LEFT BEHIND TWIST - NYOBS 31.30

LEFT BEHIND TWIST

First Word

• I have been fascinated by the “LEFT BEHIND” series of books and I decided to wander through the scriptures that the novels are based on.
• Jesus is on the Mount of Olives teaching the Disciples about END TIMES.  The smart people refer to this as the “Olivet Discourse”. – Jesus does not mention the Church, so this is NOT a discussion about the Rapture as the Church will have already been removed from the earth. - He is talking about the destruction of mankind and His Millennial Kingdom.
• Christ says He will not return as a man, so don’t look for a man even if he performs miracles, however that is exactly what the Antichrist will do.
• Jesus starts with sort of a parable explaining in so many words about when He will return and establish His kingdom in the end times.  It will be totally unexpected; things will be going on like normal with people getting married, having meals together, sleeping and going to work, etc., and of course there is nothing wrong with all these things.
• However in the days of Noah, people were living their lives LIKE GOD DID NOT EXIST and that’s exactly how it’s going to be when Christ returns. – LIKE NOW.  

Matt 24:3 – End of the age – OLIVET DISCOURSE

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" NIV

Matt 24:24-27 – Destruction at return – OLIVET DISCOURSE

24 For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 "So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matt 24:28 – Birds eating the DEAD – OLIVET DISCOURSE

28 Wherever there is a carcass, (THE DEAD), there the vultures will gather. NIV

Matt 24:36-41 – The flood TOOK THEM - OLIVET DISCOURSE

36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

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 (the un-godly) 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. NIV

Here’s how it all plays out

• It says two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left and it says two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
• Then it says two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left and in another place it says two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."
• DID YOU SEE IT? - The cool thing about this scripture is that it smacks of the earth being ROUND as two are sleeping in the NIGHTIME and two are grinding grain in the DAYTIME. When Christ returns it will be all at once; all over the whole world; day and night.
• THE REAL GRABBER is that the Disciples asked Jesus, “Where will they be taken?” Jesus replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather”.
• This does not seem to be talking about the Rapture, but about Armageddon.
• The return of Jesus Christ is in two phases – The FIRST is the Rapture of the Believers, (The Church) out of the earth. – The SECOND happens after the rapture and tribulation period, but just before the Millennium Reign of Christ begins.  This is where EVIL is being purged out of this earth.
• I feel a need to say that there are also two phases to Armageddon.  The FIRST phase is a battle dealing with the Jewish Nation and the Muslims – The SECOND phase is the total annihilation of what’s left.  I only mention this because during the tribulation period and the FIRST phase of the battle of Armageddon, many will come to Christ.  New Believers; new Christian’s will now be on the earth. - You can read about it in  NYOBS 22.02 ARMAGEDDON
• Those that are TAKEN are in the SECOND phase of Christ’s return.  They are the evil people; non-believers and they are KILLED in the FIRST phase of Armageddon.
• Those that are LEFT BEHIND are the NEW Believers who will enter The Millennial Kingdom. – GOOD GRIEF – That is sure NOT what I have been taught.
• NOTE:  It was Noah that was LEFT BEHIND – It was also Lot that was LEFT BEHIND.
• Scripture seems to support that those that are LEFT BEHIND are the good guys.

Luke 17:26-27 – NOAH – LEFT BEHIND – Evil are taken

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. NIV

Luke 17:28-30 – LOT – LEFT BEHIND – Evil are taken

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 sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

NIV

1 Thess 4:13-15 – FIRST Phase of Christ’s return

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, WHO ARE LEFT till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. NIV

1 Thess 4:16-17 – FIRST phase of Christ’s return - RAPTURE

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. NIV

Luke 17:24 – SECOND phase of Christ return – The Evil Taken

24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. NIV

Matt 24:38-41 – One will be taken and the other LEFT BEHIND

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 (Unbelievers) knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and TOOK THEM (unbelievers) 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. NIV

Luke 17:34-35 – Two people in bed – Two women grinding grain.

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."

Luke 17:37 – WHERE WILL THEY BE TAKEN?

37 "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a DEAD body, there the VULTURES will gather." NIV

Rev 19:17-18 – The VULTURES are called at Armageddon.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the BIRDS flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

18 so that you may EAT THE FLESH of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." NIV

So here’s where we are.

This discussion does not negate the Rapture Theology, it only supports that the scriptures

about one taken and the other left is about the earth being purged of evil at the beginning

of the thousand year reign of Christ and the BELIEVERS that are LEFT BEHIND

will be the ones that enter His Millennium Kingdom.

Matt 24:13 – He who endures to the end will be saved

13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. NKJV

In the multitude of counselors,

 there is wisdom.

Prov 11:14

I am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

Bible Almanac; The – Packer – Tenney – White

Dake’s Annotated Bible – F. Dake

Fascinating Bible Facts – Howard & Burger
Girls of the Bible – Harvey Albert Snyder

God’s Arithmetic – Don Kistler

Harpers Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Version Bible – NIV

New International Dictionary of Bible – Douglas - Tenney

New World College Dictionary- Webster’s

Theomatics – Jerry Lucas

Thru the Bible Commentary – J. Vernon McGee

Victor Journey through the Bible – Beers

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Who’s Who and Where’s Where – Stephen M. Miller

Why do Catholics do that? – Kevin Orlin Johnson