and when it doesn't come to pass and those Christians whom it was taught to, backslide and go into apostasy? Matt 24v45-25v13.
jb, you keep quoting this passage, but you are not grasping that the
CONTEXT of everything in Matthew 24+ [forward--> (in His Olivet Discourse section--
both chpts)] is speaking of what takes place
FOLLOWING our Rapture/Departure... Jesus is
not covering the Subject of "Rapture"
at all, here, but all about what leads UP TO His Second Coming
to the earth FOR the promised and prophesied
earthly Millennial Kingdom, that will commence upon His
"RETURN" to the earth. Now, there's much more I could say about WHY "the evil servant" says what he says IN
THAT TIME-PERIOD (
FOLLOWING our Rapture), but I'd like you to, first, simply
consider the PARALLEL PASSAGE to this Matt24:45-51 section (about the "faithful and wise" and "evil" servants):
Note the parallel passages (for aid in discerning context/setting, etc):
--
Matthew 24:48 - "But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My master
delays,'"
--
Luke 12:45 - "But if that servant should say in his heart, 'My master
delays to come,' and should begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and to get drunk"
[but notice... the
CONTEXT of Luke 12:36-37,38,40,42-44 "
when he will
RETURN FROM the wedding" (i.e. as an
ALREADY-WED Bridegroom [see Rev19:
7,9])...
THEN the meal [G347] (i.e. the
earthly MK age)--IOW, this is a Second Coming
to the earth passage (so preceding and
LEADING UP TO *THAT*),
NOT a Rapture passage...]
...so then (in view of that--that this is His
"RETURN" to the earth passage, and what immediately
precedes and leads up to THAT), we can proceed to ask the question "
WHY does the
evil servant think the Lord
has delayed His Coming?" in such a context (that is,
FOLLOWING "our Departure/Rapture" when they are existing IN/WITHIN/DURING the TRIB yrs that lead up to His "RETURN"
to the EARTH).
WHY would they say such a thing, at such a time? (
which time-period corresponds with 2Th2:10-12 [
happening in/during/within the TRIB yrs], for example)
... I could tell you why (according to my viewpoint/explanation)...
but I'd like you and the readers to just consider the above two parallel passages (
Matthew 24:45-51, etc alongside its parallel Luke 12:36-37,38,40,42-44,45-48, speaking of His "RETURN" to the earth [
NOT "Rapture [IN THE AIR],"
per context])