Does Matthew 24 describe the rapture?

[Douggg]

The GT martyrs are only brought back to life.

keras, read in Revelation 20:4 how they die - they will be beheaded. Do you think that their decomposed heads are going to be gathered up and super-glued back to their decomposed bodies ?

Their decomposed bodies/parts will be resurrected/reconstituted into new eternal life, incorruptible bodies.

Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. 1Corinthians15:42.

1Corinthians15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

 

[Fisherking]

This is pure, utter nonsense. Paul saying there would be a mass falling away from the faith and a loosing of the restraint on wickedness before Jesus returns lines up with what Jesus Himself said would happen before the end of the age when He returns.

Go find ONE VERSE where Faith is mentioned in the whole passage, YOU CAN'T but the Rapture is in the very first verse right here: So, when Paul says WE BESEECH (Ask Urgently) via the "Gathering together unto the Lord" (RAPTURE) that you FEAR NOT, how is it you guys can't figure this out? Might it be because they switched up the word DEPART (which they did, YOU CAN NOT ARGUE they did not switch it out for Falling Away, its just a big ole fat fact) for FALLING AWAY. The only nonsense is trying to deny these facts my friend.

Matthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Are you going to try to twist what Jesus said, too? Are you going to deny that there will be a time before Christ comes again when many turn away from the faith and time when the love of most will grow cold because of the increase of wickedness?

Mattt. 24:9 was ONLY about Jesus Disciples, not the end times, vs. 6 tells us what? The end is NOT YET. Meaning the 70 AD events Jesus was warning about (temples destruction) could not be the 7-th week, so this was important for Jesus to instruct them, so they would not come rushing back in the 67-70 AD wars thinking Jesus was come again, and the Asia Minor churches would have followed and the early Church wiped out. BUT....BUT...But, God could protect them? He did by telling them he 70 AD events were not THE END TIME 70th week events.

Verse 9 is about the Disciples deaths only or mostly, as well as their first century brothers. At that time many will turn from the FAITH meant the soft Christians of the first century so when Rome followed the advice of the Oracle (a Woman) who denounced Christianity as traitorous because they would not bow down to the Roman Cesar, and thus who would not worship Zeus/Jupiter, Rome started killing the Christians, and thus many turned away from the faith, but that is 2000 years ago so its not a relevant passage. Verse 13 is Jesus telling the Disciples not to become like Judas, you must ENDURE until THE END [of your lives) then in vs. 14 Jesus shows why 70 AD can not be THE END in a 100% foolproof way, the End or 70th week, can only came the Gospel has been preached unto all the world, the Disciples knew of India, China and the Scythians (modern day Russia/North Countries) so they knew 100% they would never see the 2nd Coming. Jesus' goal was to keep them from returning (Wars & Rumors of Wars) to the 67-70 AD events, where they would not only have been killed sooner, but where they would have n doubt led the early Church unto its demise.

Now, of course as Romans 1 says and as other places say, the world gets far more evil, and many church will give way to Doctrines of Devils. But we can walk and chew gum and the same time right? We can understand when different verses mean different things, the 2 Thess. 2 chapter is about the Gathering together unto the Lord being a reason we the church and the "Thessalonians" should not fear that we are in the DOTL or God's Wrath.

2 Thess. 2 is about the Rapture, you could judge it fairly if you did not have that huge blind spot.

 

[Douggg]

@Fisherking
@Spiritual Jew

In 2Thessalonians2, Paul gives the two criteria to take place resulting in the day of Christ (the day of Lord) beginning.

1. a falling away.
2. the act which the man of sin reveals himself as such.

The falling away is that once the 7 year 70th begins there will a large falling away from believing that Jesus is the messiah. This will happen when prince who shall come is anointed the king of Israel, thought-to-be messiah. Many Christians will be so impressed that they will think that the Jews were right along - and will fall away from believing that Jesus is the messiah.

About 3 years later, the thought-to-be messiah will reveal that he not the messiah as he goes into the temple sits, claiming to have achieved God-hood, revealing himself to be the man of sin.

