Who are the "elect" in Matthew 24?

Matthew 24:
[29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31] 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.

I recently read an article written by Pastor Steven Anderson on "Who are the "elect" in Matthew 24?"

Anderson's conclusion was that Matthew 24:31 "cannot be referring the Jewish people or the nation of Israel".

That is an interesting interpretation, especially considering these facts:

1.) The gospel in Matthew 24 is "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 24:14) and not the "gospel of the grace of God" revealed to Paul for Gentiles (Gal. 1:11-12, Acts 20:24, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Rom. 16:25). The gospel of the kingdom given to the 12 apostles was called "the gospel of the CIRCUMCISION" while Paul's gospel was the "gospel of the UNCIRCUMCISION" that he had to communicate to the 12 apostles (Gal 1:11-12, 2:1-8).

2.) Matthew 24 is written to those under the sabbath keeping laws (vs 20). These people to whom Christ was speaking would not even be allowed to run for their lives if the antichrists came to kill them. Why would Gentiles be keeping the sabbath? Gentiles in the "dispensation of grace" are not under the sabbath ordinance of the Law of Moses (Col. 2:8-23, Rom. 6:14, Eph. 3:1-9).

3.) Matthew 24 is about Jewish prophecy from Daniel. But we live in the MYSTERY dispensation of grace in which God is making known the fellowship of the mystery--the Jew/Gentile Body of Christ (Eph. 3:1-9, 5:32). The prophecies concerning Israel ceased, we are living in a time waiting for the "fulness of the Gentiles" and THEN God will resume dealing with Israel (Rom. 11:25-27).

4.) Matthew 24 is said to be the "SIGNS" of the 2nd coming of Christ to the earth and end of the world (vs 1-7). The SIGNS are for the Jews, not the Gentiles (1 Cor. 1:22, John 4:48).

5.) The audience in Matthew 24 does not have eternal security. If they do not look for the Lord's coming and are not faithful, they will be taken away in judgment (like in the days of Noah) to hell and "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 24:37-51, 25:1-30). Christ cannot be referring to the church which is His Body, because He has given them eternal security as members of His Body whether we are profitable servants or not (2 Tim. 2:11-13, Rom. 8:29-29, Eph. 1:12-14, Eph. 3:30, 1 Cor. 3:15).

6.) Why would Matthew 24 be about the Gentiles in the dispensation of grace? Christ's earthly ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He came to the Jews, He came unto His own, He was a minister of the circumcision confirming the OT prophecy, and He considered the Gentiles to be "DOGS" (John 1:11, Rom. 9:5, Rom. 15:8, Matt. 15:22-26, Mark 7:26-28). What did Christ tell the 12 apostles? "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5-6) Why would Matthew 24 be about the GENTILES? Matthew 24 is written to those who require a sign (Jews), those under the Law (Jews), and His audience and teaching during His earthly ministry was for the JEWS. If you want to know what Christ has to say to the Gentiles in the dispensation of grace directly, you need to read Paul's epistles. Paul was the pattern for them that would believe His gospel after him (1 Tim. 1:15-16), he was the minister of Christ for the Gentiles (Rom. 15:16), he was the apostles of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), and he was revealed the mystery of the the Jew/Gentile Body of Christ.

7.) The rapture of the Body of Christ is to HEAVEN (Phil. 3:20-21), but the rapture of the Jews in Matthew 24 is to Israel to live in the kingdom. The rapture of the Body of Christ was a "mystery" given to Paul "by the word of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:51, 1 Thes. 4:15). But the rapture of the believing Jews is found all through the Prophets (Ps. 17:15, Ezek. 36:24-35, 37:1-14, 37:21-28, Job 19:25-27, Isa. 26:19, Jer. 30:10-11, 31:10-11, 32:37-42, 33:1-18, etc.).

8.) The great tribulation is God's "wrath" on Israel (Isa. 54:8, 57:17, 60:10, Jer. 32:37), but the Body of Christ is not appointed unto God's wrath (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9).

9.) During the tribulation God opens a seal that allows the antichrist to go out deceiving people so that they will believe a lie and be damned (2 Thes. 2:8-12, Rev. 6). But we live in the dispensation of grace and the "day of salvation" where God would have all men to be saved (2 Cor. 5:14-6:2, Eph. 3:1-9, 1 Tim. 2:4).

10.) The Tribulation is the result of God's wrath on Israel for their sins (Jer. 30-33, Ezek. 36, etc.).....it is not about the church which is His body because God is not imputing our trespasses unto us (Rom. 4:6-8). God will not bring His "anger", "wrath", and "great fury" (Jer. 32:37) upon us because we have PEACE with Him (Rom. 5:1). 

So now who do you think is the "elect" in Matthew 24? Believing Jews in the Tribulation or those in the Body of Christ in the dispensation of grace?

There are many more points on why the Body of Christ will not go through the Tribulation. Most of them have to do with the doctrinal contradictions between what the Bible says about the Body of Christ such as (salvation without works and eternal security) as compared to what it says about the believers in the tribulation period.

Here are a few more reasons taken from my post on Revelation...

• A.) In the first three chapters of Revelation (Tribulation--Lord's day) we see angels associated with the churches (Rev. 1:20) but there are no angels associated with churches in this age (Col. 2:18).
• B.) In the first chapters of Revelation you have to overcome to not be hurt of the second death (which is the lake of fire--Rev. 21:18). But that is not true in this age, we have eternal security and will be saved even if we do not overcome (1 Cor. 3:15, 2 Tim. 2:11-13).
• C.) Satan's seat is on earth in the early chapters of Revelation (1:9-10, 1:13). But in this present age of grace Satan is not sitting on earth (Eph. 2:2, 6:11-12).
• D.) In the early chapters of Revelation you must overcome in order to not have your name blotted out of the book of life (3:5). But in this age you do not have to overcome, you have eternal security despite your service and faithfulness (1 Cor. 3:15, 2 Tim. 2:11-13, Rom. 8:31-39).
• E.) In the early chapters of Revelation you have to overcome to be able to sit with Christ in His throne (3:21). But in this age you are already seated with Him (Eph. 2:6), you are just waiting on the rapture of your physical body (Rom. 8:23-24, Phil. 3:20-21, Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30).
• F.) In the early chapters of Revelation Christ "cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him". But in this age Christ comes secretly in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and it is to the air/heaven, the kindreds of the earth won't know about it (Phil. 3:20-21, 1 Cor. 15:51-58, 1 Thes. 4:13-18, Col. 3:1-4).
• G.)  In the Tribulation it will matter if you are a Jew or not (Rev. 2:9, 3:9) but it does not matter in the dispensation of grace (Eph. 2-3, Col. 3:11, 1 Cor. 12:12-13, Gal. 3:26-28). Nothing that God is doing today has anything to do with the Jews specifically (Rom. 11:25).

See below verses.....

Revelation 2:
[7] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
[8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
[9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
[10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
[11] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
[12] And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
[13] I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
[14] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
[15] So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
[16] Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
[17] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.




Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
 
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

--Eli Caldwell