I suppose it’s about as good a time as any to deal with this popular misinterpretation, given Harold Camping‘s ridiculous prediction that the church will be raptured at 6PM on May 21 (time zone by time zone, no less!). Yet again, the passage in question deals with eschatology (the end times), a subject that has produced more than its share of misinterpreted passages. This particular passage is especially notorious, having provided the title of the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins and spawned several popular CCM songs, most notably Larry Norman‘s “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” covered by DC Talk in the following video:
The passage is found in Matthew 24:40–41 and Luke 17:34–36 (with some variation); we’ll stick to the shorter version in Matthew for simplicity’s sake, though the same concepts that apply here apply equally to Luke. Matthew’s version reads:
Then two men will be in a field: one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.
Popular Misinterpretation
In the fanciful world of Pre-Trib dispensationalist theology, this verse as been interpreted as a reference to the “Rapture of the Church” in which Jesus comes from heaven to “catch up” his church in the air and take them back to heaven with him, leaving the unbelievers behind to suffer the wrath of God, poured out in all its gory goodness for a short but hellish period of time known as the “Great Tribulation” (this framework rests on a host of other misinterpreted passages—most notably Daniel 9:24–27—but we’ll just stick to this one for the time being). According to this interpretation, the fulfillment of Jesus’ words will look something like this:
An old woman sat across the aisle from him, a passed out drunk next to him. He turned form his window and looked at the old woman. She had a pair of cotton nylon blend underpants in one hand and dentures in the other. She stared at Buff in shock.
“Excuse me mister,” she said.
“Yes?” Buff said.
“My Harold,” she said.
“Yes?” Buff said.
“He’s gone. He’s just gone, vanished, disappeared. Could you help me find him?
“I’m afraid that there is going to be no finding him, Ma’am.”
“Why?”
“Has he left all material things behind him? Clothes, dentures, hairpiece?”
“Yes.”
“Then he has finally turned his back on this world of matter and all things evil. He has jumped right out of the corruption that matter entails. he has taken everything essential to his being and left the rest behind. He has reached the enlightened world of forms where there is no jewelry but spiritual jewels, where dentures cannot go, where everyone is naked. He has been Raptured.”
“How do you know?” the woman said.
“I write bad apocalyptic fiction. I know things. Endgames are my game.”
“What is that?” the woman said.
“What?” Buff said.
“That pink thing in Harold’s seat. Right there in his trousers. It’s wet.” Buff looked closely, and was surprised.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid that’s Harold’s appendix. It’s been left behind.”
“Oh, how terrible!” Ma’am said, and she cried herself to sleep.
— Mr. Sock & Nathan Wilson, Right Behind, pp. 18–19.
Essentially, the idea is that (true) Christians will be “taken up” to be with Christ, with the unrighteous “left behind.” One will be taken, one will be left behind, as the passage says. It’s pretty straightforward, right?
Getting it Backwards (again)
Once again, we find that the passage has been interpreted to mean exactly the opposite of what it means in context. As usual, the antidote to bad interpretation is found in the immediately surrounding verses: let’s look at what immediately precedes these two short verses:
“For the coming of the son of man will be just like it was in the days of Noah— just like in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the Ark—and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away [Luke: “destroyed them all”]. The coming of the son of man will be just like that.” (Matt 24:37–39)
Who was “taken” in the days of Noah? It certainly wasn’t the righteous—they stuck around and inherited the earth after God removed the wicked. Jesus explains here that the coming of the son of man will be just like the days of Noah, when the wicked were taken away and the righteous will be left behind. To make this more clear, consider that Matt 24:40–41, which I translated rather traditionally above, is probably better rendered this way:
Then two men will be in a field: one will be seized and one will be released. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be seized and one will be released.
This translation is a bit clearer: it’s better to be in the latter group than the former, better to be “let go” or “released” than “taken” or “seized.” This runs completely counter to the picture in modern imagination, which relies upon the idea that the righteous will be taken and the wicked “left behind” to suffer in the Tribulation. What’s remarkable to me is how ingrained this interpretation has gotten within the Evangelical world, despite it being a relatively new theological perspective with less than 200 years of history and despite the fact that it reads this “proof text” passage to mean the opposite of what it means in context.
Conclusion
Once again, we have found that a passage dealing with eschatology is interpreted to mean the opposite of what it actually says. In this case, we have a passage talking about the destruction of the wicked at the Parousia (Second Coming) that has been creatively transformed into a story about people disappearing and leaving the wicked on earth. Why is this important? Well, for one, a proper reading of these passages is a safeguard against predictions by the likes of Harold Camping and Hal Lindsay, since these predictions consistently rest on misinterpretations of this and other passages. If the foundation is bad, the building is worse.
It also should be understood that these passages are a promise of divine protection, not a promise that God will remove his people from times of trouble—something that quite simply has never been the case. Instead, Jesus promises that God will look after his people through tribulation rather than removing them from troubled times. This is a critical point, as it applies to every generation and not only to that one generation lucky enough to miss out on all the tough stuff (such a theology only works in the prosperous West to begin with). So next time someone asks you if you’ll be “left behind,” answer, “I certainly hope so!”
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“Taken where, Lord?”… “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
-Luke 17:37
It’s a reference to the 586BC temple destruction, the AD70 one would be similar (and it was).
Taken Where?
In an instant everything will change from physical to Spiritual. There we are caught up with Him in Heaven. Heaven is more real than here.
How do i know. In 1985 i went 50′ head over heels down a curb, no helmet (dumb law) recvd 3 fractures to my skull and had brain surgery. Doctors did not think i would live. But. MERCY said no. After a few weeks after brain surgery the Lord took me. I was out of ICU 2.5 weeks. Then one morning as i was laying in bed looking out the door of my room. I did not know where i was or that i was engaged to be married, where i worked, nothing
Next thing I know I’m standong up looking down at myself laying in bed. He showed me 3 things. First all i saw was fire and I was there alive. Great pain and suffering and it was to late. Then i saw myself in a vegetative state. Which to me is worse than death except for what I just saw, death of hell fire. Last i saw all i had done wrong since I was old enough to know better. He showed me years. Then i saw myself back in bed and He said go back. I leaned over putting my hands on my knees, created in His image, and took a good look. Because of all i felt there, being enveloped in Love i had no desire to go back. I stood up and looked at the Spirit behind me and pointing my figure down said I’m not going back. I know what it’s like and I’m not going. I crossed my arms and took 2 steps back and eould not look down.
He let me know in a strong thought: Your going back. I thought right back at Him “I’m not doing it”. Next thong i felt was His hand on my back and He pushed me back. Im headed back to my body, the physical, and there is no wind, since I’m looking at the physical. Now I’m looking back out the door. He let me understand all He just showed me and I thought on it all and i looked up and said Thank you Lord. Immediately the Holy Spirit filled mr from the bottom of my feet to out the top of my head and 50″ to 60″ outside my body i received the filling of the HOLY SPIRIT, more than i can see i am, i received. He healed me and I walked out of the hosp. in 45 days.
Doctor wrote my recovery as miraculous.
Great story. But it of course has zero relevance to what Jesus says here or in Matt 24:29–31.
Your interpretation that the angels “will gather our spirits and leave earthly things, like our bodies” is not in the passage, and it does not cohere with earliest Christian teachings about that passage. That passage is about the angels gathering people to join the messiah in one place, not about going to heaven. Your description basically amounts to angels showing up and killing everyone, with their spirits winding up in heaven. This passage, however, says the people themselves will be gathered together in accordance with the prophecies that the people of God will join the messiah together in Jerusalem.
Hi Jason,
With all due respect, I do not believe you have considered the evidence for the other interpertation, and you have misunderstood the Greek as well as its context. See my argumentation here:
https://www.alankurschner.com/2012/12/04/matthew-2437-41-one-will-be-taken-and-one-left/
Thanks,
Alan
P.S. Citing the “left Behind” movie is a distraction. The reality is that at least half if not more of the pretrib literature argues that those who are left behind are the righteous, not the wicked.
Very well put together. Great article. I’m a layperson, but enjoyed.
Alan, you think “taken” in the GK can only be used when talking about an associate or a companion. That is not true. The following has all of the meanings and uses of the GK word used for “taken”.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=VT0002901
Strongs G3880 – paralambano
Take:
besides its meaning “to receive,” denotes “to take to (or with) oneself,” of “taking” a wife, e.g., Mat 1:20, 24; of “taking” a person or persons with one, e.g., Mat 2:13, 14, 20, 21; 4:5, 8; of demons, Mat 12:45; of Christ and His disciples, Mat 17:1; 20:17; Mar 9:2; 10:32; 14:33; of witnesses, Mat 18:16; of the removal of persons from the earth in judgment, when “the Son of Man is revealed,” Mat 24:40, 41; Luk 17:34, 35 (cp. the means of the removal of corruption, in Luk 17:37); of the “taking” of Christ by the soldiers for scourging, Mat 27:27, RV, and to crucifixion, Jhn 19:16; see also Act 15:39; 16:33; 21:24, 26, 32; 23:18.
See RECEIVE.
As you can see in context the GK means the following – of the removal of persons from the earth in judgment, when “the Son of Man is revealed,” Mat 24:40, 41; Luk 17:34, 35 (cp. the means of the removal of corruption, in Luk 17:37)
Oh I wouldn’t say that. Bc there can be only one truth. The foundation of Christianity. Embodied in Christ. Truth. Not all interpretations are immaterial… but rather all but one interpretation is wrong or lacking.
Here is mine. Btw.
God himself will make them believe a lie.
Jesus comes back for you when you die. Not only is the rapture a lie, so is the earthly realm
Of Christ. It’s not gunna happen. If it were not so…he would have told us.
He would not have told us that “Many will say they are Christ…but go not out. “
That’s why only God knows when that day will be. Lol. And it’s the only explanation that makes sense.
One is taken. One is left behind. But who when where how why is not explained. I believe he is describing the days of Noah. When evil filled the earth. As it was so shall it be. This is the persecution. The one who will be taken will be taken to fema camps. And it could very well be the christiAns.
All the other passages in the Bible also are very vague. He will be coming in the clouds. Every eye will see. (Could it be televised?) and he will bring judgement on The wicked and to the righteous ETERNAL LIFE.
I know it sounds a bit gloom and doom. But it’s actually not. There is one passage In the Bible where Jesus does explain his return.
That is in John. He syas “In my fathers house there are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to a place to prepare for you. And if I go, I SHALL COME AGAIN, to receive you unto myself, so that where I am you May be also.
Also. It’s clear in revelations , John is describing heaven. Not a millennial kingdom where everyone lives a literal thousand years.
John says he “saw the souls of men beheaded for Christ, and they reigned with him 1000 years.”
How they figure that is on this earth…..people have no concept of biology and physics???!! Vein imaginations. But if there is an immaterial realm, and we can somehow maintain our “self” in this immaterial place. Certainly we can live more
Than a thousand
Years.
So rejoice that we have a promise for us at the end of the road. And many have seen it. And come back to testify of it. Heaven is a real place.
You will believe in beheaded zombies , but why won’t you believe heaven is a real place…and if is…surely that is the end game.
But everyone goes around thinking Jesus is actually coming back to this world. What part of “my kingdom is NOT of this world.” Did we
Miss?!? This is vein. Vanity. Why would Jesus come back to this Godforsaken place. It has been given over to Satan.
Does the farmer harvest the wheats then throw them back in the field? Or bring them to the supper?
Also. If Jesus died…so that we can free from the kings and leaders of the world. Then why would he come back to do exactly what those Kings did. If son shall set you free you shall be free indeed. Neither will he keep you against your own will. In any age , place, or time.
If the Jews were wrong about an earthly
Messiah, what makes the Christians think they are right about an earthly Millenial reign of …the messiah.
Satan use the same back of tricks and you know what say…about fooling twice.
Now what’s wrong with believing in a earthly reign of Jesus? Nothing. Except it’s a vein imagination. Useless. No reason for it. Jesus came and died to establish heaven. This is the kingdom he was granted. An everlasting reign. Not just 1000 literal years.
That’s why the day of the LOrD is terrible. Even for you and me and all Christians.
And as the author correctly pointed out,,,,and many here seem to realize…there will be no rapture.
Behold. Always be ready. Because your LORD comes like. Theif In the night.. what is a theif In the night???
Why did he use this metaphor?? A theif in the night …. cannot be seen with physical eyes.
So why does the whole
Christian world believe in a millennial kingdom? Bc pastors are hirelings and robbers. And they care not for the sheep. They will gladly perpetuate lies.
The man of sin will soon be revealed. Now we are at the beginning of sorrows. But the end is not yet.
I think I drove it home. But here is what Isaiah says about those who actually think Jesus will return to this earth and take only them to heaven, while leaving other ppl behind or vice versa. Jesus doesn’t send anyone to hell. He just judges them as they are.
18Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
19That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may SEE IT and KNOW IT!
So really. The day of the Lord is the day the world is utterly destroyed at massive
Scale.
But the day of
The Lord is a
Terrible day also the second coming for many people. Since they will have died.
But those
Who persevere until the end, shall be saved.
Get ready!!!!
I agree with almost everything, but the question I have is this. What about the kingdom of Heaven? Yes, heaven is real, no doubt, but what about all the places that it says, the kingdom of Heaven is here on earth, the kingdom of Heaven is close, the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. There are a few passages of this nature. Could Heaven be here on earth, but dimensionally different? Perhaps we do stay, but we are changed in an instant. Perhaps the evil people don’t dimensionally change, and they remain in hell on earth. The Garden of Eden was/is here, Is it where the garden was that changed or is it the people who changed? Did the Garden of Eden leave, disappear or did Adam and Eve change along with their ability to see it? I say this because I believe Heaven is a different place but I’m not sure it’s in a different location. Does God create earth simply to remove us from it? Perhaps! My sense of it is, the Kingdom of Heaven is here, is with us, we don’t live in it, because we were kicked out. Perhaps Jesus’s return is not a taking out of anybody but a taking back, a taking into Himself those that are His. Those that have chosen Him.
I have thought about post trib, mid trib, pre trib, nothing seemed to be quite right. That Christ comes, seems right, that He claims those that are His seems right, that it’s not spelled out seems perfectly right as well. Because whatever our closely held beliefs are in these passages determine how we behave as individuals and what bring us comfort. Perhaps, all arrive in the way they believe through their own biblical interpretation. I always love to see different perspectives. The only thing I have heard from God about the time we live in is to make ready. I have not heard those words before, however I am hearing the same two words again and again, MAKE READY! What does this mean, physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally? I think because I have heard them more than once, maybe I’m not ready. However it been several months now since I last heard the words, maybe I’m ready, but I’m going to keep plugging away just in case I’m not.
Hi Marcell,
The “kingdom of heaven” is just a way to refer to the rule of God on the earth—it’s parallel to the phrase “kingdom of God.” In that period, many Jews preferred saying “heaven” as a circumlocution for “God” in such phrases. That means you’re right about the kingdom of heaven not being about going to heaven when someone dies but rather about the rule of God on earth in the present.
You’ve done a lot of research and come to some right conclusions. There are no two events (rapture [parousia] and Second Coming [epiphaneia]) there’s only one – explained in one verse:
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor (epiphaneia) of his coming (parousia).
The mention of a thief simply means the event is unexpected: 2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” That doesn’t sound like a secret.
Mark 13:26-27 At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
Matthew 24:27 “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
Those left behind will not be alive: 2 Thessalonians 2:8 “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” and:
Luke 17:34-37 “I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
And at His Coming ‘on the last day’ He will raise the dead who have been ‘sleeping’ until then: John 6:39-54 … “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Thank you for that “revelation”. I have been finding that out myself, and I have only found 3 others so far that agree with and understand it. I tried to find you to see more if you’ve shared. And everyone I’ve tried to share it with doesn’t see it either. I wrote an explanation recently to David NIcao Wilcoxson, of revelationtimelinedecoded dot com, after reading all of his books, and referred him to chapter 14 of William Hendriksen’s book, which tells of the thousand years being in heaven with our Lord. He never replied. Wm’s book is MORE THAN CONQUERORS. The best I’ve read beside the Bible, full of scriptures in context. If you’d like to see I could E-mail it to you, or I could put it on my wordpress as an article. The major misunderstanding comes from Rev 20, thinking the millennium is future. My wordpress is jesusislord408054608.com Do you have a site I could visit also? Those Jesuits sure twisted the most important scriptures, and fooled a lot of people with the Left Behind & other hellywood movies. I was one of the fooled also. Well, blessings and prayers…we’re all learning together in the family of God. –Crystal
would this be why i have this strong urge to move home to germany ???
