Recently, I was in a discussion with a friend who recently listened to a well-known preacher’s take on the end of times.  I asked him what scriptures were used and he said that the message was premised on Matthew 24, specifically on these verses:

“Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (v 40-41)

In virtually all Christian circles, these verses pin down the concept of the Rapture (though there are others that are often used as well).  In fact, there have been a whole series of fiction books written about the Rapture.  But, I highlighted the words ‘taken’ for a reason.

The reason?  In the above verses, those who are ‘taken’ are not taken up to heaven.  They are taken in death; destroyed.

Is that surprising?  Well, just look at the preceding verse, where the Lord speaks of Noah (v. 38-39):

“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. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Do you see that?  The word ‘took’ is used (past tense, since He was referring to Noah).  Then He elaborates in v 40-41 on the example of the men in the field and the women at the mill.  Noah was left behind while the unbelievers were taken.  The man taken (from the field) is not whisked to heaven, neither the woman (at the mill).  They are taken in death, just like the unbelievers in Noah’s day.

This seems pretty straightforward, but it got me thinking of how most people blindly accept the status quo without checking things over themselves.  It’s an area we’re probably all guilty of in some form or fashion.  The key is, how do we respond when the truth becomes apparent to us?  Are we prepared to abandon a misconception?