Our Lord gave us a stern warning about the days nearing His coming that we’d best not ignore. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36).
The wants, cares, and trials of this life will be a snare to you if your primary focus is on them. Instead, Jesus directed us to watch so that we are prepared and pray always. Always is translated from three Greek words; en pas kairos, which mean on every occasion. And the subject of that prayer is that we may be found worthy, that is, to be deemed entirely deserving. Found deserving or worthy of what? “To escape all these things”. There is a modern prevalent teaching that this means our Lord will come and snatch us away to heaven before all these things happen. But that is not what Jesus said. The word “escape” as it is usually translated here (ekphuego) (ek-out of) (phuego-flee) simply means to flee away from. Jesus used the same word to tell those in Judea to flee when they see the AOD set up in the temple. “Then let those who are in Judea flee (phuego) to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:16). Revelation also uses this word to describe a fleeing. “Then the woman fled (phuego) into the wilderness…“(Revelation 12:6). What Jesus is clearly saying in Luke is if we are found worthy, we can and will be directed and flee toward places of safety from the antichrist and the judgments from God that are coming on all the earth. There is no “catching away” even implied here.
Some scriptures you can look up that reference flights to safety in these end times that you can look up, Psalm 27:5, Isaiah 26:20-21, Matthew 24 :15-16, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 12:6, Revelation 12:13-14.
Real sincere Christians have nothing to fear as we approach these last days. Our Father knows how to keep His Son’s Bride safe in times of great tribulation. We simply need to heed His warning to watch and pray always that we may be found worthy to escape (flee out from) all that’s about to come to pass and stand before Him.
Maranatha, Jim