In this article I return to the theme of signs of the times, rightly dividing the Word of God concerning the “Olivet Discourse”. Having previously covered the topics: wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes false messiahs and “as the days of Noah”; I will treat the “Rapture”, as it was taught in a special moment during the ministry of Christ.

In all three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, when Jesus was instructing those closest to Him about the future, we discover this; “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” When we couple this With 1 Thessalonians 4:17; “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:” how can we not have faith for the “Rapture?” A natural question for those who believe in the Rapture is: Who are those that will be caught up in the clouds? Jesus gives us the answer in the Olivet Discourse Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27;

“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.” and “then shall He send angels and gather together His ELECT from the four winds from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” Here we see that those being gathered are God’s own ELECT. We find the Greek for elect, from Strong’s concordance says; “select, by implication, favorite: chosen, elect, to select, make choice, choose (out), chosen”. We at Elisha’s OutCast Eagles believe these are the “Bride of Christ” of whom we often speak. It behooves us all, to find out what it takes to be one of the ELECT because it is the ELECT who shall be gathered in that moment. The Bible declares in Luke 17: “pray always that you be accounted worthy to escape all these things (end-times judgments) that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of man”.  

Take notice that the ELECT are gathered from the uttermost parts of heaven and earth. Two places, heaven and earth. This also takes us back to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “the dead in Christ” (whose spirits wait in heaven) and “we which are alive and remain (on the earth) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The ELECT shall be gathered from both heaven and earth.

But we are not only told who will be among those gathered and that they will we gathered from heaven and earth, but where and to whom they are gathered because it is clear that they are to meet Jesus in the clouds and be joined to Him. There are two most interesting verses, though, that speak of a gathering of eagles. Matthew 24:28 says; “For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” And in Luke 17:37 It is stated; … Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” To further confirm 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Strong’s Concordance tells us that in Matthew 24:28 carcass in the Greek means; “dead body, corpus: carcass” In other words, (“dead in Christ”). The Greek in Luke 17:37 tells us that the word body is ”body, the body as a (sound whole) lit. or fig. bodily, body saved.” Body saved – those who are alive!

One is a carcass, one a body of believers. Many years ago, when just beginning to study the Word, I felt completely puzzled by the word carcass in Matthew 24. Little by little I gained some understanding of it. At the time I had a poster of a beautiful eagle in flight. Under it was a quote from Isaiah 40:31. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” The Lord woke me one night and said; “That poster and Scripture is about the ‘rapture’ of the church.”

That helped me to understand Matthew 24:28 much better. At least I knew it was about being “caught up to meet the Lord in the air”. I then thought the “carcass” in that Scripture meant those eagles had to have died to self in order to “mount up” or be “caught up”. I still think that is part of it. But as I have just shared the only two times eagles (plural), is used in the New Testament is in the two Scriptures I have cited. One saying, “where the carcass (the dead) is’ and the other, “where the body (those alive) is, there the eagles will gather”. Then Isaiah 40:31 you notice says; “they will mount up with wings AS eagles”, not just eagles, but AS eagles. The “raptured” saints!

They shall also renew their strength.  I believe that to be, our new glorified bodies as spoken of in 1 Cor 15:50-54.

  “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
   So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
  Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory?”

Who are those eagles?  They are those, “Who wait upon the Lord.”

Does this not, dear saints, imply waiting and watching for His return and trusting that He will return and spare us from the “evil to come”? By rightly dividing the Word we have built a chain of truth forged together link by link. Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 reveal the Son of Man coming in the clouds, with power and great glory, then 1 Thess. 4 is attached to it by declaring that the “dead in Christ” and “we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air”. Then we add another link, that the elect are gathered from heaven and earth. Next, we see that the eagles, which are the elect, are gathered together as one body to the head which is Christ in the air and together they are the great power and glory of Christ. And finally, the last link is connected via that wonderful passage from 1 John 3 which gives us that ‘blessed hope” that we shall be “like Him” for we shall see Him as He is. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is.” That glorious day when we receive our new bodies like unto His … INCORRUPTIBLE.

Recently when singing a song: “I want to be like Jesus–like Him. I want to be like Jesus–like. I want to be like Jesus like Him”, I thought of that verse from 1 John. It stirred my hope for my new, redeemed; glorified body that we long to receive. ” … Ourselves also, which have the first fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:23 When Jesus gave these prophetic details and instructions to His disciples and by extension even down to us, He included words of caution. He left us with no doubt that the time of the Rapture is known only by the Father. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Mark 13:32

Scattered throughout the three chapters of the Olivet Discourse (and Luke 17) are prophecy, exhortation, instruction, warnings, and promises. Among the warnings are these:

“Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32) She looked back longingly at the world and was not delivered from judgment. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:33

We must lose our attachment to the world if we hope to be one of the ones taken. As Jesus warned, “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Luke 17:34&37

“Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Luke 21:34 

Matthew 24:40-41 says; ”Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken the other left.” 

Anyone not prepared will be left behind. ARE YOU READY?! 

Are You Ready!
Here are the ways the Lord exhorts us to be vigilant and prepared for His call to “come up hither.”

“Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” Matt. 24:42

also in verse 44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

In Mark 13:23 & 37 Jesus said; “But take heed, behold, I have foretold you all things.” and, “what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH!”

This firm instruction for us to watch is for us today, saints! From Luke 21:36 we have one of Jesus’ most loving and important pleas to us, that we might not suffer the horrors of the seven year tribulation which are “coming on the whole world.” One of the horrors will perhaps be execution by guillotine in order to escape taking the “mark of the beast”. ” … and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their forehead or in their hands”. Rev. 20.4

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21

As always our Lord and Savior is faithful not to leave us without promises and rewards. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over his goods.” Matt.14:45-47

In both Mark and Luke we find this; “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.” Mark 13:27

I must repeat here. “And then shall He send His angels, and gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” I close with God’s promises that He will gather His body, His eagles, His elect, those who wait upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:31), together. They will come from heaven and earth to be “caught up” in the clouds to meet Him in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. So let us ‘comfort one another with these words’.