ANDY WOODS PREWRATH RAPTURE ONSLAUGHT (PART 7)

Rapture Sermon Series 48. Explaining Pre-Wrath, Part 7. Matthew 24:31, 40-41. - YouTube

The critical question: Is Matthew 24:31 the rapture, or is it the regathering of the Jews?

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather (episunagó) His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).

Illegitimate Totality Transfer..  episunagó - to gather together

Andy Woods has utilized DA Carson's "Illegitimate Totality Transfer" fallacy (i.e. the explicit or implicit transfer of all the meanings of a given word into any given passage.) {1} One such alleged example of this fallacy, according to Andy Woods, is gather/episunagó in Matthew 24:31 as it is applied to 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

Now concerning the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered (episunagó) together to him, we ask you, brothers.. (2 Thessalonians 2:1)  

The pre-trib habit of limiting their comparisons to particular verses falls foul of the many demonstrable parallels between 1 and 2 Thessalonians and the Olivet Discourse. Some examples: Matthew 24:30/1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 24:36/1Thessalonians 5:1-2; Matthew 24:43/1 Thessalonians 5:2,4; Matthew 24:37-39/1 Thessalonians 5:3; Matthew 24:8/1 Thessalonians 5:3; Matthew 24:42/1 Thessalonians 5:4; Matthew 24:49/1Thessalonians 5:7. These parallels demonstrate that Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 is the source of Paul’s doctrine. (2 Timothy 2:15).

While the word episunagó by itself in Matthew 24:31 does not prove the rapture, there is evidence that both passages do in fact refer to the rapture. 

Matthew 24 addresses the specific question relating to Jesus' return: What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3). The chronology of events immediately following the great tribulation are (1) the cosmic disturbances. (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-14); (2) the sign of the Son of Man i.e. the visible manifestation of Jesus ..coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 6:16); (3) And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31). Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 all refer to the resurrection of believers (the rapture) at the trumpet  call. Paul refers to "the trumpet of God" and "the last trumpet". Matthew 24:31 refers to the sounding of "a loud trumpet call". Jesus is undoubtedly referring to His coming (parousia), He is not talking about a "horizontal" regathering of Israel. Luke also affirms that the rapture (parousia) is in view: 

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:27-28). 

  

Meyer: "εἰς ἡμέρ. ἀπολυτρ.] for the day of redemption; when at the Parousia the certainty of the deliverance unto salvation, indicated by ἐσφραγ., becomes reality. As to ἀπολύτρωσις, comp. on Ephesians 1:14; Luke 21:28; also Romans 8:23." {2}

The resurrection in Matthew 24 

Jesus' source for the Olivet Discourse was Daniel. (Matthew 24:15). In Daniel 12:1-2 there is a distinction between your people (Israel) in verse 1, and the many in verse 2 which references the resurrection of believers after the great tribulation. (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21).

At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2).

For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. (Matthew 24:21).

Posttribulationist and Christian Hebraist Samuel Prideaux Tregelles was one of a number of noteable bible scholars who opposed John Nelson Darby's concept of a pre-trib rapture in the 19th century. Tregelles' interpretation of Daniel 12:2 places the first resurrection at Revelation 20:4. Isaiah 26:19-21 is definitely prewrath, but Tregelles amalgamates Israel's deliverance and the first resurrection which is problematic. Alan Kurschner regards the beheaded martyrs who participate in the first resurrection as thematic rather than sequential. "..and they lived εζησαν and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4). εζησαν verb - aorist active indicative". {3} 

Tregelles: "And many from among the sleepers of the dust of the earth shall awake; these shall be unto everlasting life; but those [the rest of the sleepers] shall be unto shame and* everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2)

Tregelles: "The word which in our Authorised version is twice rendered “some” is never repeated in any other passage in the Hebrew Bible, in the sense of taking up distributively any general class which had been previously mentioned; this is enough, I believe, to warrant our applying its first occurrence here to the whole of the many who awake, and the second to the mass of the sleepers, those who do not awake at this time. It is clearly not a general resurrection; it is 'many from among'; and it is only by taking the words in this sense that we gain any information as to what becomes of those who continue to sleep in the dust of the earth.*

