The
Left Behind fiction series implies that the "saved" will be "taken away," while the wicked will be "left behind." That is not what the Messiah said, and I'd rather take his word for it than some blow-dried 20th century best-selling authors'.
Jesus said:
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.
-- Matthew 24:37-39
I don't care what Hal Lindsey or Tim LaHaye say, are you certain you want to be "taken away?"
Or wouldn't you prefer to be left behind?
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
WITH THE LORD, A DAY IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS AND A THOUSAND YEARS ARE LIKE A DAY. -- II Peter 3
:
Matthew 24:37-42
37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
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. -- Matthew 24:37-39 I don't care what Hal Lindsey or Tim LaHaye say, are you certain you want to be "taken away?" Or wouldn't you prefer to be left behind?
The coming of the Son of Man refers to God's returning to earth to set up his 1000 reign......you are confusing 2 different events.....he is not comparing the rapture to the flood where only the rightous were saved or "left behind" he is refering to God's second coming (whether there is a "tribulation" is irrelevent to the point being made) when he sets up his earthly kingdom and only the rightous will remain to enjoy it. The unrightous will be...."taken away".
If there is a rapture before the tribulation (as i believe) then i DO NOT want to be left behind.....If i were to be left behind for the tribulation....at the end of it.....I WOULD want to be left behind.....
I believe your comments are on target . . . Matthew Chapter 24 is the basis for the "Left Behind" series, and has, in my opinion, erronously interpreted this scripture and others.
In Matt 24:34, Jesus says "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." A generation is not thousands of years . . . not one thousand, not two. A generation in the bible generally is 40 or 50 years. 70 AD is still within the generation to which he spoke.
Lest anyone doubt, I thank God for the faithfulness of my parents in bringing me up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord".
John wrote "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" in about 68 AD, according to all but a few who want him to have written it in 95 AD. John wrote "The Apocalypse", as some want to call it because of our modern day idea of what "apocalypse" means, (while in fact it means "revelation" in the Greek) at least 2 years before the destruction of Jerusalem, contrary to what Tim LeHay says about this.
John wrote to the seven churches in Asia Minor. I believe that there is nothing written by John to them that they did not fully understand and comprehend. John did not write about black helicopters, nuclear explosions, or anything that our 20th or 21st century minds try to concoct out of it all. John, like Jesus some 30 + years before, described it as imminent.
All of what to us seem strange descriptions of things or events in John's "Revelation" are found in the Old Testament and were know to the recipients of his letter in that day. And if we read "Revelation" with out reading "Genesis" etc, we are reading in a fog.
Back to Matt 24 - as you have so aptly pointed out, being left behind is the blessing - those taken in Matt 24:40 & 41 were taken to judgement.
Also, you pointed out, that as in the days of Noah . . . Noah and those with him in the ark were taken through the flood, implying that those to whom the book of Revelation applies prophetically, will be taken through, not out.
The Pre-TRib Rapture ("Rapture" is not a word to be found in the Bible) belief that is dominant in many fundamental/evangelical circles, dates to about 1825. A young woman in Scotland, a follower of Edward Irving, reportedly had a vision that suggested this concept. A man in England, John Nelson Darby, a former priest in the Church of Ireland, and one of the men who were responsible for the beginings of the Plymouth Brethren movement, learned of this and went to Scotland to interview the young woman. Darby popularized this belief, and Scofield, who admired Darby and his writings (but was not associated directly), promoted this belief in his notes in the "Scofield Reference Bible".
My great grandfather in England was contemporary with Darby and was associated with him. For may years I was taught and believed "Pre-Trib". We are told that the Bereans searched the scriptures to show that these things (what they were being taught) were so. God grant us all the wisdom to search the scriptures and rely on the understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit as we search.