On Being Rapture Worthy

On Being Rapture Worthy – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Author’s note: With most every indicator of the advance towardthe Tribulation era in view upon the prophetic horizon, Christ’s call to the Church stands brightly against the darkening gloominess. Thus it is time to again consider what God’s Word has to say about being Rapture ready–to be worthy of Christ’s call to thatgreat event. This article, written some years earlier, stands more than ever as a reminder of the fact we might at any moment appear before our Lord to give an account for our lives spenthere on this fallen planet. Lately, emails and articles I’ve been receiving are trending toward the thought that Christians not living exemplary lives as believers will miss being taken in the Raptureof the Church, should they not be fully “repented up” and ready to go. These will be “left behind,” as the LaHaye and Jenkins novel title puts it. First, it is perhaps best to consider what is meant by the “exemplary life” in terms of prerequisites for makingit to Heaven in the Rapture. Those who insist that one must be living the exemplary life usually frame that as “living a life of holiness” or “living righteously.” By this, I presume they mean for themost part that one must be doing “good works” rather than living life in the “broad way” along which the pedestrian world moves. I would, of course, agree that the born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should be doing exactly that every day. There’sno question that God’s Word calls us to that model for life while upon this fallen planet. However, the question is now raise—and it is closely akin to the question raised whenever the declaration is made that one can lose one’s salvation: At what point does one “lose” his or her salvation? What particular “sin-point” is reached that causes the salvation meter in Heaven to go “TILT,” removing the sinner’s name from the Lamb’s Book of Life? Or, for our purposes here, at what point does one sin enough to be taken offthe list of those who hold tickets into Heaven, who will be lifted to be with Jesus Christ in that millisecond of time known as the “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus calls: “Come up hither!” (Revelation 4:1–2)? Those who believe that the names of the redeemed can be removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life, of course, use the following Scripture as one that prove their position is true: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5). This is proof, say the “conditional security proponents,” that one’s name can be removed from the Book of Life. But, let’s have a closer look to examine whether this is true. Those who hold that believers’ names can be erased from this blessed Book of Life insist that the born-again must “overcome” sin. In their belief dictionary, this means wemust stay sin free—that is, either live above sin or stay continually “repented up” in order to keep our names in the Book. They miss the point entirely as to who actually does the overcoming. It isn’t the believer who overcomes all sin, but the Lord Jesus who died in order to take sin away fromthose who believe so that we are no longer separated from God the Father in the eternal sense. This is seen, for example, in the following: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). It is simple belief in the Savior who takes away the sins of the world that makes us overcomers. We still sin and come short of the glory of God, but His precious blood shedat Calvary covers all of our sins—past, present, and future. We overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil–all sin in this earthly sphere—only by belief in the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). Our overcoming is only through God’s great grace, throughfaith. We can never overcome by our own power. When we sin, we break fellowship with our Lord, but we never break the eternal, family relationship. We do the following to take steps toward making right the sinful breakin fellowship that we have caused. First, we must realize and admit that we are not sinless, because repentance cannot truly be made unless we confess that we have sinned. Upon such confession and repentance there is given blessed remedy: “If we say that wehave no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). God’s Word shows us that our salvation and our ability to overcome is totally based on what Christ did for us and our faith in Him alone. This brings us to the matter of being “Rapture Worthy.” Going to Christ when He calls, as Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 15:51–55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and given by John in Revelation 4:1–2, is a salvation matter. We knowthat from the overall gospel message and from the total context of God’s dealing with His family. Remember when Jesus prayed that beautiful prayer to His Father, as the Lord faced the cross (John 17)? Read it again, and you will see that it is absolutely clearthat born-again believers are forever secure in the Father’s hand, based upon what Jesus did on the cross. We know with absolute certainty that we are once and forever in God’s family because of the words of the One who created all that exists: “My Father, which gave [them] me,is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29). Paul confirms