What is the rapture? Rapture literally means “caught up.”
When will the rapture occur? The three primary positions on the rapture are before the final tribulation that will occur as part of Christ’s Second Coming (pre-tribulation), half way between the start and end of the final tribulation, a theory sometimes attributed to Daniel (mid-tribulation), and immediately after the final tribulation or at the same time as the Second Coming (post-tribulation). A common usage of rapture is pre-tribulation.
Who developed the idea of the rapture? The rapture in general and pre-tribulation in particular is credited to John Darby and the Plymouth Brethren in the early 1800s. Before then, rapture was generally understood to refer to the general resurrection of saints. The word “rapture” does not appear in authoritative translations of Scripture. Rapture as a word originates from the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Is the rapture based on Scripture? Primary support for pre-tribulation rapture comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:17. However, Paul does not indicate that our being “caught up” is a separate and distinct event from the Second Coming. In this section of 1 Thessalonians 4 (verses 13-18), there is no mention of when this event is to occur.
Is the rapture as we know it today Biblical? No, it is not. A rapture other than the resurrection of the saints that is promised during the return of Christ is inconsistent with Jesus’ own teachings and other places in Scripture. See Matthew 24:21-31 where Jesus described the tribulation in detail, confirmed that believers will not be harmed, and that He will come again at the conclusion of the tribulation, at which time the believers shall be gathered together. Verse 31 is in direct contradiction with the rapture, and I have heard well meaning preachers entirely skip over Matthew 24 when teaching on the rapture, which is very unfortunate. God has a history of pronouncing judgment on sinful populations, protecting the righteous during the tribulation that follows, and leading the righteous into deeper communion with Him as a result (Exodus 12:1-13, Genesis chapters 6 and 7). These accounts were built upon by Christ in the New Testament, and their significance for us today cannot be isolated or ignored. See Revelation 7:13-14 where we are informed that many souls will come through the tribulation. How can this be if all of the believers have already been taken from the earth?
Does the Bible say that Jesus will return twice? No, it does not. This is a necessary component of the rapture doctrine. However, those who teach the rapture either do not deal with this problem or claim that Jesus will not touch the earth. Scripture does not tell us Jesus will return in any form twice, and whether His feet touch or not is a technicality, something Jesus taught us to avoid. And, it is extremely tragic! The idea that Jesus will be seen in the sky but not touch the earth greatly diminishes His authority and clear teaching of Scripture. When He returns, it will be in judgment, and His glory will fill the earth. Evil will not be able to stand before Him. Yet somehow He will quietly come unnoticed to “rapture” the righteous. To teach this strips Christ of the power and authority God gave Him.
Does it matter what we believe? Rapture teaches escapism. What we believe is significant because, if you knew that you were about to go through a period of testing and difficulty that was of a greater magnitude than anything you have experienced thus far in your life, you would want to prepare for it by strengthening your faith, spending time in prayer, and learning everything the Bible has to say about suffering and promise. The subtle and overlooked result of teachings on rapture is that preachers and teachers are leading us to be wholly unprepared for any kind of tribulation, let alone the final tribulation. The rapture creates a false belief that we will be removed from tribulation, when Jesus says we will go through it. If we are unprepared, we will meet certain disaster. We are told that in the last days there will be a great falling away, and no doubt those who believe in pre-tribulation rapture will be first because they were unprepared. Therefore, what you believe absolutely has eternal consequences.
Jesus promised us tribulation in our walk with Him. Whether you believe in the rapture or not and whether or not we will live to see Christ return to this earth, we will most certainly face tribulation. We must be prepared, and the only way to prepare is to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Christ. Rapture teaching has caused masses of people to let down their guard against testing and trials. The result is our beliefs are constantly being shifted to the left, largely unawares, because people are not grounded in Christ or fully prepared for the trials, testing, persecution and tribulation Jesus foretold.
This is a call to abandon all teachings on the rapture and take up our defenses against tribulation in whatever form we experience. The only way to do this is deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ.
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