In our recent blog survey, many of you asked me where I stand on the “rapture question.”
I suspect that those who asked (1) are new to the blog, and (2) have not yet read Jesus: A Theography.
I’ve given my answer to this question previously in a post entitled Rethinking the Second Coming of Christ. And I go into more detail in Jesus: A Theography.
In reading that post, you’ll discover that the picture painted by The Left Behind series is built on a fairly new doctrine of the second coming that originated in the 1830s.
While this theory makes great drama, you cannot find evidence for it in any Christian writer before 1830.
Furthermore, if it isn’t taught to you by someone, you’d be hard-pressed to find it in the New Testament (I’m referring to the idea that there is a two-stage coming of Jesus . . . one where He “secretly” raptures His people in the heavens and another occurring seven years later where He returns to earth.)
So this teaching is either a new revelation from God or a human invention.
Read the post to learn what I mean and don’t mean by the above.
The Untold Story Behind My “Sugar Stick” Message
Many Christians are longing for eternity in heaven after the rapture. Not only does the scripture not teach the “pre-trib rapture” it doesn’t teach rapture or eternity in heaven What is stressed is our looking for Jesus’ return and a “new heaven and earth where in dwells righteousness” as Peter says. In Revelations a new earth is stated where the New Jerusalem comes down to and God dwells with Christ and lives among his people. Believing in the pre-trib rapture doesn’t nullify your salvation but it does hinder people from pressing in to growing and getting strong in the Lord to be able to stand against hard times and persecution.
However He does it (get us to Heaven)…I hope He does it soon.
Instead of asking what is He doing about bring the Kingdom of Heaven, shouldn’t the proper question be “what are we doing to bring about the Kingdom here on earth?”
It is amazing to me with what tenacity Christians cling to the “Left Behind” rapture mentality. To believe otherwise is tantamount to herisy in many circles, yet it simply is not taught in the scriptures. As much as I would also love to go along with the hope that we won’t have to suffer, I just cannot find any verses to support that teaching. Jesus did teach us that He be with us through suffering and that our rewards will make our trials, no matter how bad, seem like momentary light affliction in comparison.
Frank, In my lifelong research and Biblical training, I have never found a “third coming” in any of my bible library. It is desirable for a person to believe we Christians would be taken out of this messy and corrupt world prior to a tribulation. But it is as unlikely that would happen any more than the early church christians being spared the Roman circus of unimagined cruelty. If God didn’t take them in a “rapture”, then why would he take us?
My Bible tells me that going through pain, problems, issues and cruelty is supposed to happen to all Christians. We are to grow through the messy journey of life, including all the pain that comes with it.
I once heard it said, “life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, clown nose on, chocolate in hand and a body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming—-WA HOO, WHAT A RIDE”!
Thomas…
That is hilarious.