As we’ve seen, the Rapture of the church, “the body of Christ,” is clearly seen in these verses.

“For this we say unto you By The Word of The Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [dead in their graves]. ¹⁶ 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: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be Caught Up [Raptured] together with them [the risen dead] believers] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (KJV)

“⁵¹Behold, I shew you a MYSTERY [Grk. musterion, a God-planned SECRET]; We shall not all sleep [dead in the grave], but we [the living] shall ALL be CHANGED [transformed], ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the DEAD [in Christ] shall be RAISED Incorruptible, and WE [THE LIVING] shall be CHANGED [transformed].

⁵³ For this corruptible [body] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [body] must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1Corinthians 15:51-55 (KJV)

“For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile [corruptible physical] body, that it may be fashioned [transformed] like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Phili. 3:20-2)

Here above in 1 Thes. 4:15 there is another issue that points to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and it comes to us in the form of a clue seen at the beginning of this Rapture passage. Verse 15 opens with the phrase “by the word of the Lord.” There simply is no other place in the New Testament where JESUS SPEAKS through anyone concerning ‘the dead’ being risen, resurrected from the dead and … ‘the living’ being “Caught Up [Raptured] together with them,” transformed to “MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR” (1 Thes. 4:17). Jesus of Nazareth never says anything like that, nor does he even imply such a thing anywhere in the four gospels narratives when He was speaking only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 15:24) about the events of His 2^nd coming.

Note that no heaven is mentioned when Jesus said this in Matt. 24. The actual context for these verses was set earlier in Matt 24. In verse 31 (below) concerning Jesus gathering His elect, for they will reign with Christ in the kingdom on earth after the Tribulation period.

“And he [the Lord] 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 (KJV)

The ‘four winds … of heaven’ refer to the four compass points as applies to the whole earth. These elect, will survive the Tribulation period on earth, they will “endure to the end” (v16) having been told to ‘flee and hide in the mountains’ (v16) in a place prepared of God for His elect to survive. They are safely there from the time of the ‘abomination that make desolate’ (Mid-Trib) when Antichrist occupies the Temple until the end when Jesus returns to judge the nations and set up His kingdom. Thus, Jesus went on to say this about the outcome.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be TAKEN, and the other LEFT. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be TAKEN, and the other LEFT. Watch therefore: for ye [Israel] know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matt.24:40-42).

The above passage (Matthew 24:40-42) is usually mistakenly interpreted by most fundamentalist/evangelical Christians and their pastor/teachers so as to apply to our Lord’s coming for the members of the Gentile “church, which is His body” at the Rapture! They ignore the fact that Jesus when He is speaking to Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24) about Israel and the nations at the time of the end of the Tribulation period when He will judge the nations and determine who will not and who will go on to enter the Millennial Kingdom on earth … ALIVE. The prize for Israel’s believers is “the Kingdom” on earth, not heaven.

Yet, they ERRONEOUSLY say Matt. 24: 40-42 describes the Rapture of the Church, “The body of Christ.” They say ‘two will be working in the field, when one will be TAKEN TO HEAVEN,’ but heaven is not mentioned at all. They then say the other is LEFT BEHIND TO GO THROUGH THE DAY OF GOD’S WRATH. The then say the same with two women who may be grinding side by side at the mill: saying one will be caught up to be with the Lord and the other LEFT BEHIND TO GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION Wrath of God.”

BUT, this view above is EXACTLY WRONG. We will consider this in more detail as we proceed

First, it is clear that this passage HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RAPTURE of “the Body of Christ” to be with Christ in heaven. Again, the prize for Israel’s believers is “the Kingdom” ON EARTH, not heaven.

The truth of our Lord’s coming for the members of “His Body” at the Rapture was a “MYSTERY [a SECRET]” (1Cor. 15:51) that was First Revealed by The Glorified Lord to and Through Paul as “the (one) Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom 11:13). The Rapture applies to the “BODY OF CHRIST” ONLY, NOT Israel. You can read Paul’s words concerning the “catching away,” commonly called the “Rapture” in his 1Cor. 15:51-58 and 1Thes. 4:15-18. No other Bible writer addresses the Rapture except Paul as “the Apostle” writing to the Gentile “church, which is his body.”

