Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:32)
This phrase "remember Lot's wife" is not found in Matthew 24 but in a parallel passage of bible text in Luke 17.
To understand this phrase, we need to understand the verses that are surrounding this phrase, and that is about the "days of Noah".
The background or pre-text of this phrase is about the "days of Noah".
Mat 24:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat 24:40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
Mat 24:41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
Mat 24:42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
See also Luke 17:26-32.
Luk 17:26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
Luk 17:27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
Luk 17:29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all,
Luk 17:30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Luk 17:31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
The context of "days of Noah" is still within the conversation of Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus has not changed topic in the midst of His conversation with His disciples. Jesus was not switching timeline and meant it to be a future event of a few thousand years to come. Jesus is still in the timeline of "this generation shall not pass away", and this generation shall witness all these events. Nothing has changed in terms of timeline, audience and context.
Jesus used a comparison of the "days of Lot" with the "days of Noah".
In the "days of Lot", God led Lot and his family away from the destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
In the "days of Noah", God led Noah and his family away from the flood that came and swept everyone away.
This was the example of Jesus to his audience that God will lead them away from the destruction that is coming upon Jerusalem in AD70.
Note: Some futurists interpret these "days of Lot and Noah" as examples of a future event when Jesus will come again a second time and take everyone away. That is wrong interpretation. Firstly, it is not about a future event that is going to happen. Secondly, God did not take Lot and Noah out of the world that they lived in. God led them out of the destruction, but not out of the world.
In fact, Jesus prayed to the Father, that His disciples will NOT be taken away or out of the world.
Joh 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
Jesus is preparing them that just like the flood that took all away, so it shall be on that day.
In the days of Noah, they were living normal lives, eating, drinking, marrying, given in marriage etc.
It doesn't mean that they were in debauchery (excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, and other bodily pleasures).
Wrong contemporary teaching.
Some bible teachers say that in our future, just like during the days of Noah and Lot, the people will be in excessive indulgence, and then Jesus will suddenly come and take the believers away. They interpret it as a sign of the timing of the Second Coming of Jesus in the future.
But Jesus never meant it that way in Matthew 24 and Luke 17.
Jesus meant that the people at the times of Noah and Lot were just living normal lives that's all. Normal in their routine of eating, drinking, raising their families etc. The people who perished had no apprehension (anxiety or fear that something bad is going to happen) that they knew of a flood or destruction that was coming soon.
Consider this issue of marriage (Matthew 24:38; Luke 17:27).
Before the flood and destruction came upon the people, they were having marriage plans. They were not expecting any disaster coming.
However, Paul dealt with this issue of marriage in view of the coming destruction of Jerusalem.
1Co 7:25 Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
1Co 7:26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.
Paul suggested to those who were about to get married, not to marry, because of the "present distress".
Why? What was the "present distress"?
Paul was speaking to the believers that were undergoing persecution. They were about to be invaded by the Roman army, and the destruction upon their beloved city Jerusalem was imminent, so in view of that, it is better to put off getting married. (Compare this with what Jesus said about the rest of the others who were indifferent, and were marrying and giving into marriage).
Paul continued in 1 Corinthians 7:27-28
1Co 7:27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
1Co 7:28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.
Paul was referring to their particular dangerous circumstances. Paul was not saying generally that marriage is not good.
Their current situation is so stressful that there is going to be lots of trouble in their physical world, and they might lose their spouse or love ones that were caught up in the coming destruction.
1Co 7:29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,
Verse 29 says that "the time is short". There is coming a particular day of great tribulation and disaster, and that event is coming very soon.
1Co 7:30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,
Verse 30 is preparing them to take heed that there are more important issues at hand as compared to marriage plans. These issues will result in their salvation from the wrath that is coming upon the Jews.
1Co 7:31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
Verse 31 says "the present form of this world is passing away". That means their way of life is coming to an end. It is going to be hard on them. Paul is discouraging the unmarried Jews to stay unmarried to spare them of the difficult hardship.
So when you read 1 Corinthians 7:25-31, you will see that it is in line with what Jesus meant about people getting married in Matthew 24:39.
Jesus and Paul is not against getting married, but discourages it because they have so little time left till the destruction. The judgement is coming very soon and they will go through a very present distress.
