Posted on 07/31/2014 8:11:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
"This doctrine is not really found in the book of Revelation. If you read the book of Revelation, you won't find any mention of the rapture there," said William Craig, a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University.
Instead, Craig says, the idea of the rapture comes from a "misinterpretation of 1 and 2 Thessalonians where Paul is describing the coming of the Lord and resurrection of the dead, which will occur at His coming."
"If you compare what Paul says there to what Jesus says about the End Times, Paul uses the same vocabulary, the same phraseology. I think it's very plausible that Paul is talking about the same event that Jesus predicted, namely the visible coming of the Son of Man at the end of human history to usher in his kingdom," said Craig. "But proponents of the rapture view, say that Paul is not at all talking about the second coming of the Christ there. What he's really talking about is this invisible preliminary secret return of Christ to snatch believers out of the world before the great tribulation occurs. I think there's no textual warrant for that at all."
According to Craig, the rapture became a popular theory about the End Times due to the influence of the Scofield Reference Bible, which was published in the early 20th century and promulgated John Darby's mid-18th century's views on the rapture. Later, Christian institutions, among them Dallas Theological Seminary, and churches began teaching the validity of the rapture.
"A good many Bible-believing Christians absorbed this view as their mother's milk as it were and have never thought to question its Biblical credentials," said Craig.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianpost.com ...
I wonder if Jesus Christ will also be kept hidden in the background in the actual movie.
I wonder if Jesus Christ will also be kept hidden in the background in the actual movie.
The early original Christian church, as well as the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican Communion and many Protestant Calvinist denominations, have no tradition of a preliminary return of Christ and reject the doctrine.
John Nelson Darby first proposed and popularized the pre-tribulation rapture in 1827
LOL...I was speaking with a 'street preacher' back in the mid-eighties who informed me that the rapture had already happened, but so few were found worthy that no one took notice. I left the obvious question alone...
Taking up the cross has much meaning.
Actually, the Bible is INTENTIONALLY non specific. Nobody knows the DATE or TIME of Christ’s return.
See why there’s an argument now among reasonable believers?
Read the preceding verses of those who are before the throne and what happened to them.
I share that view. If the pre-tribbers are right; then I leave a little earlier than expected. But if I am right; the faith of many pre-tribbers will be shaken when they find themselves unprepared for tribulation.
Do a total study of all the end time prophecies and consider that the meeting in the air may be the final meeting before the destruction of this physical universe and then the creation of the New Heaven/Earth where we live happily ever after. Don’t cherry pick verses.
My point regarding Rev. 20:4 is that these are Christians who obviously co-existed with the Beast, in the Tribulation, at least until the Beast beheaded them.
I always figured that there are some conversions that are going to occur during the tribulation.
To me, if you are giving Satan every possible advantage in the end times, you rapture up the faithful, and leave no saved Christians left on Earth.
Then it begins, the rapture will likely be an “oops” moment for a lot of folks, and there will be more Christians flipping all the way up until the end. In fact, the tighter the squeeze Satan puts on toward the end, the more believers there are likely to be.
It’s a good theory. I have zero to base it on, Biblically.
“So would the rest of the people notice 1-2 people going missing..?”
I guess at least some of the folks who believe in the rapture also believe that all babies will be taken, so I guess it would be a pretty noticeable thing world-wide according to them.
Freegards
ROFL :)
So.....Bible Only Christians believe in something that’s not really in the Bible? Well, I’ll be....
Similar here, though I disagree with you on the nature of eternal damnation.
One thing to add here is I think the pretrib focus is largely an American/British phenomena, largely because its easy to believe. Who doesn’t want donuts and a seminar on our coming great escape? But go to Iraq or Iran and see if you can find folks who think Christians will be spared from the persecutions of of the antichrist. And such persecutions are not God’s wrath. Remember Israel in Egypt was oppressed as well, but never suffered under the 10 plagues, which were God’s wrath on unbelievers then. So there is no argument that we must be evacuated before His return in the clouds, as He promised, for He will never subject us to His wrath, who are in Christ, though all the worlds grows dark around us, in Him we will always have our light, no matter where we are.
I have seen, studied and heard both doctrines preached. I am of the opinion when the Lord comes it’s done. I have seen congregations and friendships destroyed over this which is sad.
The differences are not worth arguing or fighting about and distracts from the real mission of Christians spreading the Word and seeing souls saved. The main thing repent and get saved, either way it plays out your good.
“The Rapture is definitely a Biblical doctrine, unless we want to discard or allegorize away what is clearly a literal teaching.”
Examples of those already literally caught away in the air:
1. Enoch
2. Elijah
3. Jesus Christ Himself
“Do a total study of all the end time prophecies and consider that the meeting in the air may be the final meeting before the destruction of this physical universe and then the creation of the New Heaven/Earth where we live happily ever after”
That would involve the return of Christ to earth on the Mount of Olives “with ten thousand of his saints”. The meeting of the saints in the air is not even mentioned there in scripture. And it wouldn’t be, since it’s a different event that will already have happened.
“I’ve read many a theoretical prophetic timeline. Even H.W. Armstrong’s back in the 1960s. Lots of opinions, presented as absolute certainty.”
I just stick with the one in the Bible, that the only certainty I need.
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