The Rapture?

The Rapture[1] is defined as the gathering together of all Christians on earth at the time of the return of Jesus Christ.   Belief in the rapture as a prophesied future event is found primarily  among “Protestant” groups[2].   However, one only has to look at the word and seek to look up the word “Rapture” in the scripture and you will find NO SUCH TERM. The reason why is because it is an English word derived from the Latin word rapio which means "caught up" or “snatch” and is found in the Vulgate rendering of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – NOT THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE (Greek).  But – one may argue,  “That’s what RAPTURE means! What difference does it make if it is Latin, Greek, or English?”  The answer to that question,  is that it makes a big difference when you look at what men promote this to say. 

Regarding the “rapture”, 1 Thess.4:17 is our first text in question. In vs.13 the subject of Paul’s statement that leads down to vs.15-17. “..we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.”  

• What’s my hope if I die before the Lord comes again?
• What’s my hope if I’m alive when the Lord does come again

In vs.14-16 we learn that those who have passed on before the Lord returns, the “dead in Christ shall rise first,”   before those who are still alive are called. Now the question remains, “What about those who are alive when the Lord comes again?  The answer is in vs.17, 18.  Paul states, “we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  Someone might say, “But doesn’t this teach the Rapture? See it says that they were CAUGHT UP!”   Answer – yes, it does. Yet, from the definition that you see from the context of the passage,  Paul is simply answering the question that plagues us all who believe, about what is going to happen when the Lord returns. 

• IF we’re dead – what happens? 
• If we’re still alive – what happens? 

It says NOTHING about a "Rapture" as it is commonly taught, a 1000 yr. reign, Antichrist, people being left behind, or anything else.  So, someone might say, “Well this is only one passage! There are other passages that confirm the Rapture, a 1000 yr. reign, and THE Antichrist.”  Look at 2 Thess.2:1-12!     Again, let’s observe the context. Paul’s writing here is concerning the coming of Christ and our “gathering [3]” to Him.  His statement is respecting this and "the gathering of the saints." Whatever that time is, Paul is wanting to make sure that they are not shaken in their faith, or troubled (vs.2,3). He reminds them of things that he told them while he was with them…

1. That whatever the time being referred to is, it is pertinent to the believers at that time as vs.2 states whatever this was, it was “just at hand”
2. A “falling away” is going to happen, a defection from the truth. People would abandon their faith. (This is why he is writing to them, so that they won’t be shaken by these things and so too abandon their faith.)
3. He states that at that time “the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”  Let’s notice some things from the context about this “man of sin [4]”

•  “he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God”
•  “or that is worshipped;”
• “so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.”

One of the first things that we have a tendency to do is automatically ASSUME things that are not in the passage. For instance, some say that this is talking about the Pope. Others believe it is Hitler. In our own time, some have said that it was Sadaam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. But please note, that the person is NOT NAMED!  Without another biblical passage to tell us who this is, it literally could be Santa Claus!  So, to start saying that this is so and so, is a dangerous thing to do because it immediately takes the statement out of the original context of the passage. What then is important in the passage? Paul’s warning that lawlessness or sin by any other definition is already at work even as HE is writing this.  Who is this “lawless one?” Again, people like to jump to conclusions. Let’s let Paul tell us more.

Whoever this is will be revealed when the Lord comes. Lawless or not, this will occur![5] In vs.4 Paul first begins with an individual. Being lawless, whoever this is, their work is the work of Satan and not God. Whoever it is has no interest in God or anything that God stands for. In vs.5-7 there are several things to note.

• In vs. 5 Paul writes, “when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”
• In vs.6 Paul says “he might be revealed in his time.” 
• In vs.7 he states, “the mystery of iniquity doth already work…” 

This indicates that Paul was writing about something taking place in HIS time.  Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus also known as Caligula ("little boots") attempted to desecrate the Temple. Everywhere else in the Roman Empire subjugated peoples had been forced to conform to the cult of Rome and acknowledge not only Caesar as Lord but also fall into line by adopting the Roman pantheon of gods. Caligula [6] gave an order to set up his statue in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Notice now in vs.9 he references “he” but in vs.10 he switches to “they.”  Could it be that Paul is not referring to one particular person, but a GROUP or Classification of people?  Let’s read further.

