The Rapture (Continued)
This post continues the discussion on the rapture. If you remember we were in the process of examining the biblical refrences to the return of Christ. We are seeking to answer the question, are there two returns of Christ, a first secret return which is marked by the rapture and the resurrection of the righteous dead, and a final return marked by the judgement of the wicked and the destruction of the anti-christ.
So far we have looked at the olivet discourse in Matthew and Mark and found that both place the return described after the tribulation, and both appear to include either the rapture, or something nearly identical to it.
Now lets move on.
Luke 17:22-37
"22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”"
The end of this passage is frequently used by pre-trib teachers to describe the rapture. "One will be taken and the other left" etc (this is also echoed in Matthew). Yet this is one of the classic examples of verses that the pre-trib view point takes out of context, without even realizing it apparently.
If you read this passage carefully, it becomes evident that this is actually referring to the judgement of the wicked, not the rapture of the righteous.
But lets start at the beginning. The first notable thing is that this section cautions against believing in "secret" comings. If someone tells you "the Lord is come and he's over here!" do not believe them because the real return will be like lightning that splits the sky from one end of heaven to the other. The coming described here can not be missed.
Next we are told that this coming will be like the days of Noah (a phrase used to describe the return of Christ in Matthew as well). When the people were eating and drinking, and knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away... Who was eating and drinking? Who was unaware? who was taken away by the flood? The wicked. They knew nothing UNTIL THE DAY that Noah entered the Ark, then the flood took them away.
Then we are told, it will also be like the days of Lot when Sodom and Gomorrah were judged... The people of the city were eating and drinking and going on unaware, even unto the day that Lot left the city and on that day, the fire of judgement destroyed them all.
Jesus then says... It will be just like this when the Son of Man is revealed (note that the Son of Man is revealed! not secret).. one shall be taken and the other left... those being taken here are clearly being taken by the wrath of God.
Another note... In comparing this return with Noah and the flood and the judgment of Sodom, Jesus provides also a clear parallel to the rapture, Noah went into the Ark and on the same day the Flood came, Lot left the city, and on the same day the city was judged. Again just as in Matt. and Mark we have a clear, if implied, link between the rapture and the return which brings judgement.
The closing statement of this verse is cryptic, but important. The disciples ask Jesus "where will this happen" and he replies "where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" This is a refrence to the destruction of the wicked and the animals of the earth being called by God to devour their flesh. We will come back to this later as this refrence is echoed in another place.
Our next passage is Luke 21:25-28
"25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”"
It is clear that this (again from the Olivet discourse) is refrencing the same event as described in Matt. and Mark, the sun, moon, and stars are listed just as in those, the people of the world are in mourning and distress at the return of Christ, just as in the previous verses.. it is clear that judgement is coming upon them... now look at the final verse "now when these things begin to take place, straigten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near."
The redemption of the righteous, the followers of Christ here again is declared to happen at the same time as the judgement of the world. His return to judge the world is clearly linked as also his return to rescue us.
This passage continues a few verses later in Luke 21:34-36
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Now I'm sure the pre-trib among you are crying out "SEE!! it says that we will escape all these things that are going to take place!" Well lets look a little more closely. The verse begins "but watch lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth."
"that day" here refers to what has just been said a few verses before, the return of Jesus in judgement. What is coming upon all who dwell on the earth here is the wrath of God. The warning here is that we be diligent lest we fall and find ourselves subject to God's wrath, numbered among the wicked. Thus what the righteous escape here is the wrath of God (which as we shall see later is entirely different than the "tribulation").
In our next passage Jesus makes refrence to the resurrection of the righteous dead, which we know must occur at the same time as the rapture.
John 6:39-40
"39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”"
When does the resurrection occur? on the Last day... not "in the last days" or "in the latter days". On the last day. (as a note.. the term 'last day' might be seen by some as more symbolic since there will be the millenial reign etc which certainly must be composed of days.. however, in every refrence we've examined so far it has been stated that the sun and the moon were darkend on the day Jesus returns. We also know from other refrences that in the millenial reign in new Jerusalem, God himself is our light, and we have no need of sun or moon. This provides interesting insight into "the last day")
Our next passage is 1 Corinthians 15:23-24
"23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. "
Here we see the resurrection of the righteous clearly described, and it is placed when? at the very end. Immediately after the righteous resurrection, then comes the end when Christ judges the world and delivers the Kingdom to God the Father. If you examine the seventh trumpet of revelation (which we will eventually) you will find that Jesus Christ judges the world and delivers the kingdoms of the world to God the Father at his return at the end of the tribulation.
