Hi Ed,
Ed:
“the Son of man coming on the clouds” in Matthew 24:30 IS NOT THE SAME AS “the coming of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
Jim:
Why not ... other than that you simply don’t want it to be? Is there anything in the language itself to indicate that these are not two references to the same event? I certainly don’t see it. Anytime we don’t like what we see in the Bible, we can always just arbitrarily claim that there are two of everything and that the reference in question actually refers to the other one of the two.
Ed:
the “gathering together of the elect” in Matthew 24:31 IS THE SAME AS the “catching up together” of the saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Jim:
How? If “the Son of man coming on the clouds” in Matthew 24:30 is not the same as “the coming of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, how can the “gathering together of the elect” in Matthew 24:31 be the same as the “catching up together” of the saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:17?
Ed:
the sounding of “a trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 IS THE SAME AS the sounding of “the trumpet” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (However, they are not the 7th Trumpet of Revelation)
Jim:
Again, if “the Son of man coming on the clouds” in Matthew 24:30 is not the same as “the coming of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, how can the sounding of “a trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 be the same as the sounding of “trumpet” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16?
Ed:
Jesus answers these questions in Matthew 24:4-44, then follows them with some parables.
Jim:
Here’s the most immediate analogy that He poses:
(ASV) Matthew 24:45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath. 48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth; 49 and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken; 50 the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, 51 and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
This describes a single coming of the Lord being experienced two different ways, depending on whether one is good or evil. The same coming of the Lord that places the good one in authority over all that the Lord has also cuts asunder the evil one, bringing destruction to him (as a thief).
Ed:
I believe the major outline to be:
1. When will the Temple be destroyed? Matthew 24:4-14
2. What is the sign of His coming? Matthew 24:15-30
3. What is the sign of the end of age? Matthew 24:31-44
The Gathering in Matthew 24:31 is the Rapture/resurrection which ends the current church age (gentile age, age of grace, last days, etc.)
Jim:
I don’t know why you relegate Matthew 24:14, where Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come,” to the destruction of the temple in 70AD.
His coming is what initiates the end of the world/age. Everything described in Matthew 24:5-29 must precede His coming and the end of the world/age, including the unprecedented period of tribulation in Matthew 24:21-22:
(ASV) Matthew 13:37 And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil [one]; 39 and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE WORLD; and the reapers are angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THE WORLD. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42 and SHALL CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE: THERE SHALL BE THE WEEPING AND THE GNASHING OF TEETH. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.
(ASV) Matthew 24:3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, (1) when shall these things be? and (2) what [shall be] the sign of THY COMING, and (3) of THE END OF THE WORLD?
All of the analogies in Matthew 25 are consistent with a single future coming of the Lord initiating two resurrections and judgments, the first being that of the good, the second being that of the evil. According to Revelation 20, these two resurrections and judgments will be separated by a thousand-year reign of Christ and His saints on earth:
(ASV) Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(ASV) Matthew 8:5 And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 and saying, Lord, my servant lieth in the house sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. ... 8 And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. ... 10 And when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: 12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
(ASV) Matthew 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; what then shall we have? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life. 30 But many shall be last [that are] first; and first [that are] last.
(ASV) Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ... 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying ... buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.
(ASV) Matthew 25:14 For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. ... 19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them. 20 And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents ... 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ... I will set thee over many things ... 22 And he also that [received] the two talents came and said ... I have gained other two talents. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ... I will set thee over many things ... 24 And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man ... 25 ... and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own. 26 But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant ... 28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given ... but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. 30 And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
(ASV) Matthew 25:31 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: 32 and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them ... 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom ... 35 for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat ... 40 ... Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren ... ye did it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat ... 45 ... Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me. 46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.
(ASV) Luke 13:23 And one said unto him, Lord, are they few that are saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; 26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast forth without. 29 And they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.
(ASV) Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
(ASV) Revelation 3:21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
(ASV) Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood [men] of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 10 and madest them [to be] unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they (shall) reign upon earth.
(ASV) Revelation 19:11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous he doth judge and make war. ... 14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white [and] pure. 15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
(ASV) Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are finished ... 12 ... I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. ... 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, [even] the lake of fire. 15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Jim