that the Rapture is a salvation matter as follows: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us,that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). The Rapture will be Christ keeping us from the hour of temptation or Tribulation (read Revelation 3:10). The Tribulation is the time of God’s wrath–to which Paul tells uswe are “not appointed.” However, there are many who insist that Christians who haven’t properly confessed their sins will go through that time of God’s wrath (and the entire seven years of the Tribulation will be God’s judgment and wrath). These use the followingverse to make their case: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). The key word they hold forth as relevant here is the word “worthy.” Does this word not mean that we as born-again believers must be good enough to stand before Jesus in thatraptured throng? Does this word not mean, therefore, that if we fail to live up to God’s standards while on this Earth, we will (at some point in God’s holy view of what it takes to fall from being Rapture ready) lose our ticket in that translation moment,thus not be taken when the shout is heard, “Come up hither!”? Like in examining the issue of salvation, in looking at the term “overcoming,” we now look at the word “worthy.” What does it mean to be “worthy,” as given in this Raptureexample? Again, the answer is wrapped up in the same name as before: “Jesus.” Jesus is the only person “worthy,” in God’s holy eyes, to be in the heavenly realm. Remember what Jesus said to a man who addressed Him as “Good Master”? “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God” (Luke 18:18). Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, was not seeking to chastise the man for addressing Him in this way. The Lord was confirming through this question that He is indeedGod, the only good, the only righteousness. Righteousness is the only ticket to Heaven–either through the portal of death, or through the Rapture. Only through Jesus–being born again into God’s family through belief in Him–can a person enter the heavenly realm. Jesus spoke to this all-important matter by addressing Nicodemus: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannotsee the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). God’s Word says about fallen mankind: “As it is written, There is none righteous no not one” (Romans 8:10) and, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans8:23). So, Jesus is the only person “worthy” to enter Heaven. It is through Him that any of us are worthy to stand before Him in that heavenly realm. That is the truth found in theScripture in question. On a less magnificent scale, the word “worthy” in this passage means that we should be in a constant mindset of prayerful repentance. We should always want to be found “worthy”–cleansedof all unrighteousness, as stated in 1 John 1: 9, so that we will hear our Lord say to us on that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). ------------------------------- Don�t Be Deceived: The Rapture Happens First � Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2022/10/5/dont-be-deceived-the-rapture-happens-first As the world moves closer to another world war, which may include nuclear weapons, some speculate that the Tribulation period has already begun. Others grow weary of waiting for the Lord�s return. How much longer will Jesus keep us on earth before He comes for us? Is He really going to keep us out of the time of theLord�s wrath that�s rapidly approaching our world? Please know that the Bible assures us that Lord will come for us before the start of the seven-year Tribulation, which begins the moment that the antichrist makes a covenantwith Israel. This has not yet happened! 1Thessalonians 5:1-11 provides much needed encouragement regarding our hope in Jesus� soon appearing. In this passage, the Lord through the Apostle Paul promises that we asbelievers in Jesus will miss the wrath of the coming Day of the Lord, which includes all of the Tribulation period. Many Bible students also see 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as verse that confirms the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. (KJV) The traditional way of regarding �falling away,� or �rebellion� in some translations, has been to regard this as reference to a time of future apostasy in the church. TheGreek word here, apostasia, normally makes one think of apostasy such as in a spiritual falling away. However, in recent years, apostasia has received heightened scrutiny from biblical scholars with many now regarding it as a reference to Jesus� appearing to take us home toheaven, the physical departure of the church from the earth. This actually aligns with the earliest English translations of the Bible, which translated apostasia as a departure such as a physical exit from a particular location.[i] Do sound reasons exist for such an interpretation? I believe they do. Below, I discuss the reasons that changed my long-held viewpoint of this matter to that of regarding apostasia as a reference to the pre-Tribulation Rapture. THE WORD APOSTASIA CAN REFER TO A PHYSICAL DEPARTURE The first question to ask is this: Is it possible for apostasia to refer to a physical departure such as the Rapture? Yes, it can. In his book, The Falling Away, Dr. Andy Woods provides much evidence regarding the use of the Greek word apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as a physical departure rather thana �falling away� from the faith. He wrote this regarding the basic meaning of the word: �. . . apostasia simply means to �to stand away from� or �to depart.