Did Jesus mention the rapture with his disciples in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21? Not the post-tribulation rapture that many Christian sects, such as Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox Church, believe in, but a pre-tribulation rapture.
Most Bible scholars and theologians believe that only the Second Coming of Jesus is in view within the context of the Olivet Discourse. However, many other learned men and women believe the pre-tribulation rapture is included in the text of these passages of Scripture, even though the Greek word for “catching up” (harpazo) is not mentioned. They believe Jesus, in his Olivet Discourse, introduced the pre-tribulation rapture in its “seed form,” as I wrote about in my last article, Pre-Pauline Scriptural References to the Rapture :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready.
The Olivet Discourse occurred a few days before Jesus’ last Passover. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus had told his disciples three times, before the Olivet Discourse, that he would be crucified and killed but would be resurrected on the third day. Immediately before the O.D., Jesus grieved over the coming destruction of Jerusalem and its people, and gave a prophecy regarding his coming again to establish the Kingdom of God.
“For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39). Until the Jewish people recognize Jesus as their Messiah King, and call out to him to return to establish His Kingdom, He will not return to them. This prophecy is given in the last verse of Matthew 23. The story continues into chapter 24.
Matthew 24 begins with Jesus and his disciples leaving the temple and going to the Mount of Olives, where they spoke to Jesus about how marvelous the remodeled temple was, as it was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts (Luke 21:5). “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2).
This prophecy was fulfilled 37 years later in 70 AD, when the Romans, under General Titus, demolished Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple. Daniel also prophesied about the destruction of the city and the Temple in Daniel 9:26b.
The disciples then asked Jesus, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Some Bible scholars see three questions in this verse, while others see only two, with “what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age” as one question. I now believe it is just two questions, as Jesus’ Second Coming will bring about the end of this current age and the start of the Millennial Kingdom.
The disciples evidently believed that the destruction of the Temple, the coming ‘again’ of Christ, and the end of the age would occur contemporaneously. This is confirmed by the question they asked on the Mount of Olives after Jesus’ resurrection. “Lord, are you now going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
In Matthew’s account of the Olivet discourse, Jesus didn’t answer the first question regarding the destruction of the Temple (“when shall these things be?”), although he did in Luke’s account (Luke 21:12-24). However, the wording of “these things” is plural, so their question is about more than the destruction of the Temple.
“These things” also refers to Jesus’ prophecy in the preceding verse regarding His coming to establish His Kingdom. So, basically, in Matthew’s account of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is revealing the ‘what’ and ‘when’ of the time of the end of the age and His return, albeit the ‘when’ is somewhat cryptic.
The Greek word translated ‘coming’ (parousia) means “presence, coming, advent, arrival.” In the Gospels, parousia is only used in the 24th chapter of Matthew (Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39). This word refers to the future visible return of Jesus from heaven to raise the O.T. saints, initiate the “sheep and goat judgments,” and gloriously set up the kingdom of God. This word also refers to Jesus’ coming at the Rapture, as in 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
The parousia and the consummation (end) of the age are a reference to the same event and are identified by one sign (sēmeion). The disciples were asking for a single sign that would identify Jesus‘ future appearance and the end of the age, as we know it. Jesus identifies this single sign as the Tribulation, also known in the Old Testament as the Day of the Lord, Daniel’s 70th week, or Jacob’s Trouble. Of course, there are individual signs within the universal sign of the Tribulation that point to the end of the age and Jesus’ Second Coming.
Matthew 24:4-14 describes the conditions on Earth before the Second Coming. It is a summary of events that will occur during the seven-year Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week). Verse 8 says that the events of verses 3-7 are the beginning of sorrows (or birth pangs). In 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, Paul used the same Greek word (ōdin, ―birth pangs) to describe the future day of the Lord. The second, third, and fourth seal judgments (peace taken from the earth, famine, and massive deaths) parallel Matthew 24:5-8.
Verse 14 mentions the end of the age, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” The gospel of the kingdom is the good news that the kingdom of God is near. So, here we see a beginning and an end of the seven-year Tribulation. This brief summary of the Tribulation will be characterized by: false Christs, war, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, and the worldwide preaching of the gospel.
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
The last 3.5 years of the Tribulation are called the “Great Tribulation.” It is described in Matthew 24:15-28. So, the entire seven-year Tribulation begins in Matthew 24:4 and ends in verse 28. Verses 29-31 describe the events “after the tribulation of those days.” The Tribulation is another name for the Day of the LORD, as mentioned by various Old Testament prophets. The Day of the LORD (Yahweh) is mentioned 20 times in the Old Testament.
