IS THERE A RESURRECTION FORETOLD IN MATTHEW 24?

MF Blume
October 2002


No.

In Matthew 24, pre-tribulation rapturists and mid-tribulation rapturists and post-tribulation rapturists believe that there is a resurrection noted in this following passage:
Matthew 24:29-31 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: (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. (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.
Gathering the elect is deemed by some to be a resurrection. But Paul said we shall be changed in a moment. That leaves not time for a sign to be given, and then after the sign we read of angels being sent to cause a gathering to occur. How does this all fit into an instantaneous resurrection in a moment and the twinkling of an eye?

And are angels resurrecting us or is Jesus going to do it? If Jesus does it through angels, where is the witness for this in other scriptures?

I understand that pretribbers say that this is the revelation of Jesus seven years after the rapture occurs, so there is no "moment, in the twinkling of an eye" issue to be had here. But what then would be the gathering of the elect by the angels at the sound of a trumpet?

If the sound of the trumpet is associated with the rapture/resurrection (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16), then this must be referring to the rapture/resurrection. This proves pretrib rapture is simply out of the question!

However, this cannot be a resurrection/rapture because there is too much need for duration of time as opposed to a moment, the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:52).

And let me also note that the sign is not Jesus in the sky, but rather a sign that Jesus is in heaven.

The Son of man being in Heaven means He is on the throne. And there would be a sign to indicate that! This is what the verse is saying. But then some ask why this statement, "Why is the Son of man said to be coming in the clouds?"

We must compare scripture with scripture, and all futurist interpretations of this passage fail to cross reference this passage properly with the following:
Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Son of man came in clouds TO THE THRONE... not to the earth. And He went and took dominion. This is precisely what we read in Revelation 5.
Revelation 5:6-7 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
In a oneness debate, the oneness preacher (I think it was Gordon Magee) made a great mistake. He said this reference in Daniel of the one like the Son of Man was not Jesus, but was the saints. And he based that upon this statement given to Daniel after verses 13-14 were noted in chapter 7.
Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Bro Magee was wrong. The reason we read that the saints of the most high TAKE the kingdom, after we read that one like the Son of Man came and took dominion, is because Christ represented the saints of the most high. He was there in proxy as High Priest. It was all "vicarious". For that reason in Revelation 5 we read that the lamb takes the book, which is clearly Jesus, and then we read the saints have dominion!
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
One like the Son of Man was the Son of Man. And He took dominion. And because we're all baptized into His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, then we shall reign! We took dominion if Jesus did!

One asked why Matthew 24:30-31 is not the resurrection if all the other references to a trumpet sounding refer to resurrection. Well, trumpets sounded for various reasons. There were many trumpets. But the resurrection occurs in the LAST trump (1 Cor 15:52). If there is a last one, then there are preceding ones.

Matthew 24:29-31 is not a resurrection of any kind. But there is a resurrection coming, and that is found in 1 Cor 15 and 1 Thess 4.

PROPHECY