The message that I'm going to preach today
is predicated and based upon some questions that
were asked me before I left and I'm
going to try to answer some of those
questions and hopefully show you several passages that
will give you something to consider.
Now, I'm going to preach a message and
I'm going to give you the title of
it and you're going to be very surprised
at the title, but I think before I
finish you'll see why I entitled it like
this.
The name of this message is just simply,
The Rapture of the Wicked.
Now, that's an amazing statement and an amazing
subject.
Now, let me begin by saying that when
you begin to study eschatology, eschatology is the
doctrine of last things.
Eschatos is the Greek word for last.
Now, when you study eschatology there are three
main eschatological positions.
They are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.
Now, let me just go ahead and say
this.
I have very many dear friends that hold
each of those eschatological positions.
I never make eschatology a matter of fellowship.
In reality, neither should you because it is
a subject on which many good men disagree.
Now, let me point something out.
A premillennialism, an amillennialism, and a postmillennialism all
believe that Jesus Christ is coming back literally,
visibly, and bodily.
They just disagree on when and how.
You follow me?
So, the main point is though every one
of them agree that he's coming back literally,
visibly, and bodily.
Now, when you begin to think about premillennialism,
you've got to understand that there are two
basic positions.
There is what is known as historic premillennialism.
Historic premillennialism did not and does not believe
in a rapture.
Dispensational premillennialism is that which teaches the rapture.
Now, I'm going to share something with you
this morning which you can find for yourself,
but there is a book out.
It was written by Dave McPherson, and the
name of the book is The Incredible Cover
-Up.
The book originally was published under the title
The Unbelieved Origin of the Pre-Trib Rapture
Theory, but it's a book that is well
worth reading because Dave McPherson documents in his
book that the dispensational view of the rapture
was begun in the 1800s by a woman
by the name of Margaret MacDonald.
She was a self-styled prophetess who one
day, supposedly under the influence of God, she
was speaking in tongues and had a vision
and related to a Roman Catholic priest the
theory of the dispensational rapture view of the
church.
This Roman Catholic priest then taught this concept
to a man by the name of John
Nelson Darby.
Now, John Nelson Darby was of the Plymouth
Brethren.
He was an individual who was quite prominent
in the Plymouth Brethren movement, but John Nelson
Darby had a student who was studying under
him who was very adept, and this student
took this theory, believed it, and then he
put it in the footnotes of a bible.
Would you like to guess who this student
was?
Cyrus Ingersoll Scofield, C.I. Scofield.
And so the dispensational rapture view really did
not even come into existence until the 1800s.
That is when all of the quote-unquote
prophetical conferences really began.
Historic premillennialism never held to a rapture.
Historic premillennialism just believed that Jesus Christ was
coming back for his own.
Now, the word rapture itself does not occur
in the bible.
Of course, there are several words that are
used quite frequently that do not occur in
the bible.
For instance, the word trinity does not occur
in the bible, but the word rapture is
not in the bible.
The word rapture that we have is from
the Latin word rapio, which means literally to
seize or to carry by force.
Sometimes the word rapio is even used in
reference to rape.
So the word actually means to seize or
to carry by force.
Now, there is a difference between what is
known as the rapture theory and the fact
that our Lord is coming again.
I've repeatedly told you, and I'm saying this
again for emphasis, historic premillennialism did not believe
in the rapture.
However, historic premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism all
believe that Jesus Christ is returning visibly and
bodily and will indeed gather his own into
himself and destroy the wicked.
Now, the Greek word that is normally used
for the catching up of the saints, this
word is harpazo.
It is used in our bibles, I think,
13 times, and only one time out of
the 13 does it have reference to the
saints.
Now, let me show you how this word
is used.
Look in your bibles, whole Luke 17, we're
certainly coming back there, but look in your
bibles to begin with to Matthew 11 and
verse 12.
And we're talking about the word harpazo, which
is translated in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse
17, caught up.
Okay, here it is.
Matthew 11 and verse 12, he says, and
from the days of John the Baptist until
now, the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and
the violent, take it by force.
Now the phrase, take it by force is
from the Greek word harpazo.
So it literally means to seize or to
catch by force.
Now look in Matthew 13 and verse 19,
here is a scripture where our Lord is
talking about how Satan snatches away the word
of God.
