Secret Rapture seems to be one of the greatest deception in churches today. One of the famous verses often quoted is,
I tell you, in that night there will be two [men] in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luke 17:34
I can’t understand how this is related to rapture when it is saying the opposite. Let’s ask Christ Himself where they will be taken.
And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
Luke 17:37
In other words, they will not be secretly raptured but taken to be killed!
Acts 1:11 makes it clear that He will come in clouds the same way He went up, which is not in secret.
who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This [same] Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11
Does thief in the night refers to anything secret?
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2 Pet 3:10
Peter clears up with much clarity. There is no pre-trib secret rapture. It is a false doctrine which does not prepare the flock for the great tribulation.
Felix, I agree that Luke 17 refers to the taking of unbelievers after the tribulation. That fact seems to prove that the rapture (the catching up of believers) does not happen after the tribulation. That event, therefore, must happen at some other time. Some time prior to the end of the tribulation. Whether it is secret or not, either way, the timing must be at some time other than the end of the tribulation. Is that what we should conclude from Luke 17?
The post was a bit old before rejection of Paul’s doctrines and letters (please Refer: Quick Reference for Paul’s Contrary Teachings). Jesus Himself never mentioned any rapture (or caught up while He comes). According to Jesus, when He comes in His glory, no one is going to be caught up to meet Him in the clouds, but rather, He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Another verse comes into mind is weeds and wheat. Matt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” First, Jesus will collect the weeds to be burned. Then, the wheat is gathered into His barn.
Luke 18:8 … Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Lastly, Jesus gave some clue that there will be none or very few to have faith in Him on earth when He comes.