 

[keras]

keras, read in Revelation 20:4 how they die - they will be beheaded. Do you think that their decomposed heads are going to be gathered up and super-glued back to their decomposed bodies ?

Their decomposed bodies/parts will be resurrected/reconstituted into new eternal life, incorruptible bodies.

Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. 1Corinthians15:42.

1Corinthians15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

How those GT martyrs are brought back to life, is not our concern. Lazarus was 4 days in the tomb, John 11:17, and decomposition had set in.
Jesus was able to give him back normal life.

I know why you must insist on immortality when, or before Jesus Returns; If it doesn't happen then, your entire end times scenario is blown apart.
But as no amount of correction has any effect with you, only things as they occur, will show the errors of all those who grip onto escapist theories

 

[keras]

Have you never read these scriptures...

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Paul made it very clear that while we are at home in the body (bodily alive) we are away from the Lord. And he indicated that it's far better to depart from the body (physically die) so that we can be "at home with the Lord" and "be with Christ". That shows that our souls and spirits depart from the body when we die and go to be with the Lord who is in paradise (the third heaven). Obviously, being with the Lord and not having to suffer any longer is far better than remaining in the body. But Paul was torn between wanting to die and go be with the Lord or remain alive so that he could help people who needed him.

Paul never says we will go to heaven.
What we prefer and desire, is not Gods intention.

 

[Spiritual Jew]

Go find ONE VERSE where Faith is mentioned in the whole passage, YOU CAN'T but the Rapture is in the very first verse right here: So, when Paul says WE BESEECH (Ask Urgently) via the "Gathering together unto the Lord" (RAPTURE) that you FEAR NOT, how is it you guys can't figure this out? Might it be because they switched up the word DEPART (which they did, YOU CAN NOT ARGUE they did not switch it out for Falling Away, its just a big ole fat fact) for FALLING AWAY. The only nonsense is trying to deny these facts my friend.


Mattt. 24:9 was ONLY about Jesus Disciples, not the end times, vs. 6 tells us what? The end is NOT YET. Meaning the 70 AD events Jesus was warning about (temples destruction) could not be the 7-th week, so this was important for Jesus to instruct them, so they would not come rushing back in the 67-70 AD wars thinking Jesus was come again, and the Asia Minor churches would have followed and the early Church wiped out. BUT....BUT...But, God could protect them? He did by telling them he 70 AD events were not THE END TIME 70th week events.

Verse 9 is about the Disciples deaths only or mostly, as well as their first century brothers. At that time many will turn from the FAITH meant the soft Christians of the first century so when Rome followed the advice of the Oracle (a Woman) who denounced Christianity as traitorous because they would not bow down to the Roman Cesar, and thus who would not worship Zeus/Jupiter, Rome started killing the Christians, and thus many turned away from the faith, but that is 2000 years ago so its not a relevant passage. Verse 13 is Jesus telling the Disciples not to become like Judas, you must ENDURE until THE END [of your lives) then in vs. 14 Jesus shows why 70 AD can not be THE END in a 100% foolproof way, the End or 70th week, can only came the Gospel has been preached unto all the world, the Disciples knew of India, China and the Scythians (modern day Russia/North Countries) so they knew 100% they would never see the 2nd Coming. Jesus' goal was to keep them from returning (Wars & Rumors of Wars) to the 67-70 AD events, where they would not only have been killed sooner, but where they would have n doubt led the early Church unto its demise.

Now, of course as Romans 1 says and as other places say, the world gets far more evil, and many church will give way to Doctrines of Devils. But we can walk and chew gum and the same time right? We can understand when different verses mean different things, the 2 Thess. 2 chapter is about the Gathering together unto the Lord being a reason we the church and the "Thessalonians" should not fear that we are in the DOTL or God's Wrath.

2 Thess. 2 is about the Rapture, you could judge it fairly if you did not have that huge blind spot.

Nice job of explaining away the obvious similarities between Matthew 24:9-13 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. What a joke. One of the questions the disciples asked was about His coming and the end of the age, so it obviously wasn't all about 70 AD. When it refers to "the end" in Matthew 24:6, 13 and 14 it's related to the end of the age. Yes, verse 13 may refer to the end of their lives or the end of the age, whichever comes first, but the overall passage relates to His coming and the end of the age. So, the comparison I made to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 is valid.

