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Are the good or the wicked taken first when Jesus returns?

by | Jun 20, 2015 | End Times, Questions

Most Christian churches, at least here in America, teach that when Christ returns, the Christians will be removed from the earth, and the wicked will be judged. Some hold to a pre-tribulation rapture view where, seven years before the return of Christ, Christians are taken out of the world, and the wicked are left to suffer. In the post-tribulation view, the rapture occurs at the time of Christ’s return which is at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. Many preachers try to support pre-trib rapture by referencing Matt. 24:40 and Luke 17:34-36. In those verses, it says that there will be two men in the field, where one is taken and one is left. They call that the rapture. But it isn’t. When we analyze the context of these verses, it becomes obvious that the ones who are taken, are the wicked. Let’s take a look.

Matthew 24:37-41 Luke 17:26-29
37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 26 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark…
39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 27…and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.”
40 “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.  34 “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 “There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.
 37 And answering they said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.

 

As you can see, the ones who were destroyed in Luke 17:27 were the ones who were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. The same phraseology is used in Matt. 24:38-39 where the ones who were taken (verse 39) were the ones who were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage (Matt. 24:38). So, the context of those who are taken are the wicked, not the good. Therefore, these verses are not about the rapture (which does happen and is described in 1 Thess. 4:16-5:2). In addition, the disciples asked Jesus where the wicked are taken, and He answers them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered” (Luke 17:37). Those who were taken go to a place of judgment, a place of death.

But that’s not all. Jesus tells us more about this.

“Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn”‘” (Matt. 13:24-30).

You’ll notice that Jesus says that at the time of the harvest, the first ones taken are the tares (v. 30). The tares are the “The sons of the evil one” (Matthew 13:38). So, Jesus clearly says the first ones taken at the time of the harvest are the wicked. But now we have to ask what the harvest is.

The Harvest

The word “harvest” occurs 18 times in the New American Standard Bible. It is used in different ways. It refers to people being saved (Matt. 9:37-38; Luke 10:2; John 4:35; Rev. 14:15). It refers to something that happens at the end of the age (Matt. 13:39). It is about harvesting the vineyard/crops (Matt. 21:34; Mark 4:29; 12:2; Luke 20:10; James 5:4). And, it is figuratively used of righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10). What is important here is that the harvest occurs at the “end of the age” (Matt. 13:39). Now, we have to look at what the phrase “end of the age” means.

End of the Age

The Bible says there are two main ages: this age and the age to come.

  • “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come (Matt. 12:32).
  • “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:21).

There are characteristics attributed to “this age” and “the age to come.”

This Age Age to Come
Blasphemy Blasphemy is not forgiven, Matt. 13:32 Blasphemy is not forgiven, Matt. 13:32
Cares Cares of this world (Greek “age”), Matt. 13:22
Eternal Life Receive Eternal Life, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30
Marriage Marry and Given in Marriage, Luke 20:34 No marriage in age to come, Luke 20:35
Power and Superiority of God Power and Superiority of God in this age, Eph. 1:21 Power and Superiority of God in the age to come, Eph. 1:21
The present age is evil Evil in the present age, Gal. 1:4
Receive 100 times in the present age (Greek “time”), Mark 10:30
Rulers Rulers of this age, 1 Cor. 2:6
Satan god of this world (Greek “age”), 2 Cor. 4:4
Wisdom Wisdom of this age, 1 Cor. 1:20

So, to sum up, in this age, we have cares, marriage, endure evil, are subject to rulers, and experience the wisdom of the world. In the age to come, we receive eternal life, are not married, and experience God’s power. It appears that in the age to come, the full revelation of Christ occurs at His return. Of course, we have eternal life now (1 John 5:13), but in the age to come, this refers to the full redemption, including our physical resurrection.

Conclusion

So it appears that the harvest of the Christians happens at the end of this age, but it is preceded by the taking of the wicked to a place of destruction. Now, this is not accepted by most Christians because they have been taught something to the contrary. But the question is whether or not what I’m teaching is biblical. The scriptures seem clear that the ones taken in Matthew 24:37-41 and Luke 17:26-29 are the wicked and not the good. Therefore, those verses are not about the rapture. Furthermore, when Jesus said in Matthew 13 that the wicked are taken first, then we must conclude that at the end of the age, the first ones taken are the wicked. What do you think?

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