The "rapture?" of the wicked

[Guest]

I was listening to one of steve g's lectures today, and he was talking about the passages where Jesus said "two will be sleeping in a bed, one will be taken and one left" and "two will be working in a field- one will be taken and one left." Many have taken these verses to refer to the rapture of the righteous, as in the "Left Behind" books. Steve explained how, when read in context (particularly Jesus's prelude to these statements referring to Noah's ark and how the wicked were "taken" in the flood) these verses actually teach that the wicked will be taken away at the end of the age, not the Church.

My question, though, is what will this look like? Let's say I am in a car with someone who is driving (unsaved) and THAT day arrives. will he just disappear, like we imagine the rapture to occur? will the angels physically "escort" the wicked to a place of judgment? in other words, if there is a "reverse" rapture, what will this be like, to us that remain?

TK

[Guest]

I think it is just a point being made. But also if you know the history around the events of the final destruction of Jerusalem, many if not all of those Jews that were still alive were "literally" taken away. To slavery and into all countries. But I don't think that this is supposed to be some fulfillment of prophecy. Just the fact alone that there are two different discourses, one that shows the wicked being taken away and one that shows the faithful being taken away should make you realize that it is not something that is to be taken literally. If that were the case there is NO futurist view of eschatology that sees this happening. If there were there would be no one left behind. All would be gone.

[Guest]

Thanks, mike, but i think you may be talking over my head because i am not sure what you are talking about. i think you are assuming that i understand your underlying assumptions and it is evident that I dont, because your response lost me.

are you saying there is no future judgment of the wicked?

TK

[Guest]

Some Other Scriptures Concerning the Taking Away of the Wicked at Chriist's Coming To Be Destroyed at the End of the Age when Christ Returns Before the Millenium


Let both grow together [the wheat and the darnel] until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds [darnel] in the field."

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:36-43

Then I looked, and lo, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat upon the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe."
So he who sat upon the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Revelation 14:14-16

Revelation 19:15 From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

[Guest]

Thanks, mike, but i think you may be talking over my head because i am not sure what you are talking about. i think you are assuming that i understand your underlying assumptions and it is evident that I dont, because your response lost me.

are you saying there is no future judgment of the wicked?

TK

If at the end of the age the good are raptured and the bad are raptured...Who would be left behind?

What I am suggesting is that there were only two ages spoken of in scripture. The age that they were in and the one that was to come.(Matt 12:32, Matt 13:49, Mark 10:30, Luke 18:30) The old covenant age and the new covenant age. And that the judgment that was to come at the end of the age was to come at the end of the old covenant age...not the end of the new covenant age. Matter of fact there will be no end to the new covenant age. The new covenant is everlasting. But the book of Hebrews makes it clear that the old covenant age was coming to an end in their day.

The judgment that Jesus was speaking of was at the end of the age. The end of the old covenant was about to end in the middle of the first century. The Bible never speaks of the end of the new covenant age, therefore the judgment that was in view was upon the generation that was a part of the old covenant age.

Mike

[Guest]

thanks, mike, for the clarification. that helps.

so, in your view, life will continue on, as it is now, forever? in other words, no second coming, no "new heavens and new earth", etc?

TK

[Guest]

thanks, mike, for the clarification. that helps.

so, in your view, life will continue on, as it is now, forever? in other words, no second coming, no "new heavens and new earth", etc?

TK

I believe that Paul had it right:

Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I absolutely do believe that the Bible teaches a future second coming and a future new heavens and a new earth.

Mike

[Guest]

mike--

what do you think will happen to the "wicked" in the future?

TK

[Guest]

mike--

what do you think will happen to the "wicked" in the future?

TK

Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

[Guest]

mike wrote:

Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

when? and what will it "look" like?

TK