I think Jesus was referring to a Roman invasion and not his 2nd coming (according to the gospels, the disciples at the time didn’t even understand he was going, talkless of a return!). Roman soldiers would seize one (either to kill or enslave) and release the other.
I remind you Dr. Staples that Hebrews 12:27 is simply a new covenant version of Job 34:20. 🤔
In the Book of Obadiah there is a “Last days” prophecy for final destruction of Edom. Edom was conquered and absorbed into Judaism under Edomite Hasmonean Dynasty during Maccabee Wars lead by High Priest John Hycrannus I. Notice Rev. 3:10 is follows God’s promise in Rev. 3:9. Facts are stubborn things. Job was the 2nd Edomite King Jobab in Job 36:33. Were Noah and Lot removed or Tares and goats? 🤔
There is no textual reason to conclude Job was an Edomite king, let alone Jobab.
You experienced a vision.
Where did your motorcycle accident happen?
I am so glad to learn that many more people are becoming aware that we will be here for the Tribulation. There are still too many believing the Rapture lie and we must share the truth with them. In all this, my concern is are people working on patience? In our patience possess we our soul and Jesus spoke in Revelation of the reward to those who overcome by the word of His patience. Are we preparing by knowing our God? Daniel wrote that they who know their God will be strong and will do great exploits. May we continue to love and recognize truth because in Matthew 24, Jesus warned us that if it were possible the elect would be deceived. Knowing truth sets and makes us free from deception. Love you brethren and followers of Jesus. Stay strong. Expect persecutions. Tribulation and persecution is synomous to Christian
Just as the children of Israel went through the plagues of Egypt, none of the plagues touched them. they weren’t whisked out of Egypt before the plagues. in the end time those with the seal of God will go through the seven plagues from the seven angels: Rev 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
They were taken to the supper of the Great God in Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
You mean the great slaughter of the enemies of God in which the vultures “eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and horses” (Rev 19:18)? The one where the birds eat all the slain (Rev 19:21)? That seems like a short trip and a pretty nasty meal.
Beautiful!
Great post. God way has always taken His people through — not around. Through the desert, through the Red Sea, through the den of lions, through the fiery furnace, even ultimately through the cross. The notion we are “checking out early” is pure nonsense, as you have correctly dialed it in once again. Itching ears has been the new normal in today’s evangelical church for decades; it will get progressively worse still as we draw closer to His real return. By that time, the majority (the outer court) will be so desensitized in delusion they will miss it completely. As Gary Wilkerson correctly put it recently, “It’s time for wheat and not chaff” to be preached. It’s time to get serious.
Hi Jason,
Please share your interpretation of I Thes 4:17. Thanks.
Michelle, I’ll get to that in another post as soon as I’m able.
Seekers of truth should understand that according to Psalms 119:160, it is the “sum” of God’s word that is truth.
It is context though, that determines whether a passage should be considered in the column to be added. VERY rarely should a vague, highly figurative, passage be used to explain a simple easy to understand one, maybe never. It would be unnecessary. So much of the supposedly supporting scripture for this wildly popular doctrine is just such. Are we really going to supplant the clear, easy to understand truth of 1Thessalonians 4:13 and ! Corinthians 15:20-28 with the questionable language of Zechariah 14? Have some uncommon sense please.
Considering those NT passages are themselves built on the language of Zech 14 and other biblical passages, it’s important to interpret them in correspondence with the material they’re applying.
Other people’s interpretation of the Bible are immaterial to YOU, for the Bible interprets you where you are, not you interpreting the Bible. This is why it is constantly revealing new truths to the disciple reading it daily
While I agree that this passage does not fit rapture ideas, I was under the impression it referred not to a 2nd coming destruction of the wicked. Full disclosure: I don’t think any of the passages (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 17) have anything to do with a future second coming. I also don’t buy a dual fulfillment (1st Century and 2nd Coming). It appears to me to be a judgment against the Israel which is culminated by being “taken by Rome”
Thoughts? or am I completely off-base?
The difficulty in applying these passages solely to the destruction of Jerusalem is the reference to the “coming of the Son of Man,” which appears to be something in addition to the judgment against Jerusalem. It’s clear that most, if not all, of these passages involves the destruction of Jersualem/Jewish War, but (especially if these gospels were penned after that destruction), I think it’s hard to read the “coming of the Son of Man” as equivalent with those events.
Matthew 24:29-30 States after tje Tribulation then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven.. 31 He sends His angels to gather His elect. They will gather our spirits and leave earthly things, like our bodies where thefowls of te air will feast on them. In an instant all will change. From physical to Spiritual.
It is Awesome. I know for i had a motorcycle wreck in 1985. I went 50′ head over heels, no helmet (dumb law). 3 fractures. Skull etc. Not expected to survive brain surgery and yet I walked put of the hosp. In 45 days after having am Out of body experience. I dif not want to come back
So He had to push me back. He gave me the understanding of the spirit in the flesh, so i could choose. I asked Him into my life and received the HOLY SPIRIT. The Spirit filled me up as i layed in bed, where He put me back, and i received more than i can see i am, 50 60 inches outside my body i received thr filling of the Holy Spirit and walked ouy of yhe hosp. In 45 days. Doctor wrote recovery as miraculous. It’s more real than here.
I believe you Troy Peoples. Thank you for your story.
looks like we may have studied to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY dividing the word….. a breath of fresh air…the TRUTH. Jesus is the truth. JN 14:6
also check out Eze 39:17 and Re 19: 17,18 and Job 39:30. with the (Mt 24 and Lu 17)
IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN YE ARE MY DECIPLES INDEED;
AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE …. JN. 8: 31,32
Eric Jn 3:5 Acts 2:38 Mt 3:11 Mk. 1:8 Lu 3:16 Jn. 1:32
ohh my ……………………. J O H N 16:12
Thank you for including the first part of that verse! It bugs me to hear just “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” tacked onto everything – even some of the crazier things I’ve ever heard. NO! Only by continuing in His word will we know the truth that will set us free! His word is “the truth that will set us free”.
I was reading in 1 Thes. 4 tonight when I came upon the verse: 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. I have always believed that many people in the church today misinterpret the verses to say that those who are taken are the ones who are raptured. But according to Thes 4:17 he comes for the ones who are left behind not the ones who are taken. Good article on this topic.
Yes ,we who are left ,is how I interpret it as well .
Taking scripture out of context is a skill I am grateful not to have. The wisdom of man is foolishness with God. Jesus said be ready at all times, for you “know not the time”. Where strife and vain glory is, there is confusion and every evil work. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches. We do not need a teacher, but the unction within will teach us. Do not be agry over anything, for this is a strong deception, and do not follow those who are angry, and teach division. We can hear his voice. He promissed us that we will hear him., As we rejoice in him that we are his, we do not need to be afraid of what this world may go through, or the tribulation that is ahead, or the rapture that may take us out. It is all based on fear, and fear has torment. What pleases God is unity, and love for God and our brothers through our faith in him. The sin of strife and disunity is not of God but is a work of the flesh. If any think himself to be wise, let him be a fool that he may be wise. Fear God brothers and sisters. This is the beginning of true wisdom. Receive the truth of the word with meekness. The truth is given by the Holy Spirit, and not any man. You can hear his voice. You raelly can. Seek him, and hear. If you believe that your brother is is error, be humble and speak to him. Never be proud of the wisdom you seem to have, or you will be destroyed of the destroyer, for he was destroyed through the same means. Love with all your hearts. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love. Love you brothers. This is THE commandment.
Wrong this is clean not talking about protection. Jesus said unless the days be shortin their shall be no flesh saved. This a pre-trib rapture. Theirs no were to had on earth when the wrath hits lol.
And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.. Matt 24:22 The word “rapture” is nowhere in the Bible and the rapture itself doesn’t exist, most people are misinformed about the word of God.
In the NT Greek Lexicon the word “Harpazo” is used. In Latin the word is translated to “Rapturo” which in English is Rapture. Harpazo appears 13 times in the New Testament. I do agree the Church will have to endure to the end, the the Great Day of the Lord will happen…..but please, just because of the misinterpretation of “when” this will take place does not mean it will not happen, and does not mean it is not in the Bible..
I’m fully aware of the Latin word used in the Vulgate. But “Rapturo” is still a verb, not a noun, and it describes an action, not an event separate from Christ’s coming, which is what Paul says he is talking about in the passage. The idea of a “rapture of the church” as separate from the return of Christ to the earth is not present in the New Testament.
We wouldn’t use the argument “the word ‘rapture’ is in the NIV.” The Vulgate is a translation of the 4th century, and perhaps some are getting caught up in a concept such as an old translations is as worthy as originals. We can garnish much wisdom from most translations, old and new (Jesus and his disciples read the Septuagint, a 300-year-old Greek translation of the Hebrew), but the word “rapturo” is in a translation. (BTW I agree the righteous don’t get a free advanced ticket into the clouds.)
1) Jesus and his disciples were not Greek speakers and did not read the Septuagint. They would have read an Aramaic version (Targum) or, if any of them were especially educated in this respect, a Hebrew edition.
2) “Rapturo” is indeed a translation from the Vulgate, but even in that context, it doesn’t mean what people mean today by “rapture.”
That’s not true. That’s what the Catholic movie by Mel Gibson brainwashed Christians to believe. Most New Testament letters were written in Koine Greek. As a matter of FACT the term “Mystery Babylon” is from the Greek word “Musterion” which means “To shut the mouth” as in Masonic death oaths and secrecy in Babylonian/European Mystery Religions. Musterion in Greek concordance means “A secret which only comes with Initiation.” Babylon was more about symbols than words.
Not just “most” New Testament letters were written in Koine Greek, the entire New Testament was written in it. Nevertheless, it is a fact (and entirely unrelated to Mel Gibson) that Jesus himself spoke Aramaic and perhaps Hebrew but did not teach in Greek; the few exact quotations of Jesus in the Gospels (which were all written in Greek) are transliterations of Aramaic, which the Gospel author then translates into Greek. The fact that a generation later his teachings were transmitted in Greek doesn’t have any bearing on what he himself spoke or read.
I’d also advise learning Greek for yourself rather than using a Greek concordance, however, and I’m unsure why you brought the word μυστήριον up at all.
Where does the 144 come in.
I assume you mean the 144,000 sealed from Revelation. Considering that list includes 12,000 from tribes that no longer existed when Revelation was written, it’s best to understand the 144,000 as the fullness of Israel, along the same lines as Romans 11:26, which my second book addresses at length.
That’s right. Look up the song I’ll fly away. WHEN I DIE, Hallelujah by and by, I’ll fly away. And, Blessed are those who die in the Lord henceforth…and “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. And the most important scripture from Paul: To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Our raptured soul is when we die. IF you die in Christ…and have not forsaken him or denied His Holy Name, or taken on an evil heart of unbelief. And only God knows when our time will be…or when we will be raptured–our soul freed from this earthly body to be with Him FOREVER. And so shall we EVER be with the Lord! NO FEAR IN DEATH for those who Love the Lord, who are called according to His purpose.
“And except those days SHOULD be shortened”
[…] stumbled across an excellent blog today. One of the better articles was on how modern Christians misinterpret Matthew 24 to mean the […]
The word “rapture” doesn’t exist in the Bible. The two in the field is referring to the antichrist fooling those who think he is Christ, they will be the ones taken having the mark of the beast, but they won’t believe it until the real Christ returns, about 5 months later. The one who remains will be doing the work of the real lord in the field which is the world.
Cn: Rapture
Reaf Matthew 24:29-31 Clearly talks about Tribulations and Christ return and He shall send Jis Angels to gather His elect. Which is being Raptured.
Your idea works until you look at Matt 24:31… He does come and gathers his people… he gathers and does not leave them…
This really puts a spanner in this so called theory.
Gathers to where is of course the question. The prophets of course talk about how he will gather his people to the land, not take them away to heaven. “Gather” and “remove” are very different concepts. Again, understanding the context of these things is critical.
Interesting. Jason, can you provide the scriptures of which you speak from “the prophets of course talk about…” I’m interested in scriptures that might also explain Revelation 3:10 and if God might provide a place or places of escape that are on earth. Thanks if you see this.
Hi Carol. Take a look at Deut 30:3–4; Isa 11:10–16; Jer 29:14, 31:7–26; Ezek 11:17, 20:41, 28:25, 34:14, 36:24. There are dozens of other examples throughout the Prophets.
In 66 to 70 AD, the Jewish Roman war, when Jerusalem was destroyed, Those who knew the Lord and the sign he said to watch for, armies surrounding Jerusalem, which then those Roman armies withdrew for no known reason, all the “elect” then quickly left, escaping to Pella & surrounding cities until the war was over, protected by God…by historical accounts. Then, He “gathered” them from those areas and they went about to preach the gospel, some to Rome, some staying in Pella, others going where the Lord sent them, and the Word of God spread all throughout “the world”. It’s amazing reading the actual historical accounts from observers who were present at that time. Much has already been fulfilled that are being taught are yet future. I read this in David Wilcoxson’s book REVELATION TIMELINE DECODED from his website revelationtimelinedecoded dot com.
Matthew 24:31 He sends His Angels to gather His people which are the elect.
Prior in verse 30 after the Tribulation, then shall appear tje sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. Where else but Heaven would we go? The Angles gathering all from one end of Heaven to the other..
Have you been there, Heaven/Spirit and felt His Enveloping Love? I have and the things i read hear are very troubling. Deciving for when you use mans logic your are lost spiritually. I base this off what i read here. People need to read their bible and learn the Truth.
Matthew 24:4 Jesus answered. Take heed that no man decieve you.
I am sure no two people agree on everything about scripture, on this point I agree with you entirely! So refreshing to see someone apply logic and correct contextual application! Wow…reading some of the responses has been nothing short of interesting. Grace and peace brother.
El Shaddai, has always guided us through his holy active power. He uses people like u Jason, to set us in the correct meaning of his word…
El was always symbolic of Bull god Ramon
In reading and re-reading Matthew 24 numerous times, I’m beginning to think that there actually may be two events taking place. The setting in the first half of the chapter, up to verse 35 seems to be different after verse 35. In the first half, the setting is wars, famines, turmoil – and the days will be cut short so that there are survivors. I tend to believe that in this half, Jesus is answering the question about the destruction of the temple, when it will be and what will be the signs. In the second half, after verse 35, the setting is normal everyday life, people eating, drinking, working, marrying as normal. This setting does not seem to have the turmoil of the first half of the chapter, the destruction of the temple. I am leaning toward the idea that the disciples were asking a big question: when is the temple going to be destroyed and is this tragic event the end of the world? Maybe the first half is about the destruction of the temple, and then after 35 Jesus goes on to tell about the end of the world. Verse 35, Jesus seems to bring up the end of the world for the first time: “35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” In verse 36, the “that” day is a pronoun which must have an antecedent to tell which day “that day” is referring to. The anticedent is in verse 35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away.” So quite possible, Jesus is now changing the subject from the destruction of the temple to the passing away of heaven and earth, thus accounting for the setting change.
But I am still studying and processing all of this. After much processing, I’m leaning toward seeing quite logical sense in these explanations..
There is a good book by David Nicao Wilcoxson I just read titled THE OLIVET DISCOURSE. It is not future, which is why you saw the change. I was amazed that it was fulfilled in THAT generation, just as Jesus said. Same with the 70th week of Daniel…all fulfilled in that generation. NOT future as many are proclaiming. You can go to theolivetdiscourse dot com, or revelationtimelinedecoded dot com. You can even download PDF of his books & charts.
Whenever I talk to a rapture-believing Christian, it’s the most difficult false teaching to rid them of. They hang on to it like it’s a life preserver. I was taught it as a child but never gave it much thought until I was born again. I started doing research on things and when you want to know how these theories come in to play, ask yourselves if the early Christian church believed this; does the Bible really support it; look at past historical events in the Bible; and find out when this theory became so-called “truth.” It is my opinion that anything with the word “theory” behind it, it needs to be researched. Theories are just that…theories. They come and go. Even as a child, this somehow never sounded like what I read in the Bible but back then I thought, I’m just a child, what do I know. Jesus says we are babes but we are not to remain babies. We are to seek the truth and be ready to find out that what you’ve been taught may not be what Jesus and/or the early Church taught. I also am firm that Sunday worship too is wrong. I urge all Christians to look at the information and remember, the Sabbath was given at creation, not just in the 10 Commandments, which we are still under!
