Matthew 24:40 Is the rapture secret?
- Thread starter rrcn
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Thanks rrcn, for your mention of Matthew 24:40.
Many persons who hold a 'modern view' of a rapture, consider that the one that is taken goes off to be with the Lord forever, whereas the one that is left faces hell and abandonment. However, it seems to me that this may not be the appropriate understanding of the terms 'taken' and 'left'. For example, those who are 'left' in the Bible are usually the ones who have God's blessing. We read, "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. " Again, we read, "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts ". Certainly, this fits in well with the idea of a remnant of true believers that remain. The Bible often speaks of those that remain as being the ones that avoid tragedy: "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. " Again, "But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. " This is also in accordance with the term 'remnant'. The term remnant also speaks of those that are still left in the Lord: "wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. "
In like fashion, consider the word 'taken'. The term seems to often refer to being taken away in judgment: "if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity ". Again, we read, "they had their dominion taken away ". Another: "But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. "
If you ask me, it is quite likely that these terms taken and left mean somewhat the opposite of what 'modern rapture' theory holds. It seems quite likely to me that the one that is taken, is taken in judgment. But the one that is left, is in the Lord. The whole thing reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins, in which part were in the Lord with the spirit, but part were not.
Many persons who hold a 'modern view' of a rapture, consider that the one that is taken goes off to be with the Lord forever, whereas the one that is left faces hell and abandonment. However, it seems to me that this may not be the appropriate understanding of the terms 'taken' and 'left'. For example, those who are 'left' in the Bible are usually the ones who have God's blessing. We read, "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. " Again, we read, "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts ". Certainly, this fits in well with the idea of a remnant of true believers that remain. The Bible often speaks of those that remain as being the ones that avoid tragedy: "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. " Again, "But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. " This is also in accordance with the term 'remnant'. The term remnant also speaks of those that are still left in the Lord: "wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. "
In like fashion, consider the word 'taken'. The term seems to often refer to being taken away in judgment: "if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity ". Again, we read, "they had their dominion taken away ". Another: "But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. "
If you ask me, it is quite likely that these terms taken and left mean somewhat the opposite of what 'modern rapture' theory holds. It seems quite likely to me that the one that is taken, is taken in judgment. But the one that is left, is in the Lord. The whole thing reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins, in which part were in the Lord with the spirit, but part were not.
No, you are wrong. The righteous remained on earth, the unrighteous were removed from the earth.
Those taken in Matthew 24 will be removed from the earth just like the unrighteous were removed from the earth in the flood and those left will remain on the earth just like the righteous remained on the earth after the flood.
Matt.24"38-39
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The flood did not take Noah and his family away, the flood took away the unrighteous. So will it be when Christ returns. He will remove the unrighteous from the earth and only the righteous (believers) will remain to populate the Millennium Kingdom.
Those taken in Matthew 24 will be removed from the earth just like the unrighteous were removed from the earth in the flood and those left will remain on the earth just like the righteous remained on the earth after the flood.
Matt.24"38-39
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The flood did not take Noah and his family away, the flood took away the unrighteous. So will it be when Christ returns. He will remove the unrighteous from the earth and only the righteous (believers) will remain to populate the Millennium Kingdom.
-
1
- Show all
You still don't see it do you. The "taken" in Matthew 24 is likened to what the flood did when it took the unrighteous. The flood did not take Noah and his family away for they were safe in the Ark. It will be the same when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom on Earth. Those in Christ (believers) will be kept safe and not taken away, the rest will be removed.
Please look at what the Matthew passage is saying. Noah entered the Ark and was safe but the rest were taken away by the flood. The subject of the verse is not Noah, it is those are are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. iow the unrighteous/unbelievers
Matt.24:38-39
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The "they/them" in the passage are unbelievers.
Please look at what the Matthew passage is saying. Noah entered the Ark and was safe but the rest were taken away by the flood. The subject of the verse is not Noah, it is those are are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. iow the unrighteous/unbelievers
Matt.24:38-39
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
The "they/them" in the passage are unbelievers.
Taken away to death.....
Taken away by the flood.
Taken away because they were not saved.
At the end the unrighteous will be Taken away to their death....
Mat 24:30-31
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. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This is no secret.. they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
There are two groups when Jesus comes...
The saved and the lost. The lost will be surprised and are not looking for His coming.
And study your Bible. No where does it say the righteous will be with Jesus for the millenium on Earth. They will be with Jesus in heaven.
Mat 25:31-34
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
This is not a secret.
1Th 4:16-17
16 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: 17 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.
Luk 21:26-27
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
No secret rapture
A glorious rapture.
Taken away by the flood.
Taken away because they were not saved.
At the end the unrighteous will be Taken away to their death....
Mat 24:30-31
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. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This is no secret.. they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
There are two groups when Jesus comes...
The saved and the lost. The lost will be surprised and are not looking for His coming.
And study your Bible. No where does it say the righteous will be with Jesus for the millenium on Earth. They will be with Jesus in heaven.