Before Jesus comes and we are gathered to Him, there will be a mass falling away from the faith first. Think about it. Don't you think when wickedness is no longer restrained that it would result in more people falling away from the faith? Of course it would. Just like how Jesus said in Matthew 24:9-13 that an increase in wickedness would result in many turning away from the faith and the love of most growing cold.

 

[Spiritual Jew]

Paul never says we will go to heaven.

He most certainly does! Not bodily, but spiritually. Why won't you address the passages I referenced? He very clearly said that it would be better to be absent from the today and present with the Lord. What else can that mean except for the part of him that isn't his body (his soul and spirit) to go be with the Lord when He physically died?

What we prefer and desire, is not Gods intention.

It is foolish to not acknowledge that we are made up of body, soul and spirit and Paul very clearly indicated that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John saw the souls of those who were physically dead and he indicated that they were conscious (Revelation 6:9-11), so what is your problem with people's souls and spirits being in heaven?

 

[Spiritual Jew]

@Fisherking
@Spiritual Jew

In 2Thessalonians2, Paul gives the two criteria to take place resulting in the day of Christ (the day of Lord) beginning.

1. a falling away.
2. the act which the man of sin reveals himself as such.

The falling away is that once the 7 year 70th begins there will a large falling away from believing that Jesus is the messiah. This will happen when prince who shall come is anointed the king of Israel, thought-to-be messiah. Many Christians will be so impressed that they will think that the Jews were right along - and will fall away from believing that Jesus is the messiah.

About 3 years later, the thought-to-be messiah will reveal that he not the messiah as he goes into the temple sits, claiming to have achieved God-hood, revealing himself to be the man of sin.

Not one thing you said here is true. It's complete nonsense. Jesus fulfilled all of the things that are listed in Daniel 9:24 that had to be fulfilled within the 70 weeks, so the 70th week was fulfilled long ago. Jesus confirmed the new covenant with His blood in the midst of the 70th week and made the old covenant sacrifices and offerings obsolete in the process.

 

[JulieB67]

Who is TAKEN AWAY in verses 36-42? The Bride of Christ

Wrong.

Here is my post from another thread where the word "taken is being discussed". And taken in verse 40 does not mean taken "away".

When we take the word "taken" back to the Greek we can see that there are different Greek words/definitions when utilized in certain verses.

For example -

Matthew 24:40 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left."

The Greek word for taken in this verse does not mean removed from the earth or "taken away" as you suggested.

In the Strong's it's #3880 paralambano to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation) by anal, to assume an office, fig -to learn-receive, take (unto with)

And in this verse -

Matthew 9:15 "And Jesus said unto them, "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."

It's an entirely different Greek word altogether -#522 apairo -to lift off, i.e. remove;-take away.

It literally means to lift off, take away. So it doesn't make sense imo if taken meant a removal from the earth in verse 24:40 and not use the word apairo. Instead again, it's an entirely different definition.

And even Greek word #1869 epairo means to to raise up, lift, etc.

My belief is that the first taken in Matthew 24:40 and Luke 17:36 are taken in by antichrist and thus receive the mark.

Revelation 13:16 "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:"

Receive in the Greek #2983 lambano (note the similarity to paralambano in verse 40)- to take (in very many applications) lit and fig, or act, to get hold of whereas, etc.

And this word lambano is translated in some verses "taken" as well.


I believe we want to be as Christ states -enduring to the end, if it should happen in our lifetimes. And Paul is a second witness that we need that gospel armor on to be able to "stand in the evil day".

 

[Jamdoc]

Paul never says we will go to heaven.
What we prefer and desire, is not Gods intention.

Revelation 19:1.

You base an entire theology on 1 out of context verse.
and you'll find another verse stomps all over the face of your entire doctrine, mercilessly....
but you still cling to it.

 

[Douggg]

Not one thing you said here is true. It's complete nonsense. Jesus fulfilled all of the things that are listed in Daniel 9:24 that had to be fulfilled within the 70 weeks, so the 70th week was fulfilled long ago. Jesus confirmed the new covenant with His blood in the midst of the 70th week and made the old covenant sacrifices and offerings obsolete in the process.

