Spiritual Israelite
Well-Known Member
Jesus is talking about His second coming in that passage you quoted. The coming of the Son of man. When did Jesus Himself say that would happen?I seem to be having some trouble understanding how Jesus warnings relate to believing in a pre trib rapture. I'm going on the understanding of Matthew 24:42-44
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 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.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.../KJV
If you read more in that chapter He is clearly talking about the rapture. And no one except the father knows the date or hour. So no prophecies need to be fulfilled before the rapture occurs. And scripture maps out the exact day of the 2nd coming. So it cant be both rapture and 2nd coming happen at the same time, other wise we would know the date and hour of the rapture.
So it has to be two events. Unless you can explain what I am missing?
Matthew 24:29 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: 30 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. 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.
This coming of the Son of man is the same coming of the Son of man He talked about a little after this in verses 42 to 44 and He said it would happen AFTER the tribulation of those days. Very simple.
To not know the day or hour of His coming does not equate to nothing having to happen before that. Jesus talked about things to watch for which would indicate that it's near like an increase in wickedness and many false prophets and such. Knowing His coming is near does not equate to knowing the day or hour of His coming, so you can see things happening indicating that His coming and the rapture is near without knowing the day or hour.