Matthew 24:40-41 has me questioning my beliefs

I don't believe that's related at all. The "rapture" as most people call it, is indeed the resurrection / transformation we will experience on the last day.

Don't let such an ambiguous verse let you question the extremely clear "last day" resurrection verses. Remember, we must always interpret less clear scripture in light of more clear scripture.

"It doesn't seem to jive with my beliefs. For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place."


Matthew 24 is specifically for the Lord's nation of Israel [Matthew 29-31]

2/3 of the nation will remain in unbelief and killed in the judgment [Isaiah 11; 27:12-13]

The other 1/3 will be left to enter an populate the Lord's millennial kingdom upon the earth .... as mortals

In the wider view the same will be true of the nations of the Gentiles .... those taken will be taken in the judgment, those believing and left will enter the kingdom [Matthew 25:31-46]

Thee is no resurrection event in the gatherings just after the days of the tribulation

Neither is the Lord's pre-tribulation call for His true ecclesia mentioned in either passage of scripture above .... because these will already be made immortal

John Davidson said:

Matthew 24:40-41 has me questioning this. It doesn't seem to jive with my beliefs. For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place.

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Matthew 24:37-44 is talking about the next prophesied event; the Sixth Seal Lord's Day of wrath. It is the Day when Jesus will judge and punish the earth, Psalms 110:5-6, now in the same state as 'in the days of Noah'. Basically the pre-diluvium people were like us: getting on with their lives, mostly with no care or acknowledgement of their Maker.
When the Lord carries out His terrible Day of vengeance and wrath, Isaiah 63:1-6, He will not be seen, Psalms 18:11, Habakkuk 3:4, Psalms 11:4-6 and His fiery wrath, like a lightening flash, Matthew 24:27, will kill His enemies. Isaiah 66:15-17
Those 'taken', are killed, those 'left', have God's promise of living in the holy Land, as He always intended His people to be. Ezekiel 34:11-31, Revelation 7:9 and many other prophesies.

John Davidson said:

I'm Lutheran and I've always been of the persuasion that the rapture occurs on the last day when Christ returns and raises the dead.

Matthew 24:40-41 has me questioning this. It doesn't seem to jive with my beliefs. For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place.

Thoughts?

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There's a whole millennium after Jesus returns to earth where He reigns as King over all the earth. You can read about it in Revelation 20, Zechariah 14 (see the end of the chapter), Isaiah 2, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 65, for example.

The "taking" in Matthew 24:40-41 is about the wicked--the same class of people who were taken in Noah's flood. It's not talking about Noah's family. If there's any confusion, reading it from Luke 17 will make it clear.

Yes; the resurrection happens when He comes on the last day (of this era).

John Davidson said:

You don't seem to be offering any sort of explanation.

If you read the entire passage its pretty clear that these are being raptured. Matthew 24:31 says that the angels will gather them.

However, it is possible that this is taking place on the last day.

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With all due respect, you didn't ask for an explanation for the passage. You expressed doubt about your faith in a "last day" rapture due to this passage, so I encouraged you not to give up on clear scripture in favour of nebulous scripture.

As for Matthew 24 itself, I've heard various explanations of it myself and the most obvious one is the rapture, but since I'm not sure what it means I'm afraid I have nothing to add in that regard. I am sure however that Jesus said we would be resurrected on the last day, which means Matthew 24 can in no way contradict that.

John Davidson said:

You don't seem to be offering any sort of explanation.

If you read the entire passage its pretty clear that these are being raptured. Matthew 24:31 says that the angels will gather them.

However, it is possible that this is taking place on the last day.

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John, if I were you I would be looking at the anytime rapture view, which is that the rapture can happen anytime between now and when it does. The only requirement, is to be watching and hopeful, for Jesus to come and take us out of the world. It will take place at time unexpected. Jesus is coming and his reward is with him.

John Davidson said:

But Jesus has clearly put forward that some things have to happen first, for instance the sun will be darkened.

I think that there will be signs before his coming, so I doubt that it can happen "anytime".

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Did Jesus tell you to figure out when the rapture would take place? Yes or no.

John Davidson said:

He did tell the parable of the fig tree and suggested that we should no the season.

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Yes; also 1 Thessalonians 5:4-9 and Hebrews 10:24-25 say that watching Christians will recognize the nearness of the day.

