The entirety of Matthew 24 addresses the disciples’ questions about the temple’s destruction.
1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.” 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” Matt 24:1-3
The Lord Himself told them the destruction of the temple and the city would occur in their generation, or Biblically about 40 years. This was not to happen in a generation several thousand years later. It would happen by an army that would advance through Judea on its way to Jerusalem.
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Matt. 24:34
Our passages are completely in context with fulfilled history.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matt. 24:40-44
Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together.” Luke 17:33-37
Many teach that this is “the Rapture.” There is nothing of the sort in this passage. No one is to be taken to some glorious life with our Messiah. The instructions to His disciples were to leave the city before His coming in judgment. This is very clear in Luke’s version; the disciples ask where these people are to be taken. His answer is “Where the body is, there the vultures gather” [Hos 8:1]. The ones that are taken are going to their deaths and destruction. The vultures would eat them. That is very clear. Some people would be taken to their deaths. Did this happen in 70AD?
Josephus recounts that over one million Jews perished during the destruction and conquest of Jerusalem, while General Titus captured approximately 95,000 prisoners. These events align with prophecies in Deuteronomy 28:47-57 and Jeremiah 19:9, which foretell that God warned that people would resort to eating their own children. The historical accounts of the final siege of Jerusalem reflect these ominous predictions, underscoring the tragic fulfillment of divine warnings. (See Appendix note: Roasted Child)
“And now, since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men, and yet there appeared to be a vast multitude still remaining alive, Caesar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms, and opposed them, but should take the rest alive. But, together with those whom they had orders to slay, they slew the aged and the infirm; but for those that were in their flourishing age, and who might be useful to them, they drove them together into the temple, and shut them up within the walls of the court of the women; over which Caesar set one of his freedmen, as also Fronto, one of his own friends; which last was to determine every one’s fate, according to his merits. So this Fronto slew all those that had been seditious and robbers, who were impeached one by another; but of the young men, he chose out the tallest and most beautiful, and reserved them for the triumph; and as for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old, he put them into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines. Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theatres, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. Now during the days wherein Fronto was distinguishing these men, there perished, for want of food, eleven thousand; some of whom did not taste any food, through the hatred their guards bore to them; and others would not take in any when it was given them. The multitude also was so very great, that they were in want even of corn for their sustenance.” WAR BOOK VI; chapter 9; section 2 by Josephus
FYI: Your English Bible may say that “eagles are gathered,” but that is never actually what the original texts state. In Hebrew and Greek, the references are always to vultures, not eagles. Yet, because vultures weren’t present in 1611 AD England, the King James translators opted for the next best thing—the eagle, a bird familiar to their readers.
Our question is: who is going to death and destruction? And what happens to the ones left? The most obvious answer to both questions is that the ones taken died, and the ones left survived. The onslaught of four Roman Legions marching into Judea over the space of one year caused many casualties. There would be those who also would not survive because of starvation behind the walls of a besieged Jerusalem (67-70AD).
The ones who survived are those who fled in advance of the armies, just as Messiah had told them. No doubt, more than a few unbelievers in Judea could also see this army advancing, and they left to remain out of harm’s way.
This is not the Rapture as described by the Futurists. It simply cannot be! It is not an involuntary catching up. In their Secret Rapture, there is no time to gather personal possessions; one is just snatched off the face of the earth. The implication here is that there is time to make a decision on what items from your home can be taken. A “catching up” consistent with Scripture can never be “secret.” The return of the Lord will be visible and accompanied by the sound of trumpets and many angels.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts1:8-11
The Futurists superimpose a “gap” of time from a serious misunderstanding of Daniel 9, the Seventy Sevens [See Also: Dan 9]. However, our passages in Matthew and Luke do not demand a gap of time. The only mention of a timeframe is when the Lord said it would happen in their generation. We know that the temple and the city were destroyed within 40 years, or a generation. This should be sufficient proof that it was fulfilled.
