Advent 1A - Additional Thoughts - Secret Rapture?

Nazarene eschatology is pretty broad and non-dogmatic. Our Article of Faith pretty much states that Christ will Return, and that those who are found in Him will be caught up for a meeting in the air. We don't state where the saints will go after the meeting (to Heaven? or back to earth?), and we don't have any doctrine regarding raptures or great tribulations.

XV. Second Coming of Christ

19. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord.

(Matthew 25:31-46; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:26-28; 2 Peter 3:3-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:7-20)

I'm sure that this brings about great consternation to those who have purchased and read all of the Left Behind series, as well as others who have been brought up learning about the rapture and the great tribulation.

This week's passage is a classic text which is used by proponents of the Secret Rapture. However, a closer look might show otherwise... as Paul Nuechterlein points out.

Exegetical Notes

1. Matthew 24:38-39: "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man." The Greek word for "swept away," airo, more generally means "take up," "carry away," or "remove." It occurs 19 times in Matthew. In other words, it has a similar meaning as that of being taken up in the rapture, though it does often have more violent connotations. In other words, couldn't we say that according to this verse those in the flood experience a kind of rapture, being carried away in it? Which would mean that it was only Noah and his family who were left behind after the flood waters receded.

2. The Greek word for "the coming" of the Son of Man in 24:39 is parousia.

3. Matthew 24:40-41: "Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left." The Greek word for "taken" in these two verses is paralambano (16 occurrences in Matt.). The word for "left" is aphiemi, the meaning of which the Friborg Lexicon says:

(1) send off or away, let go (MT 27.50); (2) as a legal technical term divorce (1C 7.11); (3) abandon, leave behind (MT 26.56); (4) of duty and obligation reject, set aside, neglect (MK 7.8); (5) of toleration let go, leave in peace, allow (MK 11.6); (6) of sins or debts forgive, pardon, cancel (LU 7.47); (7) give or utter a loud cry (MK 15.37).
What a range of meanings! From "leave behind" to "forgive"! Is it just a coincidence that the word for left behind here is also the word for forgive?

In other words...who is 'left behind' at the Return of Christ? Is it those destined for eternal destruction?

Or, just like Noah was 'left in peace/forgiven' at the time of the flood, will it be those who are found in Christ that will be 'left behind' at the second coming, and the others will be taken away?

Interesting questions. I won't address them in my sermon, but they are questions worthy of further study at a later date.