Is Matthew 24:41 talking about a secret rapture?

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Is Matthew 24:41 talking about a secret rapture?

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Matthew 24:41 says, "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left." This verse links with a similar illustration in Matthew 24:40. A key to understanding the Bible is to examine a verse in its context. The full context begins in Matthew 24:36 with, "But of that day and hour [of Jesus Christ's second coming] no one knows." It ends in Matthew 24:44 with, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Clearly, the topic is preparedness for Christ's second coming.

In the immediate context, Christ makes plain the fact that no one knows the timing of His coming, not of His "near approach," as the rapture theory would suggest. His advice to Christians, in light of this fact, is that we need to be constantly alert, always in a state of spiritual preparedness—"Watch therefore" (Matthew 24:42). The suddenness of His coming will catch people who are not prepared off guard. His return will surprise some living or working side-by-side with Christians who are ready.

But was Jesus even talking about people being caught up in the air to Him, or was He saying one would be taken and another left? Note that the people of Noah’s day “did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (verse 39). So being taken here was a bad thing—being taken in calamity and death. Likewise it would seem that those who are “taken” in the end time are those who are swept away by the swirl of catastrophic events. Those who are “left” are spared. In any case, this has nothing to do with the rapture.

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Comments

  • djoy8991

    This is revealing to me. Last year God started giving a prophetic word to me about the 'Day of The LORD' - His judgment day. It just didn't make sense with the teaching that I grew up with about the so-called 'rapture'. I did some investigating and googled all of the scripture that speaks of the 'rapture' and didn't find the word in there at all..... Then I found your website blogs about the false doctrine of the rapture. I asked God to confirm this and He led me to Isaiah 11, 12 *verse 6, 13:9, 14, 15, 16:14- 20. The followers of Christ will be purified (going on now) and will be at some point, a living breathing sacrifice of Jesus and doing His greater works. We will be a part of the huge soul harvest that is coming and then will start to see much tribulation. However, God will lead us to another promised land when His judgment will turn all USA cities into 'heaps of rubble' and the shadow government will be destroyed- along with those who rejected Him.

  • aispears73

    There are actually two "raptures" if you will. One is the catching away of the saints before the Tribulation. The one referenced in Matthew 24 *after* the Tribulation.

    UCG as I understand believes that the church replaces Israel. That is simply not true. Paul even indicates this in Romans 11 (and pick up the King James version, the other "versions" are counterfeits). Salvation was offered to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy. The focus during this dispensation--the Church Age--is on Gentiles though Jews can be saved. After the rapture, during the Tribulation, the focus is shifted back onto the Jews.

    Now you know why the Sabbath isn't binding on Christians. Different dispensation.

  • Lena VanAusdle

    If the Sabbath isn't binding on Christians, how do you explain Jesus Christ saying, "If you love Me, keep My commandments," in John 14:15? Or 1 John 5:3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

    The Church (any commandment keeping organization, not just UCG) does not "replace" Israel; though some use the phrase "Spiritual Israel," to signify that they are God's chosen people (through His calling). In Romans 11:26 it says "all Israel will be saved..." and we believe that wholeheartedly. We believe that God's resurrected Saints (to spiritual life either from the dead or changed from physical life) will rule the earth with Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:1-5); at the end of the thousand years the rest of Israel (and everyone who never had the opportunity to know God through Jesus Christ His Son) will be resurrected to physical life and given the opportunity to follow God (Ezekiel 37; Matthew 11:22; Mark 6:11), only then will they be judged.

  • FaithofChristian

    You know alot of people are being taught in the churches that Matthew 24:40-41 this being the rapture of the church.But this is not what those two verse's are referring to. If people would back up to Verse's 38-39, they would see that those that were taken away in the flood of Noah,were the Wicked,Unbelievers, Therefore the one taken are those Wicked,Unbelievers that when the antichrist comes will deceive them into believing that he is Christ Jesus that he has come to rapture them out,and by signs and great wonders they will believe him,that he is Christ Jesus.

  • Sabrina Peabody

    Interesting concept - that it is the wicked who are taken vs left behind, but from what I understand, the context is when would the Kingdom of God come and when is the day that the Son of man/Christ is revealed. So it is not speaking of the revealing of the antiChrist but the actual revealing of Christ. I've heard this verse's interpretation is that when Christ returns, He will gather His elect (still living) to meet Him in the clouds and the dead in Christ will rise (1 Corinthians 15:51). Christ's coming will not be hidden, but obvious; with a loud shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

    The eagles gathering together is the visible nature of these events - just as you can see bird's circling in the sky around something below. This article was an interesting read on what that verse and the eagles mean in more depth: http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-did-jesus-mean-in-luke-17-37-about-the-eagles

  • Sabrina Peabody

    Interesting concept - that it is the wicked who are taken vs left behind, but from what I understand, the context is when would the Kingdom of God come and when is the day that the Son of man/Christ is revealed. So it is not speaking of the revealing of the antiChrist but the actual revealing of Christ. I've heard this verse's interpretation is that when Christ returns, He will gather His elect (still living) to meet Him in the clouds and the dead in Christ will rise (1 Corinthians 15:51). Christ's coming will not be hidden, but obvious; with a loud shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

    The eagles gathering together is the visible nature of these events - just as you can see bird's circling in the sky around something below. This article was an interesting read on what that verse and the eagles mean in more depth: http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-did-jesus-mean-in-luke-17-37-about-the-eagles

  • iamgrayfox

    Maybe we should look at all these scriptures: Matt. 24:40-41, Luke 17:34-37, Zeph. 2:1-3 and Rev 7:2-4 , Rev. 12:6, Rev. 12:14. Could these together give us the answer?

  • rwp_47
    In 1 Thessalonians 4 ... starting in verse 13 Paul is explaining that when Jesus returns his saints will be resurrected ... and after they are resurrected, the saints who are still living then will be caught up with them in the air. Matthew says in verse 31 that on Jesus' return to set up the Kingdom of God the angels shall gather his saints from all over the earth ... and they will be led to Jesus. Both these scriptures are speaking of the same event. When this happens, if two are in the field, and one of them is a saint ... then the saint will be whisked away ... just as indicated in Matthew 24:40-41. But that doesn't refer to a so-called rapture. Its speaking of Christ's return as King of Kings and it occurs after the great tribulation referred to in Matthew 24:29. And Pscott ... the statement in Luke 17: "... Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." ... is clearly referring to the gathering of the saints to Jesus. I just don't see how one could miss that clear symbolism in this context. There is nothing there referring to dead bodies or to unbelievers ... except the ones who are left in the field or left grinding at the mill when the saints are gathered by the angels to be taken to meet the Lord. All these scriptures are referring to the same event ... the second coming.
  • Pscott2010
    I've come to learn that in Matthew 24, Jesus is not referring to the Rapture but rather the gathering of the unbelievers for judgement. If you ready Luke's version, Jesus explains where the taken are going: "I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. ” “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:34-37 NIV) If Jesus states the place where they are taken as a place for dead bodies and vultures, it cannot be the saved that are taken. Matthew 24 points to a second gathering of people. But instead of the elect, it refers to the unbelievers. The people left in their beds, fields and mill are the saved. The elect who will move into the millennial Kingdom with Jesus.
  • papasmurf

    Peter, thank you for this input, I believe you hit it square on the head. So many read the Bible and do not look up the words in the concordance. For a long time these verses confused me also. I am new to this site and so far very pleased that God has lead me here. God bless you and have a great day.

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