A
little history about the doctrine of the Rapture. (Note that this is not a theology paper; this is an article
about following God.)
First,
the term "rapture" does not appear in scripture. The general idea is there (specifically in 1
Thessalonians 4:17), but it is not the same concept that is taught today called
“The Rapture.” It has nothing to do with the “Left Behind” books’ theology!
Much
of our concept of The Rapture comes from Cotton Mather, the 17th century Puritan, and master of the Salem Witch Trials. It gained traction in the
teaching of John Nelson Darby in the 1830s, just after he left his
denomination, the Church
of Ireland; some historians report that he used this sensational new teaching to garner more speaking engagements (a practice that continues today) . Contemporary church leaders, including Charles Spurgeon, rejected Darby’s
teaching. But he wrote a translation of the Bible and started a minor
denomination, so people take him seriously.

Having said all that, it does appear that some points about the Rapture could do with being emphasized:
* The big point in Scripture is that believers who die before
Jesus returns will not be separated from Him. The Resurrection of the dead is
for real. This is the main scriptural teaching about “The Rapture.”
*
The idea of being caught up with Jesus seems worth pursuing,
even today. A number of contemporary prophets (and many believers) encourage
pursuing the experience, though not in a physical sense, rather in terms of
what might be called “day trips to Heaven.” This sounds like a great use of our
time. “I believe in the Rapture,” says Bob Jones. “I do it every day!”
*
The Bible - and therefore the earliest apostolic doctrine - carefully avoids clear teaching on the subject,
which should be a clue to us. Moreover, Jesus clearly said (Acts 1:7) that
figuring out the details of the end times was a distraction of the real work
that he has set before us (Acts 1:8). It could be reasonably concluded that end
times theology (including the Rapture) is largely a distraction from our actual
assignment: a theological time-waster.
* The current teaching of the Rapture (The Left Behind version) is completely contrary
to God’s ways: it’s taught as an escape from persecution, sneaking out the back
door before a season of tribulation starts. God has never demonstrated the
value of keeping some favored people from having to deal with difficult times,
while letting other, less-favored people suffer from them. The idea of removing
the only people who can bring comfort to afflicted people is not in him. If
anything, he has historically sent his people into the midst of the trouble in
order to be light in the darkness. Therefore, it is more likely that he would
send his people into the midst of the tribulation. (See 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 and 1 Thessalonians 2:2.)
There
are two clear action points that I can see, when thinking about the Rapture.
1.
God has apparently not intended that we understand the
details about the end of the world. It would be wise, therefore, for me not to
focus on what he is not focusing on.
2.
It will be a much better use of my time either working to
prevent trying times, or preparing people to cope with trying times, rather
than teaching people to expect a “Get Out of Tribulation Free” card.
Our
job is “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” At
least within our sphere of influence.
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