The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Brenda Rivera of Orlando, Florida from the tape, GC 1301-O, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 17."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.

Question

In Luke 21:34-36, the Lord is saying “Take heed to yourselves, lest at anytime your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunkenness, cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Now two questions, is this referring to the translation of the church, and if so does this speak of a partial rapture? Because what I don’t understand, is if it’s speaking of Christians, why would we have to pray that we be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come on the earth when we are in Christ and we’re worthy in Him?

Answer

Very good question. The thing that I believe we have here is the tribulation. So we aren’t even here. You see a pretribulation rapture completely makes that passage understandable, we’re gone. And here, I think basically the key is “that day” in verse 34. I think that’s the Day of the Lord and I think the Day of the Lord has to do with His return and the judgments that come around His return. It will come like a snare on them that dwell on the face of the earth and I think He is saying, watch in a very general sense, to all people to be alert, to be aware, to escape the things that shall come to pass. I think it’s a warning for people to follow the message of the Gospel of Christ to escape ultimate judgment.

Now, it does have, I think, a bearing on the church in the sense that we will escape, right? In 1 Thessalonians 1 it says that He has delivered us from the wrath to come, at the end of the first chapter there. Or He has saved us from what is going to happen in the future because we are in the church. But I think also is a warning to any living during the time of the tribulation because I think that’s basically the context.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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