And he says in verse 19, when anyone
here at the word of the kingdom and
understand it, did not then come at the
wicked way and catch it away or take
it away or forcefully takes away that which
was sown in the heart.
So note now it has reference to taking
by force.
Now look in the book of John chapter
six and verse 15, John chapter six and
verse 15, John six, verse 15, when Jesus
therefore perceived that they would come and take
him by force.
Once again, it's harpazo to make him a
king.
He departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Look in John 10 and verse 12.
I'm trying to show you how that each
one of these references refer to taking something
by force.
John 10, verse 12, he says, but he,
that is a hireling and not the shepherd
who's on the sheep or not see it,
the wolf coming and leave it, the sheep
and flee it.
And the wolf catch it them and scattered
the sheep.
Now the word catch it.
The wolf catch it.
Them is the same word.
Now does the wolf, uh, coats, the sheep
sheep to come to him gently.
No, he takes him by force.
He steals it.
He takes him away.
Look in John 10 and verse 28.
He said, I give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of
my hand.
And the word pluck is the same word
harpazo.
It means to snatch or to take away
by force.
Jesus Christ says, no man can forcibly take
his own from him.
Look in the book of Acts chapter eight
and verse 39, Acts eight and verse 39.
Here is a reference to Philip and the
Bible says, and when they were come out
of the water, the spirit of the Lord
caught away, Philip, that is literally seized him
and forcibly took him away.
And the eunuch saw him no more.
And he went on his way rejoicing.
Then if you look in Acts 23 and
verse 10, Acts 23 and verse 10, once
again, here's what the word of God says,
Acts 23, verse 10.
And when there arose a great decision, the
chief captain, fearing less, Paul should have been
pulled into pieces of them, commanded the soldiers
to go down and take him by force
from among them and to bring him into
the castle.
So here it is to take him by
force.
Now, if you will turn right on over
there, just a few other passages to first
Corinthians chapter 12 and verse two, actually, and
verse four, because it is the same word.
It's second Corinthians.
I'm sorry.
Second Corinthians 12 verse two, the apostle Paul
says, I knew a man in Christ about
14 years ago, whether in the body, I
cannot tell her whether out of the body,
I cannot tell God know of such in
one called up.
Now the word called up here literally means
to seize or to take by force.
It's the same word.
Harpozzo verse, verse four, he said, how that
he was called up.
It's the same one.
Now, the interesting thing is this, and I
cannot tell you this dogmatically and neither can
anyone else.
But, uh, when the apostle Paul is saying
that he was one caught up in heaven,
many scholars will tell you, uh, that this
probably happened when the apostle Paul was stoned
and left for dead at least.
Or you remember that now, whether it happened
then or not, I don't know, but Paul
is saying that he was forcibly caught up.
Well, what in the world is death by
stoning?
Is that not a forcible taking away of
your life?
I mean, you know, it has that connotation
there.
So it is used right here in that
sense.
Now, if you will turn over to first
Thessalonians chapter four, here's the only instance, the
only instance where this word is used in
relationship to the saints being called up in
first Thessalonians chapter four and verse 17, the
apostle Paul says this, then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
Now, what I'm trying to say is this,
and let me explain this right here.
There is a difference between is a Jesus
and exegesis.
Ice and X are two Greek words.
Ice is a preposition, which means into X
is a preposition, which means out of now,
when you talk about is a Jesus, it
means you read into a passage that which
you want to see.
Okay.
Exegesis means you bring out of the passage
that which is there.
Now, please understand that anybody can make the
Bible say anything they wanted to say by
reading into it their preconceived ideas.
You follow that?
It's just like the man who says, well,
I believe that the earth is flat, and
I'm going to prove it to you from
the Bible because he gathered his elect from
the four corners of the earth.
Well, now, and by the way, there are
people and I have known people who actually
believe that the earth was flat.
Well, I mean, and that's why they believed
it.
Well, I'm just saying, you know, here's this
traditional passage that is used to teach the
rapture.
And here is the only passage where the
word called up is used, but the catching
up does not necessarily equate to the rapture.
I mean, he catches us up, but that
does not necessarily mean it's one in the
same thing.
If you follow me now, let me go
ahead and give you another one.
Look in your Bibles to Jude and verse
23, but I'm just showing you every time
this word is used.
Now it has to do with a forcible
catching away.
Look in Jude and verse 23 and others
say with fear, pulling them out of the
fire.