7 year 70th week of Daniel 9:27 coincides with the 7 years of Ezekiel 39:9 following the Gog/Magog event.

 

[Douggg]

Revelation 19:1.

You base an entire theology on 1 out of context verse.
and you'll find another verse stomps all over the face of your entire doctrine, mercilessly....
but you still cling to it.

Great point ! I will try to remember it.

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

 

[keras]

He most certainly does! Not bodily, but spiritually. Why won't you address the passages I referenced? He very clearly said that it would be better to be absent from the today and present with the Lord. What else can that mean except for the part of him that isn't his body (his soul and spirit) to go be with the Lord when He physically died?

I shake my head in wonderment, that seemingly intelligent people see things that are not there.

It would be better if all wars ceased now, and sure: being present with the Lord would be better too, but it is never said to happen,
Until the Millennium.

John saw the souls of those who were physically dead and he indicated that they were conscious (Revelation 6:9-11), so what is your problem with people's souls and spirits being in heaven?

Who it was that John saw in heaven, was the Christian martyrs. You have to admit; they are special and God keeps their souls/spirits under the Altar in heaven.
They are also the multitude of Revelation 19:1, who are allowed to cry out at times. In no way are they fully conscious and alive as we are now.

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Is this a 'rapture' proof?
It is not, because they are all the martyrs killed since Stephen. Millions; cruelly murdered, they are special to God.
Proved by how they thank God for having taken vengeance for their blood. Rev 19:2b, which you cunningly left off.

That any rapture to heaven is false, is proved by the total lack of any Prophecy saying He will do that. What we do face very soon, is the great test of our faith, 1 Peter 4:12, and many will fail when what they expected - does not happen.

 

[Douggg]

Is this a 'rapture' proof?
It is not, because they are all the martyrs killed since Stephen. Millions; cruelly murdered, they are special to God.
Proved by how they thank God for having taken vengeance for their blood. Rev 19:2b, which you cunningly left off.

Revelation 19 chapter is about resurrected/raptured saints in heaven getting ready to return with Jesus, as the bride of Christ.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

 

[Fisherking]

In 2Thessalonians2, Paul gives the two criteria to take place resulting in the day of Christ (the day of Lord) beginning.

1. a falling away.
2. the act which the man of sin reveals himself as such.

The falling away is that once the 7 year 70th begins there will a large falling away from believing that Jesus is the messiah. This will happen when prince who shall come is anointed the king of Israel, thought-to-be messiah. Many Christians will be so impressed that they will think that the Jews were right along - and will fall away from believing that Jesus is the messiah.

About 3 years later, the thought-to-be messiah will reveal that he not the messiah as he goes into the temple sits, claiming to have achieved God-hood, revealing himself to be the man of sin.

Nope, it means DEPARTURE of the church. Why would Paul say DO NOT FEAR that you are in the DOTL or God's wrath? If it only means a departure from the faith and the AC showing up, that could come upon them anytime, so why would Paul lie and tell them not to worry?

It astonishes me tat people allow MEN to change the word from DEPARTUREN that had been there for over 1500 years, including the Latin word Deseccio which means DEPART. So, the SUBJECT is very plain, in the very first few verse (there were no verses) it says we BESEECH YOU.........via the Gathering unto Christ, that you FEAR NOT that the DOTL is upon you.......... WHY? WHY? WHY? via a Gathering unto the Lord, they did not BEESEECH them via a departure from THE FAITH. What you guys buy into makes zero sense. But of course since that's what you were taught by other men................the holy spirit can't reach you on this point.

 

[Fisherking]

Nice job of explaining away the obvious similarities between Matthew 24:9-13 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. What a joke.

