There are Bible verses that do appear to suggest that some will be taken without notice to heaven and we will not know of it until we realize that they are missing. Let us examine these verses.

Matthew 24:40, 41

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luke 17:34–36

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. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

The first thing to note is that in both passages a comparison is being made between, Noah and the flood, Lot in Sodom, and the second coming of Christ.

According to the Google online dictionary, a comparison is a consideration between two things with ‘the quality of being similar or equivalent’, so, how do we identify a comparison between two things? If we look at Luke 17:26 it tells us that “as” the days of Noe, so shall it be in the last days. The word “as”is unmistakably telling us that it is a comparison and since contained in a comparison is the quality of being similar or equivalent then what happened in Noah’s day will in a similar way take place at the end of time.

Let's compare,

Matthew 24:37 - 42

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; 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. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

If we look carefully at the comparison it is the wicked that is taken away and it is the righteous that are left. The wicked were caught unaware. This is a comparison, so we must pay attention to detail, the verse says, “The flood came and took them all away”. It also says “So shall also the coming of the Son of man be”.

The next word is crucial, “Then”. We have to understand the verses that come after in light of what we were told about Noah. There are two in a field, it is the wicked one that is taken away and the righteous is left. Two women are grinding, it is the wicked woman that is taken away, and the righteous is left. This is consistent with what happened in Noah’s day.

This is also confirmed in the parable given by Jesus about the wheat and the tares.

Matthew 13:30

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The tares representing the wicked, those that hate God were taken away first and the righteous remained. It was the tears that were taken away. In the time of Noah, Noah and his family were not taken away secretly. The wicked knew that they were in the ark. The wicked recognized their failure in the rejection of God’s Word but it was too late.

If we consider the description given in Luke 17:26–36, Luke compares the experience of Lot to that of Noah, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot”. Just as the wicked were destroyed by a flood in Noah’s day, the wicked were destroyed by fire in Lot’s day. The wicked were taken away and Lot remained. When Christ comes the wicked will be destroyed and the righteous will remain.

This will be no secret. Let us consider the events, Lot warned his relatives of the coming destruction, but they did not heed the warning, when he came out of sodom those that were in sodom were destroyed shortly after. They were not left to continue in their sin. When the righteous leave this earth the wicked will not be living continuing in sin. They will be dead. While the righteous are preserved the wicked will be struck down.

This is how the coming of Christ will be.

When Christ comes there will be two classes of people on the earth. One will be taken away, ( wicked ) the other left ( righteous ). Two women grinding one wicked, one righteous. Two persons in a field, one wicked, one righteous. This ideology of two classes of people on the earth, when Christ comes, runs through the Bible.

The Bible is full of parallels so let’s examine a few. Luke 17:34, two men in a bed, now what does a bed represent; sleep, do you remember the ten virgins Matthew 25:1–13? All ten slept but those who were wise or righteous were ready to meet the bridegroom and they were preserved while the foolish or wicked virgins were taken away by destruction.

Luke 17:35, two women are grinding, they are working, in prophecy what does a woman represent, a church, Revelation 12 and 17? A pure woman a pure church as in Revelation 12 and a harlot represents an apostate church.

So applying the parallelism from the days of Noah and Lot.

The apostate church, the harlot, will be taken away by destruction and the true church the pure woman will be left preserved by God.

Luke 17:36, two men in a field, can we see any significance in this. Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

We see here just as two men are in the field together the wheat and the tares will grow in the field together but at the harvest, the tares are taken away and burned and the wheat is left and preserved. One man is taken the tare and the other is left the wheat. So we see here that once we apply the comparison we can get the full meaning of these passages. Its meaning cannot be based on just one text in isolation but must be examined in its proper context in relation to the chapter as a whole.

We all go to heaven together…

Hebrews 11:37–40

“They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Perfect in this sense means: to make perfect, complete, to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end, add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full, to bring to the end (goal) proposed, bring to a close or fulfilment by an event. They won’t experience the end without us and we won’t experience the end without them.

We are almost done, to summarize what these bible verses are telling us is that in the day of our Lord there will only be two classes of people, the wicked and the righteous that’s why Matthew 24:42 admonishes us to watch therefore because we don’t know what hour our Lord cometh.

To watch is to be alert, awake, and aware. Let us be vigilant.

Is the rapture a secret?