Rapture from the Greek: harpazō ‘to snatch away’ – ‘to seize.’ As used today from Middle French rapture via Medieval Latin raptura, ‘seizure or kidnapping’ from the Latin raptus ‘to carry off’.
Around the world, many Christians now look for the return of Christ and the Rapture of the Saints. And while they rejoice at the prospect, the rapture is somewhat recent theology and in its current form less than two hundred years old. So we should examine this belief to determine its worth; is it really a Scriptural truth or merely a story for perilous times.
Origin and Context: a brief outline
The rapture was virtually unheard of until around 1830. It was unknown to the early Church and was not taught by the founders of the Reformed faith either. Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, and Wesley never considered a Secret Rapture of the Saints. Neither was it mentioned by the Apostles or Paul. It came from the Jesuit led Counter Reformation of the 16th Century, containing a new Scriptural interpretation of Daniel and Revelation, from which the concept of rapture became an integral part.
This novel theology of Jesuits, Ribera and Bellarmine remained largely undeveloped until the 1860’s, when it made its way into prophetic teaching, as an end of age doctrine due to the efforts of John Darby. Along with his Dispensationalism, it was given a veneer of respectability in the notes of the Oxford-Schofield Bible. But has rapture doctrine revealed any dishonesty in making its case?
The majority denominations do not embrace, nor use the term rapture in any theological sense, or adhere to Darby’s new-age theology. Those who accept the idea are typically found in American Baptists, Pentecostals, Brethren, and some Methodist, Evangelical and similar groups; yet no two churches can agree on when it might be, and no one can see a problem with this. Historically, the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed Churches have no tradition of rapture or the return of Jesus, are divided on whether He will return at all; and at variance on what form it, and rapture, might take, if any.
There is also much uncertainty regarding the rapture for many believers. For hard core adherents, their belief follows the pattern laid down by the Jesuits, which states Jesus first returns in secret to remove those deemed worthy to a place of safety. Its assumed purpose is to save the faithful from conflict and tyranny, none of which is biblically correct, or indeed, Scriptural.
And it appears evocative terms like antichrist, tribulation, saints, thief, and man of sin and falling away, can only be used to promote or dispute rapture when used out of context. For example: using antichrist and saints negates their proper meaning when used for the rapture hypothesis: antichrist describes anyone opposed to Jesus, and a saint is everyone who keeps His Faith and Commands. (Rev 14:12) The antichrist is not an individual who will cause chaos on the Earth, and a saint is not someone the Church appoints as holy. So, let’s look at the fundamental driver for belief in the rapture idea.
The basic concept is that one is deserving of the LORD’S mercy to be kept out of harm’s way: that due to one’s belief and good works; they will be saved from great peril when tribulation comes and will be ‘snatched away’ by Jesus to a place of safety. There’s just one small problem with this idea. Not only does Jesus not agree with it, He rejects it completely.
I do not pray for you to take them out of the world, but for you to keep them from evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through your truth. Thy word is truth. (John 17:15-17) In ignoring this compassionate appeal on our behalf; Rapturists, by omission, have dug themselves a waterless well. Jesus prayed that we “not be taken” out of the world, but kept from evil. Therefore, let’s put this garbage in the bin and move on to more pressing matters.
Everything to do with pre and post-millennialism et cetera is not about the Spirit it is about worldly things, and has nothing to do with our Redemption or Salvation even in the smallest way. They are man-made doctrines with the effect of placing one’s physical welfare ahead of spiritual growth; all of it based on misplaced hope and wrongful use of Scripture to deceive and confuse. It keeps us ‘in’ the world, when we are not ‘of’ the world and removes us from the LORD’S Spirit and Truth. Jesus has told us where His Kingdom is. (Luke 17:21) He has sent the Comforter as promised (John 14:16; 26; 15:26; 16:7) and lives in those who truly believe.
Now that’s out of the way, we should look at the Man of Sin. This despot is the reason given for imminent distress upon the Earth, and looking at the state we are in, I can understand why some might think it likely. The Scripture most often used to draw attention to this tyrant’s evil rule is: except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshiped; so that as God he sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. (2Thessolonians 2:3-4)
But, as Paul does not say where this temple is, we naturally assume it must be Jerusalem; and while Jerusalem has great religious meaning for many Christians, could Paul, chosen to minister to the Israel of God, be looking at another holy place, in a very different setting.
For the sinful man to oppose and exalt himself, clearly shows his belief in God, how his belief turns to sinful pride is something for us all to consider. Yet in Paul’s message here, one cannot escape its likeness to Ezekiel’s lamentation over Lucifer portrayed as the King of Tyre: thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou has corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. (Ezekiel 28:17)
Back to Thessalonians: even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved: (2Thessolonians 2:9-10)
Now, when writing to the Church at Corinth, Paul says: Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? (2Corinthians 13:5) So, here we come to the heart of the matter, he is speaking to you and me. He is talking about self-importance when we raise ourselves above God, by replacing Him with our own Gods whatever they may be: spiritual, physical or Zionist doctrine, and in doing so we abandon our first love and leave ourselves open to judgment. So we must ask ourselves: if Jesus is not in His holy place within, who is..?
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thessolonians 2:11-12)
And as Peter asks: for the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God? 1Peter 4:17)
And this is what Paul wants us to understand when writing about Lawlessness at work. It is about not loving the truth and Word of God, and the strong delusions we suffer when we change, fashion or reject it to suit our own divinity. And that sin is the same once seen in Heaven, refused of Angels and Saints and carried here by the father of lies, the sin of unbelief. When we go down that path its tragic cost will surely follow, just as the Prince of this World stalked Adam and Eve. So, let’s put legends and fancy behind us, and place our trust in the truth of the Blood and Name of Salvation: the LORD Jesus Christ…
In love and peace as always,
James