«　WEEK 3　DAY 4　»

　　Luke 21:34 But take heed to yourselves lest perhaps your hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day come upon you suddenly as a snare.

　　36 But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man.

　　The word escape in Luke 21:36 signifies being taken, raptured, before the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), which will be a severe trial upon the whole inhabited earth (Rev. 3:10; Luke 17:34-36)….“All these things” [in Luke 21:36] are the things of the great tribulation. To stand before the Son of Man corresponds to the standing of those in Revelation 14:1. It indicates that the raptured overcomers will stand before the Savior on Mount Zion in the heavens before the great tribulation (see Rev. 12:5-6, 14). (Life-study of Luke, p. 414)

　　In Luke 21:36 the Man-Savior charges us to be watchful. Instead of being stupefied or drugged, we need to be vigilant. Furthermore, at every time we need to beseech. This is not to pray in a general way; it is to pray in a particular way that we may prevail to escape the things that are about to take place…. To prevail in this way is to have the strength and ability to escape the great tribulation. We should not be caught in the trend of today’s world. Instead, we need to escape this trend. The strength and ability to escape come from being watchful and from beseeching. If we pray in a particular way, we shall prevail to escape all the things that are about to take place.

　　To escape the things that are about to take place is to be raptured before the great tribulation. This is also to be kept out of the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole inhabited earth to try those who dwell on the earth. Hence, the Lord’s word in 21:36 is the fulfillment of the promise He gives to the church in Philadelphia: “Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep you out of the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). “Trial” here undoubtedly denotes the great tribulation.

　　This promise of the Lord, like that in Luke 21:36, indicates that the saints who have kept the word of the Lord’s endurance will be raptured before the great trial. This implies that those who have not kept the word of His endurance will be left in the trial.

　　Although the word rapture is not found in 21:34-36, there is a strong indication of the rapture in verse 36. This verse speaks negatively of escaping all the things that are about to take place and positively of standing before the Son of Man. Where will the Son of Man be at the time implied in verse 36? He will still be on the throne in the heavens….The only way for us to stand before the Son of Man on the throne is for us to be raptured, to be taken away to the heavens.

　　Whether or not we shall be raptured before the great tribulation and be taken away to meet Christ on the throne does not depend on Him. It depends on our watchfulness and on our praying in a particular way. Constantly we need to be watchful and beseeching that we may prevail to escape the great tribulation.

　　We should prevail to escape, prevail to be kept away from the great tribulation….This is to be raptured to stand before the Son of Man on the heavenly Mount Zion. Then He will begin His parousia with us. When He leaves the throne to come back to earth, we shall be with Him. How exciting that will be! No doubt, those who stand before the Son of Man on Mount Zion in the heavens will be beside themselves with joy in the Lord. (Life-study of Luke, pp. 414-417)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 33, “The Normal Christian Life,” chs. 12-13; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 182; CWWL, 1990, vol. 1, “The Apostles’ Teaching,” ch. 8