How about cutting out the quips? As a preacher of 40 plus years sir nothing is a joke to me, I have written a blog long ago explaining why Mattt. 24 is not what people think, they take verses 7-8 and many thrust it into being the 70th week judgments, it could never be, the BIRTH PANGS deliver the BABY (70th week). Jesus only used verses 7-8 to show the disciples why vs. 6 and the 70 AD events could not be THE END (70th week). Verses 7-8 is basically just a demonstration to reaffirm why the temples destruction, would not be Jesus' 2nd coming. That was way on down the road and................HERE'S WHY................verses 7-8, then back to the Disciples in vs. 9. Jesus told them they would all die save John, remember when Peter asked about why John would not die and Jesus told him to let him worry about that? (paraphrasing).

What a joke. One of the questions the disciples asked was about His coming and the end of the age, so it obviously wasn't all about 70 AD.

Well, when are those three questions divided up? What divides them? Vs. 14 the Rapture.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Now w get a simple DEMONSTRATION BELOW why the end can not be the 70 AD events.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom(not happening in Rome's time): and there shall be famines, and pestilences(Black Plague/COVID19), and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows(The Birth Pangs that BIRTH the 70th week).

Then in vs. 9 Jesus reverts right back to a "Survival Guide for the Disciples to birth the Church, but he also warns them they will all die, and must be examples to the early church by enduring.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end[OF ONES LIFE), the same shall be saved.

Now we get the Raptures TIMING in passing.......in vs 14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come(70th week end times.........BOOM, ten we jump to the 70th week AoD).

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand}

So, the first question was WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE........(Temples Destruction) then they ask the other two question what will be the sign of your coming (vs. 14 and verses 36-51 and even verses 29-31) and the End of the Age (verses 30-31),

So, why would verses 4-13 have anything to do with those other two questions? It was about the First Century Church and the Disciples lives. Everything after vs. 14 is about the 70th week end times. So, verses 4-13 were ONLY ABOUT the 70 AD events and first century Christians. Then verses 15-31 are about the 70th week end time events.

It quit letting me QUOTE/REPLY so I will COPY&PASTE then put your reply/points in ALL BLACK.

When it refers to "the end" in Matthew 24:6, 13 and 14 it's related to the end of the age. Yes, verse 13 may refer to the end of their lives or the end of the age, whichever comes first, but the overall passage relates to His coming and the end of the age. So, the comparison I made to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 is valid.

Verses 15-31 are about the 70th week end and the 2nd coming, not vs. 13.

Before Jesus comes and we are gathered to Him, there will be a mass falling away from the faith first. Think about it. Don't you think when wickedness is no longer restrained that it would result in more people falling away from the faith? Of course it would. Just like how Jesus said in Matthew 24:9-13 that an increase in wickedness would result in many turning away from the faith and the love of most growing cold.


For starters, we are in Heaven when the 70th wee starts, you guys have it all backwards, the reason the Beast is not RESTRAINED is because the Church DEPARTS !! The Gates o Hell, SHALL NOT overcome my Church (Jesus' own quote about the plight of the church). We the Church delivered the MORTALM WOUND to the Beast (Rome, the 6th Head) and God locked Apollyon (Destroyer of Israel) into the bottomless pit until the First Woe falls. Only when we depart will the Beast return. Why? Because the 70th week was designed to bring Israel unto repentance. So, by not getting the timing of the Rapture correct, Satan can have a field day on everything else to do with Eschatology and its all important TIMINGS of Events. Verses 9-13 are about the First Century only.

 

[Fisherking]

Not one thing you said here is true. It's complete nonsense. Jesus fulfilled all of the things that are listed in Daniel 9:24 that had to be fulfilled within the 70 weeks, so the 70th week was fulfilled long ago. Jesus confirmed the new covenant with His blood in the midst of the 70th week and made the old covenant sacrifices and offerings obsolete in the process.

The 70 weeks prophesy is about Israel, not Jesus, he is one of THREE MARKERS.

1.) THE WALL
2.) The Messiahs life & death
3.) The Agreement (Covenant) between Israel and the Little Horn/AC power over the E.U. (10)

Never have so many thought they knew so much whilst knowing so little. That is my all time favorite quote on Prophetic Understandings. Jesus was killed after 69 weeks or 483 years exactly.

 

[Jamdoc]

Great point ! I will try to remember it.