I'm open about things about this, because there have been times when God gave His word and people did not know what He meant until He brought it to pass. And then He would remind them that He had said this.

About "the last day" > even if we are resurrected, on that day, this does not necessarily mean the day will end when we are taken up. Also, a "day" can mean a period of time. In any case, He does not clearly say the day will end when we are raptured.

Also . . . just considering > in Matthew 24 it says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. This will be after the sun and moon have gone dark, it seems to me; so, their sort of day will have stopped, before the Son of Man appears. And I understand He will shine brighter than the sun. So, there will be a day, of a different sort, while Jesus is shining so brightly from the sky. And we will be gathered, but this does not mean He will stop shining to others left behind on this earth.

So, yes there are thoroughly studied people who have also prayed about how they understand things, and they would say I am not with it and I'm just speculating and reading things into the passage.

But what I mean, mainly, is do not limit yourself to how you are able to understand things, now. Faith is not only about beliefs and explanation, anyway. But we need "faith working through love", Paul says in Galatians 5:6. So, be aware and not decoyed into letting intellectual issues keep you busy away from finding out how to live in God's love and leading and how He has us learning to relate and share as His family with each other > Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:31 - Ephesians 5:2.

John Davidson said:

He did tell the parable of the fig tree and suggested that we should know the season.

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okay, the fig tree is Jerusalem, as that is what he cursed upon entering Jerusalem that last passover week to be rejected... so since Jerusalem is back in the hands of the Jews..... all you are required to do is to watch, pray Jesus come soon, be hopeful, because your redemption has drawn near.

John Davidson said:

But Jesus has clearly put forward that some things have to happen first, for instance the sun will be darkened.

I think that there will be signs before his coming, so I doubt that it can happen "anytime".

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I don't necessarily ascribe to the "anytime rapture", although it depends on how one defines it I suppose, but I also wouldn't be so sure that these signs you're looking for are visible to the naked eye. The sun darkening for instance is most likely symbolic language which refers to troubled times, not a literal darkening of the sun. See the rest of scripture for when this type of language has been used.

John Davidson said:

For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place.

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You're absolutely right, life will continue on earth after the "taking" under the rule of the devil, antichrist and the false prophet for the 7 years of great tribulation. people shall be microchipped and there will be no paper money for payment, people use the implanted chip for payment..

May Jesus bless you all HalleluYAH

John Davidson said:

I'm Lutheran and I've always been of the persuasion that the rapture occurs on the last day when Christ returns and raises the dead.

Matthew 24:40-41 has me questioning this. It doesn't seem to jive with my beliefs. For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place.

Thoughts?

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1Th 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:
1Th 4:17 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.
Mat_24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.


2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Mat 24:30 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.
Mat 24:31 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.
Rev_1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.



It says God descends with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, as lightening, every eye shall see Him, all the tribes of the earth shall mourn------not exactly quiet and unnoticed! He isn't sneaking in to grab the saved and sneak off with them when nobody's looking.

Now 2 Th 2:8 does day it is the Wicked One that God will destroy with the brightness of His coming---but the wicked also will be destroyed with His brightness--that brightness affects all the wicked "that perish, because they received not the love of the truth"

When Jesus comes, it is seen by all, it is loud, it is joyous (except to the wicked) it is not secret, "the dead in Christ will rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." The living wicked are destroyed by the brightness of His coming. The dead wicked remain dead.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
So, the saved dead are resurrected, and they, along with the saved living, are taken up with God for the 1000 years--- the wicked are all dead for the 1000 years---after that the wicked are resurrected for their judgement and the 2nd death.

One will be left merely means that one will be saved, the other will not be. The righteous are all taken to be with God, the wicked are all left behind---dead.

John Davidson said:

I'm Lutheran and I've always been of the persuasion that the rapture occurs on the last day when Christ returns and raises the dead.

Matthew 24:40-41 has me questioning this. It doesn't seem to jive with my beliefs. For instance it says that "one will be left" which gives me the idea that life will continue on earth after this "taking" takes place.

Thoughts?

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Matthew 24 has a strong Jewish background, and the events link in with what the Old Testament calls the day of the Lord. It occurs on earth.

Whereas the rapture of 1 Thess. 4.16-17 relates to the church. It occurs on in the air.

Where local churches stress the distinction between Israel and the church, these distinctions also will be more apparent. Where for various reasons the clerical decision has been taken to spiritualize Israel into the church, then these distinctions will be less apparent.