� Only by examining how this word is used in its immediate context will determine what the departure isfrom, whether it be a spiritual or physical departure.�[ii] The root verb form apostasia confirms that it can refer to a physical departure from a location. New Testament writers used the verb form of apostasia fifteen times. As Dr.Woods points out: �. . . only three times does it mean a spiritual departure. The remaining twelve times it clearly means a physical departure. For example, Luke 2:37 says, �and then as a widowto the age of eighty-four, she never left the temple.��[iii] Since apostasia can refer to either a physical departure or a spiritual falling away, we must rely on the context to determine the proper interpretation. THE CONTEXT SUPPORTS A PHYSICAL DEPARTURE Both the immediate and extended context of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 support a physical departure such as the Rapture. It�s the main subject matter of both books that Paul wroteto the Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 2 begins with these words, �Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him . . .� (v. 1). Paulintroduces 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 with a reference to the Rapture. It seems unlikely that he would switch to a spiritual departure a couple verses later. As for the greater context, Dr. Woods writes, �Since the �context is king� in determining the meaning of the apostasia and the larger context of the Thessalonian letters pertain to the return of Christ, interpreters shouldbe open to a physical departure understanding of the word. Thus, the larger context of these two books does not favor spiritual departure interpretation of the apostasia, but rather it favors the physical departure view.� [iv] The usage of apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as our physical departure via the Rapture aligns with both the immediate and overall context of the verse. The context favorsthe interpretation of apostasia as a physical departure such as the Rapture of the church. PAUL IS REFERRING TO A DEFINITE EVENT Paul�s use of the definite article in front of apostasia tells us he has a specific event in mind, either a particular instance of apostasy or a definite occasion such asthe Rapture. Because he does not further explain the event, this indicates the apostle was referring to an event that his readers would readily recognize. The only apostasia of which his readers would have been aware of is that of the Rapture. They had no framework leading them to assume it meant a spiritual departure from thefaith; again, we have no evidence that Paul even talked about this until much later. At the time, he assumed he would be alive at the time of Jesus� appearing for His church.[v] The apostle has a definite event in mind, one that his readers would readily recognize. On the other hand, Paul never refers to spiritual apostasy in either of his epistlesto the Thessalonians and offers no additional clarifying information in the text. The only departure that his readers would readily recognize is that of the Rapture. PAUL DOES NOT MENTION SPIRITUAL APOSTASY IN EITHER EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS As we look at 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we see repeated references to the Rapture, but Paul never mentions a falling away from the faith. Why would Paul cite a spiritual departure from the faith as a key indicator of the Day of the Lord with no other mention of it in either book that he wrote to his readers?And if he had not yet mentioned it to them, we would expect to see an explanation. However, he provides no such background to his reference. As Dr. Woods points out, Paul does not refer to the spiritual apostasy of the church in the latter days until much later in his ministry, near its end.[vi] And when he does,the apostle always adds much supporting detail in each case (1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 4:3-5). THE SENSE OF PHYSICAL DEPARTURE IS CONSISTENT WITH VERSES 7-8 In 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 Paul writes, �For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom theLord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.� These verses tell us that the revealing of the antichrist cannot happen until the Restrainer is taken out of the way. The evidence strongly points to the Holy Spirit as theRestrainer and thus to the Rapture as the time His special restraining presence leaves the earth along with the church. Notice the parallels with verse 3 if we assume apostasia refers to a physical departure. In verse 3, Jesus removes His church via the Rapture first and then we have the revealing of the �man of lawlessness.� In verse 7, the Lord takes away the restraining work of the Holy that keeps the antichrist from making himself known to the world. In both verses 3 and 7, the antichrist steps onto the world scene after a �departure,� or the removal of either the church or the particular work of the Holy Spirit throughthe church. If apostasia refers to a physical departure in verse 3, we then find a parallel in the context in verses 7-8, which provides us with additional evidence favoring a referenceto the Rapture in verse 3. AN EXAMPLE FROM CHURCH HISTORY As additional evidence supporting the interpretation of apostasia as a physical departure, we have an example from early church history. A key leader at the time referredto what we now call the Rapture as a �departure.