That is a forcible, pulling them out of
the fire, hating in the hating, even the
garment spotted by the flesh.
And then if you look in Revelation 12
and verse five, the last passage here, it
is Revelation 12 in verse five.
And she brought forth a man child who
was to rule over all the nations with
a rod of iron, iron, and her child
was caught up unto God and to his
throne.
Now the word harponzo literally means to seize
or to carry away by force or to
snatch away forcibly.
Now, the thing that I want you to
see, and I'm going to show you this
from the Bible scripture, not only indicates that
it is indeed the wicked who are going
to be forcibly seized and snatched away, but
I believe the Bible clearly teaches this.
Now let's go back.
First of all, to Psalm 37, I'm still
trying to give you some introduction.
We're going to come back to Luke 17,
but look in Psalm 37.
Psalm 37 is indeed a tremendous passage.
Look what he says.
Psalm 37, beginning with verse one, fret not
by self because of evil doers, neither be
about envious against the workers of iniquity.
Now, wait a minute.
Why does he tell us not to fret
because of evil doers?
Why does he tell us not to be
envious against the workers of iniquity?
Now here's why verse two, for they shall
soon be cut down like the grass and
wither as the green herb.
Now, verse two tells us that the wicked
will be cut down and that this will
be soon or it will be hastily done.
Now the word soon actually means promptly, quickly,
or speedily.
Now let me tell you what Psalm 37
is.
Psalm 37 is an encouragement to the righteous
that the righteous shall indeed inherit the earth,
irrespective of the wicked and their power and
their wealth.
Look in Psalm 37 and verse 11.
But the meek shall inherit the earth and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Now let me just add this right here.
When God says, and the meek shall inherit
the earth, please remember the word meek does
not refer to someone being a foot mat
and letting you wipe your feet all over
them.
I read one time about this verse being
posted on a bathroom wall and someone had
written, the meek shall inherit the earth.
And then someone had come and written under
that, if that's all right.
Well, that is not what the Bible talks
about when it talks about meekness.
You know what meekness is?
Let me tell you.
The Lord Jesus Christ was Moses.
Numbers 12, three.
Now the man, Moses was more meek than
any man on the earth.
And the meekest man on earth, God, when
he said, God, I pray that a new
thing will happen.
I pray that the earth will open up
and Dathan and Abiram and Korah and all
their company will go down alive in the
hell.
Now, brother, that's meekness.
You know what meekness is?
It is disciplined strength under God.
That's why he says in Matthew five, blessed
are the meek for they shall inherit the
kingdom of God.
They shall inherit the earth.
The meek literally there is the tamed of
the Lord.
Those who are broken to yoke.
In other words, we as meek individuals do
not avenge ourselves and do not do our
own thing.
Our strength is disciplined and we act under
the command of God.
Now I want you to watch this.
Look in verse 34, Psalm 37, verse 34.
Now he says, but the meek shall inherit
the earth.
Verse 11 and shall delight themselves in the
abundance of peace.
Let's go to verse 34.
Wait on the Lord.
That's that disciplined strength.
Now don't strike back, wait on the Lord
and keep his way.
And he shall exalt thee to inherit the
land.
Watch it.
When shall we inherit the land?
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt
see it.
Now look what else he says.
I've seen the wicked in great power spreading
himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away and lo he was
not.
Yea, I sought him and he could not
be found.
Now look what he says.
God says, I am going to exalt my
people to inherit the land.
When are we going to inherit?
When the wicked are cut off.
And he said it doesn't matter if the
wicked are in great power.
It doesn't matter if he spreads himself like
a green bay tree.
God is going to literally cut them off.
Now how does God cut off the wicked?
Now let me show you something.
God cuts them off in time and in
history as well as at the end of
the earth.
How does he cut them off?
He cuts them off with temporal judgments.
Now I want you to look in your
Bibles very quickly to several passages.
Look in Psalm 55 and verse 23.
And boy, I hope you can think of
some men when I read this verse.
Psalm 55 verse 23.
The psalmist says, but thou, O God, shalt
bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out
half their days.
But I will trust in thee.
Did you hear that?
Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out
half their days.
Now you think of the quote unquote leaders
in our country who have been cut off
in the prime of life.
And they were wicked ungodly men.
He says bloody and deceitful men shall not
live out half their days.
Why?
Because the judgment of God cuts them down.
I got news for you folks.
