The popular “left behind” theory suggests that people left behind are somehow those who are sinful and rebellious against God. They will not escape but are left behind, while the righteous are whisked away, so the idea goes. It is a teaching from dispensational theology. Yet Matthew 24:36-44 suggests the exact opposite to this viewpoint. The analogy in the Olivet Discourse compares those taken away with those who were swept away in Noah’s flood. In that case, those who were condemned were taken away and only the righteous were left behind. Rather than the righteous escaping by being taken away, the natural reading of this passage is the exact opposite of the “left behind” theories. The problem with prophetic theories is that they are inadequate. God gives enough clues to encourage hope, but leaves enough out to stimulate faith.
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