HOW AND WHY THE RAPTURE BECAME SO POPULAR
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION of one the most loved doctrines of American churches. It is a new doctrine that did not exist in the long history of the church until recent times. A minister in Ireland, Mr. Darby, was conducting a healing service when a fifteen year old teenager, named Margret MacDonald had a vision. It stated that Christ's second coming would take place in two parts. The first visit would be a secret rapture into heaven of the Godly and the rest of mankind would be left to suffer the great tribulation. Darby conducted evangelistic campaigns very successfully from 1859 to 1877 in America. However Jesus clearly stated that his second coming would NOT be done secretly.
Matthew 24:23-27 NKJV 23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 "For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect....26 "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Why would this doctrine have gained such popularity? We believe because it appeals to escapism. Later a book by Tim LaHaye, “ Left Behind” boasted this acceptance with greater popularity and spawned movies as well. However the word 'rapture' is not in the Bible but let us look at the one verse used to support this belief.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 NKJV 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The only place in the New Testament that mentions the rapture directly they say are the words 'caught up'. These words could alternately be translated in the LATIN AS RAPTUS they assert! A problem with this assertion is the NT was written in Greek.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NKJV 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,...dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
A two part second coming of Christ is not supported Biblically. The rapture is a teenage idea supported willingly by those clerics who wanted it to be true. No matter how you translate it, the church is caught up only once.
A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE RAPTURE SCRIPTURE
The portion of Paul's epistle involved is I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Apostle is encouraging the brethren with regard to those members of the congregation that have passed away and to clarify possible misinformation regarding the second coming of the Messiah.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 NKJV 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means PRECEDE those who are asleep.
The Apostle is comforting the brethren and also telling them that we ALL WILL BE REUNITED at the second coming of Jesus AND BE JOINED ALL AT ONCE. Possibly they may be a few moments ahead of us who are alive.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together ...18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The powerful Trumpet call of God will awake the world to the Messiah's return in power and then we will all be together. Paul gives further comfort.
1 Thessalonians 5:10 NKJV 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Paul was in no way discussing a two part resurrection separated by three and half years or seven depending upon various groups versions of the rapture.
THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCES OF THE RAPTURE DOCTRINE
Primarily it is faulty theology. This is never good for believers. The rapture has a large burden of proof standing against it. It lacks historical or scriptural evidence. The verses used are obscure or out of context. It has been injected into the belief system when no obvious or clear connection exist. Most of all it injects ESCAPISM into the church. The rapture is a bad idea because it promotes fear. Certainly God wants us to learn to appropriate fear of God but this doctrine promotes fear which can be used to manipulate people. It promotes fear of the Beast and no one wants to be 'left behind' to suffer the great tribulation.
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fear of the Beast can be used to push fear the opposite of love to get people into their churches which should be teaching love. The desire to escape the world could lead some into isolationism and thereby the neglecting of our mission to evangelize the world. Our goal is to reach as many as we can with the truth of the gospel as a warning and to help those God will call.
Ezekiel 33:7-9 NKJV 7 "So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman... therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 "When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand... he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
The New Testament Apostles were given a similar message to proclaim the good news of the gospel to the world and the need for repentance.
Mark 16:15-16 NKJV 15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
John 21:17 NKJV 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?...And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
Preaching the gospel to the world is important to Jesus. Further Christ does not support isolationism. He wants us to love the sinner and hate the sin. We are to hate the evil aspects of the world but not the people.
1 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
Some proponents of the rapture say that if you are a passenger on a plane and the pilots are raptured instantly to heaven you will crash and die. This doctrine supports a premise of God that is mean and petty. Never let isolationism diminish to any extent our support of the work of God outreach to all nations.
THE RESURRECTION SHOULD NOT BE CORRUPTED
This two part second coming of Jesus confuses the clear message of the dramatic return of Christ and our resurrection to glory. Our focus should be on the work of spreading the gospel to the world not on escaping; Jesus will take care of our safety.
Acts 17:6 NKJV 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
Revelation 3:10 NKJV 10 "Because you have kept My commandto persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Our resurrection and the second coming of the Messiah will be one dramatic event. We will rise into the clouds to meet the returning Jesus and then govern the world in righteousness from Zion. Do not fear the tribulation- God will take care of us probably in various ways. Persevere in promoting the gospel to the world. No one will be raptured away secretly.
