The Conditional First Rapture - Luke 21.36
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleaker
Would it be possible that the reference jesus is stating about escaping these things is not a reference to an actual rapture but rather to living on earth during the rapture but not actually being under God's wrath? Is it possible that believers are here and completely unaffected by the seals, bowls, trumpets, plagues etc?
Watch how Luke 21:36 proves that not the entire church but only a part of it will be raptured before the Tribulation.
In 70 A.D., Jerusalem experienced a terrible destruction, and at the end she will experience a great tribulation.
The record in Luke can be outlined as follows: 21:8-9 - the things before the end; 10-19 - believers will suffer; 20-28 - how Jerusalem will be destroyed (verse 28 seems to suggest that the saints will all pass through the Tribulation); 29-33 - a parable guaranteeing the certainty of these things to come; and 34-36 - Were it not for this passage, it might be inferred that the whole body of believers would surely be raptured after the Tribulation: yet verse 34 has a change in tone from the preceding verses, verse 35 shows that the things mentioned earlier concern the whole inhabited world, and verse 36 presents THE CONDITION for escaping the Great Tribulation - which is to watch and pray.
How are believers to escape all these coming things and to stand before the Son of man? Naturally by being raptured. Death is not a blessing, nor can God make promises not to be martyred: we do not pray and expect death.
The condition here for rapture is to watch and pray.
Hence here, not all the regenerated may be raptured.
Pray always. What to pray for? Pray that we may escape all these things which shall come to pass (of the Trib).
“That ye may prevail” (or, “ye may be accounted worthy” AV).
It is not a question of grace, but rather a matter of worthiness.
How about worthiness? God cannot receive you to the place where you have no desire to go.
Some people may consider heaven as too tasteless a place in which to live as may be indicated by these words: “Lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life” (v.34). If a balloon is tied, it cannot ascend.
In sum, Luke 21:36 shatters the arguments of both the pretrib and post only interpretations.
The post only view may still raise other arguments, such as (1) that rapture is not dependent on conduct - yet in reply it should be asked whether anyone thinks a carnal believer lying on a bed of fornication will be raptured?
Or (2) that the phrase “all these things” does not refer to the Great Tribulation but to the surfeiting, drunkenness, and cares of this life cited in verse 34.
In reply, it should be noted that verse 36 reads, “all these things that shall come to pass" in the Tribulation upon the whole world - whereas “surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life” pertain to the things which are present now. And therefore, “watch ye” means to not be deceived by such activities.