� Cyprian, a bishop in the city of Carthage during the third century AD, wrote this: We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly aspossible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent?[vii] Cyprian (AD 200�258) used the words �depart� and �early departure� to refer to the Lord�s appearing to take His church away before a time of �shipwrecks and disasters.� Whilethis by itself doesn�t confirm the translation of apostasia as �departure,� it lends considerable support to our interpretation of the word as a reference to the Rapture. Please also note that Cyprian believed the church would depart before a time of great trouble on the earth. THE RAPTURE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE EXPECTATION OF THE THESSALONIANS The young believers in Thessalonica expected the Lord to come for them before the start of the day of the Lord. Their response to an errant message telling them this timehad already begun confirms this. They panicked when they received the mistaken communication. In response to their frayed nerves, Paul told them �not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed� (2 Thess. 2:2). �The verb shaken denotes a rocking motion, a shaking up anddown, like a building shaken by an earthquake . . .�[viii] To be �alarmed� signifies a feeling of �fright� with its usage here conveying a �state of alarm, of nervous excitement.�[ix] Paul�s main purpose in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 was to comfort and assure the Thessalonian believers that the Day of the Lord had not yet started. The fact that they remainedearthbound does that much better than a spiritual falling away from the faith that might occur far away. SINCE APOSTASIA REFERS TO A PHYSICAL DEPARTURE IN VERSE 3, THE RAPTURE MUST OCCUR BEFORE THE SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION If apostasia refers to the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and we have many reasons to believe that it does, then we can know with certainty that Jesus will appear beforethe seven-year Tribulation to take us to heaven. In my book, The Triumph of the Redeemed, I wrote this regarding how such an interpretation confirms the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church: If apostasia refers to a physical departure and the context and other evidence strongly supports this conclusion, Paul is telling his readers, and us, that they could knowthat the Day of the Lord hadn�t yet started because they remained earthbound. This must signify that the Rapture occurs before the start of the Tribulation, since the judgments of this time fall under the umbrella of the Day of the Lord.[x] This is not wishful thinking, but rather the result of a careful study of word usage as well as the context of 2 Thessalonians 2:3. If apostasia signifies the physical departure of the church from the earth, and the evidence strongly suggests that it does, the Rapture must occur before the antichrist makeshis appearance on the world scene and makes a covenant with the nation of Israel. The fulfillment of Jesus� words in John 14:2-3 is the next event on God�s prophetic calendar. Keep watching and enduring until the glorious day Jesus comes for us! �Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare aplace for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.� My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. This book provides a step-by-step account of whythe Rapture must happen before the Tribulation period. Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. Thanks! [i] The Wycliffe Bible (1384), Tyndale Bible (1526), Coverdale Bible (1535), Cranmer Bible (1539), Breeches Bible (1576), Beza Bible (1583), and Geneva Bible (1608) all translated �apostasia� as a physical departure. [ii] Andy Woods, The Falling Away � Spiritual Departure or Physical Rapture? (Taos, NM, Dispensational Publishing House, Inc., 2018), p. 19. [iii] Ibid. p. 23 [iv] Ibid. p. 27 [v] Jonathan C. Brentner, The Triumph of the Redeemed (Crane, MO: Defender publishing, 2021) pp. 146-47. [vi] Andy Woods, p. 13 [vii] Cyprian, Treatises of Cyprian, �On the Mortality,� section 25. [viii] Hiebert, D Edmond, The Thessalonian Epistles (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 301. [ix] Ibid., p. 302 [x] Brentner, p. 148. ---------------------- Rapture Types & Shadows Of Things To Come � by T.W.Tramm - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5644 The most joyous festival on God's calendar, the Feast of Tabernacles, begins October 11 This year. Also called the Feast of Ingathering, Tabernacles celebrates the completion of the harvest, when the year's produce is gathered in from the fields (Ex. 23:16; Deut. 16:3). To observe the festival, God instructed the Israelites to "take palm branches and rejoice before the Lord for seven days" (Lev. 23:40, 41). Additionally, the people were tobuild makeshift huts, or booths, and live in them during the feast as a reminder of the temporary shelters they lived in during the time in the wilderness (Lev. 23:42, 43). While the Feast of Tabernacles points ultimately to the Millennial Kingdom, when God will dwell, or "tabernacle," with man, its themes also correspond to the Rapture. Consider the parallels: � Tabernacles is one of three designated harvest festivals (Ex. 23:14-17). The Rapture is a 'harvest' (Matt. 13). � Tabernacles is when all men must appear before the Lord (Ex. 34:22, 23). The Rapture is when all believers appear before the Lord (2 Thess. 