Jesus said I have told you all things in advance. We've already had this argument. It surely doesn't mean that there is nothing more to say about the end times. Why would we even have 1 & 2 thess. and Rev. then? Do they add nothing to what Jesus has already said? Is this what Jesus means? No. He simply says, "Look, I've told you what you need to know, you've been warned." I agree that there isn't a depiction of the Rapture in the Olivet discourses, but there is in John 14:3, which is also the last night Jesus was talking to them. The Olivet discourse happened earlier in the week.
I agree that separating Jesus' coming into 2 events (Rapture and 2nd coming) must come with study. But when we see how the term "coming of the Lord" is not a technical term in Scripture, it's a general term. It doesn't by necessity of Greek grammar have to speak of one event any more than when I tell my wife, "Wait for me, I'm coming home from work" means I'm only coming home once, I'll never go to work again and come again.
And there are so many differences between 1 Thess 4, 1 Cor. 15 and John 14:3 and the 2nd coming.
Rapture has the saints meeting Christ in the air, being with Him always, being resurrected, going to the Father's house in heaven.
The 2nd coming has the Son of Man coming in the clouds and His feet touch the Mt. of Olives on earth (Zech. 14:4-5), the 2nd coming does have a gathering of the saints, but it does not have a resurrection, otherwise there would be no need for the judgment of the sheep and the goats (the nations) in Matt. 25. There would also be no possibility of the saints having children and farms and continuing on earth (Is. 65) if they are translated (resurrected).
And Paul presents the order of events, 1 Thess. 4 precedes the day of the Lord in ch. 5 and the entire discussion of 2 Thess. He's already spoken of the Rapture, now He speaks of the Antichrist, which happens after the idea of the restrainer being taken away, which is easily a picture of the Rapture, the Holy Spirit in the saints being taken to heaven, meaning the Rapture occurs first.
In Titus 2:13 we're told to look for the "blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Savior." But isn't this in contrast to the Olivet discourse, where the disciples are told to look at the signs, the illustration of the fig tree, before the 2nd coming? The entire point of Jesus' discourse is to point out all the signs that will happen before the 2nd coming. How can we look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing if there are all the signs preceding it? Don't we look for the signs first? Tit. 2:13 speaks of the "blessed hope and the glorious appearing" of the Rapture.
I already responded to your misunderstanding of John 14 in another thread. Here it is again...
This statement cannot apply to Christ's disciples being Raptured because all died before He returned. Therefore the Coming Again portion of it must apply only to Christians who will be alive on earth when He returns again. Correct?
If this is correct, we have 2,000 years where this is absolutely applicable and accurate. There are mansions for the dead Christians in heaven, no argument. All those saved who have died since Christ ascended are in heaven with Him. 2,000 years worth of those who died in Christ, and those who were resurrected at His crucifixion are in HIS house in heaven with the many rooms right now as I write this. Would you agree?
If there is a Pre-Trib Rapture, does this mean that Christ returns, raptures us and we get to spend 7 years in those rooms before He takes us all back to earth? There is one undeniable truth that I think most of us believe, Christ will return and reign on earth for 1,000 years. So, this statement cannot be applicable for that 1,000 year period because we would no longer be in heaven for those 1,000 years. Instead we would be on earth with Him because it's clear, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." The Lord isn't bringing those rooms with Him as we don't have any passage telling us that. Heaven remains where it is until the 1,000 years are over, we have passages for this.
Therefore the last sentence would appear to NOT be discussing the rooms in heaven anymore but rather, being with the Lord wherever He is. Let's look at the last sentence in this context and see if it makes sense.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
The Lord has to be saying that if He goes and prepares a place for us (which He is clearly saying) that he will come again and take you (another way of saying this would be "gather you") until myself, that where I am you may be also.
And where will the Lord be for the Millennial reign? Right here on earth. So He is saying He will gather those of us who are alive and remaining (through the Tribulation) to Himself right here on earth to live and reign with Him for 1,000 years. This has to be the explanation as
NO OTHER POSSIBLE EXPLANATION exists without creating other conflicts. We have to reconcile John 14 to Rev 20.
Rev 20:
...Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Who reigns for the 1,000 years with Christ? It isn't everybody. Those that come back with Christ are only the souls who have been beheaded, who had not worshiped the beast or taken his mark. That's it. You won't find many churches teaching this but this is what is clearly taught by the
WORD OF GOD!!! There is absolutely no mention of the "Raptured Saints" returning with the Lord. You won't find a single passage anywhere in the Bible that says or even hints at a Raptured Group in heaven. You only see the "Dead" in heaven. Why??
Because there is NO RAPTURE where anyone is taken to heaven. Only those who are alive and remaining after the tribulation get caught up or gathered and changed. This is the remnant, what's left of the 144,000.
What happens to the rest of the dead? The answer is in blue. The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. They don't live again until the 1,000 years are finished. So if there was a Rapture and untold millions were taken to heaven they must stay there during the 1,000 years.
But if they stay there, then John 14 is a lie. If they return then Rev 20 is a lie.
How about neither being a lie and instead the Rapture is the lie???? That certainly solves all the conflicts now doesn't it???
So what happens with the phrase about "being absent from the body and present with the Lord" if not all of us return?? That's a great question, right? The answer is clear, those that remain in heaven for the 1,000 years will be asleep for 1 heaven day. 2 Peter 3 teaches us this. Those asleep take part in the 2nd resurrection.