Here we have a perfect example of why not to take a singular verse out of context, isolate it from context-sensitive pronoun antecedents in preceding verses, and obfuscate the purpose for the spoken words; which ultimately results in the formulation of a false doctrine.
From John 17:15, we have to go all the way back to verse 6 to determine the antecedents to the pronouns throughout the rest of Jesus' prayer. Virtually every Bible commentary on John 17 agrees that this is a prayer by Jesus for the protection of the men, His disciples, whom He had traveled and witnessed with during his three years of ministry.
There is nothing in John 17 to indicate that the intention of Jesus' prayer is to refute His and others' teachings elsewhere about the catching up of the church before the seven years tribulation.
To illustrate this point I'll substitute "my disciples" everywhere the pronoun appears in Jesus' prayer:
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men
(my disciples) which thou gavest me out of the world: thine
my disciples were, and thou gavest
my disciples me; and
my disciples have kept thy word.
7 Now
my disciples have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto
my disciples the words which thou gavest me; and
my disciples have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and
my disciples have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for
my disciples: I pray not for the world, but for
my disciples which thou hast given me; for
my disciples are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in
my disciples.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but
my disciples are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name
my disciples whom thou hast given me, that
my disciples may be one, as we
are.
12 While I was with
my disciples in the world, I kept
my disciples in thy name:
my disciples that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of
my disciples is lost, but the son of perdition
(Judas); that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
my disciples might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given
my disciples thy word; and the world hath hated
my disciples, because
my disciples are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take
my disciples out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep
my disciples from the evil.
16 My disciples are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify
my disciples through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent
my disciples into the world.
19 And for
my disciples' sakes I sanctify myself, that
my disciples also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for
my disciples alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given
my disciples; that
my disciples may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in
my disciples, and thou in me, that
my disciples may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved
my disciples, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that
my disciples also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
my disciples may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and
my disciples have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto
my disciples thy name, and will declare
it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in
my disciples, and I in
my disciples.
Some interesting points:
Jesus mentions His disciples
40 times in this short prayer. Can anybody
really read this passage and not agree that this is a prayer by Jesus for his disciples?
One giveaway nailing down that this is a prayer for the disciples is when Jesus names, by name in verse 12, one of the disciples. "... none of them (
my disciples) is lost, but the son of perdition
(Judas) ..."
Another interesting little surprise in this passage that I only just now noticed is that this prayer is actually in support of the rapture. Notice what Jesus says in verse 24, "Father, I will that
my disciples also, whom thou hast given me,
be with me where I am; that my disciples may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Hmmm. That sounds suspiciously like Jesus is looking forward to the time He will meet them in Heaven.
So, in summary, Jesus is praying for the protection of the men, His disciples, who He will shortly be leaving behind. In its proper context, and with proper interpretation, Verses 14 and 15 are Jesus saying that He knows the world will hate His disciples as they go forward with their ministry, and He asks God to protect them from evil people so they can perform their witnessing.
Like I said, virtually every Bible commentary agrees with this. Any other interpretation is an extreme example of eisegesis instead of correct and proper exegesis.
I know that the minds of the "antis" won't be changed by this post, but I do hope to reach those who are still willing to learn, and forestall any leanings toward false doctrine.