2:1). � Tabernacles is a time of rejoicing before the Lord (Lev. 23:40). The ultimate time of rejoicing before the Lord will be after the Rapture (1 Thess. 2:19). � Tabernacles is the last festival, so the trumpet blast announcing it is the "last trump" (1 Cor. 15:52). � Tabernacles begins at the full moon. Since the moon is symbolic of the Church, the full moon at Tabernacles signifies the "fullness of the Gentiles" at the end of the age(Rom. 11:25). Moreover, the full moon is when the goodman of the house, a picture of Jesus, returns (Prov. 7:19, 20). � The Gentile Ruth married the Jewish redeemer Boaz, a picture of the Church's wedding to Messiah, after the harvest was complete (Ruth 2:21, 23 DRB). Tabernacles is whenthe harvest is complete (Lev. 23:39). � The seven days of Tabernacles parallel the seven-year 'wedding celebration' after the Rapture (Lev. 23:39; Gen. 29:26, 27). � At the end of every seventh (Sabbatical) year, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the Law, symbolizing the 'marriage contract,' is read aloud before the people (Deut. 31:10,11). � Tabernacles (Sukkot) is the name of the place Israel first camped after departing Egypt (Ex. 12:37). The departure from Egypt is a picture of the Rapture. � In John chapter 7, Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles in partial secrecy because His "time had not yet fully come," and "even his [Jewish] brothers did not believe inHim" (vv. 5, 6). Similarly, the Rapture is a limited appearance of the Lord at a time of unbelief. � Tabernacles has special meaning for Gentiles, and will be celebrated by them throughout the Millennium (Zech. 14). � The First Temple was dedicated to God at the Feast of Tabernacles (1 Kings 8:65). The ultimate "Temple," the Church, or Body of Christ, will be dedicated to the Lord atthe Rapture (Eph. 2:20-22). In addition to the parallels, a Tabernacles Rapture makes sense contextually. Consider the overall festival scenario: Pentecost, in early summer, is when the Church is "sealed," or betrothed, by the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the future day of redemption (Acts 2; Eph. 4:30). Feast of Trumpets, at summer's end, is a "memorial," or reminder, of the betrothal and a wake-up call that the day of redemption is near (Lev. 23:24). The ten "Days of Awe" represent the final opportunity to be sealed before Yom Kippur arrives. Yom Kippur, the day of the Jubilee trumpet blast, is when one's fate is determined: the sounding of the trumpet is a declaration of redemption for those who are sealed bythe Holy Spirit, and a pronouncement of judgment for those who are not (Isa. 61:1, 2; 63:3, 4). Finally, the full moon at Tabernacles denotes the fullness of the Gentiles, and the completion of the Church-harvest. The seven days of rejoicing before the Lord correspondto the seven-year 'wedding celebration' in heaven and, conversely, seven years of Tribulation on earth. This scenario is pictured in Revelation where a great multitude is seen celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in heaven, during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:9,10). Speaking of Tabernacles and the Tribulation, it was seven years ago on the Feast of Tabernacles that a blood moon eclipse, a rare "supersized" version, appeared above theAmericas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Since the God of the Bible is known for giving a seven-year warning, this ominous sign in 2015 is one to take note of in 2022: "The moon will turn blood red before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes" (Joel 2:31). Having made the case for a Tabernacles Rapture, the point of this study is not that the Rapture must happen at the Feast of Tabernacles. The point is that it could. The Rapture could also occur on a day unforeseen: Jesus ascended to heaven on a non-feast day, and two angels testified that He will return in "like manner" (Acts 1:10, 11). Paul says there is no need to discuss "times and dates" because the Day of the Lord will arrive like a thief, i.e., at a time no one can predict (1 Thess. 5:1, 2 NIV). Jesus tells even His closest followers to "keep watch," because He is coming at an hour they do not expect (Matt. 24:44) For this reason, it is wise to be ready always: "Be dressed and keep your lamps burning ... Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes .... If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, andfinds them awake, blessed are those servants!" (Luke 12:35, 37, 38). . . . NOTES: 1. Feast of Tabernacles timing: The modern (precalculated) Jewish calendar has the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles beginning at sunset October 9. However, those who reckonthe months by the sighting of the New-Moon crescent will observe the festival two days later, beginning at sunset October 11. https://torahcalendar.com/Calendar.asp?YM=Y2022M7 2. Tabernacles is mentioned more than any other festival in Scripture. 