We ought to tremble for some of our
leaders like our president who are openly defying
the law of God.
God says bloody and deceitful men shall not
live out half their days.
Look in Proverbs 10 and verse 27.
Proverbs 10 verse 27.
The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but
the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
So God says I'm going to give the
wicked a shorter life.
Look at it in verse 30.
The righteous shall never be removed.
Now watch this.
But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
Sounds to me like God's going to take
care of some of them.
Look in Proverbs 11 and verse 31.
And boy, I like this verse.
Proverbs 11 verse 31.
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the
earth.
Now, do you know what the word recompense
means?
It means to be paid to pay back,
literally to pay back.
The righteous shall be paid back in the
earth, much more the wicked in the center.
Now listen to me.
If God rewards our righteousnesses in time and
in history, and He does, He says much
more I'm going to reward or pay back
the unrighteous in time and in history.
So if God will bless us for our
obedience to Him, then God will curse the
wicked for their disobedience to Him.
Now, I want you to turn back to
Job 19 and look at verse 29.
And let me show you this biblical principle.
And then I think you can put all
of this together.
Job 19 and verse 29.
Look what God says.
Job 19 verse 29.
God says, be afraid of the sword.
Isn't that an amazing statement?
Be afraid of the sword.
Why would God have to say that?
Well, look, be afraid of the sword for
wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that
you may know that there is a judgment.
What is God saying?
God is saying every temporal judgment, every time
God punishes, either by the sword or by
some cataclysmic event, that temporal punishment is just
proof positive that there is a final, eternal
punishment and judgment.
You see that?
So what God is doing to the wicked,
when He cuts them off in the middle
of their pride, when God cuts them off
in great power, all He's doing is saying,
look everybody, there is indeed a judgment to
come.
Now, there is going to be a time
when the wicked shall be removed permanently.
And that is, of course, at the coming
of our Lord.
But God is quite able to cut the
wicked off in time and in history.
Now, what I want to do the rest
of my time this morning is this.
I want to show you some verses in
the Bible that very clearly teach what I
call the rapture of the wicked.
Please remember, I'm using the word rapture in
the sense that Harpazo was used in those
twelve instances that I showed you to mean
to seize forcibly and to take away by
force.
Now, watch this.
Let's go back to our text, Luke chapter
17.
Luke 17.
Now, let's read it.
And I want you to watch this carefully.
I'm going to spend a little time dealing
with this.
Luke 17.
Let's begin reading with verse 26.
And as it was in the day of
Noah, so shall it also be in the
days of the Son of Man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives,
they were given in marriage until the day
that Noah entered into the ark.
And the flood came and destroyed them all.
Likewise, also as it was in the days
of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they
bought, they sold, they planted, they builded.
But the same day that Lot went out
of the Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone
from heaven and destroyed them all.
Even thus, that is likewise, shall it be
in the day when the Son of Man
is revealed.
In that day, that is the day that
he's revealed, he who is on the housetop
and is stuck in the house, let him
not come down to take it away.
And he that is in the field, let
him likewise not return back.
Remember Lot's wife.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall
lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life
shall preserve it.
I tell you that in that night, what
is that night?
Back up to verse 31, it's that day.
What is that day?
Verse 30, it's the day when the Son
of Man is revealed.
I tell you that in that night, there
shall be two men in one bed, the
one shall be taken and the other shall
be left.
Two women shall be grinding together, the one
shall be taken and the other left.
Two men shall be in the field, the
one shall be taken and the other left.
And they answered and said unto him, Where,
Lord?
And he said unto them, Wherever the body
is thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Now let's stop.
Let's go back.
Because the Bible says in verse 26, As
it was in the days of Noah, so
shall it also be in the days of
the Son of Man.
Now, you can hear all kinds of sermons
preached on this, because verse 27, They did
eat and they drank and they married and
they were given in marriage until the day
that Noah entered in the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all.
Now, we hear about, Boy, today men are
marrying and giving in marriage.
Well, men have always done that.
Okay?
Now, what is the point that he is
making?
Look at it very clearly in verse 27.
Well, let's look at verse 26.
He says, As it was in the days
of Noah, now just like it was in
the days of Noah, so shall it also
be in the days of the Son of
Man.
Now, Lord, what happened in Noah's day is
going to happen in Christ's day when he
returns.
Now, watch this.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives,
they were given in marriage until the day
that Noah entered into the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all.
