“One will be taken, one will be left.” That phrase comes from Matthew 24: 40-41. The complete verses are: “Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.” These two verses have been used as the basis for what is called the “rapture.” What is it? The “rapture” is the belief by some Protestants that they will be saved from the Great Tribulation that will precede the end of the world. They believe that Jesus will take them to heaven in order to escape the Great Tribulation, while the rest of humanity will have to suffer through it.
The “rapture” was developed by an Irish preacher named John Nelson Darby around 1827 to 1833. He popularized this teaching through his writings and travels. An American Protestant named Cyrus Scofield further popularized this belief through his Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. It was further spread among evangelicals in the later 20th century through popular authors like Hal Lindsey and the “Left Behind” books and movies. Today, even some Catholics have been sold into believing the “rapture.”
The “rapture’ is a gross misinterpretation of Matthew 24:40-41. What then, is the Catholic interpretation of these two verses? Jesus used the analogy of the Great Flood to compare the end times to the time right before the Great Flood: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be [also] at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:39) In Noah’s time, it was the unrighteous who were “carried away” or “taken away” – they were destroyed by the flood, while Noah and his family were “left behind” or saved from the flood. Therefore, being “taken away” should be understood as being taken away for judgment and destruction, while being “left behind” should be understood as being preserved to inherit the Kingdom. On the other hand, proponents of the “rapture” have reversed the true meaning: those “taken away” are those who will be saved while those “left behind” are those who will be destroyed. However, when Jesus said that some people would be “taken,” he wasn’t talking about faithful Christians; rather, he was talking about the ungodly. Put into the proper context, Jesus was talking about the coming judgment upon sinners, not the rescue of Christians.
The more important message of this Gospel passage is: “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) It is a warning to be ready; the Gospel passage is a call to be spiritually alert and prepared at all times, because no one knows the day or hour of the Lord’s coming. It emphasizes that judgment will be sudden and surprising for those who are unprepared. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus exhorts His disciples to be vigilant: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36) Here, the context of escaping the tribulations is not to flee but to stay and to have the strength to withstand them. The tribulations are imminent, which means that they are impending, unavoidable and needs our immediate attention. Instead of allaying their fears that He will come to take them away, Jesus instructs His disciples to be vigilant and to pray for the strength to withstand the tribulations.
The big question is: how should we prepare for the Lord’s coming? Jesus tells His disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.” (Luke 21:34-35) What is most striking to me is how Jesus mentions “the anxieties of life” together with “carousing and drunkenness.” Sometimes, when we get so caught up in the anxieties of life, we can no longer think straight and focus on what’s important – we simply carry on like someone who is drunk.
In Romans 13, St. Paul tells us that “the night is advanced, the day is at hand.” (Romans 13:12) That the “night is advanced” means that the period of spiritual darkness and sin is coming to an end, because the “day” of salvation, which is the return of Christ, is close at hand.