3. The temporary shelters the Israelites lived in during the Feast of Tabernacles are also symbolic of man, a spiritually eternal being who dwells in a temporary covering,or body, in the present world. 4. Trumpets are sounded at all biblical festivals (Ps. 81:3). 5. Feast of Tabernacles observed in heaven: It is evident that the great multitude in Revelation 7 is celebrating Tabernacles because they are rejoicing before the Lord withpalm branches, and it is said that God will spread His "tabernacle" over them (vv. 9-12, 15 BSB). The reason given for the multitude being there is that "they have washed their robes ... in the blood of the Lamb," an allusion to the white robe worn by thepriest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:3-5). -------------------------- Matthew 24 and the Pre-Trib Rapture - By Jack Kelley - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/10/11/matthew-24-and-the-pre-trib-rapture-by-jack-kelley/ From the late Jack Kelley 03-15-2014 I�ve received several questions again about various rapture positions. Several of these questions have to do with the claim that in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25), Jesus,in effect, said the Church will have to endure all of the seven years of Daniel�s 70th Week, including the Great Tribulation. In this study, I will attempt to show why He could not have done so. This won�t be a verse-by-verse study of the Olivet Discourse but rather a look at the verses within the passage that people use to support something other than a pre-tribview. If you want a verse-by-verse study, you can go to my four-part series entitled �The End times According To Jesus.� It�s important to begin any study of this nature with a review of the overall context of the Olivet Discourse because it�s the most important factor in understanding whatJesus was really saying and to whom He was saying it. It will also help us see what was going on in the disciples� minds. It was just a couple of days before the crucifixion. Jesus and His disciples were walking over the Mt. of Olives toward Bethany where they were staying at the home of Mary,Martha, and Lazarus. The sun was getting low in the late afternoon sky, casting a soft golden light on the white Temple and its surrounding buildings. It was such a beautiful sight, the disciples called it to the Lord�s attention. In reply, Jesus said, �Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down� (Matt. 24:2). It was the second time they had heard Jesus say this. The first time was a couple of days earlier on what we now call Palm Sunday when He had told the people that becausethey didn�t recognize the time of His coming, the city would be destroyed (Luke 19:41-44). He was holding the nation accountable for their failure to understand Daniel 9:24-27 where nearly 6 centuries earlier, the angel Gabriel had told Daniel of a 490-year periodthat would begin when they received permission to rebuild Jerusalem and culminate at the end of the age. Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would come 483 years into that period (Daniel 9:25). Sure enough, here He was, standing in their midst right on time. There�s no indication from the Biblical record that Jesus ever spoke to the disciples about the fact that the coming Church Age would interrupt Daniel�s prophecy and delayits completion by about 2,000 years. In fact, from Acts 1:6, we learn that 40 days after the crucifixion, they expected Him to restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time. It wasn�t until James explained things to them some 20 years later that they understood how Israel was being set aside while the Lord took a people for Himself from amongthe Gentiles (Acts 15:13-18). A word study on this passage will reveal a hint of the rapture, and shortly thereafter, Paul became the first person on Earth to present a clear teaching on the doctrine of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53, 1 Thes. 4:16-17), sayingHe was revealing a secret in doing so (1 Cor. 15:51). Therefore, on that afternoon on the Mt. of Olives, all the disciples could have known for sure was that 483 years of the 490-year prophecy of Daniel had passed, there wereonly 7 years left, and Jesus had just told them that the Temple � all of its buildings and indeed all of Jerusalem � were going to be destroyed. It must have been quite a shock to hear this, and it prompted four of them (Peter, James, John, and Andrew) tocome to Him privately for clarification. Comparing Daniel�s prophecy with what the Lord Himself had repeatedly told them, they were beginning to understand that Jesus was about to die, and so the questions they askedHim had to do with when the Temple and the city would be destroyed, what would be the sign of His (second) coming, and of the end of the age, by which I believe they meant the fulfillment of Daniel�s prophecy (Matt. 24:3) These were Jewish men speaking with the Jewish Messiah about the future of Israel, and in His two-chapter answer, Jesus referred to Israel repeatedly but never said a singleword about the largely Gentile Church or the amount of time that would pass before the final seven years were completed. After some general observations about things that would happen, Jesus gave them this summary of the future. �Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and