Loved your comment and I am in total agreement except for the last part, respectfully. We are not under the law and Jesus is our Sabbath rest.
Matthew 22:38-40
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This article breaks it down Jesus as the Sabbath rest…..
http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Sabbath.html
If you believe that Jesus was the word in the beginning, why would He say “Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy” and declare that the 7th day is the Sabbath day? If Jesus knew the future, then He knew that Man would try to change the Sabbath day and was why He was warning them to “Remember”. He also said He was the Lord of the Sabbath which makes perfect sense if you discount Man’s erroneous idea that Jesus was crucufied on Good Friday and Resurrected on Easter Sunday which was only a day and a half, when Jesus plainly said His sign would be that of Jonah who spent 3 days in the giant fish. Jesus was captured after He finished His Passover meal which meant the next day was the 1st day of unleavened bread, a yearly Sabbath which would start at dusk after the Passover feast, The Passover in 30AD was on a Wednesday which was when He was crucufied and died. He was buried as to Jewish custom before the 1st day of Unleavened Bread, a yearly Sabbath. So He was crucufied on Wednesday afternoon and Resurrected on Saturday afternoon, 3 days later. Mary went to the tomb early Sunday morning and found Jesus was gone. She had to wait untill Sunday because of the Jewish rules concerning the Sabbath. So Jesus declaring that “He is the Lord of the Sabbath” makes perfect sense that He would be Resurrected on the Sabbath. Some people claim that because Paul told some churches to collect money on the 1st day of the week meant he was changing the Sabbath day but there is a simple expanation for that. Jews weren’t supposed to even handle money on the Sabbath. There are no collection plates in a Jewish Synagogue for this very reason. Jesus also said that He didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He summerized the Law up into Loving your God which would encompass the 1st 4 commandments and Loving your neighbor as yourself covers the remaining 6 commandments. He also said if you love Me you will keep my commandments.
What about the great crowd coming out of the great tribulation mentioned in revelation.
I believe that that great crowd coming out of great tribulation are those who have died in Christ. Aren’t they the souls that were under the altar awaiting Jesus to avenge their deaths? I, also, can always be wrong.
What specifically are you asking about, John?
Thank you Mr. Jason. You have done justice to this topic. Jesus reference to the days of Noah is sufficient to know that those left behind are the righteous. Remember there will be a new heaven and new earth which will be free of sin.
Matt 25:1-13
What about the 10 virgins 5 taken 5 left??
Such a parable does not exist. The parable discusses ten virgins, five of whom enter fellowship with the bridegroom at the wedding feast, and five who do not. All the virgins go out to meet the bridegroom (Matt 25:1), and none are “taken.” Rather, the bridegroom comes and begins the wedding feast, at which point the five foolish virgins are locked out of fellowship with the bridegroom.
one will be abducted and the other left to continue the Lord’s work
Jason, what a great website! Let me just question you on one point. In the issue of the “…one will be taken, and the other one left.” verses in which you pointed out what Jesus himself stated, when he said:….”as it was during the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man”
I read that entire verse slightly different. The subject of the passage was about the fact that no one was prepared for the impending major event—in this case it was a deadly flood, hence anyone not prepared died!! They were all just going about normal daily activities, rather than expecting the tragedy to overtake them!! That is the subject; the theme of that verse. Not the fact that the first to go were the ones destroyed!!
When Jesus said “Just as in the days of Noah…..” I believe he was referring to how it was going to “overtake” the unwary by surprise—like a thief in the night!! Today, we are doing the same. Even though the Bible says what is going to happen—no one is expecting it. Just like the days of Noah!!!
Would this make sense?? Then the unexpected raising up of believers first, also makes sense!!! I don’t think that we Christians will “WANT” this world after the restrainer is removed!!! Write me, let’s chat!!
That’s only part of it. The other part involves Christ and his people on earth. The thing that restrains being removed has no impact on this discussion, as Christ-believers will be present throughout.
I beleive the left behind story has to do with a strong warning to the jewish people in nazi germany and europe of the horrors to come
This is, of course, complete nonsense.
I get as in the days of noah…in the days of noah there absolutely was homosexuality and the earth will be destroyed by fire .no flood because of rainbow promise which homosexuals trampled its precious symbolism.we are instructed to not love the things of this world.and to pray the flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
Did you just use a random text generator for this comment or was it supposed to convey meaning of any specific nature?
I stopped reading as soon as you “showed” it’s like in the days of Noah when the wicked were swept away and righteous left. The problem with that is that it’s completely wrong. If you would simply read the verses directly after that verse in Matthew, you would see it says: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” Jesus compared it to Noah because the wicked never saw it coming. It’s very plain and obvious in the Bible when you simply read the verses right next to it. Instead you twisted things to fit an agenda, which I can only assume is of fearing the possibility that the rapture could be true. If you can’t even get that part right, I can’t take your analysis seriously. I guess they’re giving PhDs to anyone these days.
Interesting how you are capable of determining that Jesus only meant to compare one aspect of the Noah story to the time of the coming of the Son of Man and that he did not intend any other parallels.
It’s also fascinating that you would imagine someone might “fear the possibility that the rapture could be true,” since that teaching involves the (false) assurance that Christians won’t suffer when terrible distress comes upon the world at the end of the age. The actual New Testament teaching is much harsher: nobody is going to be whisked away to be spared from suffering.
I am studying out this rapture idea in scripture and I am wondering how do the believers meet the Lord in the air at His coming if Matthew 24 keeps believers on earth and takes the wicked away?
First of all, the “rapture” isn’t a biblical concept. The meeting of the Lord in the air mentioned in 1 Thessalonians is a reference to those believers alive at Christ’s return being gathered together to him as he returns to the earth. It’s being drawn to a central place, not being removed from the world.
Why would God gather people in the air just to bring them back down?
Because the point is the gathering, not the air part. These are all based upon the OT promises about gathering all the people back together in the land.
The Lord has already gathered his people back to their land from the far reaches of earth. Jews started Returning to Israel in 1800s and became a nation again in 1948 – quite miraculously considering the event that surrounded that. The meeting in the air is of a different nature. It involves believers, the church. Now true-looking at all these comments here, There is much misinterpretation. I’ve not heard much about the blood of Christ and those that come to him are considered his people, blood-borne Jews. I’m going to read more comments and then comment more later if I feel led.
Israel has not returned as promised in the prophets. The Jews are only the part of Israel from Judah, not the whole people. The prophets promised that all twelve tribes would be restored and reunited, which is something that has not happened. That promise is of special interest throughout the New Testament, as the earliest Christians believed all Israel would be reconstituted through the work of Jesus.
I have never believed in a secret rapture theory because Jesus said in verse 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And in Rev 6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” I also believe Jesus is not only talking about when he return, but also when we die because we could die before he returns. So we need to be ready at all times because we don’t know when we will die. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jason, you have hit the nail on the head with this interpretation, because it is correct!
Revelation 7:13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
That’s a very nice passage, though the translation is problematic. Verse 14 should say, “these are those who are coming out of the great tribulation.”
Care to explain why you posted this passage without comment?
The passage Elaine mentioned Is referring to people that accepted the blood of Christ (repented and became saved) during the tribulation and paid the ultimate cost by losing their lives. That is the general interpretation of the Scripture. Jason I’m interested in knowing what you think?
That is only the “general interpretation” among dispensationalists, which is a tradition of interpretation that is very new in the history of Christianity. Most Christians through history have interpreted the 144k otherwise. It’s also worth noting that the passage in Revelation you’re referencing refers to the “Great Tribulation” as a present reality, not a future event.
Explain to me The Israel of God in Galatians 6:16! You are aware in Galatians 4 Jerusalem is in bondage like the bondwoman Hagar with her children and only The “Free” heavenly Jerusalem is mother to born again Christians. This covers the blasphemy of female Shekinah over The masculine Spirit of Truth in John 16:13-15. The Spirit that leaped from Mary to Elizabeth was Spirit of Christ not some Kabbalah “tradition” from the Zohar.
The “Israel of God” in Gal 6:16 is not complicated; by this term, Paul means the full people of God, including the redeemed from Jews, Samaritans, and gentiles.
thank you Jason, I am so pleased to have come across your website, this clears up a lot for me, I learned a lot.
Are those that are seized addressed anywhere else in scripture?
great article if it was correct…In your explanation of misunderstood scripture, you yourself have misunderstood it because you have failed to acknowledge and understand just who Jesus is in fact talking to.in this instance/portion of scripture. This whole passage starts at verse three, where Jesus was kicking it at the mount of olives with His disciples and that they came up and asked Him to explain to them the signs of the end of the age.. Lets take a quick rabbit trail to Matthew 13:11 and mark 4:11 where it says the secret things of the kingdom are not given to those outside (the scope of discipleship) who are given nothing but parables without explanation but to you the secrets are indeed given ((Mark 4:34)… Now back to main text. Jesus is indeed speaking to His disciples (those in covenant with Him) and NOT to those outside, so everything He is saying to the disciples at this exact moment is for their benefit and instruction. The reference to the days of Noah are NOT meant to imply the righteous get saved but the evil left to deal with destruction, but it IS MEANT to convey the importance of heeding a warning when one is given and NOT to dismiss it out of hand. So yes in this very passage Jesus is in FACT talking to the disciples about making sure they too are ready (perfecting holiness out of the fear of the Lord and working out their salvation with fear and trembling as they put to death the deeds of the body because without holiness, none will see the Lord) because when that day comes like a thief in the night, among the church (believers) one will .be taken and another left. Jesus left His apostles to build His church and thus this warning now applies to the whole body of Christ. Revelation verifies that this verse /warning of one taken one left is for the church when it says of the church of Smyrna “you will be thrown into prison by Satan and tortured 10 days, but hold fast to my name and you will be saved (learning obedience by that which they suffered), and to the church of Philedelphia “because you have held onto my word in quiet strength, I will spare you from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world (having worked out their salvation).. As we see, two churches (bodies of believers,) one gets taken as the Lord knows how to rescue his goldy ones, and one gets left behind, the not so godly believers who will face tribulation. One taken and one left, a warning for the church just like in the days of Noah…
An admirable attempt to rescue an exceptionally poor interpretive paradigm, but none of this is correct. Just taking one example, those of the church of Philadelphia to whom the letter in Revelation was written were not removed from the world but passed through their suffering. Getting pulled out of the world to be spared from suffering is never promised at any point in the New Testament (or the Hebrew Bible, for that matter).
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 thessalonians 1:10
This verse is irrelevant to the discussion, as it is not about suffering on earth but rather “the wrath to come,” which is one of Paul’s default ways of referring to the upcoming judgment. This isn’t about some future “tribulation period.”
I am a bit late in seeing this interesting topic. Let us remember that the Bible is it’s own expositor-it explains itself-line upon line precept upon precept, here a little, there a little-all in context which is the key to proper Biblical exposition. Matt 24 is a prophetical outline that answers a two fold question asked by the disciples- when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world?
The first thing Christ told the disciples was in verse 4- take heed that no man deceive you- and in spite of this warning- most are being deceived with this Rapture Theology.. He then gives them a chronological outline of events to transpire before the destruction of Jerusalem -AD 70 and also what will take place leading up to his return-2nd coming. Matt;24:38-41 outlines that “took them all away, one taken” is explained in destroyed them all Luke 17: 24-37- he uses the word destroyed them all in place of took them all away see verses Luke 17: 27, 28, 29. In verses 34, 35, 36 the words again taken and other left-. the disciples asked where to LORD -implying taken where since if you are left no need to ask where. He answered in verse 37- where their bodies are taken to; the eagles will be there to eat them. Let us then go to Revelation 19: dealing with the judgement of the great Whore who persecuted God’s people; begin to read from Verse 17 onward. In verse 21 you read that the angel summons the fowls of the air to come to the great super to eat the flesh of kings, captains mighty men the beast, kings of the earth and their armies who were gathered to make war with God’s people- fowls were filled with their flesh and were all taken and cast alive into the lake of fire. Brothers and sisters- let us study to show ourselves approved unto God, don’t be afraid rightly dividing the word of truth- God’s word is truth. Let us all go back and prayerfully study this subject with God’s word- the Bible in hand and like the Bereans search the scripture to find out what is truth as taught in the word of God- this is the only way you will not be deceived by this rapture theology that is not biblical and out of context- man’s doctrine..Blessings.
The tone of your remarks is one of contempt and mockery, not love. You are sinning in pride, my brother.
Riddle me this, caped crusader: how are the end times like the days of Noah? The earth is filled with wickedness, and the Lord God provides a way to separate and protect His people–Noah’s ark = the rapture.
Fascinating comment from the same person who just called someone out for a tone of contempt and pride.
I don’t believe when we discuss the topics of the Lord (or any topic) we should ever name-call or disrespect anyone. That’s not love. Yes In the days of Noah, God did prepare a way of escape for those that loved him. He invented the way, especially since it had not rained upon the earth to date yet. Even Paul as we can also call Saul, life could’ve been spared if he had not appealed to Ceasar And went that distance. God also sent angels to remove Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah , Though I don’t look upon Lot as being the elite in the example of righteousness, but he was accredited it as so. I’m sure (cause Jesus said so) we don’t know the day or hour of his return (a day like any other). But all we can hope for is for the example situations of the past, that the Lord has planned a way out/thru for his people. It will be a time like no other and currently we are looking thru stained glass.
James 3:11, for you, sir. I agree with Lou Sozo. I feel confident in saying that we care deeply for our Lord and do not like to see arrogance displayed in those who teach others about His word. We also care about you. You are well aware that satan fell because of arrogance. Do not make the same mistake. Your learning and knowledge is nothing compared to God’s wisdom. You should be more humble when dealing with others. I know too many like you, and imagine it will be a huge struggle for you not to respond to me in a demeaning manner, just to prove your intelligence and superiority. Before you do so, answer this question: who are you pleasing, God or satan? Learn humility.
Fascinating!
Interesting. My beliefs follow more closely below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii-iqapb2zs
Either way, whether Lord Jesus takes True Christians before or after the tribulation, is the least of our issues. Because for a True Christian, he will be with the Lord either way and have the True Love of His or Her Life! The real issue is; are we lovingly obeying Lord Jesus’s commands in the here and now? Are we preparing for that wedding feast with our Lord, by lovingly obeying his commands now in our lives? Let us not be divided in such things, but unite in true love for one another. May the Holly Spirit come upon all believers and make them True Christians. Thank you Father, in Lord Jesus’s name for loving us so much, whatever you do in this matter.
Agreed. 🙂
All of this is just making me insane! So much confusion, even the bible has words that should not be there! The devil is
sifting everyone! What will remain is Jesus the cross and resurrection and will we have faith!
Whoever wrote this commentary missed the point ENTIRELY and grossly misinterpreted the scripture! “For the coming of the son of man will be just like it was in the days of Noah— just like in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the Ark—and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away [Luke: “destroyed them all”]. The coming of the son of man will be just like that.” (Matt 24:37–39) Just like it was in the days of Noah. Well in the days of Noah, people were living their lives as always, not giving any thought to the coming flood, even though they were warned. That is how it will be when Jesus returns to take His Bride, the Church, home. People will be living their lives as usual, giving no thought to Jesus’ return, even though they have been warned to be ready. The narrator stated that this passage actually meant that [the wicked would be taken, and the righteous would be left to the tribulation. NOW PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE RIGHTEOUS AND NOT THE WICKED WOULD BE LEFT TO GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION? You do understand that during the tribulation God’s wrath will be poured out on the earth, don’t you? The righteous believers were not meant to suffer this wrath. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1st Thessalonians 5:9. So it would make absolutely NO SENSE for the wicked to be taken and the righteous to be left. YOU have that backward.
Unfortunately, your comment rests on a dispensational notion of a tribulation that does not accord with the New Testament or earliest Christian interpretation. There is simply no basis for anything you’re arguing.