What happened?
The wicked were destroyed.
Now, he says, Just like it was in
the days of Noah, so it's going to
be in the days of the Son of
Man.
He said, I destroyed the wicked in the
days of Noah.
I'm going to destroy the wicked when I
return.
Now, wait.
Let's go further.
Verse 28, Likewise, also as it was in
the days of Lot, they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they
built, but the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone
from heaven and destroyed them all.
Now, what happened when God delivered Lot?
He destroyed the wicked.
Now, let me ask you a question.
Do you think the wicked politely and willingly
and voluntarily submitted themselves to destruction?
Oh, no.
He destroyed them by force.
He seized them and carried them away into
destruction by power.
Let's go on.
Verse 30, Even thus, just like I pointed
out in the days of Noah and the
days of Lot, even thus shall it be
in the day when the Son of Man
is revealed.
In other words, it's going to be just
like that, he said.
Now, before we go any further, let me
point something out.
If you would hold Luke 17, but turn
over your Bible to 2 Peter 2, 2
Peter 2, and let's look beginning there with
verse 3, 2 Peter 2 and verse 3.
Watch this carefully.
Do you remember Job 19, 29?
Be ye afraid of the sword?
Why?
For the sword bringeth punishments, that ye may
know that there is a judgment to come.
He said, God made them an example unto
all those that should hereafter live ungodly, and
delivered just Lot.
Now, look at verse 9.
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly
out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust
to the day of judgment to be punished.
God says, I know how to deliver my
people.
I also know how to preserve the wicked
for their punishment.
Now, the thing that I'm trying to show
you is this.
In every one of these instances, in the
days of Noah, in the days of Lot,
it was sure and sudden destruction upon the
wicked.
Now, when he says in verse 30, even
thus shall it be in the day when
the Son of Man is revealed, that is,
he's going to destroy the wicked just like
he did in the days of Noah and
in the days of Lot.
Now, it is clear that judgment is the
issue.
Verse 30, even thus shall it be.
That is a time of judgment.
Therefore, in verses 31 through 36, you have
some warnings.
What are the warnings?
Well, verses 31 through 33 are a warning
against an unsaved, or an unsound, I should
say, an unsound and unreal profession of faith,
which means it is indeed an unsaved profession
as well.
But look at it in verse 31.
He says, In that day he which shall
be upon the house stopping his stuff in
the house, let him not come down to
take it away.
And he that is in the field, let
him not likewise return back.
Remember Lot's wife.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall
lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life
shall preserve it.
Now, wait a minute.
What is he saying?
And especially the key point is verse 32.
Remember Lot's wife.
Well, not only look back, but now watch
this.
Lot was a godly man.
He was a righteous man.
And the Bible says, He vexed his righteous
soul with their ungodly and unlawful deeds.
But Lot's wife was not a Christian.
Here is a woman who was associated with
a godly man, but she was an ungodly
woman.
Her associations with a godly man did not
save her from the judgment of God.
Now, wait a minute.
An unsound and an ungodly member of the
church will not be spared just because they
associate with the godly.
You follow me?
I wish I had time to deal with
Matthew chapter 7.
Lot's wife was not spared because of her
association with Lot.
Neither will empty professors be spared because of
their association either with Christians or with the
church.
Now, look in verses 34, 35, and 36.
He says, I tell you in that night
there shall be two men in one bed.
The one shall be taken, the other shall
be left.
Two women shall be grinding together.
The one shall be taken, the other left.
Two men shall be in the field.
The one shall be taken, the other left.
Now, let me show you something before I
go any further.
All my life I have heard preached and
taught that verses 34 through 36 talk about
the rapture of the saints.
One of us is going to be taken
away and the other is going to be
left.
That is not what these verses are teaching.
The context is the context of judgment.
Now, I want you to see something.
I want you to hold this.
I'm going to come right back to it,
but turn over in your Bibles to 2
Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 19.
You talk about a powerful verse, and this
verse is exemplified in Luke 17.
Look in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse
19.
2 Timothy 2 verse 19.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal.
The Lord knoweth them that are his.
And let everyone that name is the name
of Christ depart from iniquity.
Now, watch it.
Watch this carefully.
He says the foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal.
What seal?
The Lord knoweth them that are his.
Now, folks, the opposite is also true.
Bad English, but good theology.
He knows them that he is too.
