Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 24:40

"Then shall two man be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:" — Matthew 24:40 (ASV)

The one shall be taken—Literally, the present tense is used to express the certainty of the future: one is taken, and one is left. The expression itself is somewhat unclear, making it uncertain which of the two outcomes applies to the chosen ones. Is the person who is “taken” received into fellowship with Christ while the other is abandoned? Or is that person carried away by the storm of judgment while the other is set free?

On the whole, the use of the Greek word in other passages (for example, in Matthew 1:20; Matthew 1:24; Matthew 12:45; John 1:11; John 14:3) favors the first interpretation. In any case, the teaching is that the day of judgment will inevitably be a day of separation. This separation will be based on the diversity of character that can exist even amid the closest earthly relationships.