Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 40

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

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

Then shall two... Then at the second coming, not at the rapture (Mat. 24:29-31; 25:31-46).

Shall be taken - left

Both verbs are in the present tense, which makes the saying more lively. One is taken and one is left. So Rev.

Life will go on with the routine until it’s too late, and then instant devastation. And so, that generation will be like Noah’s generation, Warned and warned many, many times. That generation was warned for 120 years as the ark was built.

The strongest reason to take the separation depicted in this passage as a reference to ones taken away in judgment is the context. It appears that (verses 40- 41), are illustrating that which preceded it (in verses 36- 39), namely that those who were not prepared in the days of Noah were taken away in judgment by the flood.

Verse 39 ends by saying, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Clearly the emphasis in this verse is on unbelievers being taken away in the judgment of the flood. Therefore (verses 40- 41), drive that point home by giving a couple examples of the coming separation that will occur at this time of judgment.

took them all... Rapture Or Destruction?

Destroyed them all (Luke 17:27), that is, the ones that needed to be destroyed, and saved Noah and family. So Christ will destroy some at His coming and leave some to replenish the earth in the Millennium (Zec. 14:16-21; Isa. 2:2-4; 66:19-21; Rev. 20:1-15).

Now Jesus gets very specific (in verses 40-41). “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.”

What do we mean taken? I’ve heard people say this means the Rapture. You can’t bring in the Rapture here. This is long after that. This is talking about taken in judgment.

Look again at verse 39. “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away”. It’s based on that imagery. It’s based on that picture of the flood sweeping men away into death. Two are going to be in the field when that final devastating flood of fire comes. And one is taken in judgment. Two at the mill and one is taken in judgment and the other left. what are they left for?

They’re left to go into what, into the Kingdom. And they become those who populate the Millennial Kingdom. They are the redeemed. So you’ll have people on the job. Some will be believers and some will be unbelievers. The unbelievers will be swept away and the believers will be preserved.

Analogous to Noah’s day, the individuals who will be taken are the wicked whom the Lord will take away in judgment (cf. Luke 17:37). The individuals left are believers who will be privileged to be on the earth to populate the kingdom of Jesus Christ in physical bodies. As the wicked were taken away in judgment and Noah was left on the earth, so the wicked will be judged and removed when Christ returns and the righteous will be left behind to become His subjects in the kingdom.