Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," Fall Edition 2001
The Truth Of Matthew 24:40-41
First, we note that the ones "taken" in
Matthew 24:40-41 are taken out in the judgment, not taken up in some secret
pretribulation Rapture of the Church, as Darbyism erroneously teaches.
For clear evidence of this fact, please see Luke 17:33-37,
where Jesus plainly states that the common lot of men will lose their lives
(verse 33) in the judgment (verse 37).
What Jesus means by the two metaphors in Matthew 24:40-41 and
Luke 17:34-35 is that the judgment will materialize so suddenly and unexpectedly
that, when it does strike, there will be no time left to maneuver an escape, as
I Thessalonians 5:3 also says: "sudden destruction cometh upon them as upon a
woman in travail, and they shall not escape."
Friends, there is no secret pretribulation rapture of the
church taught in Matthew 24:40-41! Be not deceived! Rather, be prepared to
accept the fact of sudden and unexpected judgment at the in-breaking of the
biblical end-time.
If that thought should offend you, then consider the fact of
free moral agency—revival can be precipitated NOW to avert the end-time
judgment, IF God's people are willing to pay the price! Why should God be
obligated to remove a generation of believers who will not pay the price for
revival from the world in a secret pre-trib rapture, merely to save their flesh
from suffering?--the whole conception, aside from being unscriptural, is amoral
nonsense.
Antinomians love the moral and social irresponsibility that
the theory brings—it makes them feel so cozy, they go off to sleep!
May God help the holiness people wake up and take charge of the
world they live in for Christ and true Bible holiness! Dispensationalism has led
millions to surrender the world to the Devil by default. The first step toward
true revival, we believe, is is the ideological work of getting out of that
entangling web of false doctrine.
Related Article Links
The Element Of Surprise
The Role Of Free Moral Agency In End-time Bible Prophecy