Context and Themes

The Olivet Discorse has confounded Christians for centuries with its many and varied parables concerning the last days.  Always, the first clue to one of Christ’s dialogues lies in the quiestion which initially spawned His discourse.  In [v]Matt. 24:3[/v] the disciples ask, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”  The account in Luke answers the first question pertaining to the destruction of the temple, and Matthew records the answer to the second question.  Pentecost very astutely comments that the phrases “the sign of Your coming” and “the end of the age” constitute one question.¹   The disciples want to know the events surrounding the second coming of Christ, which inaugurates His millennial reign.  They knew from the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah’s coming would usher in the new age of His millennial reign. 

Christ answered the disciple’s question with a chronological account of events.  In [v]Matt. 24:4-14[/v], Jesus describes the signs and judgments of the tribulation, which closely parallel John’s vision in Revelation.  Christ gives further warnings in 24:15-26, advice not to be led astray by false Messiahs, and then a description of His true coming in vv. 29-31.  Finally, eight illustrations concerning the consummation of the tribulation are given in Chapter 24:32-25:46.  These concern final judgment of the wicked, admonitions for watchfulness, and conditions for entrance into the millennial reign of Christ.

Particularly in the parables which describe people being ‘taken’, many Christians assume that the rapture must be described in a discourse on end times. However, although the Olivet Discourse certainly allows for a rapture to take place, it is never explicitly taught or illustrated.  This keeps with the theme of Matthew as being primarily for a Jewish audience.  Israel as a nation had rejected her Messiah as both king and lord, and would be forced to go through “a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world.”

The Last Trumpet

Many commentators attempt to find the rapture in the last trumpet mentioned in [v]Matt. 24:31[/v].  These positions equate this trumpet with the trumpets mentioned in [v]Revelation 11:15[/v], and by Paul in [v]1 Corinthians 15:52[/v].

Analysis of the Old Testament quotations in [v]Matt. 24:29-31[/v] reveal that this passage is speaking of the second coming of Christ.  In each of the Old Testament passages that speak of the Messiah coming on the clouds ([v]Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:31; 3:15-16[/v]), the final judgment of the world is in view.  [v]Matthew 24:30[/v] directly quotes [v]Daniel 7:13[/v], and thus leaves no doubt that the rapture is not being taught.  The Messiah is given His kingdom ([v]Dan. 7:14[/v]), and an everlasting dominion.  The key then comes in [v]Dan. 7:21-22[/v], “…and that horn (the antichrist) was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.”  Certainly Christ does not take His everlasting kingdom at the midpoint of the tribulation!

One will be Taken

Another common error is to interpret [v]Matthew 24:40-41[/v] as a clear picture of the rapture.  They say the “one taken” is taken in the rapture, and the “one left” is left to face judgment.  Gundry offers an argument based on the Greek language, observing that “two different words appear for the action of taking, alrw (v. 39) and paralambNnw (vv. 40, 41).”²   He goes on to state that this is a clear change in topic, because paralambNnw is used just days later in [v]John 14:3[/v] to describe the rapture. 

Undisputedly, the immediate context of [v]Matt. 24:38-39[/v] describes how the world went about its normal routine until Noah entered the ark.  In v. 39 we see that the flood came and “took” them in judgment, while Noah and his family were “left” in the ark.  One only has to visit the parallel account in [v]Luke 17:34-37[/v] to discover that the context remains the same in [v]Matt. 24:40-41[/v].  In the Lukan account we see the same type of illustrations given, again with the use of paralambNnw.  In v. 37 the disciples ask “Where, Lord?”, wondering where the one was being taken to.  Christ answers them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”  Hardly a picture of being taken with the Lord to live in paradise!  We can confidently conclude that the illustration of [v]Matt. 24:40-41[/v] does not have the rapture in view.  “One will be taken” in judgment, and “one will be left” to enter the glorious millennial kingdom of our Lord Jesus.

Parables of the Ten Virgins and the Talents

This parable, found in [v]Matthew 25:1-13[/v], is often used to support a partial rapture.  The ten virgins are believed to represent the church.  The five virgins who had no extra oil were not ready for the Lord’s coming, and thus were not raptured.  This interpretation would conclude that they were not on the alert (v. 13), and thus only the watchful virgins were raptured.  There are several problems with this view.  First, the church is always referred to as the bride, not the bridesmaid (virgin).  If the church is not in view here, then it cannot be speaking of a rapture.  Also, one cannot say that the five virgins without extra oil were not as watchful as the others, for all ten of the virgins had slumbered waiting for the bridegroom.

In keeping with the context of the discourse, there are two viable interpretations as to who the virgins represent.  Some see the ten virgins as regenerate believers of the tribulation meeting Christ at the Second Coming, and those who are unprepared will miss out on the wedding banquet with the church.³   Others see this parable as the time that Christ will judge Israel, determining who is saved and who is not at the end of the tribulation.⁴  Similar interpretations hold in reference to the Parable of the Talents in [v]Matt. 25:14-30[/v].  Christ is teaching the individual responsibility of Israel to be His servant, and that they will be held accountable at His coming.  The faithful individual will enter His kingdom, and the unfaithful will be cast into the outer darkness.  Again, the unfaithful servant could either be a believer losing his millennial inheritance, or an unbeliever being cast into hell.  In neither of these parables is a rapture being taught, but the judgment of Israel at Christ’s return.

The Sheep and Goats / Conclusion

The Sheep and Goats

In the final section of His discourse, Jesus describes the judgment of “all the nations” in [v]Matt. 25:31-46[/v].  It is clear that there is a finality in this judgment, based on the consequences of everlasting punishment (v. 46).  This judgment determines who is worthy to enter into the millennial reign of our Lord.

Conclusion

Examining each of the passages in the Olivet Discourse reveals that a rapture is not explicitly taught.  The Lord is depicting the future for Israel, describing in detail the tribulation and judgments to come.  When the nations see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,”  they can rejoice that the glorious millennial reign of the Messiah is at hand.