The phrase “two will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left” is something Jesus said concerning the time just before His return to earth.  It is found in both Matthew 24:40 and Luke 17:36.

Mat 24:40  Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

Luk 17:36  Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

What did Jesus mean by one will be taken?  Taken to a place of safety, “raptured” away somewhere, or something else?

Let’s take a closer look at the context of these Scriptures to find out.  In both Matthew 24 and Luke 17 Jesus tells us what conditions on earth will be like immediately before His return.  Let’s look at Matthew 24 first.

Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

There is a similarity between the days of Noah and the days when the Son of Man comes.  The next verses explain what the similarity is.

Mat 24:38  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
Mat 24:39  and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In the days of Noah, just before disaster struck people, people were living their lives as normal, until the flood took them away.  In like manner, immediately before Jesus’s return, a similar unexpected disaster will befall people as they are living their normal lives.

Mat 24:40  Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Mat 24:41  Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

What does this mean?  The preceding verses, 37-39, explain that “will be taken” means will lose one’s life.  The sudden loss of life that happened in Noah’s day will happen again immediately before the return of Jesus Christ.

Mat 24:42  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

Therefore, we should watch and make sure we are always spiritually ready.

The other account is in Luke 17. Let’s look at the preceding verses.

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

Again, there is a similarity between the days of Noah and the days when the Son of Man comes.  The next verses explain what the similarity is.

Luk 17:27  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

The people in Noah’s day were living their lives as normal until disaster struck.

Luk 17:28  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
Luk 17:29  but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Likewise, the people in Sodom in Lot’s day were living their lives as normal until disaster struck.

Luk 17:30  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

It will be the same when Jesus Christ returns.  People will be living their lives as normal when disaster will strike.

Luk 17:31  “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
Luk 17:32  Remember Lot’s wife.
Luk 17:33  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Luk 17:34  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luk 17:35  Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
Luk 17:36  Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

The preceding verses, 26-30, make is clear that “will be taken” means will lose one’s life.  Perhaps the disciples didn’t fully understand this, or perhaps they just wanted clarification, because they asked Jesus, “Where?”

Luk 17:37  And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Sometimes people want to read all sorts of things into this enigmatic verse, which is completely unwarranted because its meaning is quite clear based on the context.  “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together” is a figure of speech.  Eagles, although predators, are opportunistic scavengers.  If they see a carcass, they will fly down to it for a free meal.  In other words, the gathering of eagles shows there is a carcass nearby.  So Jesus’s reply, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together” can be taken figuratively to mean, it will be obvious where they will be taken if you look for the signs.  It can also be taken more literally. There will be dead bodies all over the place; just look for gathering eagles if you want to know exactly where.