About 'the Rapture...'

Perhaps the strangest doctrine that Christians have is that at some point dead people and believers who are alive will instantaneously disappear from earth and go to Heaven.  Many are walking away from the idea of a 'rapture.'  So we can be in line with what the scriptures teach, let's examine the case for a 'raptured church.'

Why?

Firstly, what's the reason for the sudden disappearance of the believers from the earth?  There are two sides to this coin.  One side is that this is the Resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15).  The other side to the coin is that the time of the gentiles is over (Rom ch 9-11) and God turns His attention back to Israel.  The gentiles were only ever a grafted in branch into the covenant God has made with Israel. Because they rejected Jesus, God rejected them.  Gentiles don't become Jews or even 'Israel.'  Both Jews and Gentiles become a new man in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).  God has to take those in Christ from the earth to allow the last period of time of history to have Israel bow the knee to Messiah.  And they do.

Re-popularisation of the Rapture

In 1830 John Nelson Darby and others re-popularised the doctrine of the raptured church.  Darby was way off on many things and probably said some strange things about the rapture.  Today people include the rapture as a false teaching just because Darby taught about it.  One reason this became popular in the 1800's was because many believed Jesus return would be in the 7th Millennium since creation.  2000 would place the church in the 7th Millennium and the Zionist movement was going strong around 1830 which pushed for an actual state of Israel.  For believers, in history much of the scriptures made no sense so the sniff of an actual state of Israel was exciting.  For the first time the Prophets and Apostles were possibly making sense... so believers looked more closely at the end time scriptures.  Thus the rapture doctrine was made front page news again.  Rather than inventing it, it was simply made popular by many and Darby was blamed as the 'culprit.'  By stating this in NO WAY makes me a Darby supporter.  He has so many doctrinal errors it would be a separate document to discuss.   I'm simply saying Darby didn't invent the doctrine.  Let's move on to those who came before Darby and were at 'ground zero,' then others throughout history writing about the rapture.

The Early Church Fathers and the 'rapture.'

If  Darby 'invented the rapture' then what on earth were the Early Church Fathers talking about?

Irenaeus 130Ad- 202Ad
from 'Against Heresies' 5.29

“Those nations however, who did not of themselves raise up their eyes unto heaven, nor returned thanks to their Maker, nor wished to behold the light of truth, but who were like blind mice concealed in the depths of ignorance, the word justly reckons “as waste water from a sink, and as the turning-weight of a balance — in fact, as nothing;”(1) so far useful and serviceable to the just, as stubble conduces towards the growth of the wheat, and its straw, by means of combustion, serves for working gold. And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.”

Cyprian 200 Ad - 258 Ad
 Treatises of Cyprian

“We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent? Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom.”

Ephraim the Syrian 306Ad-372Ad
On last times

Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!” 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. And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord. 

Add to these heavyweights the Shepherd of Hermas (140 Ad), Brother Dolcimo (1240), Thomas Collier (d 1691) and John Askill (1700) who was sent to prison for his book on the rapture.  We also consider Morgan Edwards as directly preceding Darby in his assertion of the rapture.  We must also include Paul and the Apostles in this regard as they believed it could happen at any time.  


What does 'rapture' mean?

The word comes from the Latin translation (rapio) of the Greek word 'harpazo.'  This means to snatch away and is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  Phillip was snatched away in Acts 8:39.  So was Paul in 2 Cor 12:2 and 4.  Also Jesus Rev 12:5, Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9.  Jesus also asserts no-one can 'harpazo' believers out of his hand in John 10:28-29).  So it is an entirely biblical concept to be 'snatched away.'

Old Testament

Can there be any other way to discern a 'rapture' event other than the enormous examples of Enoch and Elijah in the Old Testament?  Isaiah thinks so!  In 26:19 we are told two things, our bodies shall live, but will also rise!  The earth 'casts out' the dead!  Does Zeph 2:3 hint at being sheltered from the tribulation?  If so, how?  Psalm 27:5 is similar.  How does God hide people from a global tribulation if He doesn't 'snatch them away?'  Also check out Psalm 57:1, Psalm 83:1-3, Job 14:13, Isaiah 57:1. What do these passages mean?

Job 19:25-27, 1 Cor Ch 15 and 1 John 3:2 all speak of the Resurrection and include information on receiving a new body that is incorruptible.   If there is a resurrection, how does this happen without a removal of the person?  The resurrected believer will rule and reign on earth with Christ... if this is the case then Jesus returns to Earth to rule and reign at the resurrection.  Many believe this.  However, to believe this you have to take scissors and cut out most of the Prophets for they speak of a time of tribulation and restoration of Israel before the Lord's return.  We have to discard Jesus' words on the Olivet Discourse!  We have to discard Daniel 9 and his 70th week.  We have to deny that the Apostles were waiting for the Lords return imminently (Phil 3:20, Titus 2:13, Heb 9:28, Rev 22:20, 1 Thess 1:10; 4:18; 5:6).  If you want to turn a blind eye to the Prophets and Apostles you also have to discard Peters urge to regard them for 'wholesome thinking.'

New Testament

The clearest possible example we have comes from Jesus.  In John 14 we find Him telling the disciples what was going to happen.  Jesus is going to his Fathers house which must be Heaven. There are 'many rooms' in His Fathers house.  Jesus is describing a Jewish wedding where the groom goes away to build an extension on his fathers house.  He then returns and takes the bride to be where he is.  Jesus tells the disciples he is going the heaven to prepare a place for each believer.     He will then come to take them where he is... in heaven.   This is problematic for those who struggle with the rapture.  As we presently stand in history, no-one can deny Jesus is in heaven on His Fathers Throne. So half this has been fulfilled... "I am going to prepare a place for you...."  Next is the...' I will come to take you (His Bride) to be where He is.... heaven.  This explicit rapture reference cannot be explained away.  Paul told the Thessalonians clearly that we are snatched away.   He also told Timothy to be vigilant in view of his appearing (the rapture) and his Kingdom (the millennial reign).

Rapture Deniers

Rapture deniers simply allow their rational minds to walk away from clear doctrine, especially in our age where to be seen to believe irrational things is a detriment to intelligence.  Let's not forget that to be a Christian, you believe a dead man came alive again!  As we continue to see every human being die, that is FAR more weird than the rapture!  Some Christians who have been involved in churches that have taught real heresy struggle to believe the rapture.  This is because they develop a 'won't fall for that one again' mentality.  I can understand this.  However, babies and bathwater are strewn in order to not 'swallow and follow' everything.   As strange as it seems the harpazo, 'rapture,' is a clear teaching from scripture and through history was written about.

The end is soon

Jesus comes 'like a thief in the night' only to those who aren't watching for the signs of the end.  The signs are in place and this time is the only time we can truly speculate that, 'all the ducks are in a row.'  Israel has its land, Jews are streaming back.  This has never been the case until recent times.  We are in the final millennium and we can see the churches in Revelation 3 all exist today.  The falling away is taking place and the spirit of Antichrist is evident all around us.  Those who lived before us as believers couldn't make sense of the Prophets but now we can see clearly the order of events.

Make sure you are truly born of the Spirit (John 3) and truly in Christ.  He will come and snatch you away as the scriptures tell us so clearly.

Gary Ward.