Comparing the Olivet Discourse with I & II Thessalonians: Part 2

Let’s continue with our comparison of the Olivet Discourse and Paul’s eschatology in his epistles to the Thessalonians.

Here is a chart that shows a comparison of Matthew 24 and SECOND Thessalonians 1 & 2:

EVENT	MATT. 24	II THESS. 1&2
Antichrist revealed first	24:15	2:3
Antichrist in the temple	24:15	2:4
Falling away	24:24-26	2:3
Christ’s coming is visible to all	24:27	1:7, 2:8
Coming with angels	24:31	1:7
Punishment of the Lost	24:30	1:6, 9
Glory and power	24:30	1:9
Gathering AT his coming	24:31	2:1
Don’t be deceived	24:4	2:3

Other Commonalities between Matthew 24 and I & II Thessalonians:

• The Greek terms translated “gathering together” in Matt. 24:31 are the SAME Greek terms as used in II Thess. 2:1.
• In BOTH passages, the Greek terms and English translations are the SAME.
• In BOTH passages, this ‘gathering together’ is AFTER the man of sin is revealed.
• In BOTH passages, this ‘gathering together’ is with clouds.
• In BOTH passages, this ‘gathering together’ is with a “great sound of a trumpet.”
• In BOTH passages a universal area is covered—”from one end of heaven to the other.”
• In BOTH passages a universal reference to the people of God is used—”His elect.”

Another Problem

Another problem for the pre-Tribulation Rapture is also found in this second chapter of II Thessalonians.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,…” (II Thess. 2:1)

Note that the ‘coming’ and ‘gathering’ in verse 1 are not separate and unrelated events. This is indicated by the Greek grammar.

The nouns ‘the coming’ (Gk. tes parousias) and ‘gathering-together’ (Gk. episunagoges) are separated by the word ‘and’ (Gk. kai). The first noun has the definite article ‘the’ and the second noun does not.

In Greek grammar (Sharp's first rule), this normally indicates that both nouns are referring to the same person (with personal nouns) or a unity between impersonal nouns. Therefore, only ONE event is in view here. Our “gathering together unto him” is PART OF “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The grammar Paul uses associates our being gathered together with that coming. If Paul had wanted to indicate two separate comings or events, he would have used the definite article before the second noun also (according to Sharp’s sixth rule).

The verse would then read:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the gathering together of us unto him.” (PTV, PreTrib Version)

Paul did NOT use two definite articles, and was therefore writing about a single, compound event—the Rapture at the Revelation.

This of course agrees perfectly with Matthew 24: 30-31.

“…, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with power and great glory. 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.”

With all the commonalities between these two passages, it is very subjective, without cause, and unnecessary to eliminate the Rapture from Matt. 24:31.

II Thessalonians 2:1-3a

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, not by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come…”

What does this mean? The perfect tense of the Greek phrase rendered “is at hand” implies that the Thessalonians thought (due to intense persecutions) that Christ’s coming had just become ‘imminent.’

What is Paul’s response?

‘Don’t be shaken in your mind. Don’t be troubled. Don’t let a spirit trouble you. Don’t let a word, or a letter trouble you as that the day of Christ is imminent. Let no man deceive you by any means! That day shall not come until after a falling away and the Antichrist be revealed.’ (paraphrase)

John Gill, the Baptist Greek and Hebrew scholar, had this to say in his commentary on this passage:

“As that the day of Christ is at hand; or is at this instant just now coming on; as if it would be within that year, in some certain month, and on some certain day in it; which notion the apostle would have them by no means give into."