Mat 25:31-34
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
This is not a secret.
1Th 4:16-17
16 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: 17 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.
Luk 21:26-27
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
No secret rapture
A glorious rapture.
Uh, not really.
Noah was gathered into the ark DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD.
What very few can see is the Noah and Lot gatherings are BEFORE TRIBULATION.
Normal everyday life complete with normal activities, THEN AT THAT TIME BOTH ARE GATHERED.
Are you guys aware that IT DOES NOT SAY "AFTER THE FLOOD NOAH ENTERS THE ARK TO BE TAKEN HIGH INTO THE SKY???
( YOUR DOCTRINE FAILS BIG TIME)
It does NOT SAY that Lot and family stay in Sodom and the wicked ate removed!!!
( you guys are unaware of the facts, and run from them by REFRAMING the bible, and OMITTING THE PRETRIB VIVID GATHERING)
Then that is Not enough for the ole Bible twist routine, because it says one is gathered and 1 is left behind, so your doctrine, basically states, that half the world is wicked, and half the world is righteous, which is a completely impossible theory no matter how you slice it.
Noah was gathered into the ark DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD.
What very few can see is the Noah and Lot gatherings are BEFORE TRIBULATION.
Normal everyday life complete with normal activities, THEN AT THAT TIME BOTH ARE GATHERED.
Are you guys aware that IT DOES NOT SAY "AFTER THE FLOOD NOAH ENTERS THE ARK TO BE TAKEN HIGH INTO THE SKY???
( YOUR DOCTRINE FAILS BIG TIME)
It does NOT SAY that Lot and family stay in Sodom and the wicked ate removed!!!
( you guys are unaware of the facts, and run from them by REFRAMING the bible, and OMITTING THE PRETRIB VIVID GATHERING)
Then that is Not enough for the ole Bible twist routine, because it says one is gathered and 1 is left behind, so your doctrine, basically states, that half the world is wicked, and half the world is righteous, which is a completely impossible theory no matter how you slice it.
No need to make silly remarks, just read the passage. It is quite clear the "them" that the flood takes away are the unbelievers, not those in the Ark and Jesus said it will be like that when He returns. His Coming will be like a flood that removes the wicked from the Earth. The passage is clearly referring to the Second Coming, not the Resurrection of the Church (Rapture).
Lol
You just posted that BEFORE the flood the wicked are taken.
You, unfortunately, have those postrib prisms to learn through.
It is embarrassing for you to declare, "before the flood half the world is wicked and half righteous, and so BEFORE the flood, Half of Earth entire population is raptured and destroyed?????"
Ok, so do you now see where false doctrine leads you to?
You are painting yourself into a corner that is totally impossible.
It just simply cannot happen. And it's because men have taught you that doctrine!
you don't get it out of the Bible. It ain't there at all!
Men have taught you that doctrine.
"Half the world is wicked and half righteous"
Then BEFORE the flood God raptures the wicked and destroys them.
It gets even worse for you, because
Jesus tells somebody, either the righteous or the wicked to watch and be ready.
so is he telling the righteous to get ready to stay?
Or is he telling the wicked to get ready to get raptured and destroyed?????
Whew.
I am glad I am not in that doctrinal train wreck.
You just posted that BEFORE the flood the wicked are taken.
You, unfortunately, have those postrib prisms to learn through.
It is embarrassing for you to declare, "before the flood half the world is wicked and half righteous, and so BEFORE the flood, Half of Earth entire population is raptured and destroyed?????"
Ok, so do you now see where false doctrine leads you to?
You are painting yourself into a corner that is totally impossible.
It just simply cannot happen. And it's because men have taught you that doctrine!
you don't get it out of the Bible. It ain't there at all!
Men have taught you that doctrine.
"Half the world is wicked and half righteous"
Then BEFORE the flood God raptures the wicked and destroys them.
It gets even worse for you, because
Jesus tells somebody, either the righteous or the wicked to watch and be ready.
so is he telling the righteous to get ready to stay?
Or is he telling the wicked to get ready to get raptured and destroyed?????
Whew.
I am glad I am not in that doctrinal train wreck.
Wow,
that brings up another pre-tribulation rapture power point.
When we look at the ones that are previously raptured ,(or should we say "caught up" just to be gramatically correct?) that they're all caught up and go to heaven. Hmmmmmm
But somehow, in the post trib rapture doctrine theory, they don't go to heaven!!!!!
They just float around in the clouds for a made up Period of time And do an imaginary u turn back to earth.
hmmmmmmm.
Very creative
that brings up another pre-tribulation rapture power point.
When we look at the ones that are previously raptured ,(or should we say "caught up" just to be gramatically correct?) that they're all caught up and go to heaven. Hmmmmmm
But somehow, in the post trib rapture doctrine theory, they don't go to heaven!!!!!
They just float around in the clouds for a made up Period of time And do an imaginary u turn back to earth.
hmmmmmmm.
Very creative