The future disappearing act?
Futurists and dispensationalists teach that there will be a last days coming and there will be a rapture as according to Matthew 24:40-42.
They claim that in the future "last days" that is coming, one will be taken, and the other left. One will be gone, and the other is still working.
They have even produced very dramatic disaster-themed movies that show how some pilots will disappear, and then the planes will nosedive into disastrous results. Parents will disappear. Important people will disappear, and then worldwide disaster will take place. They claimed that this judgement is going to happen to planet earth.
Futurists and dispensationalists have always through the past years been proven wrong. They are using scriptures to wrongly fit into their wrong theology. Sad, that the modern religious churches have followed onto this wrong path. They preached that 50% of the people are going to die because of this rapture. This is called taking the verses out of Context, and misunderstanding the historical timeline.
Also, Jesus was referring to the last days of the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem, and not referring to our future event of a great judgement to come. Jesus did not speak to an audience and warned them of a great tribulation that will not happen during their time. What is the point? They will be long dead by then. This is called wrong interpretation with regards to audience relevance.
Now, let's consider the "days of Lot". This is found in the parallel passage of Luke 17:28, and not in Matthew.
Right after Jesus spoke about the "days of Noah" in verse 27, He spoke about the "days of Lot" in verse 28.
Luk 17:28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
Luk 17:29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all.
Verse 28 and 29 is related to the coming of the Son of Man in judgement on Jerusalem.
Rapture? What rapture?
In the story of Noah and the flood, and the story of Lot and Sodom, you will notice that Noah and Lot were not raptured away out of this world, prior to the judgements. Righteous Lot was encouraged to leave the city prior to its judgement. Lot got out, but Lot's sons-in-laws, stayed behind (See Genesis 19:14), and died in the judgement.
Similarly, when Jesus told His disciples about the coming judgement that took place in AD70, He was not promising them about rapturing them out, but instead they should flee the city, and flee the judgement. See Matthew 24:17; Mark 13:15 and Luke 17:31.
Remember Lot's wife
However, this phrase "remember Lot's wife" is only found in Luke 17:32, and not in Matthew or Mark.
Qn: Why this phrase "remember Lot's wife"? What is the significance?
Some motivators have used this verse to instill vision and motion in people to move forward and not look backwards. However, Jesus did not meant this verse to be used in this way.
An: This verse should be interpreted in its historical context. When Lot's wife looked back, she didn't really want to leave the city. As a result she died. That's it. Not any deep meaning into it.
So Jesus said it to His disciples, as a warning to them, not to us, but to that generation of believers, that they should not linger but flee. They should not delay like Lot's wife and died. So when the destruction begin, don't drag their feet and delay or put off fleeing. Just get out of there. Don't look back and don't leave their heart or mind behind.
This verse should be read just as it is and not spiritualized into a motivation message.
A spiritualized meaning of "remember Lot's wife"
However, if you want to spiritualize the verse Luke 17:32, then it should be, that our heart should be cut off from the Mosaic system, and don't let your heart go back to that old covenant. Don't ever consider it and look back, because that was what Lot's wife did and it cost her life. If you delay you will not make it. If you hesitate you may die.
Jesus added in Matthew 24:43, 44.
Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Mat 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
This was the warning from Jesus to His disciples to be on guard, and watch out, be ready, time is short. The judgement is going to happen very soon and it will be within their generation.
It was not a warning to us about a future event that is going to happen 2000, 3000, or 4000 years in our future. That is wrong teaching.
It was a warning to the Jews that it was going to happen in a very short while within their timeline. The calamity is coming upon the Jews, and they are to flee to the mountains. Make haste, do not look back, and do not delay, but to escape quickly, and to remember that by delaying Lot's wife lost her life.
Additional note from a commentary of John Gill on why Lot's wife looked back:
[ Remember Lot's wife: whose name by the Jews, is said to be Adith, or Irith, and who, they also say was a native of Sodom; and that the reason of her looking, was either to see what would be the end of her father's house and family; or as others, because her heart yearned after her daughters, and she looked back to see if they followed her; upon which she became a pillar of salt, Gen 19:26. ]
Extra reading on: what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? (The historical location of Gomorrah was just a short distance away from Gomorrah, and that their histories were connected).
