Why Is One Taken And The Other Left In Matthew 24:40?

Name: Karen
Question: Hi.. Can you please explain why in Matthew 24 it talks about one person being taken and the other being left? Thank you!

Answer: Karen, thank you for the question.

We are going to identify the subject before we move forward. Matthew 24 is about the Great Tribulation, and it brings us to the return of Jesus. It describes the events that will transpire just before His return.

When Will These Things Be?

Turn your Bible with me to,

Matthew 24:3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

The Disciples just laid the ground work for us. We now know, the subject of Matthew 24 concerns the signs that precede the appearance of Jesus, which marks the end of the world age.

Let us continue.

Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only

Notice, no one knows the “day and hour” when Jesus will appear, not even Himself, only our Heavenly Father. However, Jesus did leave us signs and parallels that would mark the days just before His return.

The Return Of Jesus Will Be As The Days Of Noah

Matthew 24:37
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Our Lord and Savior just provided us with a huge sign and parallel by mentioning Noah’s Flood. He made it extremely clear, the end of this age, and His return will be like the Days of Noah.

Matthew 24:38
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,

Prior to Noah’s Flood, there was wickedness in the land. Primarily due to the influence of the Fallen Angels and their children the Giants, and ‘every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually’, (Genesis 6:4-5).

Aside from Fallen Angels and Giants, is our world any different today?

Noah being a preacher no doubt tried to warn the people of the impending flood, that seems obvious since he was constructing a ship in a desert land, (2 Peter 2:5). Yet, the people were more interested in the desires of the flesh as verse 38 explained.

Noah and his family continued working for God by completing the Ark. The Ark that would save them from their tribulation, the flood our Father would bring to the region.

Matthew 24:39
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

This flood not only took the people by surprise, but the flood literally took them away, meaning they quite literally drown to death. Jesus closes the sentence saying, “so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”.

How could they have been surprised by the flood when Noah was building a ship right before their eyes?

Again, is today any different?

Today, people continually mock Christianity saying, as they always have, “where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”, (2 Peter 3:4).

Yet, we know things have not always been the same.

We should understand, there will not be a literal flood during the Great Tribulation, rather the flood is of lies and deception that Satan will symbolically spew out of his mouth, (Revelation 12:15-16). The greatest of all, that he is God.

One Taken, The Other Left

Matthew 24:40
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Remember, the subject is the return of Jesus, and He primed our minds in verse 38.  Noah was working, he was building an Ark, while everyone else was consumed with the desires of the flesh. Those people were not working, and they were surprised, and even swept away by the Flood.

So what happened to the one taken in verse 40?

They were swept away by the flood!

Who brings the flood during the Tribulation?

Satan and his angels, (Revelation 12:7-9).

Naturally then, the one left in the field is the one who continued working for God. Remember, we are talking about the Tribulation, if you are not letting your Light shine, you are not working for God.

Matthew 24:41
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Jesus provides us with another example that revolves around labor in the field. Remember, “the field is the world,” if we are not working in it, we cannot help Jesus with “the Harvest” which “is the end of the world,” (Matthew 13:36-43).

Again, we find one taken by Satan’s (Antichrist) lies and deception, while the one left continues to work for Jesus.

I also want you to remember working for Jesus is our mission in life, it is the Great Commission, to spread the Word of God to the entire world, (Mark 16:15).

The Rapture

Unfortunately, many Bible teachers use these verses to preach a rapture of the church. Yet, as we have learned, there is no rapture of the church or any Christian, period. You can begin to see why many will be swept away by the flood, Satan’s lies and deception.

When Satan appears on earth claiming to be God, they will believe he is God, and they will be swept away by his flood. Their “surprise” will come when the True Jesus appears at the end of the Tribulation, (Revelation 6:16).

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