Hi Jason,
Stumbled across your post, yes it is older but I feel led to comment. You are 100 percent correct. The so called modern day church, ( built by human hands where God does not dwell ) has perverted the Word of God by saying there will be a rapture. To the rapture believers first and foremost get out of the man made churches and go back to your first love, Jesus Christ, The Word Of God, who is to be our only mediator.
For the rapture believers, how can with our own eyes see the reward of the wicked.
It is not a rapture, it is a transformation, from corruptable to incorruptable, from mortal to immortal. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye we shall be changed.
The burden of babylon, ( USA ) those who were deceived into taking the mark of the beast and all the sinners will die by the sword.
God will protect his people from harm, as He has done throughout the history of the Bible.
Judgement is given to every wicked nation time and time again, there is nothing new under the sun. God uses evil to destroy the wicked. For the rapture believers, God even says His elect will rebuild the waste and desolate cities, how can that be if we were raptured?
Biblically speaking, I’ve never read God pooring his wrath on those that love Him. Psalm 37:25. But for testing and for example-faith(I call it), God has allowed Satan to poor out on people’s lives at times. I can say more but not trying to be to deep, This has happened for legal reasons as well as the Lord’s personal prerogatives which no man/woman can contest.
That of course isn’t really germane to the discussion. Nobody suggested that God would be pouring out his wrath on those who love him.
Hi Jason, my comment was for Vicki with confirmation.
I see this is a bit old but hoping you may still actively respond here. I’m wondering if the days of Noah are now here and the ones taken have already started. While tragic, seems medically feasible that these died suddenly individuals could be what was being written about and with a significantly high percentage of humans having received the COVID vaccination – without looking to God for guidance on taking such a medication – could this be what was referenced in these passages? Thanks for your insight! And I send you blessings!
The COVID vaccination has absolutely zero to do with any of this, nor does COVID-19 as a pandemic. It is simply part of what Jesus refers to as “the beginning of birth pangs” and says not to concern oneself with.
There ARE however, numerous instances in both the OT and NT of God/Jesus dealing harshly with those who OUGHT to know better than to live the way they were living (the “hypocrites”) – even bringing destruction upon them. These were people who THOUGHT they were godly/righteous people, but God/Jesus knew their true nature and addressed their lies/hypocrisy and they adamantly refused to listen (in many cases becoming openly hostile in the process). It’s POSSIBLE (especially in light of some of the letters to the churches – specifically Laodicea), that the “separation of wheat and tares” taking place will involve the idea of “judgement begins with the house of God”. Many who “think”they are “children of God”, will end up facing his wrath, rather than his grace (as in “the sheep and the goats”).
Vicki,
I’ve heard your argument before. In fact, I used to make the same one. A few counterpoints.
1. Just because we are physically on earth during “the” tribulation does not mean we suffer God’s wrath. He delivered the Hebrews during the judgments of Egypt. He can do the same for us.
2. Revelation says that God’s people are “sealed” in protection before the locusts can harm the earth.
3. I would argue that we are always protected from our spiritual enemy, Satan. We are not always protected from evil men who have the power to kill our bodies. So just because men are being killed during “the” tribulation it does not mean that it because of God’s judgment, but simply because men are wicked.
4. The word “the” was added to “great tribulation” in most translations in the passages in Revelation…”these are those who have come out of great tribulation.” The word “the” is not in the KJV.
5. Lastly, lest we forget ,”through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22
Jason you wrote:
The passage is found in Matthew 24:40–41 and Luke 17:34–36 (with some variation); we’ll stick to the shorter version in Matthew for simplicity’s sake. The same concepts that apply here apply equally to Luke:
With every respect, and in full humility, I’m afraid Luke 17:34 hereunder has nothing to do with Matthew 24:40-41.
Luke 17:34 I say to you: in that NIGHT there shall be two MEN in ONE BED; the ONE shall be taken, and the OTHER shall be left.
When we read Matthew 24:40-41 it is definitely a reference to the end of the world!
On the other hand, when we read Luke 17:20-37 it is for sure ALL a reference to the FIRST EVER JUDGMENT of the world, which occurred on the NIGHT of Jesus’death.
Now PLEASE discern:
Luke 17:34 I say to you IN THAT NIGHT…..
The above is a clear reference to the night Jesus died, by which death
GOD’S KINGDOM CAME, AND GOD’S WILL WAS DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, and remained in full swing till Pentecost.
Thus IN THAT NIGHT, Jesus by His own divine blood given as a ransom in EXCHANGE FOR OURS, the entire human race, though lived in their normal filthy way in every sense, they were throughout SPIRIT, SOUL and FLESH, JESUS’ PROPERTY. Yes, Jesus, the Son of Man, IN THAT NIGHT, TOPPLED SATAN, and till Pentecost, the entire human race was more holy than Adam and Eve were on their creation with Jesus’ presence in their souls, justified as the truth and sole sovereign Spirit over both good and evil forever.
Asserted by Jesus in
John 8:35 Now the servant abides not in the house for ever; but the son abides forever.
Thus at least till Pentecost, by Jesus redemption full of unfathomable mercy the entire humanities were children and temples of God, no matter who, while humans, totally UNAWARE of what happened in their souls, lived in their normal sinful way, revealed by Jesus on the cross in
Luke 23:34 And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Not only that, but the world was not only saved but FOR SURE
THE NEW PARADISE, pinpointed out by Jesus to the good thief.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in PARADISE.
Thus during this redemption period, fifty-three days in all, the entire souls were PURIFIED. Thus “THE WORD” Jesus, the Son of Man as a spirit occupied eternally ALL SOULS/HEARTS, and the entire human race was Jesus’ embodiment definitely till Pentecost,
Now Jesus continued and said: There shall be
TWO MEN IN ONE BED;
As clear as crystal two gays in full glory sinning, and in their souls/HEARTS also in full glory, BUT ONLY TILL THAT NIGHT, definitely Satan, depicted by Jesus.
Thus the ONE shall be taken; Satan WAS REMOVED, and THE OTHER SHALL BE LEFT, “THE WORD” Jesus, the Son of Man, obviously AS A SPIRIT, THE ETERNAL LIFE OF ALL, THE SOURCE OF ALL, REMAINED where He ALWAYS WAS, from the beginning of the world, slain like a lamb,…..Rev.13:8.
BUT IN THAT NIGHT, THOUGH REALLY SLAIN/DEAD ON THE CROSS, “THE WORD” Jesus, THE TRUTH,
JUSTIFIED HIMSELF, and abided not only in those TWO MEN’S HEART/SOULS BUT IN ALL HEARTS/SOULS REDEEMED! PURIFIED eternally IN THEIR FILTHY FLESH, THANKS FOR THE UNFATHOMABLE
DIVINE MERCY JESUS; and they will be raised on the last day.
Jesus IN THAT NIGHT became the absolute sovereign over both good and evil, there was only ONE LAW in force and that was
JESUS’ REDEMPTION LAW IN FULL MERCY!
This purification state OF THE FLESH was predicted in
Isaiah 1:18 And then come, and accuse me, said the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool.
Also made clear by Jesus in the last paragraph of the same chapter.
Luke 17:26 And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark: and the flood came and DESTROYED THEM ALL. 28Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot:……. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when
THE SON OF MAN SHALL BE REVEALED.
31 IN THAT HOUR, (OF THE CROSS) he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back. 32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.
Now reflect, Jesus in the above simply meant that humans IN THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT, would be living in their normal FILTHY way, as in the days of Noah, and Lot, nevertheless, IN THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT, and till Pentecost, they should not bother at all and remain SINNING,AS MUCH AS THEY PLEASE,
SIMPLY as THROUGHOUT these particular redemption days, FIFTY-THREE IN ALL, till Pentecost, as much as in the days of Noah, and Lot all humanity were
DESTROYED,
IN A TWINKLE OF AN EYE, JESUS, THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, DESTROYED THEM ALL AT ONCE, OBVIOUS HE DESTROYED
SATAN AND HIS DEMONS, NOT HUMANITY, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, AND LOT.
NOT IN THAT UNIQUE MOMENT IN TIME OF UNFATHOMABLE MERCY, Thus Jesus, He really JUDGED EARTH BUT I REPEAT:
THROUGH HIS UNFATHOMABLE MERCY AND TRANSFORMED HUMANITY INTO CHILDREN AND TEMPLES OF GOD, This is well depicted in
Psalm 103:10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he has strengthened his
MERCY towards them that FEAR HIM.12 As far as the east is from the west so far has
HE REMOVED OUR INIQUITIES FROM US.
I’m sorry to say that none of what you just said is accurate in the least. The Lukan version was written after the Matthean version and most likely used Matthew (as Luke does elsewhere). They’re talking about the same thing. Luke just tweaks some of the wording here and there. Moreover, Luke 17:36 isn’t found in the earliest and best manuscripts of Luke.
Thank you For your clear explanation of the false rapture theory.
Jason- while I totally disagree with ANYONE attempting to refute God’s word by knowing the hour He cometh, I think you had a rather pedantic outlook by reasoning the event, if predicted correctly, would follow the globe for the next 24 hours. In this case it would indeed need to START at the international date line so it would be the same day around the globe and then when the hour arrives the rapture could start. This also intimates the LORD is bound by time which of course he is not. The Creator is not bound by the created. Furthermore, it would seem you forget the Bible is written from the perspective of Jerusalem; that is to say, IF we in fact knew the hour, it would be safe to say it would be from Israel Standard Time.
You take on the passage is very interesting, but I believe your analogy with Noah is incorrect. The righteous were sealed FROM the world inside the ark, thus preventing God’s wrath upon THEM. Similarly, we will sealed from the coming judgment by the blood. Unless of course you believe in a mid or post-trib rapture in which case we now need to explain why 2 Thessalonians was written a few weeks after the first epistle.to the church in Thessalonica.
CHRISTIANS would do well to learn their feasts and how those Jewish Feasts from Leviticus 23 show the plan of the ages for coventant 2 in Christ Jesus. With in those feasts are an order of events, which Christianity seems to be VERY UNAWARE OF f. (If you don’t WANT t to celebrate Passover/Unleavened Bread/First fruits and Pentecost which point out Messiah’s Death. Burial, Resurrection and the conception of his body and bride, you don’t have to. But you are required to understand how you are forgiven, so you can initiate repented heart asking for your sins to be forgiven and be made born again. THESE FEASTS EXPLAIN IT AND MORE. And that’s far from all the feasts, and the understanding of the next three fall feasts, whether you observe or not, the mere acknowledgment of ROSH HASHANAH and all its coresponsoreding names would certainly help you to understand just who is going to be cut off (Hargar in Gala 4 , a slave to Sin in allegory aka unbelievers for this TRIB, IN which depopulation starts. In fact ,one of many names for this feast: is The Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Israel in unbelief and all gentiles in unbelief too) Also,
Yom Hadin (Day Of Judgement) is carved out for the damned, NEVER FOR BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. Paul in contrasts to Hagar writes of Believers in Spiritual Israel as Children of Abraham and of Sarah, calling them Heir like Issac. This is all really well explained out in Gal 3- 4 & Romans 9-11. These are slaves to righteousness and heirs with Christ.
In fact, every single Rosh Hashanah , Jews & Gentiles alike read Genesis 21 about Hagar and Ishmael (The efforts of flesh and not the promise of birth) who are severed and cut off, while Sarah and Issac are elevated as Inheritance reaping Heirs of the Promise of the Spirit. Remember Issac came from a Barren and very old womb by the power of God, setting up a parallel into the Spiritual realm of the birthing of the new creation in Christ Spiritually reborn, WHICH Are TAKEN AND GLORIFIED and rewarded at Bema . They are vastly different and that is why one shall be taken (changed, glorified, elevated, transformed, snatched out as Harpodzo is promised to Philadelphia church in Revelation 3: 10 (Ek is greek :out of- never ever for through.) So Jesus is going to be consistent with what he mentions in multiple places and his own church body and believed bride filled with Jesus is not going to be here during 7 years of 21 severe judgments; which Romans 1 says are reserved for the damned. You mistakenly mix the two together in error. Your Christianity is not from the root of Jews,
Which we are grafted in, not to take over ! (ROMANS 9- 11). BUT some of her has foolishly ignored these realities and have some other presentation altogether the bible does not support .
Those who are left are the damned, and through the judgments and the 2 witnesses and their army of 144,000,000 , some of them repent, fearing God. (YOU ARE CONFUSING THEM WITH THE CHURCH!) A D THEY ARE NOT PROTECTED, AS U STATE. They are murdered in the first 6 seals, especially targeted in seal 5. There are more who are executed in Revelation 7, and Antichrist is given authority to execute and “wear down the saints” in Revelation 13. Still more are killed in Revelation 13- 14 and mentioned in Revelation 2o By means of beheading, for refusing the Mark. Not sure what GENTILES you think is being spared?
(Zechariah 13: 8-9 does make mention of 2/ 3 of all the Jews slaughtered during this 7 year murder-fest; he says 1/ 3 of JEWS are kept alive for the Kingdom Age Tabernacles the final feast, and Messiah warns those JEWS (THE ELECT) TO RUN when they see the Abomination that causes Desolation ,in Mathew 24. These (and more) are the ones who were “Left” , bUT protected to be ready for the NEXT FEAST AT THE END OF 7 YEARS CALLED ATONEMENT. You need to separate Rosh Hashanah and Atonement to be able to understand the bible, and separate the Believing from the Damned, which Hebrews 3- 4 also does. You throw in the Greek when you want to, bUT why don’t you look at it with regard to Harpodzo the snatching AWAY IN Revelation 12: 5 ( hint -that Manchild HEIR connected to the head are One and removed for glorification because the SONS OF GOD are written in the Lamb’s book of Life as Children of God, the Heir . We see all this spelled out in detail, bit for brevity sake, I will only quote Gal 4: 28 (and you will do well to see the cast out order in the verses following it. This separation is going to happen again and he promised a sword of division in Luke a day Mathew. But you have to connect it all together, to understand the flow of it all. Anyhow, here is Gal 4: 28-29 : “Now we brethren, as Issac was, are children of Promise, but , as he (Ishmael ) was born according to the flesh then persecuted him (Issac) who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. (Believers =Heirs like Issac through our rebirth thru the Spirit, a core theme in Gala 3 and 4.
You must understand this set of two groups and who they point to in our world today ! Ishmael – unbelievers in Sin, the natural man (kind) in Adam 1. ISSAC -BELIEVERS in the Holy Spirit who birthed us into a new eternal forgive Spiritual man (kind) from Jesus , the branch (Sprout/new start) the Last Adam of 1 Corinthians 15: 45 & Roman 5: 21. You do terrible violence to the text to mix these groups together for the final 7 years or any part of it , which is exclusively for “Ishmael ” and Adam 1 children of man (kind). The children of God are separated from among those unbelievers , taught all about in Rosh Hashanah and it’s the final word From Paul in Verse 30 of the same chapter 4 of Galatians, that people seem to ignore to their doctrinal peril! Verse 30″ NEVER THE LESS, what does the scripture say? ‘CAST OUT THE BOND WOMAN (HAGAR) &HER SON, For THE SON OF A SLAVE WOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN “(SARAH AND NEW JERUSALEM (vs 27). Then verse 31 is the last word on the topic: “So then, brethern, we are not children of the bond woman slave, but of the free!” (New Jerusalem from verse 26 -27) And not to put too fine a point on it, but Gala 3: 26 ” And if you are Christ’s, then you are ABRAHAM’S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE!”
http://www.michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/Who%20will%20be%20Left%20Behind%20Rethinking%20Matt%2024%20WTJ.pdf
Yup. This is a good piece (written a good bit after this post, FWIW) that makes the same basic point.
In the days of Lot and Noah, the wicked were taken away in judgment and the righteous were taken out of judgment. Both groups were taken. The wicked were left on earth for the flood and fire and brimstone. Noah and Lot were saved.
I would like to know how people will be eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building and getting married at the end of the age? Famine is everywhere and a loaf of break costs a days wage (not eating), water is undrinkable (not drinking), cannot buy and sell without the mark, all the grass is dead and there is excessive heat (not planting), earthquakes are moving mountains and islands (can’t build under those circumstances), and who wants to get married when it looks like the world is going to end (asteroids, sky does not show the sun, moon and stars)? Hell on earth!
