****
Mt. 24:13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Mt. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
****
Jesus says that he that stands firm TO THE END will be saved (�he� meaning, of course, Christians).
Now, Jesus doesn�t say that those who stand firm until the rapture and then those, after that, who stand firm to the end, NO!
Jesus is speaking to all believers TODAY!
and Matthew 24:15-27
*****
Mt. 24:15 �So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination
that causes desolation�, [Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11] spoken
of through the prophet Daniel � let the reader understand �
Mt. 24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Mt. 24:17 Let no-one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house.
Mt. 24:18 Let no-one in the field go back to get his cloak.
Mt. 24:19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
Mt. 24:20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
Mt. 24:21 For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of
the world until now � and never to be equalled again.
Mt. 24:22 If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for
the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
Mt. 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!� or, `There
he is!� do not believe it.
Mt. 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great
signs and miracles to deceive even the elect � if that were possible.
Mt. 24:25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
Mt. 24:26 �So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,� do not go out;
or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,� do not believe it.
Mt. 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west,
so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
*****
Now, Matthew 24:15 talks about the `the abomination that causes desolation�. This we know will take place in the middle of the Tribulation.
So, keeping in mind this event in time (the Middle of the Tribulation).....
First we are told to flee.
Second we are told there will be false Christs and false prophets.
We must also assume that there will be many false Christs
and false prophets appearing after �the abomination the
causes desolation� and Jesus says, see, I have told
you ahead to time.
Then (Matthew 24:27) Jesus states, His coming will be like lightning.
READ THAT AGAIN...........
JESUS SAID DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE
HIS COMING WILL BE LIKE LIGHTNING.
In otherwords, Jesus second coming is not like a secret rapture but such that everyone will see.
These scriptures, First, Second and Then, span a period of time encompassing from the middle of the Tribulation to the end of the Tribulation. With Jesus returning at the end of the Tribulation.
Additionally, Jesus wouldn�t describe His return clearly like this (like lightning) and not describe this �rapture� return. Jesus doesn�t tell us about the rapture because there is not going to be a �rapture�.
Jesus wants everyone to believe and come to a saving knowledge of Him.
He is not going to deceive anyone, not even non-believers. Jesus wouldn�t secretly �rapture� some away.
If there was truly going to be a �rapture�, Jesus would have stated it clearly in the Bible, so even the non-believers would know.
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