The Great Tribulation begins with the event described by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-16: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whosoever reads, let him understand), then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.” The abomination of desolation refers to the future desecration of the rebuilt Jerusalem temple by the first ‘Beast’ of Revelation 13. Paul also mentions this desecration in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
The A.O.D. is the major sign within the Tribulation that the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man is near. Jesus is referring to Daniel’s prophecy about the abomination of desolation, as mentioned in Daniel 9:27 & Daniel 12:11. Daniel 9:27 stipulates that there will be a “confirming of a covenant with the many (Israel and other nations)” for a period of seven years, and in the middle of the seven years (3.5 years) is when the A.O.D. occurs and the Jews flee from the Antichrist.
The Jews will flee into the mountains, as Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:16, “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.” For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
Daniel 12:1-2 records an unprecedented “time of trouble“ at the end of the age. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
Daniel 12:7 even gives the duration of the great tribulation after the Jews have fled Israel (per Matthew 24:16). It shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” “Time, times, and a half” is 3.5 years or 1,260 days.
Daniel 12:2a and 10 record the resurrection of the Old Testament saints at the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly.” Daniel 12:11 gives the duration between the middle of the Tribulation and this resurrection. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”
So, from these two witnesses (Jesus and Daniel), we know the abomination of desolation is an undeniable sign that the Son of Man is coming soon and the end of the age is nearly consummated. As a matter of fact, they are somewhere in the range of 1,260 to 1,290 days from this end-time sign.
Jesus returns to the earth after the Great Tribulation. His visible return is described in Matthew 24:27-28. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” Jesus will return to the earth (Second Coming) in the same manner as when he ascended back to heaven after his crucifixion.
Approximately 45 days after Jesus gave his Olivet discourse, he ascended into heaven in plain sight of the disciples (Acts 1:9). While they were watching him go up, two ‘men’ (angels) in white apparel stood by them and said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus describes these last 3.5 years in Matthew 24:21-22: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
THE SIGN OF THE SECOND COMING
“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. 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” (Matthew 24:29-30).
At the time immediately before the Second Coming, there will be signs among the heavenly bodies, including the sun, the moon, and the stars. Isaiah spoke of this in Isaiah 13:10 & 34:4, “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine” (Isaiah 13:10).
There will be total darkness for an indeterminate duration between the end of the Tribulation and the Second Coming. The darkness will be dispelled by a glorious, brilliant light which is the Shekinah glory of the Lord. The light will be followed by the Son of Man, the Messiah Jesus Christ. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelation 1:7). This is the final sign of the coming of the Son of Man and the end of the age.
The most significant sign for the Jews that the Tribulation has started is the confirming of the covenant, as mentioned in Daniel 9:27. The major sign for the middle of the Tribulation is the A.O.D., as mentioned by Daniel and Jesus, and the end sign is the total darkness of the heavens. Of course, I believe the number one sign that indicates “He is near” is the pre-tribulation Rapture. The unbelieving Jews would be wise to consider this after it occurs. Jesus said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).
The end of the Second Coming and the start of the Millennium Kingdom is pictured in Matthew 24:31. “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” (Matthew 24:31). Mark described the same event as the gathering of the elect from both Earth and heaven (Mark 13:27). Some will need to be resurrected, such as the O.T. saints and Tribulation saints.
THE FIG TREE GENERATION
Jesus then tells his disciples, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, at the very gates” (Matthew 24:32-33). Some translations say “you know that He is near.”
Luke also mentions the fig tree (and all the trees) parable. Luke settles the question of what (or who) is near. It is the kingdom of God. “And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:29-31).
The fig tree blooms in spring and produces fruit in the summer. When you see the blossoms on the tree, you know summer is near. It is a clear sign. In the same way, when the end-time events (signs) Jesus spoke about occur, you can know that His return is near and that the kingdom of God is at hand.
Then Jesus says, Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:32-35).
It is the generation that experiences these end-time signs/events that will not pass away until everything Jesus prophesied about takes place. Even the heavens and Earth will pass away eventually, but not God’s word. These signs and the return of Christ will both be within a single generation. The initial impression from these verses is that once the Tribulation signs begin, the Second Coming is near.
The last two verses are talking about the days before the Tribulation, whereas if someone is unaware and only concerned with the cares of this life and not paying attention to the signs of the time, that day will catch them like a snare catches an animal.