Futurists also claim that the destruction of the temple is yet to occur. There is absolutely nothing in this passage related to rebuilding a temple after the obvious prophesied destruction of the temple in the disciples generation. So, they claim the entirety of Matthew 24 is future yet. But, we know from the context of the three parallel passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that this is about the destruction of the city and the sanctuary. Messiah also linked the destruction to Daniel 9.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. Dan. 9:26
The one year that it took for the Roman armies to march through Judea was the last sign of the impending destruction of the city and the sanctuary. After that, the Kingdom of God was to be given to another.
14 “But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 15 let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything away; 16 and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. 17 And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if any one says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 False Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand. [Mark 13:14-23]
If you did not flee to the mountains, if you took time to enter your house to gather goods, if you were in a field and went back to get your coat, it could be too late. Prayers should be offered for this not to happen in winter, for one not to be pregnant or nursing. If one waited till the last minute, travel would be difficult.
This was going to be a time of incredible tribulation, not seen from the beginning of the creation! And it would never happen again. That should provide us some comfort.
If the Lord had not shortened the siege, no human would survive. The elect were to be saved, sheltered.
However, the time to watch for the signs was over. This trial, this tribulation would come as a thief in the night. Live for the moment, and your life might be lost.
The Secret Rapture Theology
At many churches we hear fabulous teachings of the Rapture; however, when we get home, we can’t find the event in the Bible. The only rapture is an emotional one and not an event. [Psa. 28:7, 45:15, 51:8; Prov. 5:19] Their Secret Rapture is not in the Bible and does not come from any Bible reference. It comes from the ecstatic utterances of Margaret MacDonald in 1830. In the audience were three men who spread her teachings: John Darby, Edward Irving, and John Pusey. John Nelson Darby was a 19th-century Bible teacher credited with popularizing pre-tribulation rapture theology among the Plymouth Brethren in the 1830s. His dispensationalist ideas later helped shape how many American evangelical groups talk about the rapture. Edward Irving was a Scottish clergyman and preacher who helped found the Catholic Apostolic Church. Edward Bouverie Pusey was an English Anglican cleric, for more than fifty years Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. He was one of the leading figures in the Oxford Movement.
In 1930, Cyrus I. Scofield put John Darby’s notes in his Reference Bible. Since it was the only reference Bible at the time, many people flocked to it. It was the only information on prophecy that most people in the 20th century could easily obtain. As it presented only John Darby’s Futurist views, many still think that interpretation of Biblical prophecy is a settled science. Many other churches denounced these as illogical, fictitious philosophies. But the cats were among the pigeons, and it is now the most popular view in North America. (See Also: Hermeneutics)
The Futurist view was unknown to all the Reformers who followed the Protestant, historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture. These great men taught nothing else. However, once other views were created, they became known as Presentists. But that was confusing, as there are also Preterists, so we are now called the Historicists.
The Futurists claim that there is a Secret Rapture, a seven-year Tribulation, and a political Antichrist, all of which come from the Counter-Reformation of the Roman Church as an answer to the claim that the popes are the antichrists. Two Jesuit priests are the source of this mischievous teaching.
Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1537-1891) is considered the father of Futurism. Began writing in 1585 a 500-page commentary on the Book of Revelation, titled In Sacrum Beati Ioannis Apostoli, & Evangelistiae Apocalypsin Commentarii, proposing that the first chapters of the Apocalypse applied to ancient pagan Rome, and the rest referred to a yet future period of 3½ literal years, immediately prior to the second coming. During that time, the Roman Catholic Church would have fallen away from the pope into apostasy. Then, he proposed, the Antichrist, a single individual,
Jesuit Manuel Lacunza (1761-1801), who used the pseudonym Juan Josafat Ben-Ezra] Entitled The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty.
Edward Irving’s Preliminary Discourse to the Work of Ben Ezra laid the groundwork for the hermeneutic approach adopted by Futurist eschatology. In this interpretive framework, various Biblical texts are often taken out of their original context and pieced together with unrelated passages to support predetermined conclusions—conclusions that the original authors never intended. By fragmenting the narrative and stripping away its cohesiveness, Futurist interpreters can manipulate the text to create the illusion of a future fulfillment. This method, ultimately, is what leads them to place the Olivet Discourse approximately 2000 years into the future, despite there being a clear historical and textual basis for understanding it as referring to events close to the time of Christ.