Remember Lots wife. Luke 17:32
The divine authorship and factual,literal,correctness of the book of Genesis is attested by our Lord quoting and referring to it - e.g. in the case of marriage/remarriage, the account of creation as male and female in the beginning is referenced (Matt 19:8, Mark 10:6). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the flood of Noah is similarly attested by reference in the verses in Luke from where we get our text above. This time it points to being similar to a future, predicted, sudden and unexpected, but richly deserved calamity - the day of the Son of Man!
In this context, just a single line in the Book of Genesis ( Gen 19:26 "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" ) suddenly assumes a lot(!) more significance... because our Lord picks it out!
Her fate was the consequence of disobeying a direct command - Gen 19:17 "So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! ---Do not look behind you--- nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” She did this, not when they were leaving the city ( as in most depictions of this event ) , but once they were safe in the nearby city of Zoar.
So why are we asked to remember her ?
In Matthew 24:15, there is a warning to run and not pause to do anything when the temple is defiled with an "Abomination of Desolation". This defilement signals the beginning of a period of persecution of the faithful for a period of time - a period of great tribulation. There is an urgency about running away when this happens and not pausing to take anything that is communicated... but this may not be what the command addresses.
This tribulation is followed (Matt 24:29)by a glorious appearing of Christ, at which time His angels gather His elect together. This is a gathering of people by angels prior to the wrath of God being unleashed on the earth - very similar to what happened to Lot!!! Not every one makes it ( one taken, one left ) - and this may be why we are commanded --- not to look back!!!!!!
Yes, the elect go through the Great Tribulation, but they are saved from the sudden wrath of God! We are to hide, and patiently work through the tribulation, but when Christ suddenly appears, are to go with Him and the Angels and not look back. What will happen is not going to be pretty, and we are not to indulge our curiosity, or attachment to anyone or anything left behind, lest we share in their fate. A warning of end times planted in Genesis!!!
Matt 24:45-51 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, ---- when he comes, will find so doing. ------Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites."