Christians who don't believe in the rapture...????

Question

...and there appear to be several of you out there tonight, please read Matthew Chapter 24 and give me your interpretation.

"Two men will be working in the field, one will be taken and the other left"

"they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory...and He will send His angels...and they will gather His elect...."

I ask you brothers and sisters in Christ - if that is not describing the rapture, then what is it exactly???

How do you interpret Matthew 24???

And please do us all a favor and read it first!

Pangel - good call, you are right - that has always been troubling to me too - did even Jesus not know when the end was coming?!?

Answer 1

I don't mean to nitpick, but I think you've omitted the strongest scripture verses that concern the rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-16:

"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:

"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."

The other passages you listed can be interpreted in all sorts of ways, but the Thessalonians passage is too darn clear for dispute.

BTW, I'm post-trib. I just recently change my mind about pre-tribulationism, after doing a lot of reading and studying about the issue.

Answer 2

Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew talk about the death of Jesus and the coming of the kingdom which happened within a very short time following when Jesus was speaking here and the second coming of Jesus the Christ. Where does it mention a Rapture?

Tribulation has been in progress for almost 2000 years.

Answer 3

Matthew 24 is not talking about the rapture. But I do believe in the rapture. Matthew 24 is about the tribulation period. The first part of Matthew 24 has to do with the first 3 1/2 years, and then 15-26 deal with the last 3 1/2 years.

Answer 4

The "rapture" is NOT limited to Matthew 24.

1 Corinthians 15:51  ¶Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Thessalonians 4:16  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.

By the way, Matthew 24:40 is NOT speaking of a "secret rapture" that is very popular.

Much more can be said.

GOD bless

Answer 5

I believe in the rapture, but not in the way others do. I believe that when scripture says: "where the dead body is, that is where the eagles will gather" means that is how God will take his people. He will take their spirits and not their bodies... until He restores the earth to perfection, THEN He will restore their bodies at the 2nd resurrection. The ones who are left will have to go through the "tribulation" but eventually they will also die... it is then that the Judgement and resurrection will come.

Matt. 24 --- "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 (some texts says eagles) will gather."

(Note: the diciples were not asking about where the ones who were left will be. It already says where in the text... they are asking where the ones who will be taken will be).

Answer 6

It could mean that, and it would be nice if the rapture that many Christians hope for does really happen; but who's to say that this scripture isn't merely referring to how one person can feel the call of God on their lives and readily accept Christ for their salvation, while others who have the same exact back ground, up bringing, and/or work side by side will never see the kingdom of God.
I myself, think the rapture is possible, but I'm not depending on it.

Answer 7

If you will notice,,most of the time when someone is taken,,,it is not the good person,,,,it is the unbeleiver who is taken...check it out....these verses have nothing to do with a secret rapture of the church..

Jesus says when he returns,,at the "Last Trump" every eye shall see him...this is not a secret rapture....this is his second coming....doesn't sound like it will be in secret to me....we will caught up to be with the Lord at the last trump.."

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.

Does the following sound like a secret rapture to you?

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, 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 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)"...

Answer 8

The big quesitons are as follows:

1)When does the Tribulation start? (Who knows?)

2)Will Christ return Pre, Mid- or Post Tribulation?
If you know the answer to 1, then it should be fairly easy to figure out #2.

But since nobody knows for certain, just watch the rebuliding of the Temple, and look up the "Temple Mount Institute" whos goal is to rebuild the Temple

Answer 9

"I want_" got it right, Matt 24 is about the tribulation, the rapture happens before the start of the tribulation.

Answer 10

SHEESH!!! THE TARES ARE TAKEN and BURNED!!! Get over it! You have the WRONG group moving out FIRST! THE "ONE TAKEN" is the TARE being gathered to be BURNED!!! DOUBLE DUH ON YOU!!!! Your rapture lie is of "RABBI BEN EZRA" origin, a Jesuit priest named Riberia. PLEASE, go to www.historicism.com and learn what ALL the reformers believed, and what many of them burned at the stake for! And yet you have enough foolishness to think you have need of nothing!! READ the information and you will hopefully see how depraved your false doctrine is.