willbetray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preachedin the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come� (Matt. 24:9-14). Not only is there no mention of the Church in this summary, several of the things He said are not even relevant to the Church. They were intended for Israel. For example,it�s Israel that has always been hated by all nations because of Him, it�s Israel that has experienced many turning away from the Jewish faith, it�s Israel that has to remain faithful to the end to be saved, and it�s Israel that has been promised a Kingdomon Earth as a testimony to all nations. What Will Be the Sign of Your Coming? Beginning in Matt. 24:15, Jesus gave the first specific sign of His coming, and once again, it concerned Israel. The abomination of desolation He spoke of requires a Temple,indicating a national presence for Israel in the promised land with people adhering to their Old Covenant relationship with God. We now know that hasn�t been possible for nearly 2,000 years, but the disciples had no idea. The people Jesus told to flee when they see the abomination would be living in Judea, historically the area around Jerusalem. They were told to pray their flight won�t takeplace in the winter, when the weather in Jerusalem can be bad, or on the Sabbath, because covenant-keeping Jews are uniquely forbidden from traveling on the Sabbath (Matt. 24:15-20). Jesus said the abomination of desolation will be the sign that the Great Tribulation is beginning (Matt. 24:21). This is a time when Jeremiah 30:1-11 tells us two things willhappen; all the nations among which the Jews have been scattered will be destroyed, and Israel will be purified in preparation for the promised Kingdom (Jere. 30:11). Jeremiah called this the time of Jacob�s trouble (Jere. 30:7), which is the Old Testament name for the Great Tribulation, and said it will result in David becoming their king(Jere. 30:9), something that hasn�t happened yet. The Church is nowhere in view here, and in fact, both Paul (Romans 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10) and Jesus (Rev. 3:10) promised that the Church will not be present for this. �Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, withpower and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other� (Matt. 24:30-31). Some claim this is a description of the rapture, but if that�s true, it violates the Jewish context of the passage without any explanation or justification. It�s based onthe fact that the Greek word for trumpet appears both here and in 1 Cor. 15: 52. But that is not an acceptable reason to tie these verses together, because there are other factors that make them obviously different. One is that in 1 Thes. 4:16-17 the onlyangel mentioned is �the archangel,� not some unknown number of angels scouring the heavens. Another is that it turns the rapture from a signless, secret event into one that can�t happen until there is a sign for all the world to see, and until the Second Comingis already in progress. It would mean that while all the world is standing there watching Jesus descend from heaven in power and glory, He will suddenly scoop up the Church and return to heaven without completing His trip to Earth. It would also violate His promise, made personally and through Paul, that He will keep us from the hour of trial that�s coming upon the whole world, delivering us from thetime and place of God�s wrath. Those who see the rapture here claim that the Church is �the elect� the Lord was talking about. But I disagree. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was called God�s elect,and since Israel was the topic of their discussion, it�s much more likely that�s who the Lord had in mind. Also, according to Daniel 12:2-3, Israel�s resurrection will take place at the Second Coming making it possible that Matt. 24:31 is referring to OldTestament saints being rounded up to receive their resurrection bodies. Finally, there�s no mention of the Church being �the elect� in the gospels. In the only times the Lord mentioned the Church at all (Matt. 16:18 and Matt. 18:17), He did notuse any form of the Greek word for �elect.� The first clear description of the Church as the elect did not happen until Romans 8:33, which Paul wrote over 20 years later. In my opinion, to think that the disciples would have understood the Lord to be referringto the Church in Matt. 24:22 and Matt. 24:31 is an unwarranted assumption. So far, in His answer to the disciples, the Lord has given us an overview of the end times (Matt. 24:3-14) and then a more detailed chronological order; Abomination of Desolation,the Great Tribulation, and the Second Coming (Matt. 24:15-31). And of the End of the Age? Beginning in Matt. 24:36, He turned His attention to things that will happen after He returns. These will signal that the end of the age has come, and they provide His answerto their final question. We know this because of the specific way in which He identified the day of His coming as �that day and hour� (Matt. 24:36) and �at the coming of the Son of Man� (Matt. 24.36, 39). He was speaking of the day of His return. Some people say that no one will be eating and drinking, or marrying and giving in marriage before the Second Coming like they were in the days of Noah. They say the terribleeffects of the Great Tribulation will have made that impossible. Therefore