I have given, I believe, the most literal rendering of this verse;* it speaks of a [select] resurrection, not the general, when all shall be called forth, but one of an eclectic character, 'many [not all] from amongst the sleepers'. Just so in Rev. 20, after 'the first resurrection' has been mentioned, we are told, 'the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.' It is at the coming of the Lord Jesus that Israel is delivered; it is then that the first resurrection also takes place. Just in the same manner do we read of a resurrection in Isa. 26: 19, in connection with the Lord coming out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: 'Thy dead men shall live; they shall arise my dead body.' [Such are the words literally. Identified with Christ as being His members.]

[* NOTE. The 'and' here, should be understood as a disjunction, separating two distinct groups of disembodied souls presently waiting (in “Hades”- (for this is the place, 'in the heart of the earth' where the souls of all the dead presently are: Matt. 12: 40; 16: 18; Luke 16: 29-31; Acts 2: 27, 34; Rev. 6: 9, 10, R.V.).
Therefore, those described above as 'the rest of the sleepers' are resurrected when 'the thousand years should be finished' (Rev. 20: 3, R.V.), (1) The words 'unto shame,' – are a description of the regenerate who will not be 'recompensed in the resurrection of the just' (Luke 14: 14): and (2) the words 'everlasting contempt' - are a description of all the unregenerate - 'not found written in the book of life,' and 'cast into the lake of fire' (Rev. 20: 15).

See Luke 20: 35; Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b; Rev. 20: 4-6, etc. R.V. All these texts describe a select resurrection “out of dead ones,” into a MILLENNIAL REWARD. See Acts 7: 4, 5; Rev. 2: 25-27; 3: 11, 21, R.V. cf. Rom. 8: 23-25; Heb. 11: 6, 26, 40; 1 Pet. 1: 5, 9, 11b, R.V. etc.]" {4}

The Christian Journal: "Samuel Prideaux Tregelles alleged that John Nelson Darby's concept of the rapture was taken from one of the charismatic utterances in Edward Irving’s church (at a prophecy conference held in 1830 at Powerscourt Castle, Ireland). Since Tregelles regarded the utterances as “pretending to be from God,” his implication is that Darby’s rapture is from a demonic source. Dave MacPherson built upon Tregelles’s accusation, and claimed the source for Darby’s rapture was from an utterance of Margaret MacDonald." {5}

Apostasia/Rebellion

Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion (apostasia) occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:3). 

Biblical scholars of integrity unanimously interpret apostasia as rebellion. However, Andy Woods, who is in league with Thomas Ice, has come up the dubious interpretation that apostasia is a "departure" i.e. the rapture. This bizarre interpretation has been debunked, even by renowned pre-trib scholars. It appears that some pre-trib teachers will say almost anything in order to pervert the eschatological teachings of the New Testament.

Dave MacPherson: "THOMAS ICE — Protector of the shrinking Principality of Pretribulatia — believes that his 'texas receptus' interpretation of II Thess. 2:3 is much better than that of his mentor, the late Dr. John Walvoord!" {6} 

One will be taken and one left

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept (airo) them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken (paralambanó ) and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken (paralambanó) and one left (aphiémi). (Matthew 24:36-41 cf. Matthew 24:28).

I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken (paralambanó) and the other left (aphiémi). . "And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:34-37).

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take (paralambanó) you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:3).

Typically paralambanó is an affirmative verb meaning to receive or to take to oneself. {7} The meaning of aphiémi is to send away, leave alone (in this context it has the sense of abandonment). {8}

The pre-trib camp identify those being taken with the wicked taken for judgement following the battle of Armageddon. They connect the proverbial saying: "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather"(Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37) with Armageddon, where the birds literally gorge themselves on the flesh of the wicked i.e. the flesh of the men and horses slain in the battle. (Revelation 19:17-18, 21 cf. Ezekiel 39:17-21). However, the birds are gathered at this event, not the wicked. Furthermore the context of Matthew 24 is the coming of the Son of Man (parousia) and the gathering of the elect i.e. the rapture. (Matthew 24:3,27,30,37,39,42,43,44). This event should be distinguished from Armageddon.

