Part Three in a series of articles on the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Bride of Christ
Beyond the convincing prophetic hints to a rapture event found in the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ Himself - in the book of Luke most prominently - spoke of the signs and times of His return for His church, with great detail and clarity. While the same monologue regarding the 'coming of the Son of Man' is explained in Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13, and Luke chapter 21 - we will focus on a more obscure and less quoted Scripture, found in the 17th chapter of Luke. We will take it in easy to chew bites:
Luke 17:24-37 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.
While many suggest that this is a reference to the last day - when Christ comes to set up His millennial kingdom - I disagree. In context with the very last part of this text, we find that this is a gathering to the Lord from here to someplace else...to be with Him apart from the world for a season. The fact that it is from one part of the heavens to another part of the heavens also lends credence to a pre-tribulation rapture, after all, even in Jesus day man had enough intelligence to know that there is cloud to cloud lightning and cloud to ground lightning. It is also not probable that the Lord would come down to the earth, and while on His way through the clouds - calling up His church to Himself, and that we would then come right back down to the earth, since the Bible makes it clear He will come with His saints. Keep this in mind as the context when progressing through this text.
But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
This is clearly a statement regarding His crucifixion, with no other explanation needed. The chronology of these events places the cross before the gathering.
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Again, some argue that this is the last day, but I find that it is more reasonable to see a pre-tribulation rapture in light of the context of the reference to Noah and ‘his days’. Consider the following; Noah was alerted to a time of destruction coming and to be prepared; all of his contemporaries mocked him because of his faith and hope of salvation; Noah was sealed up in the ark by the very hand of God, so says Genesis 7:16; Noah was given a final warning seven days before the floodwaters came. This is the very picture of the evangelical Christian who waits patiently for the rapture; we have been given a set of signs and seasons to watch for; we are mocked relentlessly by unbelievers and even some that warm the seat-bottoms of our pews; we who have put our trust in the Lord will be sealed up in Him at the rapture much like Noah in the ark - safely removed from the destruction; we know that the final day of destruction will occur at the end of Daniels seventieth-week, or at the end of the seven years of tribulation, a warning of the end to come after a seven.
While this sounds good, it is made more believable in the following Scripture regarding the salvation of Lot below:
Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
If one chooses to read the account of Lot’s escape, you will find even more clues to a rapture; Lot was warned of the impending doom to befall Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot had to be escorted out of the city before destruction could take place - as the angels explained to him; Lot was also mocked by his contemporaries and even his own son’s in law; only the righteous - as Abraham’s discussion with God prior to the fall of the twin cities dictates - escaped the wrath of God.
In both the accounts we see that destruction did not come until after the believers were removed from harms way; that they both had warnings given them because they were set apart or sanctified for salvation, and that in both cases it was the supernatural hand of God that brought them across the chasm of destruction, not their own will or ability.
Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
What can be added to this statement, really? I will simply reiterate the Word of God - just as in the accounts of Noah and Lot, so will it be in the day He is ‘revealed.’
"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Here we can plainly see that the one who has second thoughts regarding Jesus and salvation, one who does not trust in Him - who is not truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit or ‘reborn’ - is not worthy to stand before the Son of Man. This is actually about the condition of the heart as in the reference to Lot’s wife, who’s heart really wasn’t in it. She already missed her friends and the social life she had become accustomed to...she loved the world and not God. This is similar to the statement Christ made regarding the one who put’s his hand to the plow, and yet looks back - his heart is not right.
"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left."
I don’t believe there could be a more clear representation of the intent of Christ to return to gather His church to Himself than in the previous text. It is a theme that is hammered home sure and true - while there are them that will be taken, there are those that will be left. The context of this passage doesn’t lend itself to the ‘last day’ as the world will in one second pass away as through fire - which will occur at the second coming of Christ at the end of the seven years tribulation. They will be like the ones left during the days of Noah and Lot, to face destruction - the wrath of God.
And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"
Curious about the statements their Master was making, they new He was telling them one thing for sure - His followers would be gathered to Him. I think it is interesting at the word picture Jesus used to express this event.
So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
For the one who says, “yeah, believers have thought that the Lord would return for them since He died on the cross,” I have but one question: If Paul taught at the church at Thessalonica for a year or more, and it is a given that they would have had great insight as to the prophets description of the last day of tribulation, the day that Christ will return as King and a Mighty Warrior to rend the earth with the sword of His mouth; a day that would see the sun turn black, the moon red as blood, the skies receding as a scroll, a worldwide earthquake and the stars of heavens being shaken out of their place...why would Paul have to write a second letter to explain that this day hadn’t yet come? This is completely illogical. If they new what the last day would look like - and lets face it, all on the earth will see Him coming in the clouds - just what day did they fear they had missed? I am convinced they were terrified that they had missed the day of redemption, the rapture, the catching away of His Bride. Which day would you suggest?
Even so, Christ Jesus...Come! Come, quickly!!!