But sadly, most people go to Matthew 24 and read from Jesus words spoken to His Jewish disciples about Israel’s destiny … assuming He is talking about the Rapture. So, in Matthew 24, when taken in context, it is evident that the passage cannot refer to the Rapture. You must read the verses before, noting the context.

Note that Jesus is speaking to Israel (Matt 15:24, 10:5-6) about the prize of the coming Millennial kingdom on earth (read Matt. 24:14), as was long-promised to Israel only. It had been widely prophesied that Israel will ultimately inherit and enjoy the restored Davidic Kingdom on earth with Christ as the eternal Lord and King of Kings.

Let’s now consider Matt. 24:40-42 in more detail:

True, the passage says: “The one shall be TAKEN, and the other LEFT,” but Taken to Where or What, and how exactly will the one be TAKEN. What will be of those LEFT on earth, NOT TAKEN?

By carefully looking at the verses and the context immediately preceding our text in Matthew 24:40-42, it is evident that the coming of Christ to earth is first to Judge and to determine who will enter and His Millennial reign on earth. Jesus said what will happen can be likened to what did happen in “the days of Noah” (cf. Matt 34:37-38) and Lot. Jesus said in the days of Noah ‘people ate and drank, married and gave away again in marriage’ until the flood came. They ignored Noah’s preaching…  until the day that Noah entered into the ark, “and knew not until the flood came and TOOK THEM ALL AWAY.” So, the lost unbelievers were TAKEN By the Flood [they died], but NOT Noah and his family.

So, these lost unbelieving people were NOT “TAKEN AWAY” to Glory. They were “TAKEN AWAY” in death by the flood. Noah’s family, as believers, survived the flood judgment ‘ALIVE.’ Scripture says they were LEFT ON EARTH after the flood judgment to then “Replenish the Earth” (Gen. 9:1).

Note that Matt. 24:40-41 is a continuation of this illustration citing Noah and the flood judgment. It is evident that those “TAKEN” in Noah’s day were TAKEN Away in The Flood Judgment, while Noah and his family were “LEFT” to live on to “Replenish the earth.”

Thus, Jesus is telling His Jewish disciples those to be “TAKEN” at the wheel and in the field during the Tribulation WILL DIE in judgment under “the wrath of God” Poured Out … while the believing survivors of Tribulation, as Kingdom gospel believers… will go on ALIVE to enter and live in the promised Messianic Millennial Kingdom ON EARTH.

This interpretation alone is consistent with the whole context in which we find Matt. 24:40-41. So, like the days of Noah’s family, the believers of Israel who survive the coming Tribulation judgments ALIVE… will, at Christ’s return, go on to Enter Into and Populate the Millennial Kingdom ON EARTH.

There is no being ‘caught up to heaven’ to be seen in these Matt. 24 verses. The promise of being ‘caught up to heaven’ only applies to “the church, body of Christ” as found ONLY in Paul’s epistles.

Great confusion would be avoided if the truth of the Rapture of “the Body of Christ” to be with Christ were recognized to be what it is… it was a divinely ordained SECRET plan that was first revealed to Paul concerning the Gentile “church, which is His body” of this present “dispensation of the grace of God.”

The fact is that none of the assumed Rapture verses thought to be found in the Gospels, not in Luke 21, not in Matt. 24 and such, have anything to do with the Rapture of the Gentile Church of “the body of Christ.” Only Paul as “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13), writes of our eternal destiny with Christ, taking us to dwell “eternal in the heavens” (2Cor. 5:1b).

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [our physical body] were dissolved [decayed], we have a building [new spirit-body built] of God, an house not made with hands, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS.” (2 Cor. 5:1 (KJV)