I don’t think we disappear. I think we leave our body on earth (Luke 17:37 and Matthew 24:28). No resurrection. The resurrection is at the second coming (1 Thess 4:13-18).
Rick,
Absolutely agree with your first two paragraphs. After what is laid out elsewhere to happen during the tribulation leading up to the second coming, I think you should look at it logically as well. Who would be “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” [Mat 24:38] in such a tumultuous time after the trumpet and bowl judgements? Who will be in the field or grinding at the mill [Mat 24:40-41] when the first trumpet burns up all grass (grain); [Rev 8:7] and due to the fourth bowl the sun burns men with fire [Rev 16:8]? This is a completely apocalyptic time, not life as usual.
On a side note, I feel the same way about Mystery Babylon, that it can’t happen at the end just before the second coming. That late on (after the 7th bowl), what ships will be floating through a completely dead sea [Rev 16:3] to deliver goods to vastly reduced population, enough goods that people wail because no one will be buying their goods anymore [Rev 18:11,17]? By that time is seems money would be useless, possibly bartering, but with that much havoc, I expect more pillaging and scavenging than commerce. Will factories still exist to produce anything? Who will go to work when the fifth trumpet causes five months or horrid locust from hell torturing everyone [Rev 9]?
My only point being, that maybe we admit we do not fully understand all that is going to happen, and the order that it is going to happen.
With Prophecy things are not written in an obvious chronological order, and I think God does this on purpose so that the enemy cannot know the timing or the plan. If Satan knew that crucifying Jesus was exactly what God intended, he would have done everything he could to have protected Christ! Hind sight is 20/20, but beforehand are just not that clear as the entire comment section here testifies to. I think God leaves things intentionally encrypted so that the enemy doesn’t know what to plan for.
FWIW: I am not in any camp or subscribed to any belief. I just don’t see how “one was taken, one was left” can apply to anything beyond the seals because all hell will break loose, and I see no way life could be normal beyond that point. In the end, I trust God will be just and his Word will ring true!
Eating and drinking…. every example given is about how they are ‘walking’ in the dark… as it’s metaphorical. ‘Night is coming when no one can do the work’… ‘…anyone who walks at night stumbles—for he has no light…’ (foolish virgins go back into Jerusalem at (mid)night to ‘buy’ oil from the ‘sellers’… oil is for light.) (He told them don’t go back in/or back down/don’t look back, etc…) In Jn 4 He told His disciples that His ‘food’ was to do the will of Him who sent Him, to finish His ‘work’… John’s disciples asked Him why His disciples don’t ‘fast’ like they do, to which He responded, how can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them, when He is taken, then they will fast, then they will mourn. (=sabbath of sabbaths => day of atonement => dn 9)… ‘I am the light of the world…’ ‘…walk while you have the light…’ The testimony if Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It’s all prophetic… which points towards it being figurative in nature… the grass, the sea, the tree, the wind, etc… are all figurative meaning the represent something in the spiritual… ie, earth is where the seed grows… the seed is the word of God sown in the heart… the good soil is the fertile land… the beautiful land is the holy people =the circumcised heart, =the removal of callous /hardness… => iron being hardness, the ruthless, the calloused…. All the things you and rick are thinking are what would be known as signs, yet He said no sign would be given to a wicked and adulterous generation… the signs He actually gave are invisible to His enemies, hence why they paid Judas to reveal the Truth to them—which they couldn’t even recognize when He was standing right in front of them. The kingdom comes from within, not without. (Ie. stop looking up to the clouds—but then again start looking up at the ‘clouds’—if you know what I mean…) (Eating and drinking is about buying and selling… it’s what we’re all doing here…. ie. work, trade, interactions for the purpose of marketing our goods or buying the goods here on offer…) It’s so simple it hurts and yet it’s hidden in plain sight… => the kingdom is near… but how to enter? (Pray your flight isn’t in winter or ‘the sabbath’… night is coming when no one can ‘do the work’…. ie. not without the mark… before the flood what should they have been doing? Look to the message given with the 70 7’s, not to mention to the sentiment of daniel’s prayer.)
It does say god hasn’t appointed his children to wrath and the tribulation is gods and jesus wrath , another thing is that’s not what the main thing of the scripture is saying is think a lot of people are getting off of what it said one will be taken another one left (who) two men in a bed? Unless you believe it is ok to be homosexual then it’s saying the soul of a man the spirit will go but the fleshly man part will stay and return to the dust from which it came
When it says “God hasn’t appointed his children to wrath,” that has nothing to do with “the tribulation.” God’s wrath is the penalties dealt upon the final judgment. Secondly, sleeping in the same bed does not mean sexual activity.
In the Passover, those with the blood were spared from his wrath. The “two” are those with the blood, and those without the blood. Bride clothing or filthy rags. A temple made without hands or a destructible temple. Sheep and goats to be separated at the end.
One taken and one left. One out of two taken is 50 percent. It refers to how many will die during the last have of the tribulation. The bible tells us that a third of the people will be killed as will a third of the trees burned. That’s one third of the population. Then another quarter of the people will die from famine and disease caused by the beasts of the field. First one third then one fourth. Comes out to half the population. Fifty percent. As far as the rapture, revelation CLEARLY tells us that we will be gone before the tribulation. Revelation is in chronological order. Early in revelation Jesus says because Christians have been faithful He will keep us OUT OF that hour that tests the world. Then as revelation continues the judgments start to come on the earth. Common sense. It says Jesus RETURNS with tens of thousands of His saints. We can’t RETURN with Him unless we have been taken out at some earlier point in the first place.
Revelation says no such thing. This reflects a complete misunderstanding of Revelation.
THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE = WISHFUL THINKING OF THE EGO. – ???
MATTHEW 5
10 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
11 “BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN OTHERS REVILE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU AND UTTER ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU FALSELY ON MY ACCOUNT.
12REJOICE AND BE GLAD, FOR YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN, FOR SO THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO WERE BEFORE YOU.
LUKE 4
30 BUT PASSING THROUGH THEIR MIDST, HE WENT AWAY
.LUKE 4
29 THEY GOT UP, DROVE HIM OUT OF THE TOWN, AND LED HIM TO THE BROW OF THE HILL ON WHICH THE TOWN WAS BUILT, IN ORDER TO THROW HIM OVER THE CLIFF.
30 BUT JESUS PASSED THROUGH THE CROWD AND WENT ON HIS WAY.
REVELATION 3:
10 BECAUSE YOU HAVE KEPT MY WORD ABOUT PATIENT ENDURANCE, I WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TRIAL THAT IS COMING ON THE WHOLE WORLD, TO TRY THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH.
ZEPHANIAH 2
3 SEEK THE LORD, ALL YOU HUMBLE OF THE LAND, WHO DO HIS JUST COMMANDS; SEEK RIGHTEOUSNESS; SEEK HUMILITY; PERHAPS YOU MAY BE HIDDEN ON THE DAY OF THE ANGER OF THE LORD.
2 PETER 2
9 THEN THE LORD KNOWS HOW TO RESCUE THE GODLY FROM TRIALS, AND TO KEEP THE UNRIGHTEOUS UNDER PUNISHMENT UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT,
Everyone has an opinion. The more I hear the more I think no one knows. I think we need to tell the story of salvation get as many as possible saved keep helping them with the Word of God to go out and tell the good news forget about pretrib post trib rapture. When Jesus was born. The only thing is to keep preaching salvation. 1. We know there is a heaven and hell. 2 We know there is only one true God 3. Jesus was born of a virgin 4. He died was buried rose again for those who believe Him and serve Him will go to heaven you reject Him hell will be your home. And if I left out steps then I’m sure you will figure it out. I get tired of people arguing a out what they think when we’re suppose to go and tell about our Lord. To many people wants to be right when there are souls to be saved healed delivered. Go to nursing homes to the homeless. Yes we need truth but Jesus said the Holy Spirit will teach us. We’re to ask for wisdom I was looking up the passages and came across this. All I’m saying is live your life for Jesus and take as many souls with you to heaven. Talking to me also. I. JESUS NAME.
You are simply incorrect in your last days ideas . If you follow the Holy Spirit through the last days using the Word of God you will see a pattern that the rapture must occur because the Holy Spirit must be removed to reveal the wrath of God. The tribulation time is simply put a time for Jehovah too deal with his bride Israel. The Son (Jesus) has his bride at the marriage supper of the lamb. Do not be mislead follow Israel as well this is who the tribulation is about. Sorry your theory does not follow from Genesis to Revelation.
If that’s the case, isn’t it remarkable that this idea didn’t appear until the 19th Century? All those earlier centuries of Christians must have been deceived, then, right?
Cheryl, you should read Ephesians 2. The modern state of “Israel” is a counterfeit. It fits hand and glove with Dispensational pre-millennialism. It is not God’s “timepiece.” It is an elaborate end-times deception meant to “deceive even the elect, if that were possible.” I know, because I was once deceived.
Question? If only the good people will be left, then why will those left have to face persecution, the mark of the beast, and all the evil things that go with it??? If all the bad people have been taken, then who will be the ones in charge of all the evil that will be unleashed on those who are left??? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if all the bad people are gone, that things would get better, not worse??? I don’t buy you faulty explanation!!!
That’s an easy answer: there isn’t going to be a seven-year tribulation period in which all these things happen like you’re suggesting. That idea is a fairly recent innovation.
Please explain about the lack of a “tribulation”, I thought the idea of that was pretty evident in the Bible, and considering that when the Babylonian captivity happened, even those who listened and obeyed the message from God spoken through the prophets, had to endure the invasion, the bloodshed, the enslavement, etc. (even though God watched over them through it all), and so many things in Revelation seem to echo the same kinds of things from that “Day of the Lord”, the idea of a tribulation seems to make sense.
a very easy picture of on taken one left you have a garden one taken the weeds put in the fire or trash and the one left the flower they remain to enherit the earth
also the scripture answers it shelf one taken WHERE ,where the body is there all so the vultures gather together Luke 17(34-37)
and Matthew 13(24+30+36+42)
The verse that relates to Noah is clear. Everyone is going about there normal business and then the righteous (based on their belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior) will be rescued from God’s wrath. The one taken up in Matthew is caught up to be with the Lord. The rest left on earth will go through the tribulation until God wins the battle of Armegadon. You should not change the word caught up or catch up and add your own meaning of “seized”. Robert Jefferies and his book Perfect Ending explains much more clearly and relates the verses to the bible. Sorry to strongly disagree with your interpretation. Just like the days of Noah, the people on the ark are saved from God’s wrath. God asked Noah and his family to come into the Ark. He did not say go into the ark. Christian’s are not appointed into wrath
Scriptures from the Bible are interpreted by people many different ways. The thing we need to remember. Jesus said believe in me and thou shalt be saved.
Two Christians walking down the lane. One has a heart attack and dies. He is taken. An airplane carrying fifty people crashes. All die except three. Forty seven are taken. A phone booth near the road. Been there twenty years. One day a man stops to use the phone. A car veers off the road and hits the booth. Man dies. He is taken.
INTERPRETATION
The Son of Man will come for us one at a time, fifty at a time, even more. We need to be ready. When the flood came the only people ready was Noah’s family. I knew a man who was on a lake in a boat fishing with another man. Lightning struck, my friend was taken, the other one was left. We make things more complicated than they need to be.
I see replies like mine are deleted if they don’t fit your quidelines.
I don’t ascribe to the dispensational pre-Trib rapture. Scripture doesn’t support it. However, I can’t reconcile the passage about being “taken” and “left” with what Paul says in Thessalonians, that “we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” as well as the 2 witnesses in Rev 11, representing God’s people corporately, who are called up to heaven while the wicked nations look on. Those 2 passages would indicate that the righteous are taken first to meet Christ at His appearing before He destroys the wicked.
Well done. I totally agree.
What did Noah do during the days of the Flood? He got in the Ark God had prepared for him! What happened to those that remained? They suffered upon the Earth!
This is what it means when it says as in the days of Noah, we are his, protected, and blessed not to have to suffer through this “flood” upon the earth, but instead will be safe in our Ark with Jesus.
So what does ‘The dead in Christ shall rise first and then those who remain and all will be caught up in the heaven with Christ and receive heavenly bodies ? I paraphrase in my words .
Jason,
Your article points in the right direction, from my perspective. It had me thinking of unity, not separation. It might be stated in these terms: “The trees will be taken and the forest left behind.” Thank you for your blessing.
Hi Jason, so it’s my understanding that you do not believe in the Rapture? You believe we will all go through the tribulation?
The notion of a separate tribulation period (e.g., the seven-year tribulation often posited by dispensationalists) that you’re alluding to is not a concept familiar to the New Testament or earliest Christianity, nor is any sort of “rapture” preceding such an event. The one mention of the “great tribulation” (Rev 7:14) is in the present, which indicates that even in the first century the earliest Christians understood themselves as already living in the tribulation period preceding the Day of the Lord. They certainly were not expecting another, more ramped-up period after the current one.
But the book of revelation says that the heavens and earth will pass away and made new. So you’re wrong.
Wrong about what? The post nowhere discusses anything pertaining to the new heavens and earth. This is an exceedingly strange comment.
Interesting reading and comments. Since becoming a Christian at 24, now 69, I had been taught pre trib doctrine and read many books and heard many teachers about this view. I also read opposing views and discussions from evangelical leadership.
I’m amazed how the promises to Israel here, seem to be disregarded somehow, while discussing this. Israel was indeed promised a kingdom that Messiah would set up and control. That’s an earthly kingdom, not heavenly. I agree these texts from Matthew may be misused to support this pre trib view, but to discount text from I Corinthians and I Thessalonians, I don’t understand..
Let’s remember prophecy about Christ, were often scattered and seemingly unconnected, and easily misunderstood by the religious leadership, who all spent years studying scripture.. clearly this was by design by God.
One taken…one left….sounds like the Rapture. But the rest of Matt 24 and 25 I believe is the 2nd Coming. Real heresy is thinking the Church is Israel. Big error. (See those that think they’re Jews but they’re of the Synagogue of Satan in Rev 2:9, etc.) The 7-yr Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Tribulation) is for Israel, not the Church. And the wrath of the Lamb (God) begins with the Seal Judgments in Rev 6. These are the things that Jesus told John that were “hereafter” (after the churches) in Rev 4:1.
Then remember…. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”… no requirement to know foreign languages for understanding Revelation.
You say, “The notion of a separate tribulation period (e.g., the seven-year tribulation often posited by dispensationalists) that you’re alluding to is not a concept familiar to the New Testament….”
Let God speak…..
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thes 4:13-18)
Pre-Trib Rapture Proof
1 – “For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes 5:9).
2 – “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1Thes 1:10)
3 – “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
4 – *”Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev 3:10 to the Philadelphia Church…todays genuine (believing) church)
5 – John 14:1-4 – “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” (John 14:1-4)
6. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8)
To whomever has an ear to hear let him hear.
I believe as you do as just before it mentions that one will be taken and one left behind it says ‘just as in the days of Noah.’ Noah was not taken, he was left on the earth, in an ark until the waters subsided. The ones that were taken were those that ate and drank and married and took no note until the flood came and swept them all away. I do believe after the tribulation that there will be a cleanse and a new heaven and a new earth, (Revelation 21:1-8) And our King Jesus and God will be with the ones on earth as he is now. Some will be in the heavens and they will have a task, and the earthly ones will be given health and longevity, and welcome back those from the earthly resurrection. Revelation 7: 9-17 Revelation 20: 1-15 I believe we are either at the onset of the great tribulation. In Matthew it gave the signs and said when you see these things occur, earthquakes, pestilence famine etc know he is near the door. I say, come amen Lord Jesus.
I certainly agree with the righteous and meek inheriting the Earth. This means that when the separation of the wheat from the chaff takes place, the “good” people will stay and populate the New Earth, while the ones who want to continue their 3D lives will be taken to the 2nd earth planet hologram now being created for them. This is the opposite of the rapture idea taught in churches now, which leaves the ungodly in possession of the Earth and removes the godly into heaven.
That this removal in the blink of an eye will take place was confirmed by the angels in a live channel today. In my opinion, though, it will be the ones who do not want to or cannot ascend into 5D Earth as their vibration is too low.
