John and Doves,

There is a lot of confusion as to " two men in the field, one is taken, the other left ". What is it? Does it happen at the end of tribulation, or before the tribulation? Besides
 Jesus mentions this event in Matthew 24:40-41, he has also mentioned this event in Luke 17. Let's explore Luke 17 regarding the message of kingdom of God. At the end, readers should know that "one man taken, the other left" is a pretribulation rapture event.


Luke 17:22-37 is triggered by a question from Pharisee "When shall the kingdom of God come?" We know the kingdom of God comes when Jesus returns
 to earth, and establishes the millennial reign on earth. This is the kingdom of God.


Jesus answers them " The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom
 of God is within you."


Jesus says the kingdom of God is not there yet, that they can see with their naked eyes. But if they believe in him, then when the kingdom
 of God arrives, they can partake in this kingdom. This is what "the kingdom of God is within you" means. How do they partake in this millennial kingdom? They are the dead in Christ who receive their resurrected body in the day of rapture, stay in heaven for
 7 years, and return to earth with Jesus after the tribulation is over.

22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see
 it.

Jesus went on to talk about his departure from this earth after he fulfills what God the Father sent him to this earth for. The disciples
 will desire to see him again. They will miss him.

23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of
 the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day

Jesus also predicts there will be many false Christ arises and mimic him after his ascension to heaven. They will fake Jesus' appearance and
 deceive the disciples that Jesus has returned to earth. They will say "Look, Jesus is here, and there". He warns the disciples not to follow these false Christs. It is because his return shall be like a lightning from one part to another part under heaven,
 that the whole world shall see his physical return to earth.

25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

But for all these to happen, first the Son of man has to be rejected by the generation in 33 AD. Jesus needs to fulfill crucifixion and resurrection
 before the kingdom of God can arrive. At this time, Jesus has finished his answer to Pharisee regarding the issue of kingdom of God, that is, when shall it arrive ( like a lightning from the sky, his return to earth) , how shall it be accomplished (by his
 death, Son of man is rejected by the generation in 33 AD).

He then went on to disclose a mystery from verse 26 to 37. This mystery is the pre-tribulation rapture. The reason he talks about pre-tribulation
 rapture because this is the first event which shall trigger the arrival of kingdom of God. Below are the posts I have made re verse 26-37.


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Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

This is a rapture verse. Son of man is Jesus. He shall be revealed to the world at the time of rapture. Many do not know his name now. But
 when they see millions and millions of Christians disappear from this earth, they shall acknowledge it is the work of Jesus. This is how Son of man is revealed to the world in the day of rapture.

Prior to this message, Jesus has this to say concerning the condition on earth prior to Son of man is revealed to the world.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married
 wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But
 the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

People do eat, drink, marry, and giving in marriage. They live as business as usual, as much as the world events don't frighten them at all.
 This is a pre-tribulation norm. This is today. But things and events shall change quickly after the Son of man is revealed. The left behind shall face many horrific scene and judgment.

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Luke 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not
 return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

"Remember Lot's wife". Jesus compares the event rapture to Lot's wife when she looked back and instantly she was changed into a lime stone.
 When the trumpet blows, we simply don't have much time to think and we shouldn't look back our life like Lot's wife did, and care for our belongings on this earth, but to follow the trumpet and Jesus' calling into the sky. This is exactly what Jesus meant
 in these verses.

And what shall happen in that day?

34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be
 grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

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Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Many bible prophecy students compare this verse to Matthew 24:28.

Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

They should not because "the body" in Luke 17:37 is Greek word "soma" which means living body, flesh, while "carcase" in Matthew 24:28 is
 Greek word "ptoma" which means dead body, corpse.

The disciples ask Jesus where can they see this spectacular event, that is, one man taken, the other left.

In Luke 17:37, Jesus says these living body shall be gathered together like the eagles are gathered in the sky. Jesus speaks of pretribulation
 rapture in this verse.

Contrary to the scene in Luke 17:37, Matthew 24:28 depicts a scene of the aftermath of a global warfare where carcases are everywhere, with
 eagles and bird of prey circling above them. This is the horrific scene on earth prior to Jesus returning to earth.

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Now we can see all the messages Jesus has given from verse 22 to 37 is concerning the kingdom of God. How it is accomplished (verse 25, by his death and rejection by the generation
 in 33 AD), when will it arrive (verse 24, like a lightning from one part of heaven to the other part), and what is the first event that triggers the arrival of this kingdom of God ( pretribulation rapture , Son of man is revealed to the world in verse 30,
 verse 26 to 37).

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Luke 17 the kingdom of God message is given before Mount Olivert Discourse in Matthew 24. This is the first time Jesus used "one man taken, the other left". Jesus used it again
 in Matthew 24 simply because he has covered all the tribulation events from verse 5 to 31 in Matthew 24, up to his second coming in verse 31. Beginning from verse 36 to 44, he wants to cover another story, that is, rapture. This is the event that triggers
 all the tribulation events from verse 5 to 31. This is why he uses "one man taken, the other left" and days of Noah again to denote the pretribulation rapture.

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Luke 17 The kingdom of God message is one of the most difficult to comprehend, because the things that the Lord says, travel in time, present and future, and in different dispensation,
 back and forth, these things do not happen in chronological order and sequence. I think it has more to do with Luke's recollection. I hope that with my perspective, readers should know and understand the message the Lord has given re the Kingdom of God in
 Luke 17.

A note here.

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

I have seen eagles are gathered in the sky. Sometimes few of them, sometimes tens of them. They circle in the sky, going higher and higher,
 until they vanish from my naked eyes. This is the scene Jesus uses in Luke 17:37. Wheresoever the living body is, likewise the eagles are gathered together in the sky.

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Now we should concluder “one man taken, the other left” is a pre-tribulation rapture event.

Ray