I stated near the end of The Rapture Question Answered, Part 3:
I believe the gathering of his elect from the four winds has nothing to do with the Rapture. It does have to do with the regathering of Israel the final time, a complete regathering, in harmony with well known prophecies in the Old Testament, prophecies the Jewish audience hearing Jesus speak this message were familiar with and understood. A careful study of the cross references for this passage will demonstrate with finality that this is so. But this post is already too long to take up this topic now. Perhaps I will make it the subject of The Rapture Question Answered, Part 4.
Here is the Scripture Mr. John Little cited in his article which he believes settles the issue from the words of Christ Himself. Mr. Little believes this passage teaches that the Rapture takes place after the tribulation.
Mat 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:
Mat 24:30 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.
Mat 24:31 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.
Some do believe that the words in Matthew 24:31, speaking of angels, “and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” is a reference to the Rapture. That assumes that the words “his elect” have reference to Christians. But the word “elect” does not always have reference to Christians or believers of this age. I believe it has reference to the Jewish elect who are being returned to the land of Israel after the Great Tribulation, and at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ “with power and great glory.”
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1064 for Matthew 24:31.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on pages 1083-1084 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Matthew 24:31.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Matthew 24:31. And. FS148, +Ge 8:22. he. *Mt 28:18. Mk 16:15, 16. Lk 24:47. Ac 26:19, 20. shall send. Ps 50:4, 5. Mk 13:27. %1 Th 4:16-18. his angels. +*Mt 13:41, 49. 16:27. 18:10. 25:31. Ex 25:20. Dt 30:4. Ps 103:21. Ezk 1:14. Zc 1:11. Mk 8:38. %Lk 16:22. **2 Th 1:7. He 1:14. Re 1:20. 2:1. *Re 14:6-9. with. Mt 25:6. Nu 10:1-10. Ps 81:3. Is 18:3. *Is 27:13. Zc 9:14-16. *1 Cor 15:52. *1 Th 4:16. a great sound of a trumpet. or, a trumpet and a great voice. FS93A, +Ge 1:26. Ex 19:16. sound. =Le 23:23-25. 1 Th 4:16. trumpet. +*Le 23:24. *Le 25:9. 1 S 13:3. 2 S 2:28. **Is 18:3. *Is 27:13. +*Zc 9:14. 1 Cor 15:51, 52. 1 Th 4:16. Re 11:15. gather. There appear to be several “gatherings” mentioned in scripture: (1) the gathering of Israel to the land of Palestine in unbelief, +*Zp 2:1. (2) the gathering of the confederation of nations against Israel in the tribulation, +*Zp 3:8. (3) the gathering of the wicked for destruction at the end of the tribulation, +*Is 24:22. (4) the supernatural worldwide and complete regathering of Israel at the end of the great tribulation, Mt 24:31. Is 27:12. 43:6. Ezk 34:12. 39:28. (5) the gathering of the nations for judgment at the end of the tribulation, Mt 25:32. (6) the gathering of believers in the rapture before the tribulation, +*Ezk 17:23. +*Hab 3:16. +*Zp 2:3. 2 Th 2:1; note carefully that every mention of the Rapture comes before the mention of the Tribulation [(1) 1 Cor 15:23, the Rapture, 1 Cor 15:24, events which follow including the Tribulation and Millennium; 1 Cor 15:50, 51, with additional revelation about the Rapture; (2) **1 Th 4:16, 17, the fullest and clearest revelation concerning the Rapture, clearly precedes the mention of the Tribulation in 1 Th 5:2, which mentions the “day of the Lord,” the Tribulation; (3) 2 Th 2:1, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him, clearly a reference to the Rapture, and ver. 2 Th 2:2 and 2 Th 2:3, which reference the day of the Lord, which will not come until after the great apostasy and the appearance of the Antichrist, thus again the Rapture is mentioned before the Tribulation, confirming that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position is the correct understanding of Bible prophecy. Confusion comes from not distinguishing the Pre-Tribulation Rapture from other Raptures described in Bible prophecy (Re 7:4n)]. It is necessary not only to observe similarities, but to note differences, when comparing things which, though they have the same name (as “gathering”) are really seen to be different as to time, place, and the persons involved. See note on Mt 10:15n. We must not lump all raptures, all gatherings, all trumpets, all resurrections, all elect, and all judgments into one, when Scripture clearly teaches there are several of each of these which must be distinguished. +*Mt 23:37. 25:32. >Dt 30:4. *Ne 1:9. Ps 50:3-5. +*Ps 147:2. *Is 11:12. +*Is 27:12. 43:6. 49:18. 60:4, 9. *Je 29:14. +*Ezk 34:12. 37:12, **Ezk 37:21. +*Ezk 39:28. Am 9:9. *Zc 14:5. Mk 13:27. Jn 11:52. *Ep 1:10. %1 Th 4:14. %*2 Th 2:1. his elect. Gr. eklektos (S#1588g, Mt 20:16). ver. +Mt 24:22n. +*Ne 1:9. **Is 65:9. **Ezk 39:28. %Ep 1:4. %Col 3:12. %2 Tim 2:10. %1 P 1:2. Re 7:3. from. *Mt 8:11. Ps 22:27. 67:7. Is 13:5. 42:10. +*Is 43:6. *Is 45:22. +*Je 31:8. +*Ezk 38:8n. *Ezk 39:28. *Zc 9:10. *Ro 10:18. the four winds. FS121.O, +Ge 28:22. Is 11:12. Je 49:36. Ezk 37:9. Da 7:2. 8:8. 11:4. Zc 2:6. Re 7:1. end of heaven. FS121Q3, +2 S 22:8. Dt 4:32. 30:4. +2 S 22:8. Ps 19:6.