Re: the tribulation. This time can be seen as the changeover period from the old to the new Earth. This kali yuga and the current Earth holgram are set to end in another 1.5 yrs with a new cosmic cycle starting with a New Earth actually vibrating at the original level of the planet before the fall of Atlantis 13k yrs ago. We are going into the Photon Belt, a region of very high gamma radiation and this will cause changes to everything –DNA, laws of physics, etc. The period after the Awakening (in summer 2021?) will cause social upheavals and unrest (which are already being kindled by BLM, globalists, Dems, etc. in the USA) and the downfall of corrupt systems like usury banking, big tech, MS media, etc. This not a punishment meted out by God, but it is how civilizations end when their time has come to end.
Wow, this is a truly special level of nonsense.
If your 1.5 years is correct, then summer 2021 would be too early – November at least. It’s a shame I’m reading this now (May 2022) – I always get a chuckle when I read these things months or years after the time these events are supposed to have happened.
What are the Biblical view on universalism (people who don’t believe in God, but live an overall good life, would still go to heaven)
Paul is talking to the Body of Christ, hence why he say’s I am the apostle to the Gentiles Jews were welcome to join the body as we’ll. But based of what he says to the Gentiles it is to win them over to Christ and if Jews are won as we’ll that’s a bonus. So we are to take Paul’s words over the other 12 Apostles this here shows Gods division in they way he deals with man. Why because the 12 apostles are for the nation of Israel which are the 12 tribes. They were to prepare them for the tribulation but as we see in Acts they denied Jesus they mean the Nation of Israel. So God turned to the Gentiles by the way though Paul our apostle again separation. So we are to follow Paul’s words for the Christians, over the 12 apostle who again were for the nation of Israel. Why because two groups are preaching to two different messages, to two different groups of people, one being the Nation of Israel the other being the Gentiles. The tribulation is for the nation of Israel the prophecy of Daniel 70 weeks was to Israel. The nation of Israel is a physical nation they require signs it’s the reason why they will be going through the tribulation. The Body of Christ is a spiritual nation for lack of better words. The reason the Body or Christ and Israel are two different groups is quite simple. One was promised the Earth which is the nation of Israel thought the covenant with Abraham. This is the method God is using to gain control back over the Earth, something Satan new about since the foundation of the world. The other was told by Paul we will be seated in heavenly places which is the Body of Christ. Why because God is going to use the Body of Christ to take back the Heavens from Satan. This was hidden key word before the foundation of the world so the OT would not refer to the Christian. Satan never new about it until it was revealed through Paul. So now we have two groups with two objective one too retake the Earth Israel and the other too retake the Heavens which is the Body of Christ. So how would this happen? First the retainer who is the Holy Spirit must be removed. Where is the Holy Spirit currently he is in the Body of Christ in the Christians. The method of removing the retainer is by removing the Body of Christ but by what method. By the Catching Away also know as the Latin translation the Rapture. The reason why we go before the tribulation is simple the retainer must be removed the Holy Spirit he retains the Man of Sin from entering and starting the tribulation. So once we are removed he comes to the scene within. Roughy 33 to 40 years given the war starts in Daniel and then the peace with many. When we are gone and caught up to the second Heaven that’s were we I’ll meet the Lord. How do I know this because the Archangel is with the Lord in enemy’s territory the second Heaven remember Gabriel need Michael help getting too Daniel. This also is sending a message to Satan your time is at hand in his territory in front of his angels we are transformed in a twinkling of an eye. After that we will attend the Judgment Seat of Christ to be given our rewards these rewards and Crowns will determine where we will rule in the Heavens, the key word in the Heavens this going on during the first half of the tribulation. Once the judgment Seat is completed the war in Heaven starts in order to remove Satan and his angels from the Heavens so the body of Christ can start our rule. This his the reason why Paul said do you know that we will Judge Angels. This is starts the second half of the tribulation when Michael kicks Satan and his angles to the earth. Again the bible says the Heavens plural which means the third and second are filled. If the third is filled by God and the Angles who didn’t fall. And the the second is were Satan and his angels were, well during that verse the second Heaven is filled with the Body of Christ which is why their is rejoicing. And it’s the reason why Satan is full of anger he was just made into a fool in front of all of creation and he is supposed to be the most wise out of all of Gods creation. This is the point of when the mark and the image happens and everything is now focused totally on the Earth and the battle on that front. Satan lost the high ground now this is his final stand after the tribulation we go into the 1000 year rule. At the start the nations are judge which are the Gentiles we have goats and the sheep. The sheep’s are the Gentiles who didn’t take the mark but didn’t believe in Christ had they believed on Christ they would not have gone though the tribulation they can enter in to the 1000 year rein. But those who denied Christ and took the mark are sent to hell not the lake of fire but he’ll. Then we come to the 12 tribes being Judge by the 12 apostles. To see their rewards mentioned in the beginning of Revelation to the 7 churches those are the congregation created during the tribulation. Once completed the 1000 years will start, Israel will be on the earth and we will be in the Heavens. After the the thousand the great white throne judgement for all those who are in hell and I believe those during the 1000 year rein the Gentiles not the Jews they were Judge by the 12 tribes physical Judges because they are a physical nation. And we were Judge by Christ Jesus at the judgement seat of Christ spiritual. The Gentiles will be judge at the Great white throne. After the judgement we a the merger between physical and spiritual hence why God told Abraham is seed will be as many as the stars the physical nation of Jews and Gentiles can still have children they have the bodies of what Adam and Eve had while the body of Christ has his body. I hope this clears up everything about the rapture and how God divides their are groups The Body, The nation, and the Gentiles in the end of the things. The body rules in the Heaven’s, The Nation in the Earth new Jerusalem is for the nation of Israel, The Gentiles are to fill up the Heavens. Those in the body of Christ will rule and Govern the Gentiles who will fill the Heavens while God is ruling all of creation from his throne on the earth with the Jews.
I’ve been attempting to figure this issue out for some time now and have finally made my decision… I’m not going to try and figure it out anymore (for the record, I agree mostly with Brad’s post). Sowing division and creating doubt is exactly what Satan wants. A great friend of mine of over 25 years won’t even talk to me now over this issue. He’s completely confident that many parts of the Bible are irrelevant now, and that the book of Enoch has all the answers (which I find ridiculously insulting, as that belief means God isn’t powerful enough to keep His word proper and correct through the years). He also follows some dude in Britain, Justin Paul Abraham, who claims he levitates (which he defines as raptures), himself to heaven daily and has sit down chats with Jesus. Nor does he, JPA, in his own words, read the Bible very often. (The following to be read in your best hippy voice), “I don’t read the Bible much maaan. I rapture myself to the cosmic realm of heaven and let the words seep into my pores maaan”. If you’ve ever listened to this guy, you know exactly what I mean. I only listened to him once in my failed attempt to show my friend that I’m willing to hear his side if he’ll hear mine.
Anyway, I’m done with all the divisiveness. God’s plan is perfection. We know exactly what He wants us to know, when He wants us to know it – no more, no less. 2 Timothy 2:15 isn’t an order, but it’s a pretty good idea to adhere to it; “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth”. Jesus is the Word made flesh – Jesus is perfect – the Word is perfect. It’s mankind who twists things up. And in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself. Basically, it’s made up of two separate words — “mank” and “ind.” What do these words mean? It’s a mystery, and that’s why so is mankind – Jack Handy (I couldn’t help myself lol).
Anyway, if I have to live through the brutal and horrifying tribulations to come – fantastic. If I’m saved from them – super duper fantastic. Be faithful to the very end, it’ll be worth it beyond anything we can imagine.
PS: “Wow, this is a truly special level of nonsense.” I’ll be using that eventually. Thanks.
Jason. You have been misled. We are not destined for God’s wrath. Yes we will all suffer in many ways and in terrible ways before the rapture, but we absolutely will not experience anything as awful as when God’s wrath is poured out on the earth. My belief comes from scripture, no need to switch up the words. Revelation is written in a Hebraic format. It is not logical, linear, or in order, but it IS all connected to other verses in scripture. The entire Bible is a treasure trove. Many many layers that all lead back to Christ. Take another look. You won’t be disappointed.
Tell that to those who have been persecuted for their faith throughout the ages—including the present time. They’re living in tribulation now.
That was a good argument to refute the so called “Rapture” theology.
But the difficultly I face myself while reading this passage “especially in Matthew’s Gospel” is that whether it is about the 2nd coming or the destruction of Jerusalem. Many have argued in different ways like: R. T. France, N. T. Wright, Thomas R. Hatina, Brant Pitre, Crispin Fletcher Lois and Timothy C. Gray that it’s all about the fall of Jerusalem
But to demonstrate the problem here are my thoughts:
1- If it solely about the fall of Jerusalem then we are left without any direct teachings form Jesus about His 2nd coming except the book of Revelation and of course The Gospel of Luke and Acts.
But the problem would be that Paul had very resemblance description of the 2nd coming (2 Thes. 2) very alike to the one of Jesus here and he attached it to the erection of an idol or an anti-christ who would stand as God in the Temple before the coming of Christ.
And also Jesus attached the “sending” of His angels to gather the elect to the destruction of the temple, but contrary to that the sending here happened after the resurrection of Jesus
2- On the other hand if it’s about the 2nd coming it was very attached to the fall of Jerusalem as if we can’t consider both events as separate. Both are attached to each other and it was explicitly said it will be within this generation (i.e. the 40 years).
From the other hand many have attempt to attach this to the death and resurrection of Jesus but it falls in the chronological description Jesus said about the whole time of Tribulation.
Actually my head is spinning through all of this in a while and I couldn’t find a satisfying answer to it but I’m leaning toward the fall of Jerusalem more myself.
Paul also says that the ekklesia is the temple of God. So I’d be cautious of equating the “temple” in 2 Thess 2 with the Jerusalem temple.
Love it! And your other exegesis’. Read all the comments up to today Nov 22, 2021. It’s on the right track. Unfortunately, God intentionally hide His plan in foretellings within foretellings, which jump from era to era. Thus, we see Isaiah 53 foretell both the Messiah’s death and His rule; In Matthew, we see Jesus foretell both the destruction of the Temple in 70AD along-side foretelling His next return; we read foretellings of the End of the World along-side foretellings of destruction to take place between this age and the Millennium. God intended this hiding and revealing to the saints as they deeply and seriously study. A great question is: If Revelation 4-22 is strictly one chorographical vision, what’s with Revelation 12? God Bless You.
I have a question. If Jesus were to return now, before the arrival of the anti-christ and all hell breaking loose, wouldn’t that fulfill the verse?
Jesus says that he will come as a thief in the night when we least expect it.
What I get out of that, after reading revelations is that He will show up when humanity (non-believers? ) has lost all hope.
Everyone else seems to think He can show up at any time. Why would He show up before the end of His story? What am I missing?
1 Thess 5 says that Jesus’ coming will not be a surprise to believers but only to unbelievers who live in darkness—it is only for those in darkness that the coming will be “like a thief.”
Thank you. Or, the coming just like in the days of Noah could also mean that just like in those days, no one believed it was going to happen but the flood did happen. So too, the righteous could be taken up but no one believes this event could happen. I guess we’ll all be sure when it occurs. In any case, let us be ready.❤️
Just a thought….not an assertion or belief..but has anyone ever explored the idea that the eschatological themes expressed here are to do with past events exclusively…I thought that perhaps accepted theology could do nought but immediately reject the notion…and perhaps scriptural evidence too though perhaps the scriptural evidence is more equivocal even ambivalent? I’m not sure I could undertake such a task myself or completely alone – it would require a herculean effort.
Yes, this idea is called “preterism” and there’s been quite a lot written on it over the years.
The bible does say… Revelation 3:10 states: Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you FROM the HOUR OF TRIAL that is going to come on the WHOLE WORLD to test the inhabitants of the earth. The prominent word here is “FROM”. It does NOT say THROUGH! You and I will not “GO THROUGH” the tribulation. Thank GOD for that!
No, the prominent word is not “from.” That’s a minor preposition. The prominent word is “keep,” (τερέω), which means “guard.” This does not mean they will be removed from the world but that they will be guarded from the trials while remaining in the world. It’s the same verbal construction that would be used to say, “I’m going to protect you from that big dog over there.”
Everyone who refuse Beast mark will be protected only for 3.5 years. After they will be Killed by Anti -Christ. They will become Martyrs.
Do you need Bilbe reference on what I say ?
Did you delete my last post here? Not sure why people continue to ignore this very clear verse – Revelation 3:10 states: Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you FROM the HOUR OF TRAIL that is going to come on the WHOLE WORLD to test the inhabitants of the earth. The prominent word here is “FROM.” It does NOT say THROUGH! You and I will not “GO THROUGH” the tribulation. Thank GOD for that!
but then why does the Bible say this? spoken by Jesus to the disciples, check out verse 9
Matthew
6You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].
9“Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. 11Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. 12Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. 13But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. 14This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.
how can there be beheadings of the Christians, if they are all saved from it ???????????????????????
Revelation 20
4 Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom authority to act as judges and to pass sentence was entrusted. Also I saw the souls of those who had been slain with axes [beheaded] for their witnessing to Jesus and [for preaching and testifying] for the Word of God, and who had refused to pay homage to the beast or his statue and had not accepted his mark or permitted it to be stamped on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived again and ruled with Christ (the Messiah) a thousand years.
Did you delete my last post here?
No, why?
I believe this is referring to the harvest. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left”
I take it to mean that the flesh body will be left behind and the spirit body will be taken. In this theme of parable the examples are always divisible by two, I don’t believe this is a coincidence ? after all why not three working in a field and 1 taken and two left behind etc…….
Could it be that in all these examples that the flesh body with its propensity to sin will be left behind ? and that the perfect eternal spirit body is taken ?
That’s not really a viable option for the passage, which is talking about the division between the just and the unjust. That distinction is why it’s always divisible by two.
I was talking about the just and unjust Jason, just from a different perspective. Just as the wheat will be saved and brought into the barn ( the house of God ) and the chaff burned ( Hell ? )
I am not an expert on the bible Jason and I am not a literalist reader of the Bible either. I look for the spirit of the text not the letter to inspire me, guide me in my understanding. I just thought I would share my feelings about the parable here to see what you and others thought about it. Have a good day Brother 🙂
Thank you for this. I am a long-time Christian, however, the account of end-time events rattles me at times. The Holy Spirit gives me a peace that only Jesus can give and the “snatching up” in the rapture event always felt violent. This explanation gives me some peace on the subject…thanks.
I am not convinced by Jason’s arguments. The reference to Noah, it seems to me, is to illustrate the unexpected nature of the event, rather than the specific intention of the event, i.e. judgement. Moreover, even if one accepts the idea of ‘taken’ and ‘left behind’ is identical in Noah’s situation and the end-times situation, then it is equally reasonable from the text to say that those ‘taken’ were righteous Noah and his family, and those ‘left behind’ were the unrighteous. It can be argued either way, but the traditional Dispensationalist interpretation fits better, in my opinion. However, the point of Jesus’ illustration is the suddenness of the judgement facing the unrighteous. Best to be ready!
Sort of like if the COVID vaccine from aborted babies ends up poisoning 50% of the earth’s population
Complete nonsense. For one thing, the mRNA vaccines were not made “from aborted babies,” which is why the National Catholic Bioethics Center did not recommend against them. Secondly, they’re not going to poison the population; anyone who thinks that doesn’t understand how mRNA technology works.
Hi Jason,
I just read your article. Thank you for being clear on this passage of Scripture. I’m a Catholic priest, and when I was just 13 I read Hal Lindsey’s The Great Planet Earth. Ever since then I have had an “eschatological bent.” You are absolutely correct on how to interpret the passage from Matthew. There is no “secret rapture” as Darby postulated. When the Great Tribulation finally does arrive . . . it is as you said . . . we’re all going to experience it together. Until then . . . we say at every Mass directly after the consecration: “We celebrate Your death O Lord and we profess Your Resurrection, until You come again.” He is with us always . . . until the end of the age . . . in a most splendid and sacred way in the Most Holy Eucharist. Blessings!!
