Pre-trib misinterpretations

[thesunisout]

One of the best known misinterpreted verses that props up the unscriptural pre-trib rapture doctrine is Matthew 24:40-41

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left

Seen through the lens of the pre-trib rapture, it is taken to mean that those taken are being raptured to be with the Lord in air. Is that really what it means? Let's examine the verses preceding them for context:

Matthew 24:37-39

For the coming of the son of man will be just like it was in the days of Noah— just like in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the Ark—and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (In Luke: destroyed them all) The coming of the son of man will be just like that.

In this context being taken away doesn't mean being raptured, it means being destroyed in the judgment! In the days of Noah, it wasn't the ones taken away but the ones who stayed that inherited the Earth. Jesus said that His second coming would be just like that.

So when you're longing to be taken away like in these verses you might want to think twice about what you're asking the Lord to do to you. According to the scripture, it's not a good thing:

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness

The Lord will also send His angels to gather the elect at the end of the tribulation:

Matthew 24:29-31

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

 

[Dave G.]

Pre- trib is not found in Matthew 24 anyway.

 

[com7fy8]

I can see that being taken can happen after the tribulation. And the scripture does not say the taking will happen before > this is assumed from what people have already come to believe.

 

[Andy centek]

One of the best known misinterpreted verses that props up the unscriptural pre-trib rapture doctrine is Matthew 24:40-41

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left

Seen through the lens of the pre-trib rapture, it is taken to mean that those taken are being raptured to be with the Lord in air. Is that really what it means? Let's examine the verses preceding them for context:

Matthew 24:37-39

For the coming of the son of man will be just like it was in the days of Noah— just like in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the Ark—and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (In Luke: destroyed them all) The coming of the son of man will be just like that.

In this context being taken away doesn't mean being raptured, it means being destroyed in the judgment! In the days of Noah, it wasn't the ones taken away but the ones who stayed that inherited the Earth. Jesus said that His second coming would be just like that.

So when you're longing to be taken away like in these verses you might want to think twice about what you're asking the Lord to do to you. According to the scripture, it's not a good thing:

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness

The Lord will also send His angels to gather the elect at the end of the tribulation:

Matthew 24:29-31

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

 

[Andy centek]

Thesunisout:

Good point. What about the ark? What was it? Maybe it is better said: Who was it? Indeed, there is nothing new under the Sun, all things are from formed times.

Andy Centek

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Thesunisout:

Good point. What about the ark? What was it? Maybe it is better said: Who was it? Indeed, there is nothing new under the Sun, all things are from formed times.

Andy Centek

Yes the priesthood carried the ark and when brought into battle it triumped w/o the priesthood. Glory be to God!

 

[r4.h]

One of the best known misinterpreted verses that props up the unscriptural pre-trib rapture doctrine is Matthew 24:40-41

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left

Seen through the lens of the pre-trib rapture, it is taken to mean that those taken are being raptured to be with the Lord in air. Is that really what it means? Let's examine the verses preceding them for context:

Matthew 24:37-39

For the coming of the son of man will be just like it was in the days of Noah— just like in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the Ark—and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away (In Luke: destroyed them all) The coming of the son of man will be just like that.

In this context being taken away doesn't mean being raptured, it means being destroyed in the judgment! In the days of Noah, it wasn't the ones taken away but the ones who stayed that inherited the Earth. Jesus said that His second coming would be just like that.

So when you're longing to be taken away like in these verses you might want to think twice about what you're asking the Lord to do to you. According to the scripture, it's not a good thing:

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness

The Lord will also send His angels to gather the elect at the end of the tribulation:

Matthew 24:29-31

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

hi Cassia, sorry but "as it was in the day of Noah" is an analogy and not the teaching. The teaching still stands. The "as it was" is only to show an actual event that Jesus` hearers could grasp, that those who are not ready will be going about their lives, and only those who have done as Jesus commands will go with him, while the "foolish virgins" will only make heaven if they can endue extreme persecution and conditions without receiving the mark of the beast.

I used to be a post trib believer, but doesnt make sense in the light of some being wise and having put on the righteousness of Christ, while the foolish continued in the world.