• Whoever he-they are, they do not receive the truth or have desire to be saved from lawlessness or sin. (vs.10). This follows because their deeds are lawless and their work or deeds are after Satan and not God.
• God hands “them” over to their error. If they do not wish his salvation, then he allows THEM to pursue their lawlessness without restraint. In the end, THEY will be judged because they refused to believe the truth and took pleasure in their evil. (vs.11,12)

NO Rapture, No Millenium, No hype --  the truth. Let it speak for itself. It will state volumes and set you free!

Jim

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Reference Notes

[1]  Ephraem of Nisibis, in 373 AD preached in the only  known sermon of that time that, "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."  This teaching was not heard of prior to this, nor was it taught in any circles of the apostles.  Fourteen Hundred  years after Ephraem, there was  an allusion to the Rapture in a book written in 1788 by a Catholic priest named Emmanuel Lacunza and published in Spain in 1812.  John Darby, a Brethren preacher, taught the Rapture doctrine in 1827.  The evangelist, William Blackstone popularized Rapture doctrine in his best seller, "Jesus is Coming."  The Rapture doctrine entered mainstream Christianity with its inclusion in the Scofield Reference Bible.  There is no real history to the Rapture doctrine until the 1800's. The doctrine of the Rapture was not heard of again until the Protestant Reformation and the rise of Dispensationalism.  In fact, some people believe that the Rapture doctrine was developed to help alleviate some the the problems associated with Dispensationalism, specifically the belief that God deals with Israel and Christians in different ways.

[2]  David B. Currie, Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind:  "the belief system of rapturists allows them to take a certain comfort in the face of evil. For when things really deteriorate into chaos, they expect to be  safely tucked away in Heaven. There is a problem with this approach to life, however. It may comfort the person witnessing suffering, but it does absolutely nothing positive for the person experiencing the suffering. This theology is appealing only as long as the pain is someone else's…Quite simply, the rapturist system contains no Cross."  He also points out that rapturists largely (if not completely) ignore the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., an event so significant that to ignore it is to guarantee incorrect interpretations of vital Scripture passages. "These rapturists refuse to even consider the events of 70 A.D. as a key to understanding any prophecies of the Bible because the events themselves are not enumerated in Scripture," Currie points out. "It is almost as though these events did not even occur. Therefore, they are left grasping for a still-future fulfillment." Another observer notes, "The Rapture relieves humans of thinking about more than themselves.   If one does some particular thing (a good work, something opposed to Martin Luther's thinking) like believing a particular thing, that person will be swept harmlessly away from all difficulty.

[3]  “GATHERING” - Only here and Heb.10:25. The verb episunagōgē  is used, as the noun here.

[4] In Paul’s own time, Caligula. The Emperor of Rome claimed to be God.  The deification of the Roman emperor is evidenced in a coin of Julius with “theos” on one side and “Thessalonikeōn” on the other.  It is not clear that Paul has in mind only one individual or even individuals at all rather than evil principles and influences.  2Thess.2:6 speaks of “that which restraineth” while vs. 7 it is “the one that restraineth.”

[5] Romans 14:11, “every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God.”

[6] Now Caius Caesar did so grossly abuse the fortune he had arrived at, as to take himself to be a god, and to desire to be so called also, and to cut off those of the greatest nobility out of his country. He also extended his impiety as far as the Jews. Accordingly he sent Petronius with an army to Jerusalem to place his statues in the temple, and commanded him that, in case the Jews would not admit of them, he should slay those that opposed it, and carry all the rest into captivity. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities, 15, 403 ff.