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The Rapture – Indisputable Christian Heresy
Preachers Institute ^ | 04-10-2010 | Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris

Posted on 07/27/2016 8:46:41 PM PDT by NRx

By Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris

In this brief article, Fr. Anthony expresses with clarity the truth of the false teaching known as the “Rapture” and how much it distorts the teachings of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.

As I was driving one day I encountered a bumper sticker admonishing me:

“WARNING! In the event of Rapture, this car will be driverless.”

The strange belief in the Rapture teaches that some day (sooner rather than later), without warning, born-again Christians will begin to float up from the freeway, abandoned vehicles careening wildly. There will be airliners in the sky suddenly with no one at the controls! Presumably, God is removing these favored ones from earth to spare them the tribulation of the Anti-Christ which the rest of us will have to endure.

Unfortunately the Rapture has been promoted widely by the Left Behind series of books that have sold over 70 million copies.

The Rapture represents a radical misinterpretation of Scripture. I remember watching “Sixty Minutes”a year ago and was appalled to hear the announcer say that “the Rapture is an unmistakenly Christian doctrine”. It is not!

It is a serious distortion of Scripture.

It is astonishing that a belief so contrary to Scripture and the tradition of the Church could be propagated by so-called “Christians”.

According to the Bible and according to the belief not only of Orthodox Christians but also of the Roman Catholic and most Protestant mainline churches, the true Rapture will not be secret; it will be the great and very visible Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world. That is the one and only “Rapture”. It will not be a separate, secret event but one that every eye shall see (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

The word rapture is not found in Scripture but hearkens to 1 Thess. 4:17 where St. Paul says that when the Lord comes again

“we who are alive…shall be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

This “being caught up…in the clouds”—arpagisometha in Greek, is translated by some as “raptured”. The word itself is not found in Orthodox theology.

The notion of a rapture in which Christ comes unseen to take believers away secretly, and only later comes back again for everyone else publicly—this whole teaching is quite novel. It was almost unheard of until John Nelson Darby formulated it in the 1800s as part of a new approach to the Bible, sometimes called “dispensationalism”.

The purpose of the “Rapture” is to protect the elect from the tribulations of the end times. Yet Jesus said nothing about sparing anyone from tribulation. In fact, He said,

“In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”

Nowhere did Jesus ever say that He would return secretly to rapture the elect. Rather, He promised to be with His elect in all tribulations.

“Lo, I am with you always. I will never leave you or forsake you.”

He even had something good to say about being persecuted:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10).

Those who espouse the Rapture claim that Matthew 24:40-41 refers clearly to the rapture of the just,

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

The entire passage, however, refers to Christ’s second coming where He will judge the living and the dead and separate the just from the unjust.

Darby taught as dogma that when the Scriptures reveal that the Lord will reign on earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4), this figure is to be taken literally, rather than as a symbol for eternity as we believe. The Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 condemned as heresy this teaching which is called chialiasmos (millenianism or 1000 years).

In fact, the Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787 A.D.) in which the essential truths of the Christian faith were defined never mention a rapture. Yet evangelical Christians and Pentecostals keep using obscure passages of the book of Revelation which purport to give a detailed timetable of what will happen at the end of the world, despite the fact that Jesus Himself warned that no man knows either the day or the hour when the Son of Man shall return.

A major problem with the Rapture is that it ends up teaching not two but three comings of Jesus—first His birth in Bethlehem; second, His secret coming to snatch away (rapture) the “born-again”; and third, His coming at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead and to reign in glory. Yet only two not three comings of Christ are mentioned in the Bible. We have the clearest definition of this in the Nicene Creed when we confess that

“the Lord Jesus Christ…will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. His Kingdom will have no end…. I expect the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the ages to come.”

There is no mention of a “Rapture”.

As already stated, most Christians, Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants do not believe in the Rapture. In fact, one Protestant pastor, John L. Bray, summarized magnificently what we Orthodox and most other Christians believe about the Rapture when he wrote these remarkable words,

Though many believe and teach this “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” theory, they erroneously do so, because neither Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, nor any of the other writers of the Bible taught this. Nor did the early church fathers, nor any others for many hundreds of years…. Did you know that NONE of this was ever taught prior to 1812, and that all forms of Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching were developed since that date? …. If I were to preach something, or believe something, supposedly from the Bible, but cannot find that ANYONE ELSE before 1812 ever believed it or taught it, I would seriously question that it is based on the Bible.

Thus the Rapture is foreign to the Bible and to the living tradition of the Church. It is what we call a heresy, a false teaching. False teachings, such as this, happen when people—like John Darby—believe that they have the right to interpret the Scriptures individually apart from the Living Body of Christ—the Church—where the Spirit of Truth abides and leads us to all truth.

I can think of no better words to conclude than those of Jesus when He speaks of the one and only “Rapture”, the Second Coming:

“Be on guard. Be alert! You do not know when that time will come…keep watch…if he comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37).



TOPICS: Apologetics; Orthodox Christian; Theology
KEYWORDS: endtimes; posttrib; pretrib; prophecy; rapture
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To: Ransomed

Can’t eat gold; or wipe yer butt with it.


341 posted on 07/29/2016 1:43:19 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: editor-surveyor

Where you try to say he said we can’t, he told us the exact appointed time: The Day of Trumpets, a date found only in the Biblical calendar.

 

Matthew 24:36  "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

 
Matthew 25:13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
 
 
 
What am I missing?

342 posted on 07/29/2016 1:47:50 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ShadowAce
No, He did not.

