In my church in the 1980’s all things end-times were a big deal. Maybe it was because the Cold War was still very much a thing and knowledge of all those missiles from the USSR pointing in our direction made the end of the world seem like a real possibility.
I still remember the imagery from a 1970’s movie with strong end-times themes called A Thief in the Night - people everywhere mysteriously disappeared, the one-world government was demanding everyone get the mark of the beast, and the world had suddenly descended into chaos. What had set off all of these events was known as the rapture. This is the belief that before Jesus, returns Christians will be secretly taken away to avoid the tribulation that will descend on the earth. The rapture would be a prominent idea in my Christian upbringing and was popularized even more through the Left Behind book series.
This last Sunday when we read Jesus letter to the church in Philadelphia there was one line in Revelation 3:10 that connected with my rapture roots; “…I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world…” There it is! Jesus has to be referencing the rapture, except as I explained on Sunday, he’s not. In fact this idea of a secret rapture of his church so they can avoid suffering is nowhere to be found in the book of Revelation.
And here’s the thing, the type of rapture that was depicted in A Thief in the Night or the Left Behind series isn’t actually anywhere in scripture and is pretty badly pieced together doctrine (teaching). Before you get upset and call Kirk Cameron on me, let me briefly share the roots of the sudden rapture doctrine and then walk through some scripture with you.
The idea of a rapture of the church so Christians can avoid a worldwide tribulation was first taught by John Nelson Darby in the mid-1800’s and later made popular by the Scofield Reference Bible published in the early 1900’s. This is why you won’t find any ancient church writings on the rapture and why it’s almost nowhere to be found outside of Western Christianity. The teaching that there will be a secret rapture of believers whisked away into heaven until Jesus returns, is a fairly new idea.
But, like a lot of bad teaching, it didn’t exactly come from nothing. There are two passages, that are often connected together, that gave rise to the idea of a secret and sudden rapture of Christians from the earth.
The first is Matthew 24:40-41. It says, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
Jesus goes on to say to keep watch, that like a thief in the night you won’t know when he will return. This certainly sounds like a type of rapture, but the question is, Who is getting taken away?
The key to understanding this passage is in the verses that precede it (you always have to read the whole thing). Matthew 24:36-39 talks about how the evil world in Noah’s time had no idea that the judgement for their sin was coming (in the form of a flood) and in a flash they were all taken away. Jesus then says, “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” Context matters and you can see with this passage that the ‘taking away’ is tied to judgment of sinners, not a saving of believers. Being left behind in this case is good! (see Luke 17:34-37, 1 Thess. 5:2-3 for more)
The other more overt passage often tied to the idea of a secret and sudden rapture is found in Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The last part that I bolded is primarily where Darby and Scofield got their rapture doctrine from. Again, context is important. What is this all about?
First, some in this church have lost loved ones (Paul says, fallen asleep) and so he wants to anchor their grief in the resurrection power of Jesus and his second coming.
Second, take note of the imagery:
· a loud command
· voice of the archangel
· trumpet call of God
This is definitely not a secret rapture but a worldwide proclamation that King Jesus has returned.
Lastly, when both the previously dead (now resurrected) believers and those who are alive meet him in the air, where do they go? They come to Earth with him. Jesus wouldn’t make that grand of an entrance and then pivot in the air and head back out. The imagery of believers meeting him in the air is that of a delegation going out to meet their king in celebration and joining him as he returns to his kingdom. This is not secret a rapture but the beginning of a very public restoration.
And that, my friends, is the hopeful message of the Gospel of Jesus. So much of New Testament scripture tells believers to expect suffering and to be ready to endure trials and persecution, we won’t be spared (or raptured) from them. But we do know that this suffering is not eternal for those who belong to Jesus. It will end when Jesus returns and sweeps away all that is evil and corrupt from the Earth and restores goodness and righteousness forever. This restoration will happen with all of creation, even us (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
And back to the writing of Revelation we see this…
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
- Revelation 21:3-4