Matthew 24:34-35 records near-identical words to Luke 21:32-33. “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
What comes after these verses in Matthew and Luke is very interesting when you compare them. Let’s look at Luke first. (Luke 21:36).
THE ESCAPE FROM THE TRIBULATION BY WAY OF THE RAPTURE
Luke 21:36: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
Now compare Luke 21:36 to Matthew 24:36.
Matthew 24:36: “Now concerning that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Is this verse comparable to Luke’s in that they are both referring to the pre-tribulation Rapture?
Luke 21:36 is definitely referring to the pre-tribulation rapture (harpazo- catching up) as described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Luke 21:36, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Rev. 3:10 are the three N.T. scriptures that convey the doctrine of believers escaping from God’s wrath by way of a pre-tribulation rapture.
Likewise, I believe Matthew 24:36-44 (and Mark 13:32) refer to the pre-tribulation rapture as well, in its “seed form.” Jesus gives a little more detail about it in John 14:2-3, one day before his crucifixion. Jesus never fully taught on the rapture, as the disciples were not ready to hear about this phase of His coming again, as the Church hadn’t even been formed yet, nor the Holy Spirit given yet. However, Jesus did fully answer the disciples’ questions regarding His coming again.
It would be left up to Paul to give a detailed teaching on the pre-tribulation Rapture, nearly two decades after the crucifixion.
THE DAY AND HOUR OF CHRIST’S RETURN
Mark’s version of “that day” says, “Now concerning that day and the hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:32-33). The day and hour mentioned in these verses refer to a particular date that nobody knows except the Father.
The hour is only mentioned because it determines the date, as there are multiple time zones throughout the world. Mark 13:35 says, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.” If you don’t know the hour of Jesus’ coming, you won’t know the exact day/date either.
Another example of the words ‘day’ and ‘hour’ referring to a date is found in Revelation 9:15, where the sixth trumpet judgment is to commence on a designated date (unknown as well). “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” Since a ‘month’ and a ‘year’ are not mentioned in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, does that mean we can know the month or year of Jesus’ coming?
The question remains, “The day and hour of what?” Most Bible teachers believe Jesus is referring to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation; after all, that is what He has been speaking about in the preceding verses. They believe Jesus is saying the approximate time of His coming can be known ( Matthew 24:33) because of the signs that precede it, but the precise day or date cannot be known in advance (only God, the Father, knows).
The other major interpretation of Matthew 24:36, and the one I subscribe to, is that this verse refers to the beginning of the “Day of the Lord.” The day of the Lord is mentioned 20 times in the Old Testament. It can refer to the actual 24-hour-long day of the Second Coming or the entire seven years of the Tribulation, otherwise known as Daniel’s 70th Week.
Many traditionalist scholars believe the “day of the Lord” refers only to Daniel’s 70th week (the Tribulation), which ends with the Second Coming (the word “tribulation” is mentioned in Matthew 24:29, and the words “great tribulation” are mentioned in verse 21). However, many other Bible scholars believe the day of the Lord is longer than seven years. I agree with the latter view, although how much longer is unknown.
The day of the Lord begins when God intervenes supernaturally in the affairs of mankind. It begins with the resurrection/rapture of the Church. The day of the Lord consists of the pre-tribulation Rapture, the gap of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation (the duration is unknown), the seven-year Tribulation, and the Second Coming. So, the day of the Lord begins with the Rapture and ends with the Second Coming.
THE DAY AND HOUR OF THE SON OF MAN’S COMING
When referring to the end-time judgments of the Tribulation, the “day of the Lord“ is mentioned three times in the New Testament (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; and 2 Thessalonians 2:2). The last one is in the ESV but not in the KJV. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10 associate the “day of the Lord” with a “thief in the night.”
An ‘hour‘ is also used (in the KJV) in Revelation 3:10 for the Tribulation. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
1 Thessalonians 5:2 says, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a ‘thief in the night.’“ Verse 4 compares “that day” to a ‘thief.’ Revelation 3:3 and 16:15 compare Jesus Christ to a thief, in that He will come upon the unsuspecting world in an unknown time.
These scriptures match Matthew 24:43-44, which says, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Jesus had this to say about that ‘hour‘: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice” (John 5:25, 28). This verse describes the time of the resurrection of the dead in Christ at the Rapture, as described in 1 Thessalonians 15.
When referring to ‘day’ as the Rapture, the term “day of Christ” is mentioned two times in the New Testament (Philippians 1:10, 2:16), the “day of Jesus Christ” is mentioned once in Philippians 1:6, the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” is mentioned once in 1 Corinthians 1:8, and the “day of the Lord Jesus” is mentioned twice (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14). The use of this phraseology is unique to Paul’s writings.
