English
Português
Español
Français
Response
Jesus’ teachings can be challenging, and many scholars encounter interpretive challenges with the Olivet Discourse passage where Jesus mentions, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Matthew 24:40-41). A similar teaching is also present in Luke 17, with the additional scenario of “two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left” (verse 34).
Jesus made this statement in response to the disciples’ inquiries about the signs of His coming and the end of the age «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? », (Matthew 24:3). Before this, Jesus informed His disciples that “about that day or hour no one knows” (verse 36). He then drew a parallel with history: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (verses 37–39). Therefore, the context is one of judgment, specifically focusing on Jesus’ second coming.
Some have attempted to interpret this passage as referring to the rapture of the church. While it is true that the rapture will involve some being “taken away” and others left behind, it is more accurate to view Matthew 24 as addressing the second coming, not the rapture. Jesus’ mention of Noah’s flood is a key element in this teaching.suggests that those who are taken away are taken in judgment. The taken will be destroyed, just as the ungodly of Noah’s day were swept away by the flood. Furthermore, they won’t even know what hit them. They will be continuing with life as normal when judgment suddenly befalls them. Jesus’ second coming and the accompanying judgment will be sudden and surprising for the unprepared.
So, our view is that those who are “taken” in Matthew 24:40 are destined for judgment, while those who remain are righteous individuals who will survive and enter the messianic kingdom. This happens at the end of the tribulation, when Jesus arrives with the armies of heaven (see Revelation 19:11-16).
Regardless of one’s stance on who will be taken and who will be left, one thing is certain: the return of Jesus will be momentous, resulting in a clear separation between the righteous and the wicked. This world is temporary, and all people will face the Righteous Judge someday, and all need to be ready for that judgment.