And what does he do to those who
are not his?
Well, let's look back.
Let's look in Luke 17 now.
Watch this.
Now, please remember, he's talking about judgment in
the days of Noah.
He's talking about judgment in the days of
Lot.
He says, likewise, it's going to even be
so when the Son of Man is revealed.
Then he says, remember Lot's wife.
In other words, folks are not going to
be spared because of their association.
And then he says in verse 34, I
tell you that in that night there shall
be two men in one bed.
One's going to be taken.
The other's going to be left.
Then he says there's going to be two
women shall be grinding together.
One shall be taken.
The other's going to be left.
Verse 36, two men shall be in the
field.
One taken, one the other left.
Where are these individuals taken to?
Are they taken to heaven?
No.
And they answered, verse 37, who is the
they?
Well, if you look back in verse 22,
and he said unto his disciples.
So he's talking to his disciples.
And they answered unto him, where, Lord?
In other words, Lord, where are they going
to be taken?
We want to know.
Where are they going?
And look what Jesus Christ said.
He said unto them, wheresoever the body is
thither also will the eagles be gathered together.
Boy, what a strange answer.
Wherever the body is, there's where the eagles
are going to be gathered together.
What in the world does that mean?
Let me ask you a question.
How many of you have ever seen these
old westerns?
You see the man crawling through the desert,
barely can go.
He's dehydrated, no water.
He keeps seeing the mirages.
And please tell me what's always circling.
The buzzards, or the birds of prey, the
carnivores, the flesh eaters.
Now let me show you something.
Whole Luke 17, but turn back in your
Bibles to Job 39.
Job 39, and let's begin with verse 27.
Job 39 and verse 27.
Look at what he says.
Job 39, verse 27.
Doth the eagle mount up at thy command
and make her nest on high?
She dwelleth and abideth on the rock upon
the crag of the rock in the strong
place.
From this she seeketh the prey, and her
eyes behold afar off.
Her young ones also suck up blood, and
where the slain are, there she is.
Are you getting the idea that those folks
who were taken in Luke 17 are not
exactly taken to heaven?
It's judgment.
Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 30 and
verse 17.
Proverbs 30, verse 17.
He says, Proverbs 30, verse 17.
The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth
to obey his mother, the ravens of the
valley shall pick it out, and the young
eagle shall eat it.
Now, the disciples say, Lord, where are these
folks going to be taken?
And his answer is, wherever the body is,
there's where the eagle's going to be.
They're going to be taken to judgment.
They shall die.
They shall be killed.
So when you look back in Luke chapter
17, when he talks about two sleeping in
bed, one taken and one left, and he
talks about two in the field, one taken
and one left, and two grinding and one
taken and one left, the ones that are
taken are not taken to heaven.
These individuals are taken away to judgment.
They're destroyed.
Now, wait a minute.
I want you to look at the parallel
passage in Matthew 24 and verse 28.
Matthew 24 and Luke 17 are parallel passages,
and I want you to see the word
that is used by our Lord in Matthew
24.
Look in Matthew 24 and verse 28.
Here it is.
For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the
eagles be gathered together.
Well, what's a carcass?
A dead body.
So he says, wherever the carcass is, that's
where the eagles are going to be gathered.
Now, I want you to note how Matthew
teaches exactly the same thing that Luke does.
Let's begin reading in verse 37.
Matthew 24, verse 37.
Watch this carefully.
But as the days of Noah were, so
shall also the coming of the Son of
Man be.
For as in the days of Noah, for
as in the days that were before the
flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that
Noah entered into the ark, and knew not
until the flood came and took them all
away, so shall also the coming of the
Son of Man be.
What happened in the days of Noah?
Yes, the destruction was sudden, and people say
Christ is going to come back sudden, and
that may be true.
I'm not going to dispute that one little
bit.
But the point that he's making is this,
that the wicked were destroyed suddenly.
It was the wicked that were forcibly taken
away.
Verse 40, there shall be two in the
field, the one shall be taken in the
other lap.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill,
one shall be taken in the other lap.
Watch therefore, for you know not what hour
the Lord doth come.
And so, look what he says in verse
43.
But know this, if the good man of
the house had known in which watch the
thief would have come, he would have watched
and would not have suffered his house to
be broken up.
But know if you would, the whole context
is a context of judgment.
