People who follow dispensational and ‘rapture’ doctrine invariably follow the ‘left behind’ teaching, popularised by authors and movie makers like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which fictionalises the idea of a secret rapture where Christians are suddenly removed from Earth, leaving others behind to face a period of tribulation. They apply it to the ‘rapture’. They and others like Hal Lindsey and Jerry Falwell teach that some will be taken up to heaven (the floaters} and the rest left behind on earth.
Millions of young people in the 70s joined the ‘Jesus People‘, a wonderful movement of passionate Christians all over the world. Many of these devoured the book by Lindsey, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth‘. In his book, Lindsey warned that planet earth would cease to exist within a few years. More than 15 million copies of this book were sold, and it was named ‘the bestseller of the decade’.
Sadly, it’s actually the truth that is being left behind. The ‘rapture’ doctrine does not accord with scripture. It was not taught by Jesus or by the apostles.
The passages these teachers use for their ‘left behind’ doctrine are actually only a small part of a passage which we refer to as the Olivet Discourse.
Here, Jesus was answering the questions of His disciples. It’s about the terrible time when the Romans would besiege Jerusalem (which we now know from history took place in AD 70).
These teachers take these passages out of context. How crazy is that for good interpretation?
We will look first at Matthew 24:32-41 and then relevant verses in Luke 17:26-36.
Matthew 24:37-41—Jesus was teaching the disciples about the suddenness of His coming.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 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; 39 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. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Now, looking at those relevant verses in Luke 17:22-36.
Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
I have seen this verse used as a proof text by dispensational teachers to prove that Jesus said the disciples would never see His coming. Talk about a text taken out of context!
. . . . . . 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
What generation is that? Of course it was the current generation of Jesus and His hearers that He said would not pass away before ‘all these things’ occur (Luke 21:32, Mat 24:34).
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
You can see this is similar to the Matthew passage, but Luke adds this to Jesus’ reported words:
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
In both these passages, Jesus told the disciples that before his coming, people would live like they did in the days of Noah (Gen. 6-9). They conducted regular business. The flood came, and Noah and his family got into the ark. The ones who were left after the flood were Noah and his family, who survived the wrath of God, while those who were taken away went through judgment and didn’t survive for the flood waters took them away.
Similarly, that as Lot escaped with Abraham, the ones who are left behind and escape survive the fire and sulphur, while those who do not survive it are the people of Sodom. They were “taken away” in judgment.
Jesus said that people who surrender to his call to obedience will escape the dreadful final judgment, but they must get out of Jerusalem and flee to the hills without delay. Luke 21:20-24.
Note how these passages show a persistent Judean and a thoroughly 1st-century and Jewish context. That makes it impossible to interpret the event as happening in the future.
It is illogical to think these things will occur in modern times: it is those in Judea who must flee. People will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world, and Jerusalem will be trampled down. History.
No. Jesus has already come and gone!
And no, you won’t be left behind!
Ian Thomson 