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Now people will argue about whether they are noncorporeal spirits (the post-"trib" view (I think of it more as post wrath, Revelation 6:17),
or resurrected Christians (Pre-trib, Mid-trib, and Pre-wrath will all side with this), the basic major message is there: that Christians are in heaven

The 24 Elders is another thing. Angels are not going to be kings and priests on the New Earth. That is reserved for redeemed human beings.
Now people will again argue if 24 is a symbolic number for the Church (pre-trib). Other positions will think it is a literal 24, and either consider the Elders to be old testament saints resurrected on the day of the crucifixion (where I believe they're from), or they are not human but are angelic beings (which I think is in serious error. as stated, Angels do not inherit the Earth, we do.)

If you wanna go deeper.. consider that in Isaiah 6 where God's throne is described, and there's angels, but there's no 24 elders. After the cross? 24 Elders that are crowned.

 

[Douggg]

Nope, it means DEPARTURE of the church. Why would Paul say DO NOT FEAR that you are in the DOTL or God's wrath? If it only means a departure from the faith and the AC showing up, that could come upon them anytime, so why would Paul lie and tell them not to worry?

Paul in 2Thessalonians2:1-2 was dispelling rumors that the day of Christ (the day of the Lord) had begun already... and the Thessalonians were thus going to have to experience the time when the wrath of God will be poured out.

Paul was comforting them, saying that any rumors they heard were not true. And then Paul gave the two criteria which must take place for the day of Lord takes place.

From the King James Version...
3 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;

"a" falling away. If we substituted departure for falling away - then it would still be "a" departure, and not "the" departure (meaning the rapture).

What translation are you using?

 

[Fisherking]

Wrong.

Here is my post from another thread where the word "taken is being discussed". And taken in verse 40 does not mean taken "away".

When we take the word "taken" back to the Greek we can see that there are different Greek words/definitions when utilized in certain verses.

For example -

Matthew 24:40 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left."

The Greek word for taken in this verse does not mean removed from the earth or "taken away" as you suggested.

In the Strong's it's #3880 paralambano to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation) by anal, to assume an office, fig -to learn-receive, take (unto with)

And in this verse -

Matthew 9:15 "And Jesus said unto them, "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast."

It's an entirely different Greek word altogether -#522 apairo -to lift off, i.e. remove;-take away.

It literally means to lift off, take away. So it doesn't make sense imo if taken meant a removal from the earth in verse 24:40 and not use the word apairo. Instead again, it's an entirely different definition.

And even Greek word #1869 epairo means to to raise up, lift, etc.

It never ceases to amaze me how people will change the bible they are using, or try to look up and twist the meaning, like they do for the word "Anti" [Christ] they say can also mean they are pro for.

(google look se explains their confusion, the heed worldly pepole) While "anti-" is most commonly understood to mean "against" or "opposed to", it can also be used in a way that implies a supportive or affirmative stance. This happens when "anti-" is used with a concept that itself is negative or undesirable, and the "anti-" usage is intended to counteract or prevent that negativity.

Of course its pretty much hogwash. the way we as Christians must operate is to not get a belief from other men, then change bibles or twist logic in order to try and get "their interpretations" to fit the facts, that is not how the bible works, its a huge mosaic, and small tidbits of twisted logic never changes God holy word/meanings.

There can be no imminence after the 70th week starts, Once the Agreement (Covenant of Dan. 9:27) is signed there will be 2520 days until Jesus returns, once the Beast goes forth conquering there will be 1260 days until the 2nd coming.

Also, verses 36-40 says it will be like in the days of Noah, they will be eating, drinking & partying, and they will taken away unawares of what dangers they were in when it started raining. So, this CAN NOT BE the 70th week Judgments, or the 2nd coming because everyone will understand what they have been going through via God's Judgments, and they were indeed judged. Then Jesus gives an example, one will be taken (Received into Heaven) and the other will be LEFT. 50% of the Church are left.

I believe we want to be as Christ states -enduring to the end, if it should happen in our lifetimes. And Paul is a second witness that we need that gospel armor on to be able to "stand in the evil day".

Matt. 24:13 is about the Disciples ONLY.