So, Matthew 24 is a parallel passage, and
it teaches essentially the same thing.
And verse 20, well, look in verse 27.
I didn't read it, but let's go back
and read it.
For as the lightning cometh out of the
east and shineth even in the west, so
shall also the coming of the Son of
Man be.
For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the
eagles be gathered.
What's he saying?
I'm going to destroy the wicked.
Now, turn in your Bibles to Matthew 13.
I want to show you a parable, and
then I want you to see our Lord's
interpretation of that parable.
Matthew 13, and let's begin reading with verse
24.
Matthew 13, verse 24.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a
man who sowed good seed in his field.
But while men slept, his enemy came and
sowed tares among the wheat, and went his
way.
And when the blade was sprung up and
brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the householder came and
said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow
good seed in thy field?
For whence then hath it tares?
And he said unto them, An enemy hath
done this.
The servant said unto him, Wilt thou then
that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay, lest while you gather
up the tares, you root up also the
wheat with them.
Let both grow until the harvest.
In the time of harvest, I will say
to the reapers, Now watch this, Gather ye
together first the tares, and buy them in
bundles to burn them.
But gather the wheat into my barn.
Now let me just stop right there for
a moment.
What was to be gathered together first?
The tares.
He said, You gather them together first, and
buy them in bundles.
For what purpose?
To burn them.
Now, if you think that that interpretation is
wrong, then what you need to do is
read further.
Because the Bible says, and let's begin looking
in the same chapter, Matthew chapter 13, verse
36.
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went
into the house.
And the disciples came unto him, saying, Declare
unto us the parable of the tares of
the field.
And he answered and said unto them, He
that soweth the good seed is the Son
of Man.
Very obvious.
The field is the world.
The good seed are the children of the
kingdom.
But the tares are the children of the
wicked one.
Do you see that?
One saved, one lost.
The enemy that sowed them is the devil.
Now watch this.
The harvest is the end of the world.
And the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned
in the fire, so shall it be at
the end of this world, or at the
end of this age.
The Son of Man shall send forth his
angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend and which do
iniquity.
Now, what offends and what does iniquity in
God's kingdom?
Sinners.
So he's going to gather all that out.
Now watch verse 42.
And shall cast them into a furnace of
fire.
Then there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth.
Ah, look at verse 43.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the
Son in the kingdom of their Father, who
hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Now, when's the righteous going to shine forth?
When he takes care of the wicked.
Who's he going to get first?
He's going to get the wicked.
This world is ours.
This is God's earth that he's given for
his people.
And the tares are mixed in with the
wheat.
But in the end, he's going to take
the tares out.
And the wheat's still going to have this
world.
And we shall shine in our Father's kingdom.
Now, I want you to note this same
thing is taught in so many passages of
the Bible.
But look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 1.
2 Thessalonians chapter 1.
And look what the Apostle Paul says beginning
there with verse 7.
2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7.
I like this passage.
Paul says to these saints, and to you
who are troubled, rest with us.
Now, watch this.
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
taking vengeance on them that know not God
and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and from the glory of his power when
he shall come to be glorified in his
saints and to be admired in all them
that believe because our testimony among you was
believed in that day.
Now, look.
Paul says when our Lord comes back from
heaven, how's he going to come?
He's going to come in flaming fire taking
vengeance on those that know not God and
obey not the gospel.
What is he going to do?
He's going to take care of the wicked
first.
And then he says, verse 10, after they
are punished, he says when he shall come
to be what?
Glorified in his saints and be admired of
all them that believe.
In other words, our Lord, as he comes
back to be worshiped and honored by his
people, he will destroy the wicked and the
ungodly.
Now, let me show you two other passages.
Look in Psalm 58.
I know that just a few weeks ago,
I preached on this passage.
In fact, you have the tape today.
But I want you to see Psalm 58.
Let's just read it again.
It's only 11 verses.
Psalm 58, verse 1.
Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?
Do you judge uprightly, O you sons of
men?
Yea, in heart you work wickedness.
You weigh the violence of your hands in
the earth.
The wicked are estranged from the womb.
They go astray as soon as they be
born, speaking lies.
Their poison is like the poison of a
serpent.
They are like the deaf adder that stop
at her ear.
But shall not hearken to the voice of
charmers charming never so wisely.
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth.
Break out the great teeth of the young
lions, O Lord.
Let them melt away as waters which run
continually.