See above...^

343 posted on 07/29/2016 1:48:40 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Talisker
Poor Elsie, so full of hatred and vigor

Still at it; ain't ya.

Making accusations and providing NO evidence.

You've watched Hillary for FAR too long!

344 posted on 07/29/2016 1:51:26 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

Well, the rapture site I happened to go to mentioned gold, as underground trade item so you wouldn’t have to take the sign of the beast. I agree that it would probably be worthless.

I don’t know if it is legit, it came up first on search.

https://www.raptureready.com/rr-survival-guide.html

Medicine and food, probably worth something.

Freegards


345 posted on 07/29/2016 1:52:11 PM PDT by Ransomed
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To: Talisker
You are a child, Elsie. A very, very angry child...

dang!

And I SO much wanted to be a JUDGE.

346 posted on 07/29/2016 1:53:17 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Talisker
Who are you to judge it?

HMMMmmm...

347 posted on 07/29/2016 1:54:23 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: castlegreyskull

It’s a simple reading of the passages....the sealed 144000 appear then boom uncounted multitudes are saved from the beast system....yes the 144000 have a special song that no one knows but God and them them...but hey..God does what God does!


348 posted on 07/29/2016 3:20:08 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (BEWARE THE ABORTION POLITICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!)
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To: mdmathis6

That is how I read it. The people left behind will get help. 144,000 witness can possibly save billions.


349 posted on 07/29/2016 3:27:03 PM PDT by castlegreyskull
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To: Elsie
I SO much wanted to be a JUDGE.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. - Matthew 7:1-2

Your mockery betrays your truth - and it isn't Christian.

350 posted on 07/29/2016 3:36:52 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Talisker

Now I need to study that line of scripture. It is speaking to me, but I don’t yet know what I am to learn from it. Thanks.


351 posted on 07/29/2016 3:41:56 PM PDT by tioga
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To: Talisker

You are clueless ... and your assumptions regarding LC are typical. HE is not angry and as far as I know hates nobody. We put up with foolishness like yours because of Agape for those perishing.


352 posted on 07/29/2016 3:53:57 PM PDT by MHGinTN
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To: castlegreyskull

The two witnesses are there as well...Spiritual Samsons so equipped by God that they can hold the world hostage and even the Beast has no power over them for a time. I’m thinking something is going on that when the Witnesses are finally killed, it is a feint designed by God!


353 posted on 07/29/2016 4:17:12 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (BEWARE THE ABORTION POLITICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!)
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To: Talisker; Elsie

As you are not a Christian I certainly wouldn’t trust your use of this (or any scripture as you deny that the Holy Spirit is an ally or even his existence) scripture in this context. The key to understanding the first sentence is the second modifying sentence. If you do judge, be sure to be in a moral spiritual position where your own judgments can’t be used against you!

We have to make judgments in this life, lest we constantly be taken advantage of; but if I say “your adultery is wrong, please you must repent”, but I’ve got a stash of dirty books then my judgments will be used by God against me...capiche? A child should be able to understand the concept, “for the kingdom of heaven is of such as these”!


354 posted on 07/29/2016 4:30:12 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (BEWARE THE ABORTION POLITICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!)
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To: Elsie

You’re missing almost all of it.

Watching for the new moon of the 7th month was already an ancient tradition by the time Yeshua was born.

The appearance of the moon was an unpredictable event, due to the fact that the weather also played into its visibility, which could cause a day of delay.

Yom Teruah is the only feast that occurs on the new moon, thus the traditional phrase regarding it: “No man knows the day nor the hour.”

Yeshua was telling his disciples exactly which feast would mark his coming for them “in the spirit.”


355 posted on 07/29/2016 4:42:26 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: tioga

Read the verses from 1-6 to see the fuller context. You see the reference to getting the ‘beam out your own eye” so you can see clearly enough to get the speck out of your brother’s eye”... What it is saying is that if you want to help people live moral lives(yes sometimes ‘judging” them) you must be spotless enough that your example and advice will make a difference to them who are less then stellar!


356 posted on 07/29/2016 4:48:57 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (BEWARE THE ABORTION POLITICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!)
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To: editor-surveyor
Make sure you're wearing your black tennis shoes:


357 posted on 07/29/2016 5:39:28 PM PDT by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome.)
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To: mdmathis6
As you are not a Christian I certainly wouldn’t trust your use of this (or any scripture as you deny that the Holy Spirit is an ally or even his existence) scripture in this context. The key to understanding the first sentence is the second modifying sentence. If you do judge, be sure to be in a moral spiritual position where your own judgments can’t be used against you!

We have to make judgments in this life, lest we constantly be taken advantage of; but if I say “your adultery is wrong, please you must repent”, but I’ve got a stash of dirty books then my judgments will be used by God against me...capiche? A child should be able to understand the concept, “for the kingdom of heaven is of such as these”!

I say I am a Christian.

358 posted on 07/29/2016 5:43:32 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Talisker

It’s not what you’ve said about your self in the past. Still Matthew 7:1-2 mean nothing without reference to verses 3 thru 5


359 posted on 07/29/2016 5:58:10 PM PDT by mdmathis6 (BEWARE THE ABORTION POLITICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!)
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To: mdmathis6
It’s not what you’ve said about your self in the past.

...you deny that the Holy Spirit is an ally or even his existence...

Nonsense. I fully accept the Holy Spirit, and never denied being a Christian

You are a bald-faced, satanic liar. Get thee behind me, pig.

360 posted on 07/29/2016 6:00:04 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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