Matt. 24:36-39 has to be referring to the rapture. But I think they�re missing the point. First of all, people have found a way to socialize and get married in the worst of times. Butmore importantly, I think the Lord�s point here was that just as people had no idea the world was about to end in the days leading up to the flood, no one will know the world is about to end in the days leading up to the Second Coming. And notice how the Lord compared �the days before the flood� in Noah�s time to �at the coming� of the Son of Man rather than the days before His coming. The worst time everto come upon mankind will have just ended. Man�s natural tendency after any catastrophe is to believe things will return to normal, but when they actually see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory, they will finally know things willnever be the same again. That�s why they will mourn when they see him coming (Matt. 24:30). �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� (Matt. 24:40-41). These verses are often used to support a rapture after the Great Tribulation. Aside from the fact that seeing them this way violates the context and chronology of the Lord�smessage, as well as His promise to the Church, there�s a translation problem here. The Greek word translated �taken� means to �receive unto oneself,� and a form of this word provides the clue of the rapture I mentioned in Acts 15:13-18 where it�s translated �take for himself� (Acts 15:14). It literally means �to take for the purpose of carrying away.� Before the Lord turns back to Israel to fulfill the missing 7 years of Daniel�s prophecy, He will take for Himself a people from among the Gentiles and carry usaway. So the word �taken� in Matt. 24:40-41 is not a problem, but the word translated �left� means to �put away� and was often used in the context of a divorce. Rather than being a description of the rapture, where Paul�s definitive teachings never even mention unbelievers, let alone their disposition, these two verses are a summaryof the Sheep and Goat judgment (Matt. 25:31-46). Both take place after the Second Coming, and both involve the final destiny of believers and unbelievers who will survive the Great Tribulation and live to see the Lord�s return. Believers will be received intothe kingdom, but unbelievers will be put away into a place of eternal punishment. The Lord finished his explanation of things that will mark the end of the age with several parables that describe the judgments He will conduct after He returns. I devotedan entire study to the subject of these parables that you can read in my two-part posting, �Understanding the Olivet discourse Parables.� For the purpose of this study, let�s just review the clues as to their timing to help you see they cannot be meant forthe Church. Matt. 24:29 begins �Immediately after the distress of those days� and refers to the end of the Great Tribulation. Matt. 24:30 signals the Second Coming, with more detail containedin Matt. 24:36-44, including the first warnings that people on Earth will not know the exact day or hour of the Second Coming in advance. I believe this is due to the fact that both the Sun and Moon will have gone dark (Matt. 24:29), and it will be difficultto keep track of time. Matt. 24:45-51 contains the parable of the faithful and wicked servants and describes how the Lord will deal with them �when He returns.� It ends with another warning thatpeople won�t know the day or hour of His return in advance (Matt. 24:50). Matt. 25:1-13 is the parable of the Ten Virgins (bridesmaids). The opening sentence begins with �at that time.� Everything from Matt. 24:30 forward has been about the SecondComing, so the phrase �at that time� refers to the time following the Second Coming. There are many other reasons why this parable cannot be about the Church that are detailed in the study I referenced above. Like the others, this parable ends with a similarwarning about the unknown day and hour of the Second Coming (Matt. 25:13). Matt. 25:14-30 is the Parable of the Talents. By the opening word �again,� we know that the Lord was referring to the same time as the previous ones. And in Matt. 25:31-46, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats gives us the clearest indication of timing yet. It begins with, �When the Son of Man comes in all His glory, andall the angels with Him �� As I pointed out earlier, it�s the judgment of tribulation survivors, some of whom will be believers and will be welcomed into the Millennial Kingdom, while the others will be taken away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46). The Church is the Bride of Christ, the most highly regarded group in the history of humankind, and the one with whom Jesus is closest. Failing to mention us even once in Hissignature discussion of the end times can only be explained by the fact that throughout the Olivet Discourse, the Lord was focused on Israel and not the Church. Therefore, any attempt to use this passage in reference to the rapture of the Church requires takingportions of it out of context, and in some cases, a reinterpretation of the text is necessary as well. The Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church remains the only position that is consistent with a literal interpretation of the Scriptures. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. -----------------------------