When he bendeth his bow to shoot his
arrows, let them be as cut in pieces
as a snail which melteth.
Let every one of them pass away like
the untimely birth of a woman that they
may not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, he
shall take them away even with a whirlwind,
both living and in his wrath.
Are you watching?
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the
vengeance.
He shall wash his feet in the blood
of the wicked.
So that a man shall say, Verily, there
is a reward for the righteous.
Verily, there is a God that judgeth in
the earth.
Now, folks, if the righteous shall rejoice when
he seeth the vengeance, if the righteous shall
wash his feet in the blood of the
wicked, that means then the wicked are taken
away and the righteous are left.
Look in your Bibles to the book of
Joel chapter 3.
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos.
Joel chapter 3.
And let's begin reading with verse 13.
Watch this.
Joel 3 verse 13.
Put you in the sickle, for the harvest
is ripe.
Come, get you down, for the press is
full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is
great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for
the day of the Lord is near in
the valley of decision.
The sun and the moon shall be darkened,
and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Now, I want you to note, this passage
is a passage of judgment.
He says, you put in the sickle, why?
For their wickedness is great.
This multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision,
listen, many people try to preach that as
it relates somehow to salvation.
It doesn't relate to salvation.
It relates to judgment.
He says the day of the Lord is
near.
And then he says the sun and the
moon shall be darkened.
These are eschatological figures which are always used
in relationship to the judgment of God.
In practically every passage that you turn, it
doesn't matter Old Testament or New Testament, you
will come up that the wicked will be
taken away first.
So if there is a rapture, it will
be the rapture of the wicked in the
sense that they will be forcibly seized and
forcibly carried away under judgment.
Now, let me make just a couple of
illustrations and applications.
Listen carefully.
If you understand this truth, and if you
hear this truth, it ought to make an
unconverted man tremble.
You know a lot of people think that
somehow when the Lord returns, they're going to
have a quote-unquote second chance.
And that is bad theology.
You don't even have a first chance.
Salvation is not by chance.
Salvation is by grace.
But some people think that somehow when the
Lord comes back, there's going to be somehow
a lapse of time and they can repent
and they can believe.
Listen, folks.
Number one, repentance is God's gift.
Number two, faith is God's gift.
And number three, the Bible says when Jesus
Christ comes, He's going to come back in
flaming fire taking vengeance on those that know
not God.
The ungodly shall be destroyed first.
That means you say, well, I'll tell you
what, Brother Weaver, I'm going to wait to
seek the Lord.
You better not.
You better start begging Him for mercy and
begging Him for grace and begging Him to
give you repentance and faith.
Because God is going to take care of
the wicked first.
The second application is this.
What a tremendous encouragement this is for the
people of God.
What did He say?
Fret not thyself because of evildoers.
Neither be thou envious of the workers of
iniquity.
Why?
For they shall soon be cut off.
Listen, folks.
We can endure anything as long as we
know there's going to be an end.
Even one of my sermons.
But dear friend, let me tell you something.
You and I can look and it grieves
us that the wicked are in power, that
the wicked are ruling, that the wicked have
the wealth, that the wicked are doing everything
they can to destroy the people of God
and the work of God.
But rest assured, there is no need to
fret.
The sovereign God is on the throne and
He shall overthrow them.
And the kingdom and this earth will be
ours.
And we can glorify and admire and worship
and serve and praise the Lord Jesus to
our heart's content.
We are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us.
Now, watch, if you would, these next four
years.
As wickedness increases, so will God's judgment.
And we'll see that God's Word is true.
Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out
half their days.
And when God judges in time and in
history, we need to check it in our
mind, that's just proof and evidence that there's
a judgment to come.
And when God takes care of the wicked
one by one in history, it means He's
going to take care of all of them
when He returns.
Blessed be His name.
Father, we bow to Thee this day.
We thank Thee for Jesus Christ and the
fact that He is our Lord, that He
is our King, and that He's on the
throne.
We thank Thee, Father, that we shall shine
in Thy kingdom and we shall serve Thee
unhindered and worship Thee untouched when Thou dost
destroy the wicked.
We give Thee praise for Your grace to
us and confess we're saved and we are
what we are only by the marvelous, matchless
grace of God.
Thou didst not give us what we deserved,
but Thou didst give us mercy and grace.
And for that we praise Thee in the
name of Jesus Christ, Amen.