 

[Dave G.]

I can see that being taken can happen after the tribulation. And the scripture does not say the taking will happen before > this is assumed from what people have already come to believe.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 says we are not appointed to wrath. And that wrath is "to come" but it does not say when. Pre trib believers believe that "wrath to come" is during the tribulation and we will miss it because we are not here. Post trib believers think it means not being tossed into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgement..

If you think about God's mode of operation, He tended towards removing His people before pouring out wrath, as in Sodom and Gomorrah ( He sent in His angel and said get out of here ). The great tribulation is bigger than that though, it is world wide and ultimately ends in destruction with huge war and plagues like the world has never seen nor will see again. He intends to do a huge purging. Knowing his nature , why would He have us ( true saved believers) live through that ? It's not going to just be an uncomfortable time but horrifying beyond what we can fathom.

Additionally, post trib doesn't account for the Judgement Seat of Christ vs Great White Throne Judgement. The White Throne is believed to be after the millennial reign of Christ on earth, so 1000 years in the future after the great tribulation.. The Judgement Seat of Christ appears to take place before His return to earth setting up His reign, where His saints come with Him. In order to return with him, you have to be already gone .

1. What is the purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ? - GTY
   https://www.gty.org/library/Questions/QA97/What-is-the-purpose-of...
   The Bible talks about the Judgment Seat of Christ--also referred to as the bema--in three places: Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:10--4:5; and 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. Only church-age saints will appear at that judgment, as shown in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.".

And I will just reiterate that the event spoken of as the rapture is not even found in Matthew 24. Those who quote that are mistaken. Matthew 24 is not about the rapture of the church, it's about Jesus' final coming ( at the end of tribulation). You have to look beyond Matthew to find this event. it indeed exists in the bible particularly if you don't read the english translations:

1. Latin “Rapturo” Greek “Harpazo” English “Caught Up ...
   https://blograpture.wordpress.com/category/latin-rapturo-greek...
   Mar 15, 2009 · In fact, the word “rapture” doesn’t appear in the inspired word of God. The meaning is derived from the Latin word “rapturo” meaning “caught up“. The rapture of the saints is an amazing revelation intended to instill hope in believers enduring persecution.

The event of Harpazo is found for one place in 1 Thessalonians. It is not the event found in Matthew 24.

 

[com7fy8]

If you think about God's mode of operation, He tended towards removing His people before pouring out wrath, as in Sodom and Gomorrah ( He sent in His angel and said get out of here ). The great tribulation is bigger than that though, it is world wide and ultimately ends in destruction with huge war and plagues like the world has never seen nor will see again. He intends to do a huge purging. Knowing his nature , why would He have us ( true saved believers) live through that ? It's not going to just be an uncomfortable time but horrifying beyond what we can fathom.

I offer that I understand what you are saying. Thank you for making the effort to explain.

Ones understand 1 Thessalonians 5:9 to mean that because God has not appointed us His children to wrath, He will not have us on this earth during His worldwide wrath judgments of the great tribulation; because He would not punish us who are innocent. This, to me, is clear what they are saying.

And, by the way, it is true that God will not punish and hurt innocent people.

But God is able to exert His wrath judgments with self-control so they do not hurt anyone who is His servant. And I notice how in Revelation chapter seven we see how, before the wrath judgments begin, the servants of God are sealed, which I understand means so the wrath judgments can not hurt them.

Also, we see how Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were right in the fiery furnace, but it did not hurt them, yet those flames took out the evil men who threw them in there. So, God is able to control how His wrath works. He is not like an abusive father who hits the nice children along with the naughty kids.

But, from a compassionate point of view, I can see that we Jesus people would not want to be around seeing all the people so suffering. But, I myself could be one to gloat over it, maybe, since I can still be self-righteous; I know better than to be pleased that the wicked suffer, but I can tell I am still not as for real as I need to become about this. So, even if I were totally safe here during the trib, I would need my own correction to get more real in truly loving even enemies.

 

[Dave G.]

Don't forget the 144,000 Jews who campaign for Christ Jesus during the tribulation period. Many people come to Jesus in that time because of them, my understanding is it is they are who get sealed.