Question: What do these Bible verses have in common?

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man” and “one shall be taken, and the other left”

Answer: They have nothing at all to do with the Rapture.

By Craig C. White

Did you know that not a single one of these verses pertains to Church age Christians? I’ll bet that you didn’t. Every one of these Bible verses are from Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24 was written directly to the Jews living in and around Jerusalem during the time of their great tribulation. Matthew chapter 24 has nothing at all to do with the Church. Earthquakes are not a sign of the Rapture. The Church is not being warned to be on the lookout for false prophets. God’s elect are not Church age believers. A generation should not be counted from the date that Israel became a nation until the time of the Rapture. The phrase “But of that day and hour knoweth no man” does not refer to the day of the Rapture! The days of Noah do not describe conditions on earth before the Rapture. At the Rapture one shall not be taken, and the other left. The Christians that I talk with don’t understand any of these verses. It is High Time that Christians properly understood their Bibles.

In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus is addressing his Jewish disciples. The Gentile Church is still a mystery. Jesus is telling his disciples about the trials that Jerusalem and Judea will endure during their great tribulation.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Jerusalem’s great tribulation will begin during the middle of the seven year long Tribulation period. One day unexpectedly the armies of the Antichrist will attack Jerusalem and Judea and take half of the people as prisoners. This begins Jerusalem’s great tribulation. Some bad things will happen before the Antichrist invades Jerusalem. Jesus warns the Jews living around Jerusalem to be on the lookout for false teachers and also for great wars and natural disasters.

Matthew 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Almost every Christian is tracking earthquakes as a sign of the approaching Rapture. That is a big mistake. Earthquakes, famines, and disease outbreaks are signs to Israel that their day of trouble is near! Earthquakes are not a sign of the Rapture.

Matthew 24:6-8 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Almost every Christian sees the Church represented in the following verse. Not so. This verse is talking about the day that the Antichrist invades Jerusalem and captures or kills its inhabitants. From that day the nations will oppress Israel for three and one half years.

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

In the next verse; these false prophets will deceive Israel during their time of trouble. These false prophets are not sent to the Church.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

When Matthew chapter 24 mentions the elect it is not talking about Christians but it is talking about Israel, God’s chosen people. The Jewish people must beware of false Christ’s as well as false prophets. It seems that Matthew is saying that the false Christs will arise once the great tribulation begins.

Matthew 24:23-24 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

I know that the following verse sounds like it is describing the Rapture but it isn’t. The elect identifies Israel, God’s chosen people not the Church. After the Tribulation Jesus Christ will collect all of the faithful Jews who have been dispersed throughout the world from the time of Abraham. They won’t be taken up into heaven. They will be resurrected and travel back to Israel. God will dry up the Red Sea, and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers so that the Old Testament Jews can cross over them on their way back to Israel. Please notice that there is no mention of the Jews ascending into the sky.

Matthew 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.

I have heard so many Christians trying to reconcile the length of a generation in order to establish the timeframe of the Rapture. Wow that is another big mistake. The generation who sees the beginning of the Tribulation will also see the end of the Tribulation, and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Try as I may, I can not correct the thinking of modern day Christians.

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Here is a BIG one. Boy how many times have I been rebuked by Christians using this verse? These Christians do not understand their Bibles. The day and hour that Jesus identifies is not the day of the Rapture. It isn’t even the day of Jesus Christ’s second coming. Jesus is WARNING the Jews living around Jerusalem to WATCH for the armies of the Antichrist as they approach Jerusalem. On that day they are instructed to flee to the mountainous wilderness east of Jerusalem. That day begins Jerusalem’s great tribulation. The faithful Jews who heed Jesus’ warning will take refuge in Jordan during the great tribulation.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Here is another one. The days of Noah do not describe the poor spiritual condition on earth today. The days of Noah don’t even describe the poor spiritual condition on earth before the great tribulation begins. The days of Noah describe the sudden destruction that will come upon Jerusalem and Judea when the armies of the Antichrist attack! The point is that this invasion will be a BIG SURPRISE. On a day when everybody in Jerusalem is living their lives as usual then sudden destruction will come upon them just like the flood took Noah’s generation by surprise!

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

I hate to burst your fuzzy brain bubble but the next verse does not describe the Rapture of the Church. Matthew is still chronicling the events of the day of Jerusalem’s trouble. When the Antichrist invades Jerusalem, his armies will take one Jew as prisoner and leave the next. In that way one half of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be taken away captive. This is the same thing that Antiochous Epiphanies did when his armies invaded Jerusalem in 167 BC.

Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

When the Antichrist invades Jerusalem then half of its residents will be taken captive. Zechariah tells us all about it.

Zechariah 14:1-3 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

In the next verse the term “Son of man” does not describe Jesus at his second coming nor does it describe Jesus when he comes for the Church at the Resurrection and Rapture. Believe it or not the term “Son of man” refers to the Antichrist as he approaches Jerusalem.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

This is the same day that is described in Luke 17:30-31.

Luke 17:30-31 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

On the day that the armies of the Antichrist attack Jerusalem and Judea its residents are instructed to WATCH and to run for their lives. They must not return home for anything because the Antichrist’s armies will be going house to house capturing every other Jew. They must flee into the Judean wilderness in order to escape being captured or killed. It would be nice if Christians finally understood this. I think that the residents of Judea might be interested in knowing.

Read my commentary titled One shall be taken and the other left

If you really want to understand Matthew 24 then read my book Judea Flee! Jerusalem Wait! It was written to the Jews just like Matthew 24.

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