Once again, we find a ‘teacher’ that has a better revelation of scripture than 10’s of 1000’s of great Bible teachers. They are all so simpleminded and ignorant, right? Trying to explain away that which they cannot phathom or accept as real in their minds. I suppose if he’d been among the 11 and someone said, Hey, comon’, Jesus it going to be taken up before us in the clouds nearby, he’d set about trying to diswayed folks it’s not as it sounds, can’t be that way. I am suspect of one, even a few that say that everyone is wrong but we few enlightened. Please explain away 1 Thess. 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself shall DESCENT FROM HEAVAN with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST:
17 Then we which are ALIVE, (alive!) and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them (the dead in Christ) IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Easy enough answer: the default teaching about that passage throughout Christian history has been that those who rise to meet Christ are gathered together into the air to descend with him upon the Mount of Olives in accordance with the biblical prophecy about the coming judgment. That was the default view until a “teacher” arose in the 19th century and claimed it must mean something else.
But that still doesn’t answer how everyday lives can be as usual when Jesus returns. Won’t those who are taken by; surprise be calling out for the rocks to fall on them?
Here’s a refreshing way of thinking about what Jesus meant by his words in Matthew 24 : 40 … and onwards.
Throughout all Scripture, every instance of being ”taken” by God is a Good Thing for that person. Consider:
Enoch was TAKEN into Heaven. GOOD THING.
Elijah was TAKEN into Heaven. GOOD THING.
Noah and his family entered into the Ark… effectively ‘taken’ aboard. GOOD THING.
In the parable, the 5 wise virgins were granted access into the Marriage Feast celebration. … effectively… ‘taken’ inside. GOOD THING.
Jesus was TAKEN into Heaven (Acts 1:11 – ”“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been TAKEN from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”) GOOD THING.
The Apostle Paul was ”caught up” – ie: TAKEN – into heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2 – ”I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.”) – GOOD THING.
Would someone like to tell me where in the Bible is there a passage when being TAKEN by God is a Bad Thing?
Matt 24:40 doesn’t say “taken by God.” It says “taken.” And there are lots of examples where being “taken” isn’t pleasant. John 19:16, for example, says, “so they took Jesus” to be crucified.
Your word study is also deeply flawed because many of the verses you’ve cited aren’t the same word used in Matt 24:40. Just because it says “taken” in English doesn’t mean it’s the same word in Greek, which is what you should be using to search.
How do you explain that at the 2nd coming of Jesus, the world will be pretty messed up what with all the catastrophic global crisis taking place? It doesn’t sound like people will be going about their normal everyday activities such as getting married or working out in the fields etc and then are caught by surprise because the Son of Man will come at an hour no one expects.
The New Testament doesn’t say that there will be a catastrophic global crisis taking place. It says that it will be “as in the days of Noah,” when most people are going through their everyday lives while in other places wars and famines are happening. Just like every other time in human history. Paul says that Jesus will return when people are prosperous and declaring “peace and safety.” That’s not what would be happening in a time of catastrophic global crisis.
Is your view influenced by your interpretation of when the Millennium takes place and do you think it is taking place now or that there isn’t one?
No, my reading here has nothing to do with the millennial reign discussed in Revelation.
Why not, they are interrelated and connected? (unless you do not hold to a literal 1000 year reign when Christ returns to establish his kingdom on earths – I take it that you do not and that is where your influence on interpreting the rapture comes from?
well it is messed up times right now…………………… the worst i have seen in my lifetime. and getting married is the most popular thing amount 20-40 yr old women. working in the fields is related to just going to work and during these messed up times people are still going to school, work, going on vacations, etc. the Bible did say………….. Jesus will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord is coming just as a thief [comes unexpectedly and suddenly] in the night.
13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.
i have had several spiritual messages given to me in the past few years. some relate to the end. i was told time is running out. i am not sure what the end will be, whether it be the end of the world as it is, the end of the thing we know as time, the end of this realm. we know there will be a new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem! i have also seen a map that have been whitewashed and cleaned in a vision. i am getting the feeling that at the end of the tribulation, we may go right into the millenium. those who made it fought the good fight and are ushered in, but not sure this is how it will play out, only Jesus and God knows. this is not a happen-stance thought, its coming from my spiritual place. this makes this article very relevant and i did not understand this til today that this was even possible. my goal has recently been to survive the tribulation and for whatever reason… i thought to get to the millenium even though its not expressed by others or churches. i have seen myself in the spirit (through dreams), in them i am younger very powerful and dressed out in full metal amour. i am like a super hero, confident and strong. i have also heard songs in my dreams indicating this. God has often spoken to me through songs since i was a young Christian. in my dreams i am unwavering, smart, and unfearful. it seems God has taken the emotion of fear away and its 100% unwavering faith. this is what i am getting these last days, until what is next. i have had other dreams, words of knowledge, visions but they really escalated over the last 10 yrs. some of the messages i recieved were about people i knew and i have seen these come to pass. i have had other recent messages about deaths of two different politcal leaders in the usa and the antichrist which i am watching for. please stay strong brothers and sisters. God recently showed me a city grib map, i was above it, it was at night. the veiw zoomed in and i saw a person walking down a dark vacant street and i knew it was me. i then noticed a very bright light was with me as i watched from above. i thought what was is this? it was going where i went and i knew it was Jesus. Jesus is with us friends. on the lonely streets in the dead of the dark nights of these terrible times we live in. fear not, Jesus is with you.
I sure hope you are a true follower of Jesus, because when he states something historically, it always happens the way he says it. You shouldn’t try to change what the word of God states. You WILL be one of those ‘left behind’. Read Rev. 22:18, 19. I believe that applies to the whole Bible. Also Deut. 4:2.
Pre trib takes no pre-trib doctrine from Matt 24. The church is not present when Jesus spoke of one taken one left. There is no rapture passage in Matt 24. The one taken or seized is taken in Judgement. The one left stays and will live in the Kingdom. Those taken are killed because scripture says they are food for the vultures Before you bash pre-trib please view material by someone like Dr. Andy Wood or Thomas Ice. You are being ignorant or untruthful. It is one thing to disagree but another to be grossly misleading. Thank You
You’re mistaken largely because you treat “pre-trib” as a single doctrine with full agreement from its proponents. Many pre-trib interpreters have argued that Matt 24 does indeed include the rapture (see https://bibleprophecyaswritten.com/is-the-rapture-in-matthew-24/). As for Wood or Ice, they already start from impossible priors, so they’re no better in their interpretation than other pre-trib interpreters, all of whom are badly in error.
The Rapture is described in both 1 and 2nd Thes. This was given to Paul and was unknown at the time of the Olivet discourse. Scripture describes it as a mystery.. It was well know to early Christians after Paul disclosed it. It is really not a secret it will be for believers only. Matt chapters 23,24,25 are particularly pertaining to the Jews as Jesus audience. We read it as Christians to be informed but the Church is nowhere here the topic. The Rapture is not the topic here either.
Thank you Jason. No one believed in the rapture for the first 1800 years of the church. I am much more inclined to believe that the early Church got it right.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS! MAKE NO MISTAKE THESE DAYS ARE LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH SODOM AND GOMORRAH THE FALL OF BABYLON. WE WILL ALL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. JUST REMEMBER NOAH LOOKED LIKE A WAY OFF COURSE PERSON AND SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE DOING WHAT GOD ASKED HIM TO DO BUILD THIS HUGE ARK WHICH COULD CARRY 2 OF EACH SPECIES HE MUST OF HAD AN INKLING THAT SOMETHING MAJOR WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. THERE FORE WE SHOULD TOO/1
In the days of Noah and Lot., they were removed from Gods wrath, they didn’t suffer through it. They were not raptured because it wasn’t the time for that yet, but they were removed from the wrath.
Yes. The Lord has always removed His righteous. And, they always go UP. Lot and family, up into mountains. Noah, up above the diastrophism beneath the ark.
I just posed the question of the 2 witnesses being raptured to Jason. He sounds like he is a Catholic.
Exactly
You proved absolutely nothing. The verses were never debunked as NOT being about the rapture. You explained nothing.
Satan is busy running around trying to steal the Blessed Hope of Christians by denying that it will occur. Definitive verse: Revelation 3: 10.
You can’t get around the plain words of Christ. He will keep us FROM, not take us through, the 7 years.
If you want to stay, be my guest.
What seven years? Perhaps you should check the foundation of what you think.
Lots of confused comments. The article itself is confused and not worthy of consideration. Shame on all of you who twist His words. You read from corrupt bible versions created from counterfeit manuscripts. Never stop to ask yourself why there are so many bibles. Some of these comments are from unsaved people.
Luke 11:24 When the Son of Man comes again, He will SHINE like lightning, which flashes across the sky and lights up from one side to the other.
It’s VISIBLE not a secret coming… all will see Him.
Luke 11: 37 The followers asked Jesus “ where will this be, Lord?
Jesus answered, “ Where there is a DEAD body, there the VULTURES will gather.”
Jesus said vultures.
He never said Rapture at all but He said VULTURES.
Luke 11: 37 “Vultures” overlaps Revelation 19:11-21 “Vultures”
Revelation 19 shows itll be after Tribulation He returns and destroy armies by vultures and fire.
Jesus will return and send angels to get us after Tribulation.
Matthew 24:26-31
Mark 13:21-26
1 Thess 4:13-18
2 Thess 2:1-9
John 11:23-25
1 Cor 15:51-52 Resurrection at the LAST TRUMPET
Revelation 11:15-19
7th Trumpet
Judgment begins on both dead and the living.
God’s Temple in Heaven opened
Revelation 19:11-21
Revelation 20:4-6 First raising of the dead.
Every “eye” (singular) will see. My experience with ‘this’ eye, is that it sees the unseen, or what our ‘eyes’ otherwise cannot see. Ie. when our eyes are closed, it is then possible to see through this eye (what is being revealed to it). It’s directly related to the HS. Joel’s mention of the Spirit being poured out onto all people, seems to fit with this ‘eye’ being able to see—and for that to happen within all people at a certain time.
There’s no rapture before Tribulation.
Jesus already gave us the outline in Matthew 24.
Remember that 1 Thess 4 was addressed to people in Thessalonica. They were grieving for their loved ones so that’s why it gave them hope that Jesus will return with those who have died in Christ.
We ALL will be changed (resurrected) at the LAST trumpet.
Doesnt say rapture but resurrection.
1 Cor 15:51 -53 RESURRECTION at the LAST TRUMPET
John 11: 24-25 Martha said I know my brother Lazarus will RISE and LIVE again in the RESURRECTION on the LAST DAY.
Jesus promised the RESURRECTION for all those who believes in Him.
He said I am the RESURRECTION and the LIFE.
Those who believe in ME will have LIFE even if they DIE.
And everyone who lives and believes in ME will never DIE.
Luke 17:24-37
Keep it in CONTEXT
Taken =Dead
Left = Alive
Noah was “left” (ALIVE)
All perished in the Flood were “taken” (DEAD)
Lot was “left” (alive)
All perished in storm fire were “taken” (DEAD)
Both Noah & Lot were “left” not “taken”.
Questions for you..
1. Was Noah “taken” or “left”?
Answer: Noah was left
2. Was Lot “taken” or “left”?
Answer: Lot was left.
3. Those who died in the Great Flood…Were they taken or left?
Answer: They were taken.
4. How can you explain Noah & Lot weren’t taken”?
Jesus returning ….his Coming will be VISIBLE not a secret coming.
Luke 17:24
Many will be “TAKEN” (DEAD)
Others will be “LEFT” (ALIVE)
That’s why they asked Jesus where?
Jesus said VULTURES.
It matches Revelation 19:11-21
Jesus returning
War
Vultures
Some churches twisted this as rapture version but it says nothing about rapture at all.
You answered my question. I think the ones left behind will enter into the eternal state. Not the Tribulation or the 1000 year reign.
Jason what about the 2 witnesses and their Rapture?
What specifically about them? They don’t appear in this passage.
The two witnesses are the lampstand and the olive tree, which are also the church and Israel.
Revelation doesn’t distinguish between Israel and the assembly.
I was raised strict German Lutheran Evangelical Missouri Synod attending Concordia and ultimately obtaining a ThD. I finally left the Lutherans who refuse to acknowledge a millennial reign of Christ or the blessed hope of a Rapture. They also reject immersion form of Baptism following a confession of faith and rely 100% on a sprinkling. God in His mercy will certainly save whom He will but many have been sprinkled and never made a confession of faith. Hier stehe Ich!
Hey Jason.
This is a great article, and I thought I should add that ‘one taken, one left’ just refers to those who are left in the city and those who are taken captive. It fits perfectly into the context in Luke 17 as well.
Also, in one of your comments you said the gathering of Israel hasn’t taken place. I disagree.
In Acts 2:36 Peter refers to the diaspora of Jews as ‘all Israel’.
James 1:1 refers to the Church as the twelve tribes. But only a few tribes existed in Judah. The other tribes got mixed with the other nations.
We also know from Revelation the church, the new Israel, is founded on 12 apostles, just like ethnic Israel had the twelve sons of Jacob as their foundation.
What do you think?
My upcoming book, Paul and the Resurrection of Israel, makes the case that the apostle Paul argues that the northern tribes were mostly mixed among the gentiles (=gentilized), which is why the nations must be brought into the people of God in order for Israel’s restoration to be complete.
In the 11th hour, the Lord promises us workers the full wages of heaven, that the Father, Son & Spirit will come and make their dwelling with us interiorly, and we will thus become members of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Our fallen human will enwrapped in the Divine Will, by the gift of grace of Our Lady’s perfect fiat replicated in us, as we come to share in His Divinity, in theosis, and his will is then done on earth as in heaven. Because of the indwelling of the Divine (Matt 24.23) , the least in the Kingdom of God is thus greater than the greatest saint hitherto (John the Baptist).
How did you come to this doctrine? It pretty much expresses (ie. closely) what ‘some’ have experienced in recent years.
Geeze, this conversation was quite a while ago. I use to believe in “the rapture of the church” before the tribulation. I was taught that this was truth. One day (40 yrs ago) I decided to look up every scripture they used to justify this teaching..I was SHOCKED! While reading the verses before and after the ones presented as evidence I got a completely different interpretation. I just didn’t understand how we could have been lied to about this. Once the speaker left I went to talk to my pastor about it, I expected him to listen and agree. Unfortunately that wasn’t what happened. I was accused of being rebellious and bitter and told not to talk about it again..to anybody. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t long after night that I heard the prosperity gospel being taught. When you let one lie in..others will follow. In the decades after I was accused of alot worse things than I was that evening. I guess we all need to be prayfully cautious when others teach us.
We are responsible to check scripture and study every doctrine given by to us by EVERYBODY! God bless everyone and may the Lord give us boldness. Love your sister in Christ.
How you prove Rapture is before the Tribulation as per Bible ?
I have believed for some time exactly this! Matthew 3:12, same thing. It seemed obvious to me when I read it and like you, I don’t understand the blindness that exists in the masses over these verses and this important event. Yahweh ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet even before his birth and promised to deliver him from all trials, yet even Jeremiah endured his share of trials. What makes us better than him?
The time before the rapture will be like Noah’s day as a precursor or preview to the time immediately after the evacuation of born again believers in Christ.
Certainty of the rapture
The rapture is the event in which the Lord Jesus Christ will appear in the cloud at the voice of the archangel and the last trumpet sound to take all Bible believing, born again Christians away from the surface of this earth before the Almighty God unleashes his anger on a sinful, unrepentant and Christ-rejecting world.
The rapture is an event that will take place very soon and very suddenly. It will be the most astonishing event in the history of the world which will turn the entire planet on its head. The Bible teaches this very clearly and it is the hope of every believer in the Lordship of Jesus Christ to be among those who experience the rapture.
The rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ will be the first in a series of events on God’s calendar which will signal the end of time as we know it and will climax into the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to establish his Kingdom on earth. After the rapture it will, by any stretch of the imagination, no longer be ‘business as usual’ on the face of this planet for those left behind.
A major event of such magnitude deserves the attention of everyone:
· The rapture is going to strike without warning.
· The rapture will happen suddenly.
· The rapture will be one of the most startling events to ever occur in the history of man.
Are you ready to be raptured?
Confusion about the rapture
Are you confused about the rapture? Don’t be, Satan is not. In fact, Satan and his demons know very well that the rapture is a sure event that will take place soon. He is not arguing it. He knows what the rapture implies for his reign of terror on humanity. So he has been busy intensifying the operation of his Ministry of Misinformation. He is going about setting up his lying machines like never before, producing and circulating counterfeit information about the truth and the messengers of the Lord Jesus Christ who preach and teach the truth.