Pre-tribulation view point commonly relies upon the image of the "theif in the night". They say that Jesus is coming like a theif in the night and will secretly show up and rapture away the beleivers. This refrence is found in the Olivet Discourse, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In all three of those refrences, as we have already seen, it applies to the wrath of God coming suddenly and unexpectedly upon the world. In all three refrences the believers are warned "be awake, be vigilant, be living rightly so that you too are not taken". So it begins to appear that the theif in the night refrence is not referring to a secret rapture, but to unexpected judgement and wrath... but lets continue and look at the other theif in the night refrences...
We find one in 1st Thess. 5:2 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
But lets look at the whole passage...
1st Thess 5:1-4
"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. "
From this passage it can clearly be seen that the theif in the night refrence is exactly what we have already said... it is describing sudden judgement coming upon the wicked. Moreover, it should NOT catch believers by surprised.. it is not a theif in the night to US! If you examine the refrence to "theif in the night" in Peter's epistles, you will find exactly the same thing.
But wait.. there is something else important about this passage... Where is it located??? 1st Thessalonians chapter 5... what is immediately before this? 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. Thats interesting... lets read them together (remembering that these letters weren't originally written in chapters, but as one single text)
1st Thess 4:15 - 5:4
"15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
Here we find a shocking fact (for the pre-trib view) that the central verse which declares the rapture of the church, is undeniably, clearly linked to the judgement of the wicked!!
Surely by this point it must be becoming clear that all these events, the rapture, the resurrection, the judgement of the wicked, and pouring out of God's wrath all occur at the same time.
To be continued...
So far we have looked at the olivet discourse in Matthew and Mark and found that both place the return described after the tribulation, and both appear to include either the rapture, or something nearly identical to it.
Now lets move on.
Luke 17:22-37
"22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”"
The end of this passage is frequently used by pre-trib teachers to describe the rapture. "One will be taken and the other left" etc (this is also echoed in Matthew). Yet this is one of the classic examples of verses that the pre-trib view point takes out of context, without even realizing it apparently.
If you read this passage carefully, it becomes evident that this is actually referring to the judgement of the wicked, not the rapture of the righteous.
But lets start at the beginning. The first notable thing is that this section cautions against believing in "secret" comings. If someone tells you "the Lord is come and he's over here!" do not believe them because the real return will be like lightning that splits the sky from one end of heaven to the other. The coming described here can not be missed.
Next we are told that this coming will be like the days of Noah (a phrase used to describe the return of Christ in Matthew as well). When the people were eating and drinking, and knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away... Who was eating and drinking? Who was unaware? who was taken away by the flood? The wicked. They knew nothing UNTIL THE DAY that Noah entered the Ark, then the flood took them away.
Then we are told, it will also be like the days of Lot when Sodom and Gomorrah were judged... The people of the city were eating and drinking and going on unaware, even unto the day that Lot left the city and on that day, the fire of judgement destroyed them all.
Jesus then says... It will be just like this when the Son of Man is revealed (note that the Son of Man is revealed! not secret).. one shall be taken and the other left... those being taken here are clearly being taken by the wrath of God.
Another note... In comparing this return with Noah and the flood and the judgment of Sodom, Jesus provides also a clear parallel to the rapture, Noah went into the Ark and on the same day the Flood came, Lot left the city, and on the same day the city was judged. Again just as in Matt. and Mark we have a clear, if implied, link between the rapture and the return which brings judgement.
The closing statement of this verse is cryptic, but important. The disciples ask Jesus "where will this happen" and he replies "where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" This is a refrence to the destruction of the wicked and the animals of the earth being called by God to devour their flesh. We will come back to this later as this refrence is echoed in another place.
