The Rapture in Luke 17
This
study is intended to show, through the Word and its plain meaning to be taken
at face value that the rapture of the church can be found in Luke Chapter 17. Please read the full chapter of Luke 17 before
beginning the study.
Unfortunately,
too many believers and Bible translations with man-made titles look at Luke 17
as Jesus Second physical coming to the earth at the end of the age. A very careful study of the Greek and its
plain meaning proves otherwise.
Jesus
Himself explains to us exactly what it will look like just before the rapture
and at the time of the rapture.
He
begins by telling His disciples that they will soon long for ONE of the Days of
the Son of Man but they will not see it in their lifetime. He then goes on to say that things will look
relatively normal before the rapture of the church. He compares the days of Noah and the days of
Lot with very specific examples of everyday life when people are eating,
drinking, getting married, buying, selling, planting and building homes (Greek
word in Luke 17 G3618 they home-builded).
I stress the building of homes as it implies a good economy and a belief
that there are many days ahead. We also
have to understand that the Rapture itself is a judgment for those who are left
behind. Just as the days of Noah and
Lot, the earth dwellers had no idea that judgment was coming. Judgment will come on all of the earth
dwellers and none will escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3/Revelation 3:10). It is s time to judge the earth, all who live
in it and the time of Jacob’s trouble.
Jesus
then gives a warning for us, the Church to not hold onto this life or this
world. When we hear the sound (trumpet
of God - Psalm 89:15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD,
in the light of your face), we are not to panic and go and get our gear (Luke
17:31-32 Greek word is gear or instruments G4632). Remember Lot’s wife.
Okay,
so here we go: One taken and One left (Remember to first
put away your presuppositions and read it like a book and let the text speak
for itself. If it seems to be a mystery,
then we need to go to the original language for the entire chapter and the mystery
can be solved).
I
think that we can all agree that Jesus spoke of the Rapture in John Chapter
14. Well, lo and behold, it is
the VERY SAME GREEK WORD used in Luke 17!
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive G3880 you unto myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also.
“ONE
TAKEN”
paralEphthEsetai
G3880
vi
Fut Pas 3 Sg
SHALL-BE-BEING-BESIDE-GOTTEN
shall-be-being-taken-along
Strong's
G3880 in the following manner: take (30x), receive (15x), take unto (2x), take up (2x), take
away (1x).
Outline
of Biblical Usage
1. to take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self
1. an
associate, a companion
2. metaph.
1. to
accept or acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be
2. not to reject, not to
withhold obedience
2. to receive something transmitted
1. an office to be discharged
2. to receive with the mind
1. by oral transmission: of the authors
from whom the tradition proceeds
2. by the narrating to others, by
instruction of teachers (used of disciples)
“THE OTHER LEFT”
The
One being “OTHER or
DIFFERENT ONE” is G2087 “other”, another: i.e. one not of the same nature, form, class, of uncertain affinity, different, denotes a class in which others are
distinguished
“LEFT”
G863
1. to
send away
1. to bid going away or depart
1. of a husband divorcing his wife
2. to send forth, yield up, to expire
3. to
let go, let alone, let be
1. to
disregard
2. to
leave, to let go, to give up, to depart from, to depart from one and leave him to himself so that
all mutual claims are abandoned,
1. to go away leaving something behind
2. to leave one by not taking him as a
companion
3. to
leave on dying, leave behind one
4. to leave so that what is left may
remain, leave remaining
5. abandon,
leave destitute
Forsake, Omit, Suffer
Wow….let
that soak in. The one that is taken is
taken as a companion or friend and the one left has been rejected and not taken
or recognized as a companion. Now, as to
the mystery of the “vulture” and where
the body is: The disciples
recognized that something would take place and wanted to know where these
people would be taken. Jesus answers
them. After digging into the Greek, it says
that the living and dead will be taken into the air where the eagles fly (not
vultures as some translations render). We
will get to that Greek word here shortly.
The
Greek word for Body G4983 is means:
Where
the BODY is G4983 is used of a (large or small)
number of men closely united into one society, or
family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body, the living
body, the dead body, (both men and could also include animals) the body (as a sound whole), used in a
very wide application, literally or figuratively
“WHERE”
G3699 in
which place
Gathered
Together G4863
Verse
37
sunacqhsontai
sunachthEsontai
G4863
vi
Fut Pas 3 Pl
SHALL-BE-BEING-TOGETHER-LED
shall-be-being-assembled
1. to gather together, to
gather
1. to draw together, collect
1. of fishes
2. of a net in which they are caught
2. to
bring together, assemble,
collect
1. to join together, join in one (those previously
separated)
2. to gather together by convoking
3. to be gathered i.e. come together,
gather, meet
3. to lead with one's self
1. into one's home, i.e. to
receive hospitably,
EAGLE
G105 an
eagle (from its wind-like flight):—eagle.
In
other words, in the place where eagles take flight. The same Greek word is used in Revelation
12:14) where the woman is given two wings of a great eagle.
Conclusion: Here would be my personal
modern-day translation using the Greek language if you will: The ones taken will
be taken as companions to join the Lord and gathered together in the air with
our family to be taken to our Father’s house and accepted to Himself forever.
Even well respected teachers
of mine such as Tommy Ice believe that the ones taken are taken into judgment
at the end of the age. But I just
couldn’t accept that as his answer as it just wouldn’t sit right with me. So I asked Father to teach me through His
Holy Spirit and He led me to a quote by Clarence Larkin which states:
“A mystery
is not something that cannot be known, but something that for the time being is
hidden. I hand you a sealed letter. What it contains is a mystery to you. Break
the seal and read the letter and it ceases to be a mystery. But you may not be
able to read the letter, because it is written in a language with which you are
not familiar. Learn the language and the mystery ceases. But perhaps the letter
contains technical terms which you do not understand, learn their meaning and
all will be plain. That is the way with the Mysteries of the Scriptures, learn
to, read them by the help of their author, the Holy Spirit, and they will no
longer be mystery.”
“The
trouble is men are not willing to let the Scriptures say what they want to
say.” Clarence Larkin
Footnote: Days of LOT
Jack Kelley
In
this sense, Lot becomes a model of the Church. Paul explained that the Church
would be rescued from the time of God’s Wrath on the Earth as well. They tell
how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait
for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thes.1:9-10)
The
Greek word translated “from” in verse 10 means the Church will be removed from
the time or place or any relation to the coming wrath. Just like it was with
Lot and the judgment of Sodom, we have to be away and safe before the End Times
judgment of Earth can begin.
Maranatha
and God Bless!
Michelle