Page 182 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition
by pretribulationists who see the one taken in Matthew 24 as
one taken for the gathering mentioned in Matthew 25, the
ultimate end of which is judgment. In other words, Matthew
24:40-41 is a preliminary phase to Matthew 25:31-46. Gun­
dry’s argument here is further complicated by the fact that he
wants unsaved people left to enter the Millennium, a concept
that many Scriptures seem to contradict."
When all the facts are put together, the posttribu-
lationists have not made a case. They have not proved that
the gathering of Matthew 24:31 includes either a resurrec­
tion or a translation, and they certainly have not proved
that Matthew 24:40-41 is parallel to the Rapture. Rather, it is
a time of judgment on those who are taken as unworthy of
entering the millennial kingdom.
If there is any doubt on the issue, it should be settled by
reference to Luke 17:34-37. There it is stated, “I tell you, on
that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and
the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one
will be taken and the other left.” Gundry found it convenient
to end the quotation at this point, but Luke went on to say in
verse 37, ‘“Where. Lord?' they asked. He replied, ‘Where
there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.’ ” Why did
Gundry' leave off verse 37? The obvious answer is that it con­
tradicts his whole argument. It states plainly that the ones
taken are killed, and their dead bodies are exposed to the
vultures. If there is any remaining doubt on the exposition of
Matthew 24:40-41, it is settled by' Luke 17:37. It may be con­
cluded that the desperate efforts of posttribulationists to find
an explicit reference to the Rapture in the sequence of the
second coming of Christ in Matthew 24 is not supported by
the text properly interpreted.
Is the Rapture in Matthew 25?
Most posttribulationists find it convenient to ignore Mat­
thew 25 with its account of the judgment of the nations be-
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