The example of Noah illustrates that the wicked were swept away (airo) by the flood waters to perish, whereas the ark rose above the flood waters. Considering the meanings of paralambanó and aphiémi, the meaning of airó in this context is to sweep away i.e. to take away or to remove by the action of the flood waters. It is inappropriate to interpret airó "to raise or to lift up" in the pre-trib sense that the wicked are taken and the righteous remain on the earth. {9} Similarly, Genesis 19:1,12-22 is a vivid illustration of the involvement of angels in the deliverance of Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom. (Luke 17-28-29 cf. Matthew 24:3).

The parable of the ten virgins also confirms the prewrath view of one taken and one left. The wise virgins go in with Jesus to the marriage feast, whereas the door is shut to the foolish virgins and they are left behind. (Matthew 25:10-11). 

Pulpit Commentary: "As (ver. 31) the angels are sent forth to gather the elect, the 'taken' are of this class, who are caught away to meet the Lord and his saints (1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:3), while the others are left for judgment and reprobation (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)." {10} 

Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,' described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. And let no one in the field return for his cloak. How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. (Matthew 24:15-20).

The above passage does not signify that Jesus' reference to the Sabbath applies to unbelieving Jews. This will obviously be a tough flight for believers, especially for the vulnerable, such as pregnant and nursing mothers. If their flight were to coincide with the winter or the Sabbath, the difficulties will be compounded, hence Jesus' instruction to pray that it won't. Following the covenant the Antichrist makes with "many" and the reinstitution of animal sacrifices, it is conceivable that Sabbath limitations in Jerusalem/Judea will be enforced to a degree that conditions will be highly unfavourable for believers to undertake a flight to the mountains. (Daniel 9:27 cf. Luke 21:20). It is reasonable to assume that significant numbers of believers will flee Jerusalem/Judea following the abomination of desolation event when the Antichrist announces that he is "god". The ominous situation, combined with a limited window of opportunity to flee, and perhaps also a certain amount of panic, are not conducive with the restrictions imposed by the Jewish Sabbath. 

In conclusion..

The various accusations that Andy Woods has levelled against Robert Van Kampen regarding so called "illegitimate totality transfer" and grammatical errors, are, for the most part, invalid. Andy Woods has demonstrated throughout this series, that his own interpretive skills, whether by accident or by design, are highly questionable!

The timing of the rapture is supposedly a secondary issue that does not impact on the doctrine of salvation. If this is true, then the pre-trib camp's aggressive determination to foist their teaching onto the Body of Christ, and their constant habit of attacking those who disagree with them, is out of all proportion. Their teaching permeates every aspect of their worldview and political observations. My view is that the timing of the rapture is a critical question for believers due to the very real possibility of apostasy occurring as a result of the Antichrist's persecution. (Matthew 24:9-11). The pre-tribulation rapture fallacy is one of the biggest deceptions to blight the church in modern times. (Jeremiah 23:1). Technically pre-trib teachers are false prophets who pervert the critical warnings given to the church by Jesus Christ Himself. (Revelation 22:18-19; Proverbs 30:6). There will be consequences for those who teach this false doctrine! (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

1. The "Illegitimate Totality Transfer" Fallacy Illustrated - Ancient Hebrew Poetry (typepad.com)
2. Ephesians 4:30 Commentaries: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (biblehub.com)
3. The First Resurrection ~ Timing Often Misunderstood | The Orange Mailman (wordpress.com)
4. Tregelles on Daniel (themillennialkingdom.org.uk)
5. Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a hoax, and here is why! (christianjournal.net)
6. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: WALVOORD MELTS ICE (II THESS. 2:3) BY DAVE MACPHERSON (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
7. Strong's Greek: 3880. παραλαμβάνω (paralambanó) -- to receive from (biblehub.com)
8. Strong's Greek: 863. ἀφίημι (aphiémi) -- to send away, leave alone, permit (biblehub.com)
9. Strong's Greek: 142. αἴρω (airó) -- to raise, take up, lift (biblehub.com)
10. Matthew 24 Pulpit Commentary (biblehub.com