are gathered together according to the last verse in Jesus' parable in Matthew 3:24-30. (Mat 13:30 KJV) "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." Gathered Together Tares The tares will be gathered and bound in bundles to be burned in the fire, but the wheat will be gathered into His barn. (Mat 13:40-42) (Mat 13:40-42 KJV) "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world;. {41} The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; {42} And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Gathered the Vine of the Earth (Rev 14:18-20) In another parable's explanation of what happens to the rebels at a place called Armageddon is the grapes will be gathered and cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Rev 14:18-20 KJV) "And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. {19} And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. {20} And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." Left [Behind] in Zion, and...Remaineth [Left Behind] (Isa 4) Now, let us look at the brighter side. Isaiah has given a better view of the right ones "left" and "remaineth," and could be said "left behind" in both cases. For the Hebrew word sha'ar (H7604) was translated "left" in 4:3 and "left behind" in Exodus 10:26. And the Hebrew word yathar (H3498) was translated "remaineth" in 4:3 and "left behind" in 1 Samuel 30:9. To prove a very important point, the message from God's Word is distinctively clear. After reading all of Isaiah 4, you will learn that being left behind will not be all that bad. (Isa 4 KJV) "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. {2} In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. {3} And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: {4} When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. {5} And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. {6} And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain." Isaiah 4 was referring to those left in Zion and remained in Jerusalem. And in Matthew 24:36-44 and Luke 17:25-37, Jesus gave message to Israeli disciples outside the East Gate of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (Mat 24:3) and was referring to those in Judaea (Mat 24:16). Neither the scriptures nor Jesus was referring to Gentiles in another land. And too, Isaiah 4 undoubtedly was referring to a time when the Lord will reign and the tabernacle of God will be with men (Rev 21:3). Those who are left will reap some great benefits. Now, if you are like me...would much rather be left behind than taken. It is interesting how the hypothetical truths by some are really based on assumptions and imaginations. They will snare if not careful. When the Bible passages are more thoroughly examined and pieces placed correctly, a much different picture is discovered. As in Isaiah 4:3, sha'ar (H7604) was translated "left" in 11:11 (the LORD will...recover the remnant of His people, which will be left) and in 24:6 (the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left). Recover the Remnant of His People, Which Shall Be Left (Isa 11:11-12) (Isa 11:11-12 KJV) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. {12} And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Few Men Left (Isa 24:1-6) (Isa 24:1-6 KJV) "Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. {2} And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. {3} The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. {4} The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. {5} The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. {6} Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." In each case in Isaiah, it is referring to those left in a positive sense and not a negative one. Whether it be those who are left and remain (left behind) or be the remnant, they are all spoken about in a positive sense -- in that they were not destroyed like the ones who were took away or taken and gathered to a place called Armageddon. Forgive and Forsake Now, the Greek word aphiemi (G863), and the Hebrew words sha'ar (H7604) and yathar (H3498) have similar English words in their translations such as "left, leave" and "let." Both Hebrew words have the idea of reserving and preserving of a remnant that which our Lord is doing today through His redemptive work at Calvary. "Aphiemi" has other words such as "forgive" and "forsake" as shown in references in the following paragraph that will help us to understand other ways God cares for those who are left. As for those who are left (behind), which includes the remnant and those who remain, surely God does not "leave" (John 14:15-18) or destroy, especially those who have "forsaken" (Mat 19:27-30) and "left" (Mark 10:28-31) all for Jesus Christ and the kingdom (Luke 18:28-30). And for those who "forgive," He "forgives" (Mat 6:14-15; Mark 11:25-26) in ways similar to how He did for Noah and all those who remained (left) alive in the ark. Our companions may forsake and not forgive us, but God will do just the opposite, even when no one else will, if we go to Him with a honest heart, get under the shed blood of Christ and receive forgiveness, and be of the ones who are left, alive, remain and raptured (1 Th 4:16-17) to be with Christ during the Millennium. Rather Be Taken or Left (Behind)? After what has been studied, would you rather be taken or left (behind)? If you have correctly put all the pieces together, a much more accurate picture should have been discovered. References:
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