Who is Taken and Who is Left.

(Matt 24: 40,41) (Luke 17: 34 – 36)

 

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 
Mat 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, 
Mat 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. 
Mat 24:40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 
Mat 24:41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 
Luke 17:34 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. 

It appears that there is a teaching circulating in certain churches today that twist these verses to reverse the teaching of who are taken and those who are left.
The predominant understanding has been that those that are taken, (removed) are believers at the coming of Christ with the clouds.
The two in the field, the two grinding at the mill and the two in the bed are referring to believers and unbelievers.
The confusion seems to come from the account of the flood of Noah.
There are those that say that because the unrighteous were taken away by the flood (the wrath of God), that this means that the ones taken in our text are also the unrighteous.
However, if we examine the words used, it becomes quite clear who the taken are.

I would like to point out before we go any further, that those who propagate the idea that the ones who are taken in the rapture are unbelievers, also accuse those that believe the opposite to be pre tribulation, secret rapture believers.
I would like to make it clear that I do not believe in a pre tribulation rapture but I do believe in a pre wrath rapture and that the believing church will be removed from the earth before the wrath of God, (Greek Orge) is poured out on an unbelieving world.
Therefore I do believe that the church will go through the majority of Satan’s wrath (the Great Tribulation Greek Mega Thilipsis). Also known in scripture, as the Time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) Trouble.

Rev 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

However, I do believe that those days shall be shortened for the elect’s sake.
Jesus speaking of the Great Tribulation said:
Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Some time towards the end of the great tribulation, the church will be Raptured, (snatched, taken), when Jesus returns with the clouds of heaven and the dead in Christ and those who are alive at His coming shall be gathered together in the air. Then following this, the Second coming of Jesus to the earth, will take place.

Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Jesus said that immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 
Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
 

So, who are they that are taken and who are left?
 

Matt 24:39 took them all away;  (Greek - Took – Airo) airō ah'ee-ro. This verse is referring to those that were taken in the flood of Noah.
Some of the meanings of this word: to lift; by implication to take up or away; specifically to sail away, to expiate sin: - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take.
The word expiate - make amends or reparation for (guilt or wrongdoing).
 

So, in Matt 24:39, who are the ones that are taken at the flood?

Well, in context, the verse is referring to the flood of Noah. Matt 24:37 But as in the days of Noe were. We are told that the flood was sent by God as retribution for the evil, judgement on the evil that was on the earth at that time.

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 
Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 
Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 
Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 
 

Also

Gen 6:11  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 
Gen 6:12  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 
Gen 6:13  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 

Remember, the flood is the wrath of God because of sin and unbelief.
 

Gen 7:10  And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 

All the unrighteous paid the price with their lives, only the righteous Noah and his family were saved. They were removed prior to the wrath of God being poured out.
 

Gen 7:21  And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 
Gen 7:22  All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 
 

So, let us examine the text in Matt 24 and Luke 17.
 

Matt 24:40 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. 

Luk 17:34  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. 

Notice that the words “men” and “women” are in italics. This because they are not in the original Greek text.
One shall be taken, (Greek - paralambano) and the  other left.
the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

The Greek word here is different to the previous one. The taking of the evil ones at the flood is Greek – Airo, where the Greek word for taken here is paralambanō

The meaning of this word is: to receive near, that is, associate with oneself; (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); receive, take (unto, with).
 

The word “taken” here, suggests taken unto someone, to be received by someone.

This seems to fit in with the scriptures that describe the Rapture of believers at the coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds.

1 Thess 4
The Coming of the Lord

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 
1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 
 

The dead in Christ shall rise first and we who are alive and remain to His coming shall be caught up together with them, to meet the Lord in the air.

1 Thess 4:16 shall rise first: the Greek here is anistēmi - an-is'-tay-mee, (resurrection)
The meaning ; to stand up (literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively): - arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up (-right).
 

1 Thess 4:17 we which are alive and remain shall be caught up.
Greek -  harpazō- har-pad'-zo
From a derivative of ; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:

The resurrection of the dead in Christ, Greek, anistēmi and the catching away (rapture) of those who are alive and remain Greek harpazō.

Shall be gathered, Greek episunago, together, hama.

The same meaning is seen in:

Matt 24:31 they shall gather together his elect.
 

Gather, Gathering [Verb] sunago "to gather or bring together," is said of (a) persons, e.g. Mat 2:4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,
 

Gather, Gathering [Verb] episunago "to gather together," suggesting stress upon the place at which the "gathering" is made (epi, Greek, where it meant “upon,” “on,” “over,” “near,” “at,” “before,” “after”  ),

Sunago, where the word synagogue derives.
Epi Sunago (at the gathering) or (at the Synagogue)

The "gathering" together of the elect.
 

Mat 24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 
Mark 13:27  And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. 
 

This is pertaining to the "gathering" together of a crowd, 

As in, Mar 1:33  And all the city was gathered together at the door. 
Also, Luk 12:1  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people,

“One shall be taken and one shall be left”.

It seems quite clear from these verses and the use of the Greek, that the ones who are taken or caught up are indeed the believers who are
removed from the earth prior to the Second Coming of Christ to the earth and the wrath of God being poured out on an unbelieving world