Luke 17:32, 33
32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Do these two verses contradict with the idea of being taken out seven years before Jesus' second coming?
There are, indeed, scriptures that speak contrary to the fairly modern phraseology of "a pre-tribulation rapture". But it is not the two asked about here. That is because, when Jesus addressed those two verses to his disciples (Luke 17:22), neither he nor any of his disciples had ever uttered such a phrase. And the context shows what the warning of those two verses was about.
Jesus was warning about future events, foretelling the awful destruction of Jerusalem (which happened within the generation of those who heard him). That is why his first warning, about people being destroyed as were the people in Noah's generation, due to taking no note of his warnings and ark-building, is so powerful. With that in mind, he then gave a similar warning lesson from history. This time it was when Lot and his daughters fled Sodom and area, but his wife disobeyed the warning by turning around while fleeing for their lives to look back on all the destruction. She died as a direct result, as did all those in Sodom and area.
"Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife." Luke 17:30-32 A.V.
Now comes verse 23, which is most certainly directly linked to the first warning from history - people ignoring it in Noah's day - and the second warning from history - people ignoring the latter, equally deadly warning.
"Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
This is directly linked to Jesus' words earlier on, when he put this the other way around, and in the context of his disciples being sent out to preach as sheep among wolves; of being persecuted and delivered up by strangers, relatives and friends. Jesus said:
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell... He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 10:28 & 39 A.V.
Those two related passages speak of all and any Christians being prepared to lose their physical lives for Jesus' sake, in all and every generation. Yet they will have eternal life secured unto them by what Jesus did. That is why they have no fear of what man might do to them. Persecution of Christians will reach a climax before Jesus suddenly returns to instantly usher in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment. Revelation and other texts are clear about that.
It really is only since the teachings of J.N. Darby, W. Kelly and A.P. Scofield gained ground from the 1830s on that talk of "a pre-tribulation rapture" has taken hold in some quarters. There is no need to go into any of that here, for the question only asks about two verses in Luke's gospel. Sticking purely to the verses in question and checking context, the answer indicates that neither speaks about any "pre-tribulation rapture". That being the case, it is up to those who believe this comparatively recent teaching, to explain how they might think about any contradiction, or not. My answer is that two verses which have got nothing to do with any supposed "pre-tribulation rapture" cannot contradict such a notion any more than they can support it.
No, they do not. The verses in question pertain to Israel, not the church, the body of Christ. The body of Christ "mystery" was still not yet revealed at the time of the Luke verses.
There is no doubt that the church, the body of Christ, will experience the 'catching away' into the clouds (avoiding the wrath) that Paul references below:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
The verses cited in Luke were written directly to and for Israel, not the church, the body of Christ (us today). There is nothing in scripture (prior to Paul) stating that a group would ever be caught up in heaven upon Christ's second coming. He will return to earth to establish Israel's long-awaited and promised earthly kingdom of heaven after the church, the body of Christ has been "caught up" with Him for eternity.
Notice below that the coming wrath of God will not be poured out on the church, the body of Christ (verses 4 and 9 in particular), as the church, the body of Christ is "not appointed to wrath":
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."
