One 'Taken' the Other 'Left'

There are two other phrases that we need to consider to fully understand the parallel passages concerning:

'one taken and the other left.'

Matt 24:40,41; Luke 17: 34-36
'Wheresoever the carcase/body/corpse is, there will the eagles be gathered together.'
Matt 24:28; Luke 17:37
'...whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.'
Matt 10:39, 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24, 17:33; John 12:25

The question to be answered is what happens to the one 'taken' and to the one 'left'. The word 'taken' in the Greek
is paralambano. Thayer's Greek Dictionary defines it, "to take with one's self, an associate, companion, to accept or
acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be". Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words is as follows,
"'besides it's meaning "to receive," it denotes "to take to (or with) oneself," of "taking" a wife'." Christ is preparing to take a
bride!' The word 'left' is the Greek word aphiemi. Thayer's definition is, " to send away, to bid going away or depart, of a
husband divorcing his wife, abandon leave destitute, to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual
claims are abandoned". We need to be mindful that these passages are written to believers. And the very serious
matter that is being stated here, is that not all of the blood bought believers today will spend eternity with Christ. This is a
very grave matter.
These definitions for 'taken' agree with the phrase, 'whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it'. John's gospel
states it more clearly, '...he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.' Plainly, to be slain for the Lord's
sake or the gospel's, martyrdom, will grant unto the perfected saints eternal life. Which leads us to the third phrase, '...
wheresoever the carcase/body/corpse is, the eagles will be gathered.' Job 39:29,30 is key and brings our understanding
into clearer focus. Eagles eat flesh; animal or human, fresh or freshly slain. They eat fish, rodents, other birds, roadkill
and carrion. Even the bodies of soldiers slain on the battlefield are consumed till the corpses can be put in the ground.
So lets look at what Job 39 tells us concerning the eagles.
Job 39: KJV Key word is slain
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29 From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Now lets go back and take a look at Luke 17:33-37.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
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.
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.
Putting all this together, we understand that in the days of great tribulation, which is the period of the 7th trumpet, those
that are conformed to the image of Christ in character, in charity (love), will be willing to follow Christ through death.
Charity is the bond of perf ectness. Christ is the author and finisher (perfecter) of our faith. Scripture tells us that there are
those that are appointed to die, those wholly willing in the day of His power. So we're looking for a large mass of dead
bodies in scripture and we find them in chapters 14, 15, & 20 of Revelation. They are concealed in the word harvest in
chapter 14. They are the victors over the beast in Rev 15:2. And they are the witnesses of Jesus and the word of God
that were beheaded and had NOT worshipped the beast in Rev 20:4. (Matt 24:29; Mark 13:19,24; Luke 21:22; 1Cor 13:3;
Col 3:14; Heb 12:2; Psa 79:2,10,11; Psa 110:3)
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Looking at the contents of chapter 14; what will happen to those that worship the beast and his image is described in
verses 9-11, the 'Warning', if you will. That is immediately followed with the 'patience of the saints' declared. A very
significant 'blessing' is pronounced on them in verse 13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Verse 14, the scene changes
and one like the Son of man is sitting on a cloud with a sharp sickle in his hand and an angel tells him to thrust in his sickle
and reap for the 'harvest' of the earth is ripe. James 5:7, '...Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of
the earth,...' That word precious is defined as valuable, costly, honored, esteemed, beloved, dear, had in reputation. The
harvest is gathered into the barn according to Matt 13:30. Tares or weeds are not gathered into the barn they are
burned. Verse 16, '...the earth was reaped.' Six verses later we see the harvest that has gotten the victory over the
beast and his image and his mark and the number of his name standing on the sea of glass in heaven, which is before
the throne of God. These are those that refused to worship the beast. So how did they get there? Revelation 20: 4
answers that question. '...and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of
God, and which had NOT worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. These were slain, martyred, for the sake of
Christ and the gospel.

This is not a sad event, but one of rejoicing for they have overcome! We never hear anyone speaking about Solomon's
temple and the changes that were made from the tabernacle in the wilderness, except for the order of worship that David
instituted. However, there are most interesting differences that we read about in 1Kings 7 and 2Chron 4. That pertinent to
this study is there are, now, ten lavers for the washing of the meat for sacrifice and those lavers are on wheels or carts.
Five are on the north side of the temple and five on the south. We, also, see a huge brass bowl or pool about fourteen feet
in diameter and seven feet deep. Its the size of a small swimming pool today.

This was filled with water and was for the

priests to wash in. 2Chr 4:6 And it was called
'the sea'. It was placed in the south east portion
of the court. So when we see those that had
gotten the victory over the beast ...standing on the
sea of glass, we know that they are now holding
the position of priests. This is confirmed in
Revelation 20:6.
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Revelation 20:
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Concerning the one 'left'; he will lose his eternal life for he will not be taken as a companion by the Lord. He will have
decided to worship the beast - to keep this body alive a short while longer. The 7th trumpet period lasts only 3 years. Its
a short time. Fear of death, beheading, and concern for the provision of loved ones will most likely be the most common
reasons that believers will lose their eternal salvation. This is brought out more clearly in John 12:25 He that loveth his
life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Regarding the life of this flesh will
result in a loss of eternal life with the Lord. It, also, lets us know that; once saved, always saved is error. Its not what the
Bible teaches. If we lack the perfection in charity we wont make it, either. The love of Christ, is brought out in 1Cor 13:3
and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. The way ahead is narrow and few

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there will be that find it.
Revelation 22:
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,
If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,
and from the things which are written in this book.

Copyright 2017 Rebecca L. Jackson. All rights reserved.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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module. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs. Thayer's Greek Definitions module. Joseph Henry
Thayer. Websters Dictionary of the American Language (1828) module. Noah Webster.

In the beginning was the Word, abbreviated the Word. 2003-2012. Version 4.0.01342. Costas Stergiou.
http//:theword.net. Vine's Expository of New Testament Words module. 1940. William Edwy Vine.

Bible-Discovery version 4.7. Zsido Miklos. http://bible-discovery.com/. Vine's Expository of Old Testament Words.
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All Bible text is the King James Version, which is in the public domain in the USA, unless otherwise stated.