All the enemy’s efforts are designed for no other reason but to confuse you about the truth of the rapture. Satan doesn’t care what you believe about the rapture as long as what you believe is not the truth. Anything he does to keep you from eagerly expecting the Lord Jesus Christ in the rapture is a success for him. If he can stop you from knowing the truth about it, be careful that he does not also stop you from going in the rapture. If he can stop you from allowing the thought about the rapture to influence the way you live your life today, watch out lest he also stops you from being among those raptured.
What is the rapture?
If you are not familiar with the word or the idea, you must be wondering what on earth we mean by Rapture. Rapture is a word used to describe that sudden moment, one of these days, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in mid air (the atmosphere just above our planet earth) and takes His followers away from the face of this earth to heaven where he lives. According to John 14:1-3 in the Bible, the Lord Jesus said to His followers:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Did you notice the words “receive you unto myself?” This is really what the rapture is all about. The Lord Jesus Himself will come to receive His own people unto Himself. These people received the Lord into their hearts as their Saviour while it was an unpopular thing to do here on earth. They believed in His name and were washed in His blood and received the authority or the right to be the children of God (John 1:12). They lived their lives in obedience to His word – some even doing so while facing mockery, torture and death.
The Bible tells us that one day, the Lord Jesus will appear in the clouds above us and snatch these people away from the earth to take them to heaven where He has prepared mansions for them so that from then on, they will be with Him wherever he is, beholding the glory which His Father has given Him (John 17:24). This is the rapture. The act of ‘snatching away’ is the rapture. The expression “caught up” is found in the first letter of Paul to the Thessalonian Christians (1Thess 4:13-18). Look at what he says there:
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command (“Come up hither” in Revelations 4:1), with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Therefore encourage (or comfort) each other with these words.”
The word rapture comes from the root word for “caught up”. The root word for “caught up” in the Greek language is harpazo, which means “to snatch away” or to take away suddenly. In the Latin Vulgate Bible, the words “caught up” are translated as rapturo. Christians have since chosen to describe this soon-coming event of the Lord suddenly snatching away His true followers from the earth as the rapture.
The reality of the rapture, the knowledge that this is an event that will certainly take place, has a comforting effect on the believer. It is a source of encouragement to him. It is the hope of every believer (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 15:19). The thought of the rapture and the expectation of it purifies the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (1John 3:3). The enemy and his agents will ridicule it, make it appear irrelevant to your daily living and seek to prevent you from thinking about, thereby, denying you its present comfort and its future bliss. Don’t let him.
The rapture is the event that answers the prayer of our Lord Jesus which he prayed in John 17:24, “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.”
But to the unbeliever, this knowledge can only provoke fear and horror. And he can respond by either deciding to give up his resistance to inviting the Lord Jesus into his life, or by postponing this decision or even completely discarding the whole message and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to yield to God, as a non-issue that would disappear from his mind after a while. Whichever, make sure you are not one of those trapped in non-response to the plea to make peace with God after you have heard the message of the rapture.
“Therefore, you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:44).
The imminence of the rapture
The Oxford dictionary defines the word imminent as “…an event about to happen.” It is an event “likely to happen very soon” without warning, unexpectedly, catching people by surprise. So, when we say that the rapture is imminent, we mean that the return of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Church is an event that can happen at any moment, without any warning. There are no warning signs or indications of a short-term countdown.
As Christians, we are required to remain on a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week alert. If anyone therefore tells you not to bother about it, do not listen to him. Paying attention to such advice has caused many not-too-well-established believers to make a shipwreck of their faith. The rapture will take place very soon, very suddenly and without warning. Jesus will come in the air, catch up his Church (born again Christians) from the earth, and then return to heaven with them.
Does the Bible teach the imminence of the rapture? Listen to the Lord Himself in Luke 21:34-35, “Watch out! Don’t let my sudden coming catch you unawares; don’t let me find you living in careless ease, carousing and drinking, and occupied with the problems of this life, like all the rest of the world.” The Lord makes it clear in those words that the rapture will take place suddenly, catching people unawares. It will be like the surprise attack of a thief in the night. The suddenness of his coming and the unpredictability of its timing provides the basis for the warning on the immanence of His return.
Timing of the rapture
Although the rapture of the Church is imminent, the Lord has chosen to keep us from knowing the exact date and hour when it will take place. The Lord Jesus Himself made it absolutely clear that: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). Paul puts it this way in chapter 5 of his first letter to the Thessalonian Christians: “Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1Thess 5:1-2).
The rapture will occur when no one is expecting it. However, it is sufficient for us to know that as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be when the rapture takes place. According to the Lord, “The world will be at ease – banquets and parties and weddings – just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall My coming be. Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be going about their household tasks, one will be taken, the other left. So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:37-42).
“The world will be as indifferent to the things of God as the people were in Noah’s day. They ate and drank and married, everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot: people went about their daily business – eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the hour of my return” (Luke 17:26-35).
People will be living as normal: working, partying, buying and selling, planting and building. And just like in the days of Noah, they will not take notice of all the cries by their fellow men to repent and make peace with God. Then, out of nowhere and without any warning, millions of men, women and children will disappear, throwing the entire world into an unbelievable magnitude of chaos. People’s lives will be characterised by selfishness, love and worship of the good things of life, and a lack of interest in anything concerning God except where it promotes and encourages their selfishness and material needs. Does this look like the days we live in? I think it does.
Jesus Christ said: “And since you don’t know when it will happen, stay alert. Be on the watch out for my return.”
How should we live in times like this?
There is no question that no one can predict the timing of the rapture just as there is no doubt about the surprise which this event will be to the majority of people living in the world when it happens. Seeing that the rapture is imminent but the timing unpredictable, how should we be living our lives? There is a lot of warning about how we should live and how we should not live as we wait for the rapture of the Church to take place.
Watch out for His return: The Lord warns: “Don’t let my sudden coming catch you unawares; don’t let me find you living in careless ease, carousing and drinking, and occupied with the problems of this life, like all the rest of the world. Keep a constant watch.” Don’t be like the rest of the world who are asleep concerning these matters (1Thess. 5:6). You are not in darkness concerning it so as to allow that day to surprise you like a thief in the night. Instead, always be on the alert. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return, says the Lord” (Matthew 24:43-44; Mark 13:32).
Be on your guard, be on the alert: Peter warns us to always be self-controlled and alert. The reason is because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to tear apart (1Peter 5:8). Live your life with a sense of urgency that the Lord could come any time. When we were growing up as Christians, we were taught to live our lives as though the Lord will return today. What a timely advice. That way, you are constantly aware of the temporary nature of your stay here on earth. You realise you are living in borrowed time and ought to make the best use of your time while you still have it.
I always use the illustration of a person who goes shopping at five minutes to closing time. If you are conscious of the fact that the shop closes in five minutes time, you do not start a long conversation with your friend whom you suddenly bumped into at the shop, even if you had not seen him or her for a very long time. You know it is not time to sample all the items displayed on the shelf. That is also no time to start enquiring about the different product ranges on offer. You simply and hurriedly go through the shelves picking up the most important things you need in other to make it on time to the counter before they close. Such practical response to a sense of urgency should characterise your approach to your every spiritual service you are engaged in.
Stay sober: Do not spend your life in wanton excesses and extravagance. Be free from inordinate passion. Learn to be quiet. Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Always be protected by the armour of faith and love, while wearing as your helmet the happy hope of your salvation.
Do not be deceived: Don’t let anyone deceive you into believing that you should not be thinking about the rapture or be concerned about it. As Paul said, if we who are abiding in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied (1Corinthians 15:19). Whatever else you do here while we wait for the Lord to come for us, the most important thing is to be found ready when He comes. To be found worthy to be raptured should be the most preferred priority in your life.
The thought of the rapture purifies the man who thinks about it. It provokes you into action seeing that you realise that time is short. It draws you closer to the Lord and sharpens your commitment to Him. Thinking about the rapture always provokes a sense of urgency in your attitude to His work and keeps you from being occupied with the problems of this life.
The Lord told His disciples when they were rejoicing that demons were subject to them in His name, that they should rather rejoice that their names were written in heaven. Your heavenly citizenship and your final arrival there should be the source of great joy in your life and the motivation for everything else that you do. It is our glorious hope.
“Occupy till I come.” This is the attitude the Lord expects us to have as we wait for His coming. While we watch and wait for His coming, we are not to stay idle. We are to do business till He comes. We are to faithfully discharge our responsibilities, inspired by the knowledge of His coming. The Lord illustrated this point in the story taken from Luke 19:12-27, “A nobleman living in a certain province was called away to the distant capital of the empire to be crowned king of his province. Before he left he called together ten assistants and gave them each $2000 to invest while he was gone”. The Lord has given us talents, gifts and abilities which He expects us to utilise wisely to promote His kingdom on earth till He comes. How are you trading?
“But some of his people hated him and sent him their declaration of independence, stating that they had rebelled and would not acknowledge him as their king”. Does this sound like the lifestyle of some people today? I think so. We live in a power-crazy world today. In the mad race for power, everyone wants to be in control, to exercise power over others while recognising no authority over himself. The lust for fame, publicity, celebrity, awards and rewards, have forced many to break the boundary lines, remove the ancient land marks and openly but grotesquely declare themselves as gods. Even in the body of Christ – the Church – a lust for self-importance and self-recognition has resulted in unhealthy rivalry and competition among many leaders, to the extent that one wonders exactly which master they serve. How are you trading?
“Upon his return he called in the men to whom he had given the money, to find out what they had done with it, and what their profits were. The first man reported a tremendous gain – ten times as much as the original amount! ‘Fine!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good man. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, and as your reward, you shall be governor of ten cities’. The next man also reported a splendid gain five times the original amount. ‘All right!’ his master said. ‘You can be governor over five cities’” (Luke 19:15-19).
The Lord encourages us to make an active investment into our treasury in heaven. By actively pursuing activities that promote the kingdom of God in the lives of other people here on earth, we are doing business for and with the Lord until He returns. And if the business of enriching our heavenly bank accounts appeals to us very strongly, our minds will rightly be preoccupied with and inspired by heaven-driven projects (Luke 12:33-34). This is what will keep us in constant readiness for the coming of our Lord.
Have your lamp trimmed: To trim means to put in order. The summary of all we have been saying is that you must be in constant readiness for the coming of the Lord for the Church, His bride. Make sure that everything around you and within you is ready and set to go when the Lord arrives. The Lord Himself illustrated the implications of readiness and unreadiness with the story of the ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.
So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’ All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then the five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out. But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves’. But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Go away! It is too late!’ So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of My return’.
Do not be like the five foolish virgins who had to go and get oil for their lamps when it was too late. See to it that you are living your life in obedience to the word of God, loving Him passionately and serving Him with adoration with all you are and all you have.
Dear reader, you have to understand that the rapture is only the first phase of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth. The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ took place when He came as the sinless Lamb of God to take away the sins of the whole world. But you know that when He came the first time, the world rejected him. He came unto his own, the Scriptures say, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name (John 1:11-12). During that first visit, He promised to come again.
This time around, the Lord Jesus Christ is not coming as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the whole world. He is coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is coming to take vengeance against his enemies – those who spoke harshly of Him and His people (Jude v. 15), and to establish His Kingdom for a one thousand-year reign on our planet earth.
A letter from the Rapture Force
Dear Reader,
One of the most profound realities of our time is the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth. This event will be preceded by the rapture, or sudden departure, of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ one of these days from this planet. However, neither the Second Coming of the Lord nor the rapture of the body of believers in Him receives the attention it deserves among Christians today.
Many unbelievers are not aware of what the rapture is all about and some have not even heard of the word, least of all how it will affect them. They are not in any position to appreciate the individual and global implications of the event called the rapture before or when it takes place. More worrying is the fact that many Christians do not know even the most basic things about the rapture. Among some Christians who have heard some form of teaching on the topic, the rapture is considered a controversial and confusing topic which they would rather not discuss. This poor knowledge of a profound event like the rapture is a clear demonstration that Christians are no longer searching the Scriptures as they should (John 5:39; Acts 17:10-11).
In Africa, as in the rest of the world, there are about five major categories of responses to the topic of the rapture of the Church. These include:
1. The Christians who have clear knowledge of the rapture, believe what the Scriptures teach about it and live their lives in response to it.
2. The Christians who have never heard about the rapture, or do not have adequate knowledge of it and genuinely want more information to broaden their understanding, but lack access to useful information.
3. The Christians who are confused about the rapture or have been taught wrongly or have been persuaded by thoughtless statements from other Christians that they need not get concerned about the rapture. Consequently, they live their lives in ways that show that they are not expecting the Lord any time soon. To this category of Christians, discussions about the rapture is often seen as a controversial issue which should rather not be discussed in the normal conversations of daily life.
4. The non-Christians who have heard about the rapture but whose knowledge has not yet translated into an invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ into their lives as their Lord and personal Saviour.
5. The unbelievers who have never heard about the rapture.
Much of the indifference on the topic of the rapture among many Christians today is influenced by the invasive materialistic culture which is dictating the tone of society and setting the pace for our daily existence. The materialistic view of life in the world today makes survival and pleasure-seeking the hallmark of our existence. Any thought or consideration of life beyond here is drowned and perceived as irrelevant or fanatical.
Our aim at The Rapture Force is to actively target people in categories 2, 4 and 5. The reason is quite simple. The majority of the world’s population is poor and lacks access to basic information. Although we live in an age of information explosion, the level of ignorance about major events that threaten the very existence of life on earth remains very high among the majority of the world’s population. Or put the other way, information is still very poorly circulated with the result that many people are at best ignorant or at worst misinformed about issues that have very grave implications for their lives. Most people are much more preoccupied with how to provide the next meal for their families than to bother with how to get to heaven.
As a result, if the rapture should take place today, the majority of people left behind who would end up taking the mark of the Beast quite easily will be among those living in terrible poverty and those who never heard anything about the rapture before it took place. This latter category of people will be left behind and would be most vulnerable to the lies which the Antichrist would offer as an explanation for what had happened.
Many souls that could truly come to the Lord as a result of the rapture would be denied such opportunities because they did not know in the first place that the rapture was an act of God. Provision of pre-rapture information is an important way of increasing the number of those who could come to the Lord not only before but also after the rapture. We believe that Africa and the rest of the world deserve to have sufficient information on the rapture and the opportunity to decide either to accept or reject the message of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Presently, there are many Christians in Africa who will live their lives differently if they knew the truth about the rapture. But because of the opposition of those who have been lied to about the rapture, attempts to prepare Christians for the rapture have taken a back seat in many Church fellowships. The message of the rapture provokes people who receive it to holy living. Church leaders who want to encourage holy living among their lukewarm members – whose major interest is their economic and social well-being – can easily do so by placing emphasis on the rapture. As a result of the rapture not being taught in our Churches, many Christians depend on hearsay and only a few get access to good literature to improve their knowledge.
The unfortunate result of this poor level of information on the rapture is that many Christians in Africa do not have sufficient understanding of the rapture, or the warm and glorious encouragement that such knowledge provides for our daily walk with the Lord while we wait for Him to rapture us.
The more frightening reality is the people who actively oppose the rapture message in different ways. These are the sales agents of darkness. While Christians are busy arguing about whether the rapture will be a pre-, post- or even mid-tribulation event, these servants of the kingdom of darkness are out in full force dishing out lies and confusing and deceiving a lot more people and persuading them to reject the truth of the rapture.
Wherever the message of these deceivers is preached, it has had the effect of dampening the faith of many believers. They are unrelenting in their assault. You could see the result of their work in action in the lives of once zealous Christians who no longer see the need to contend for the faith. Regular Church attendance is the only shadow of their once vibrant commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Rapture Force will call the attention of all people living on this planet to this soon-to-take-place major event and alert the world to the shortness of time available to make a decision about Jesus Christ – the Son of God. We will assist those who require help to prepare for the rapture.
We will propagate the message of the rapture and harvest souls for the kingdom of God in the process. You are welcome to join our initiatives wherever you are by telling someone that Jesus is coming very soon. People should give their lives to Jesus, or regret not doing so sooner rather than later.
Wow, this is a rather extended example of unfortunate misinformation and poor exegesis. I admire your stamina putting all this together, but I do pity that you’ve been misled in such readings.