I believe the “day and hour” of Matthew 24:36 refers to the beginning of the Day of the LORD (Yahweh). This is not to be confused with the start of Daniel’s 70th week, as that begins with the confirming of the covenant with the many, per Daniel 9:27. The beginning of the Day of Yahweh (and the hour of trial) begins with the Day of Christ.
THE BIG PERI DE
When Jesus said that no one knows that day and hour except the Father alone, Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 record the introduction of the statement with peri de (“now concerning”). The peri de grammatical construction in Greek is a contrastive introduction of a new subject. It is well established that when peri de stands at the very beginning of a sentence, it marks a new subject or section of thought that often refers back to previous material that has been discussed.
Here are a few scriptures that contain the peri de construct: I Cor. 7:1; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1; I Thes. 5:1; Matt 22:31; Mark 12:26, 13:32; Acts 21:25.
So, yes, Jesus has been discussing the Second Coming until this point. However, the peri de means that a new subject has been introduced, and that is the pre-tribulation Rapture. As to when the Rapture will occur, the answer is simple: no one knows. The pre-tribulation Rapture is imminent in that no signs have to precede it, unlike the Second Coming.
A classic example of “peri de” (“now concerning”), and one that ties in with Matthew 24:36, is 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 and its preceding verses. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, Paul is teaching on the pretribulational rapture of the Church. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
The peri de scripture comes next. “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves fully know that the day of the Lord comes in this manner— like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2). As you can see, Paul changed topics from the pre-tribulation Rapture (in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18) to the Day of the Lord, and yet, in a way he didn’t, as Paul is simply explaining the chronological order of the Day of the Lord…first the Rapture and then the Tribulation.
Notice how Paul uses two different Greek words for time standards, as Matthew did when he was recording Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1, Paul uses the Greek words ‘chronos‘ and ‘kairos,’ which are translated as ‘times‘ and seasons’ in the KJV of this verse. In Matthew 24:36, Matthew (quoting Jesus) uses the Greek words ‘hemera’ and ‘hora,‘ which are translated as ‘day’ and ‘hour’ in the KJV of this verse.
Oftentimes, these words are interchangeable in their translations. Hemera is also translated as ‘time‘ fifteen times in the KJV. Hora is also translated as ‘time’ eleven times and as ‘season’ three times in the KJV. Chronos is also translated as ‘season‘ four times in the KJV. Kairos is also translated as ‘time‘ sixty-four times in the KJV (more than it is translated as ‘season’).
The time standards Jesus uses in these O.D. verses (in Matthew) are singular, while those Paul uses (in 1 Thessalonians) are plural. This is because Jesus is referring to a particular day and hour within the Tribulation (Day of the Lord), which is its very beginning, the Rapture. The time standards Paul uses are plural because he is referring to the seven-year Tribulation. However, he also mentions the “thief” analogy in reference to the pre-tribulation rapture (that day). If the Rapture comes as a thief, then so does the Day of the Lord.
Let’s compare Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36, 43-44 to Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 4, 6.
“Now concerning that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:36, 43-44).
“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 4, 6). Nobody can know the exact time of the beginning of the day of the Lord (the Rapture), as it is like a thief who comes when you least expect it. This is the exact opposite of the Second Coming.
“In the prophecies of 1 Thessalonians 4-5, Paul was influenced to use peri de as a transition marker in 5:1 by the Lord’s similar use of the phrase in the Olivet Discourse. In Matthew 24, Jesus transitions from what the disciples can know (24:4-35) to what they cannot know (24:36-44) about the day of the Lord/pre-tribulation rapture. In 1 Thessalonians 4-5, Paul does the reverse. He transitions with peri de from what the Thessalonians do not know to what they do know about the pre-tribulation rapture/day of the Lord.
The transition sets apart the content of verses 36-44 from the context of the preceding verses, and carries the reader back to the first of the two questions of the disciples, ‘When shall these things take place?’” {1} Evidence for the Rapture – A Biblical Case for Pretribulationism by John F. Hart – pg. 55.
Some scholars, such as John Nolland, believe verse 36 in Mathew goes thematically better with the following verses than with the preceding ones, “forming a well-knit unit.” {2} The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek Text, by John Nolland
So, it would look something like this: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark.”
We will examine the typology of Noah’s flood with the Tribulation next time.
Randy Nettles
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