Our next passage is Luke 21:25-28
"25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”"
It is clear that this (again from the Olivet discourse) is refrencing the same event as described in Matt. and Mark, the sun, moon, and stars are listed just as in those, the people of the world are in mourning and distress at the return of Christ, just as in the previous verses.. it is clear that judgement is coming upon them... now look at the final verse "now when these things begin to take place, straigten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near."
The redemption of the righteous, the followers of Christ here again is declared to happen at the same time as the judgement of the world. His return to judge the world is clearly linked as also his return to rescue us.
This passage continues a few verses later in Luke 21:34-36
34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Now I'm sure the pre-trib among you are crying out "SEE!! it says that we will escape all these things that are going to take place!" Well lets look a little more closely. The verse begins "but watch lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth."
"that day" here refers to what has just been said a few verses before, the return of Jesus in judgement. What is coming upon all who dwell on the earth here is the wrath of God. The warning here is that we be diligent lest we fall and find ourselves subject to God's wrath, numbered among the wicked. Thus what the righteous escape here is the wrath of God (which as we shall see later is entirely different than the "tribulation").
In our next passage Jesus makes refrence to the resurrection of the righteous dead, which we know must occur at the same time as the rapture.
John 6:39-40
"39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”"
When does the resurrection occur? on the Last day... not "in the last days" or "in the latter days". On the last day. (as a note.. the term 'last day' might be seen by some as more symbolic since there will be the millenial reign etc which certainly must be composed of days.. however, in every refrence we've examined so far it has been stated that the sun and the moon were darkend on the day Jesus returns. We also know from other refrences that in the millenial reign in new Jerusalem, God himself is our light, and we have no need of sun or moon. This provides interesting insight into "the last day")
Our next passage is 1 Corinthians 15:23-24
"23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. "
Here we see the resurrection of the righteous clearly described, and it is placed when? at the very end. Immediately after the righteous resurrection, then comes the end when Christ judges the world and delivers the Kingdom to God the Father. If you examine the seventh trumpet of revelation (which we will eventually) you will find that Jesus Christ judges the world and delivers the kingdoms of the world to God the Father at his return at the end of the tribulation.
Pre-tribulation view point commonly relies upon the image of the "theif in the night". They say that Jesus is coming like a theif in the night and will secretly show up and rapture away the beleivers. This refrence is found in the Olivet Discourse, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In all three of those refrences, as we have already seen, it applies to the wrath of God coming suddenly and unexpectedly upon the world. In all three refrences the believers are warned "be awake, be vigilant, be living rightly so that you too are not taken". So it begins to appear that the theif in the night refrence is not referring to a secret rapture, but to unexpected judgement and wrath... but lets continue and look at the other theif in the night refrences...
We find one in 1st Thess. 5:2 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
But lets look at the whole passage...
1st Thess 5:1-4
"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. "
From this passage it can clearly be seen that the theif in the night refrence is exactly what we have already said... it is describing sudden judgement coming upon the wicked. Moreover, it should NOT catch believers by surprised.. it is not a theif in the night to US! If you examine the refrence to "theif in the night" in Peter's epistles, you will find exactly the same thing.
But wait.. there is something else important about this passage... Where is it located??? 1st Thessalonians chapter 5... what is immediately before this? 1st Thessalonians chapter 4. Thats interesting... lets read them together (remembering that these letters weren't originally written in chapters, but as one single text)
1st Thess 4:15 - 5:4
"15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
Here we find a shocking fact (for the pre-trib view) that the central verse which declares the rapture of the church, is undeniably, clearly linked to the judgement of the wicked!!
Surely by this point it must be becoming clear that all these events, the rapture, the resurrection, the judgement of the wicked, and pouring out of God's wrath all occur at the same time.
To be continued...
posted by Simon Templar | 8:40 AM
1 Comments:
You may be interested in a few of my own blogs concerning the calvinist/free will/eternal salvation topics. My weblog is veritasunum.blogspot.com and the articles I believe you would appreciate (as we are much in agreement) are entitled "The Premise of Salvation Undone," "Human Responsibility and Free Will," and the most recent post "Implications of Scriptural Inerrancy." I enjoyed your site thoroughly.
Post a Comment
<< Home