Ⅱ
If we lose our soul-life, we may participate in the rapture of the overcomers — 17:26-36; 21:34-36:
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In order to participate in the rapture of the overcomers so that we may enjoy the Lord’s parousia (presence, coming) and escape the great tribulation, we must overcome the stupefying effect of man’s living today — 17:26-30:
１
The conditions of evil living that stupefied the generation of Noah before the deluge and the generation of Lot before the destruction of Sodom portray the perilous condition of man’s living before the Lord’s parousia and the great tribulation — Matt. 24:3, 21.
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As followers of the Lord Jesus, we need to overcome the stupefying effect of the world’s indulgent living by losing our soul-life in this age — Luke 17:31-33.
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Preserving the soul-life is related to lingering in the earthly and material things — vv. 31, 33:
１
We linger in the earthly things because we care for our soul’s enjoyment in the present age — cf. 2 Tim. 4:10.
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Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt because she took a lingering look backward at Sodom, indicating that she loved and treasured the evil world that God was going to judge and utterly destroy — Luke 17:32:
ａ
She was rescued from Sodom, but she did not reach the safe place that Lot reached — Gen. 19:15-30.
ｂ
Although she did not perish, she was not fully saved, but, like the salt that becomes tasteless (Luke 14:34-35), she was left in a place of shame; this is a solemn warning to the world-loving believers — 1 John 2:15-17, 28.
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Lingering in the earthly things for the sake of our soul’s enjoyment will cause us to lose our soul; that is, our soul will suffer the loss of its enjoyment in the coming kingdom age — Luke 17:33.
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Luke 17:31-36 speaks of our reaction to the rapture call:
１
These verses depict the soul-life in its engagement not with sinful things but with the things of earth; the Lord’s charge here is related to the believers’ overcoming in their practical life — vv. 34-36.
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Whether or not the living believers participate in the rapture of the overcomers depends on their reaction to the call to go; the rapture will occur secretly and unexpectedly — v. 31:
ａ
This call will not produce a miraculous last-minute change in us that has no relation to our previous life with the Lord.
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In that moment we will discover our heart’s real treasure; if this treasure is the Lord Himself, there will be no backward look — v. 32.
ｃ
We need the cross to work in us a thorough detachment in spirit from everything and everyone other than the Lord Himself — v. 31.
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Certain ones are taken because they have overcome the stupefying effect of self-indulgent living in this age to be raptured into the enjoyment of the Lord’s parousia — vv. 26-30, 34-36.
Morning Nourishment
Luke 17:32-34 Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his soul-life will lose it, and whoever loses it will preserve it alive. I tell you, In that night there will be two on one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left.Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt because she took a lingering, backward look at Sodom. That look indicated that she loved and treasured the evil world which God was about to judge and utterly destroy. She was rescued from Sodom, but she did not reach the safe place that Lot reached (Gen. 19:15-30). She did not perish; neither was she fully saved. Like the salt which becomes tasteless (Luke 14:34-35), she was left in a place of suffering shame. This is a solemn warning to world-loving believers.
If we love the Lord and are warned by the case of Lot’s wife, we shall not care for material things or set our hearts on them. Instead of preserving our soul by loving material things, we shall be filled up with Christ as the heavenly air. Then we shall rise in rapture. (Life-study of Luke, pp. 336-337)
Today’s Reading
In Luke 17:34 and 35 the rapture of the overcoming believers is revealed. It will occur secretly and unexpectedly, at night to some believers who are sleeping and in the daytime to some sisters grinding at home and to some brothers working in the field. They are chosen because they have overcome the stupefying effect of this age.In 14:25-35 the Savior charges us to pay the price insofar as we are able that we may follow Him. In 16:1-13 He charges us to overcome mammon so that we may serve Him prudently as a faithful steward. Here in 17:22-37 He charges us to overcome the stupefying effect of self-indulgent living in this age so that we may be raptured into the enjoyment of His parousia (presence, coming). These charges are all related to overcoming in the believers’ practical living.
In both 17:34 and 35 the Lord says that “the one will be taken.” The Greek word for taken literally means “taken with.” This word denotes the rapture of the overcomers, who do not preserve their soul life by loving the worldly things of this age. Those who are taken in this way will be raptured before the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), which will be a severe trial upon the whole inhabited earth (Rev. 3:10). To be thus raptured is to be kept out of the hour of trial which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth (Rev. 3:10).
The words “grinding” in Luke 17:35 and “in the field” in Matthew 24:40 signify working for a living. Although the believers should not be stupefied by the necessities of this life, they need to work for a living. Any thought of giving up proper work for a living is another extreme of Satan’s tactics.
In Luke 17:34-36 we see that some who are sleeping will be raptured in the night, and some sisters grinding and some brothers farming will be raptured in the day. Here we see that the rapture will involve saints who are in different places at different times. When the rapture takes place, some will be raptured in the night, and others will be raptured in the day, depending on where they live on earth. Perhaps the saints in the Far East will be raptured in the night, and the saints in the West will be raptured in the day.
In these verses we see that not all those who are sleeping, grinding, or farming will be raptured. This indicates that not all the believers will be raptured at once. The Lord says that two will be on one bed, and one will be taken and the other will be left. The same will be true of two grinding at the same place and of two laboring in the field. In each case, the one who is left may not know the whereabouts of the one who has been taken. This is the rapture of the watchful believers. (Life-study of Luke, pp. 338-339)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” ch. 4; Life-study of Revelation, msg. 29; CWWL, 1955, vol. 2, pp. 31-34