FEEDBACK: DOES MATTHEW 24:29-31 TEACH THAT THE RAPTURE
IS ‘IMMEDIATELY’ AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION?
10/19/10
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appreciate feedback on the studies posted on this website. It helps us to see
if there is anything on this website that does not agree with the Bible.
Below IS A QUESTION ABOUT SOME VERSES CONCERNING THE
RAPTURE.
THE READER’S QUESTION IS IN ITALICS. OUR
RESPONSE FOLLOWS.
The word
"then" doesn't have to mean "after that" but can just as
well mean "at that time"
Dear
Sir,
Yes.
You are correct.
God
uses this Greek word translated “then” about 150 times in the Bible. Sometimes
it signifies “at that time” and sometimes it signifies “after that”. God uses
it both ways in the Bible. In the study “When is the Rapture?” four examples
were given in which this Greek word must mean “after that”. More examples could
be given. This study is at the link below:
The
point is that people try to use Matthew 24:29-31 as proof that the Rapture
occurs immediately after the Great Tribulation. We read in those verses:
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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.
Verse
29 talks about “immediately” after the Great Tribulation. Also, people identify
verse 31 with the Rapture. So, people read Matthew 24:29-31 and conclude that
it teaches that the Rapture comes immediately after the Great Tribulation. The
problem with that reasoning is that they skip over the word “then” in verse 30. You are correct that
this word is used sometimes in the Bible to signify “at that time”. However, it
is also used to signify “after that” with some time interval in between.
We
will consider four passages with this same Greek word translated “then” in Matthew 24:30.
We
read in Matthew 2:14-16:
14 When he arose, he took the young child and
his mother by night, and departed into
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out
of
16
¶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding
wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in
all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time
which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
This
Greek word “then” is found in verse 16. Verses 14-15 talk about how
Joseph took his family into
Verse
16 talks about how Herod was angry when he realized that the wise men had not
come back to tell him where the baby king was. Verse 16 occurred sometime after
verse 15. It would have taken Herod a while to realize that the wise men were
not coming back to him.
There
is nothing to indicate that verse 16 occurred immediately after verse 15. In
fact, it would have required some time for Herod to realize that the wise men
were not coming back to him. Verse 16 could not have occurred right after verse
15. Rather, verse 16 is the next event in the progression that God is
describing.
We
read in Matthew 3:1-5:
1
¶ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the
prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s
hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild
honey.
5 Then went out to him
Verse
5 has this same Greek word “then”.
Verses
1 to 4 describe the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist and tell us
some things about him.
Then,
in verse 5 God talks about the next event that He wishes to describe, which was
the coming of people to hear John. However, verse 5 did not have to happen
immediately after John came into the wilderness. It is just that sometime
later, the next event that God wants to describe, is that people came out to
listen to John.
Verse
5 did not necessarily happen right after verses 1 to 4.
We
read in Matthew 3:12-13:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will
throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13
¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to
Verse
12 ends the warning from John the Baptist to the unsaved. Verse 13 has this
same Greek word “then”. Verse 13 describes the coming of the Lord Jesus
to John to be baptized. That could have been some time later. Verse 13 gives
the next event that God wants to describe, but it did not necessarily happen
right after John gave his warning.
We
read in Matthew 9:13-14:
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth,
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.
14
¶ Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees
fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
Verse
14 has the same Greek word “then”. Verse 13 ends the response by Jesus
to a statement made by the Pharisees to His disciples. Verse 14 starts a new
situation in which the disciples of John came to Jesus with a question. Verse
14 begins a new subject matter. It could have been some time later.
The
Gospels describe 3 ½ years of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus. Yet,
there are only a few hours of dialog contained in the Gospels. So, there was
much time between the events and conversations that are recorded in the
Gospels. These separate events are frequently connected by this Greek word “then”.
The
four Gospels contain the information that God wants us to know. There were many
more events that occurred over those 3 ½ years that are not recorded. However,
God uses this same Greek word “then” to separate those distinct events
that occurred over that 3 ½ year period which God wanted recorded. So, there
would have been time between the events that are separated by this Greek word “then”.
These
are 4 example passages with this same Greek word “then” found in Matthew 24:31.
These 4 examples show us that this Greek word “then” can mean the passage of
some time before the next event.
Mark
13:24-28 has the same Greek word “then”. We read there:
24
¶ But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the
powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming
in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall
gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the
earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
This
passage is similar to Matthew 24:29-31 with some differences.
Mark
13:24-25 talks about the time right after the Great Tribulation which ends on
May 21, 2011. People identify verse 27 with the Rapture. However, with the word
“then” in verses 26 & 27, God is telling us that sometime later the
events of verses 26-27 will occur. That time can easily be October 21, 2011 at
the end of the 5 months.
Let’s
look at Matthew 24:29-31 again:
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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.
Verse
29 talks about events that occur “Immediately” after the Great
Tribulation ends on May 21, 2011.
However,
Matthew 24:30 begins with this same Greek word “then”. Following the rules of proper
Bible study, this means that the events described in verses 30 & 31 could
easily happen some time later, on October 21, 2011.
Because
this Greek word translated “then” is
used both ways in the Bible, we cannot conclude that the events of verse 30
occur immediately after the Great Tribulation. God has defined this Greek word
to allow some time duration between verses 29 & 30.
Therefore,
when we follow the Biblical rule of comparing Scripture with Scripture given in
1 Corinthians 2:13, we learn that Matthew 24:29-31 is not a proof text that the
Rapture occurs immediately after the Great Tribulation. The Biblical definition
of this Greek word translated “then” in verse 30 allows the possibility of some
time duration between the events of verse 30 and those of verse 29.
Thank
you.