PEOPLE ARE FOOLISHLY FOLLOWING THE JESUITS AND THE BELIEF "JOHN NELSON DARBY" A 19th-CENTURY THEOLOGIAN, AND NOT THE WORDS WRITTEN IN THE HOLY BIBLE: JESUS SAID FOR HIS BELIEVERS NOT TO BE DECEIVED!!!
GUESS WHAT? MANY ARE DECEIVED!!!
One Taken, One Left
Do you get the phrase "left behind" from: "So shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:39-40)?
If so, note that there Jesus is referring to the same "coming of the Son of man" as when he says "immediately after the tribulation of those days... they shall see the Son of man coming" (Matthew 24:29-30). Jesus isn't teaching a 3rd coming. Note that he is speaking to the same believers, the same "ye," in Matthew 24:15 that he is speaking to in Matthew 24:42.
In the pre-trib view, how will "one taken, one left" be a secret pre-trib rapture and not an event at the revelation of Jesus, when "even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed... Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Luke 17:30, 36)?
I believe that the ones "taken" at the 2nd coming are unbelievers who are killed, just as Noah's flood "took" evil men away (Matthew 24:39-40), and that the carcasses of the ones "taken" are eaten by eagles and other birds (Luke 17:36-37, Job 39:30, Matthew 24:28, Revelation 19:21).
I believe the ones "left" at the 2nd coming (Matthew 24:40, Zechariah 14:16) will be survivors of the heathen nations that came against Jerusalem, who will be forced to worship Jesus in the millennium (Zechariah 14:16-18), and whom we will rule "with a rod of iron" during that time (Revelation 2:26-29, 5:9-10, 20:4). They will be the ones who will populate the millennium.
The ones "gathered together" at Jesus' 2nd coming are his elect (2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:31). So I believe Christians won't be the ones "taken" or the ones "left," but the ones "gathered together."
No Unbelievers Left?
"It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-19). Would Christians refuse to come up to worship Christ? Would Christians be referred to as heathen? Will Christ be smiting Christians with drought and plague?
"I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:8-9). Will Christ be dashing Christians in pieces with a rod of iron?
"Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:3-4). Would Christians be referred to as Christ's enemies?
REVELATION 19:21
Revelation 19:21 says "the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse." I believe this refers to the remnant of the "armies, gathered together to make war against him" (Revelation 19:19), and not to every last unbeliever on the earth.
Note that at the 2nd coming, it doesn't say that every unbeliever on the earth will be in the armies gathered around Jerusalem, for there will be men and women all around the world "left" alive in bed and working in the field and grinding at the mill who aren't taken to where the birds will eat the carcasses of the ones taken (Luke 17:36-37; Matthew 24:28; Job 39:30; Revelation 19:21). I believe they are "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16).
JEREMIAH 25:33
Note that in the context of Jeremiah 25:33, the Lord refers to "the sword which I will send" to desolate ancient Israel and "all the inhabitants of the earth" (Jeremiah 25:16-29) through "Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon" (Jeremiah 25:9), "the oppressor" that would make them all desolate (Jeremiah 25:38). So it's possible that Jeremiah 25:33 may refer to what happened in ancient times.
Even if we required that Jeremiah 25:33 also picture the 2nd coming, note that the Hebrew word (erets) translated as "earth" in Jeremiah 25:33 is translated as "land" in Jeremiah 25:9, 11, 12, 13, 20, 38. So it's possible that Jeremiah 25:33 could refer to the entire land (erets) of Israel where the armies of the earth will be slain by the Lord at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:21).
Note that at the 2nd coming there will be men and women all around the world "left" alive in bed and working in the field and grinding at the mill who aren't taken to where the birds will eat the carcasses of the ones taken (Luke 17:36-37; Matthew 24:28; Job 39:30; Revelation 19:21). I believe they are "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16).
ALL DESTROYED AS IN FLOOD?
Note that in Luke 17 and Matthew 24, the parallel point between the 2nd coming on the one hand and Noah's flood and Sodom's destruction on the other, can't be the destruction of all the wicked, but rather their obliviousness to the disaster that was about to come upon them, for unlike the flood, which "took them ALL away" (Matthew 24:39), at the 2nd coming not all will be taken away, but "one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40).
ALL MARK-TAKERS DESTROYED?
I agree one cannot take the mark and ever be saved (Revelation 14:9-10), but is there a verse which requires that all those who take the mark be slain at the 2nd coming?
DESCENDANTS?
Note that it doesn't say their descendants, but "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16), that is, every heathen survivor of the 2nd coming: "the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:18). Note that verses 16-18 neither say or any way require verse 16 to be an entirely-saved generation or verses 17-18 to be ONLY successive generations.
WILL PEOPLE REALLY BE FORCED TO WORSHIP JESUS IN THE MILLENIUM?
"It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-19).
"Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:3-4).
"I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little" (Psalm 2:8-12).
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Isaiah 45:22-23).
"God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
CAN WE FORCE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP TODAY?
I believe that church rulers do have the power to expel evildoers from the assembly: "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1 Corinthians 5:13). But is there a verse which says they should kill them?
I believe that only political rulers have received power from God to execute evildoers, "for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Romans 13:4); "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers" (1 Peter 2:13-14).
I don't believe that any political ruler who executes evildoers according to Romans 13:4 is necessarily an antichrist, for John defines an antichrist as one who "denieth that Jesus is the Christ" (1 John 2:22) and "denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22) and "confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7).
I don't believe that Titus 1:16 refers to antichrists but to hypocrites. I don't believe that any political ruler who executes evildoers according to Romans 13:4 is necessarily "abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).
I believe Romans 13:4 applies to any government that punishes those who are evildoers in the sight of God.
I believe we should obey any government as long as our obedience to it would not cause us to disobey God himself.
God himself will pour out his wrath on those who refuse to worship him and who worship the Antichrist: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:9-11).