To fully understand the matter of just to whom “the elect” has reference, I furnish below the note for Matthew 24:22 given as a reference above:
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:22. except. or, And if (Young). FS184B, Mt +11:21. This kind of “if” pertains to what is impossible or contrary to fact (+Mt 11:21n). *Mk 13:20. those days. 2 K 21:12. Lk 21:22. shortened. or, curtailed. Ps 57:1. 76:10. 1 Cor 7:29. 10:13. Re 10:5-7. 12:12. 13:5. no flesh. Mt 21:41. Je 12:12. 42:2. +Lk 3:6. 1 Th 2:16. be saved. Mt 19:25. +*Je 30:7. 31:17. Ezk 12:16. 1 P 4:18. Re 7:3. but for. Ge 18:26. Est 4:14. Ps 37:18. 112:3. Is 4:2. 6:13. 24:13. 30:17. 40:1, 2. 44:1. **Is 45:4. +*Is 65:8, 9, 22. Da 2:30. 9:27. Zc 13:8, 9. **Zc 14:2, 3. *Mk 13:27. +Lk 18:7. +*Ac 13:48. *Ro 9:11. *Ro 11:25-31. 1 Cor 9:10. 2 Cor 4:15. Ep 1:4. Col 3:12. 2 Tim 2:10. 1 P 1:2. Re 6:9-11. 12:6-17. elect’s sake. Gr. eklektos (S#1588g, Mt 20:16). The use of the term “elect” here has prompted some interpreters to apply this prophecy to the Church of the New Testament. But the term is used both of (1) Israel: **Is 45:4. 65:8, 9, +*Is 65:22. Mk 13:22, 27. Ro 11:28. 1 P 1:2, and (2) the Church, Christians, or believers of this age: *Jn 15:16. Ro 8:33. Ep 1:4. 2:10. Col 3:12. 2 Th 2:13. 2 Tim 2:10. Titus 1:1. +*2 J 1:1. The term “elect” is also used of (3) angels, 1 Tim 5:21, and (4) Christ, Is 42:1. 1 P 2:6. In the context of this Olivet prophecy, it is probably best to take “elect” as a reference to Israel, particularly the believing remnant which is saved by the Deliverer at the second advent of Christ (Ro 11:26), in harmony with the rest of the Jewish imagery in this chapter (see ver. Mt 24:16n). ver. Mt 24:24, 31. +Dt 10:15. **Is 45:4. 65:8, 9, +Is 65:22. Mk 13:22, 27. +*Lk 18:7. +*Ac 13:48 (T#254). +*Ep 1:4 (T#255). +*2 Tim 2:10. be shortened. Ge 18:26. +Je 4:27. 30:11. 46:28. Am 9:8, 9. Zc 10:6. Mk 13:20. *Ro 9:28. Re 12:12.
I believe that the cross references and notes I have furnished for these passages immediately above prove that there is no connection to the Rapture in the Matthew 24:29-31 passage cited by Mr. John Little. Therefore, these verses furnish no valid evidence that the Rapture takes place after the tribulation, or Great Tribulation.
There are many sincere, Bible-believing objectors to the Pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine today. It is a popular idea in some quarters to attempt to refute this doctrine. But I have never yet encountered any objections to the Bible doctrine of the Pre-tribulation Rapture that would indicate my position is mistaken.
Of course, I have not yet examined all of Mr. John Little’s letter against the Pre-tribulation Rapture. So far, I believe I have answered the points he has suggested disprove the Pre-tribulation Rapture that I have presented from the first two of twenty-eight pages in my file (made much longer than it really is, I think, because line spaces were added when I saved the file in Microsoft Word). But John has much more to say in the rest of his letter. I trust I will be able to present his arguments and evidence as he has carefully stated them, and either agree or disagree with what he presents. If I am required by Scripture evidence properly interpreted to change my position, I most certainly will do so.
If you have just skimmed through this article quickly and not considered the associated cross references I have furnished, you are missing the blessing that comes from doing Real Bible Study to learn the truth about what the Bible teaches.
You may readily access the previous articles in this series by clicking on “Bible Prophecy” in the Category listing immediately to the right on this page.