What About The Rapture?

“In Case of Rapture This Car Will No Longer Have a Driver.” So reads the bumper sticker. The owner of the car obviously believed in a “secret rapture”, the doctrine so popular with dispensationalists today. This doctrine holds that Christ will return and secretly take the Christians away with Him for seven years while the sinners left on earth suffer “great tribulation.” Then Christ will return, they believe, and live on earth for 1,000 years before the unbelieving dead are raised to judgment.

Christ’s coming is one of the clearest and most emphatic doctrines in the New Testament. It is the “blessed hope” of the redeemed, and that which gives incentive to faithfulness, patience and labor. But the “secret rapture” doctrine which puzzles many is largely based on human speculation rather than Scripture.

NO SECRET. While the term “rapture” is not found in Scripture, it refers to the coming of Christ when all the saved, both living and the resurrected, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thess. 4:16–17). Certainly there is nothing secret indicated here. There will be the Divine shout, the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. Whatever these are supposed to indicate, whether natural or spiritual, they certainly indicate a noisy event, supernaturally announced.

Men will actually see Him come. “Behold He comes with clouds and every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1:7, Acts 1:11). Eyes of love, eyes of hate, eyes of anticipation and eyes of fear, eyes of sorrow and eyes of joy — every eye will see him come. “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:27).

Many churches are showing movies and film strips which depict people awaking one day to find that members of the family and other citizens have mysteriously disappeared. But no such picture is depicted in Scripture.

A THIRD COMING? Those who hold to the secret rapture refer to either a third coming or a second stage of His coming. Can there be 2 stages to His coming?

Jesus taught that Christians and un-believers, described as the “wheat and tares” would not be separated until the end of the age. It is His design that “both grow together until the harvest” (Matt 13:30). He explained: “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels”, carefully pointing out that the unsaved will be burned with fire, and “then” the saved “shine forth in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt 13:43). According to the two-stage theory both would NOT grow together until the end of the world, and the wicked would not be burned until one thousand and seven years after the harvest!

Peter taught in Acts 3:19–23 that the heavens must receive Christ “until the time of restoration of all things.” This restoration, according to Peter’s letter (II Peter 3:7–13) includes a “new heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness”, the first earth having been destroyed by a fire which melts even the elements (II Peter 3:10). This speaks of only one coming, at which time history is consummated.

The “rapture” of I Thess. 4 and the resurrection mentioned in other places is one and the same thing. Jesus said, “For the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29). In the next chapter Jesus taught that those who believe on him will have everlasting life “and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40, 44 etc.). Evidently the “rapture” is at the end of the world, with no time periods to follow.

ALL come forth at his voice, ALL come forth at the second coming (I Thess. 4:16–17, I Cor. 15:52, 11:15–18).

LIKE A THIEF. Several passages of Scripture mention Christ coming “as a thief in the night”, but the context shows that this refers to his coming unannounced when the world is not expecting him. “If the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched…therefore be you also ready; for in an hour that you think not the Son of Man comes” (Matt. 24:43–44). Plainly Jesus refers to the time of his coming as being unknown, but certainly it will be known at the time it happens.

Peter says “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (II Pet. 3:10). All this, great noise and destruction of the earth, comes “as a thief”; but certainly not secretly.

ONE TAKEN, ONE LEFT. “Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:” (Matt. 24:40–41, Luke 17:34–35). This says nothing of secrecy, but simply says that of the people living and working together one may be received by Christ for immortality and glory and the other left for destruction (II Pet. 3:7).

THE DEAD RISING FIRST. Writing of Christ coming in I Thess. 4:16–17, Paul says that “the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds…” Here Paul explains that the saints living when Christ comes will not precede those who have died in being caught up (“raptured”), because the dead shall first be resurrected, then all the saints, both those who had died, and those alive, shall be caught up with the Lord. After all the saints of all ages are caught up, then will come the destruction of all the ungodly (See II Pet. 3:4–13).

Revelation 20 speaks of “the first resurrection.” Every Christians is raised twice. In his baptism he is buried with Christ and raised with Him, too, to walk in a new life (Rom. 6:4), so that he is “raised with Him (Christ)” and “made alive together with Him” (Col. 2:12–13, cf., Eph. 2:5–6).

According to I Thess 4 Paul taught what will happen to saints when Christ comes, that they all, both dead and living, will be caught up to meet the Lord. Then on the next page, in II Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “When (at the time) he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints” the wicked will suffer His vengeance of flaming fire (II Thess. 1:4–10). Certainly Paul left no place nor time for the seven years tribulation nor one thousand years of Utopia.

CHRIST REIGNS. Christ is already reigning, having sat down on His Father’s throne, of which David’s throne was an earthly type (rev. 3:21, Heb. 12:22). He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18) and reigns “far above all rule, and authority, and power” (Eph. 1:20–23). The apostles preached that Christians are already translated into Christ’s Kingdom (Col. 1:13, Rom. 14:17) and look forward to a new body and a new creation (Rom. 8:23, II Peter 3:13). Christ Himself said that His kingdom was not of this world, and because He would not support the rulers of the Jews and their ambition for an earthly kingdom they became incensed and had him killed.

The ambition for a world kingdom, which began when they demanded of Samuel that he give them a king like the other nations, caused them to misinterpret the prophets concerning the Messiah. “The Jewish Encyclopedia” gives almost two columns to the “Millennium” and states that the idea “is older than the Christian Church; for the belief in a period of one thousand years at the end of time as a preliminary to the resurrection of the dead was held in Parsiism. This concept is expressed in Jewish literature…”(outside the Bible. Ed). It states that the idea went out of vogue in the 2nd century but was revived by the Montanists. It has been revived again in our day to support political Zionism.

Since all Christians recognize the fact that Christ is coming again, some will say, “What difference do the details make?” The answer is that one error leads to another, and the secret rapture idea is part of a host of errors.

For example, the two-stage theory of Christ’s return also leads to the “two-gospel” theory, that we are now to preach the “gospel of grace” but after the rapture Jewish evangelist will preach the “gospel of the Kingdom”. But the Bible teaches that there is ONE Gospel (Gal. 1:6–9) and that the gospel of grace IS the gospel of the kingdom (Acts 20:24–25).

The two-coming teaching also supports the idea that there are two kingdoms, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. Scripture teaches that they are one and the same kingdom (Matt. 19:23–24, etc.).

Worst of all, the teaching of two second comings of Christ divides the people of God into two classes or groups, with two gospels, two kingdoms and two plans of salvation. The Bible plainly teaches that Christ has broken down “the middle wall of partition” between Jew and Gentile, so that when either of them are in Christ, they are ONE in Christ regardless of race (Eph. 2:11–19).

To summarize, when Christ comes at the end of the world the righteous and the unrighteous shall be raised at the same time (John 5:28–29, Acts 24:15). Judgment shall ensue (II Thess. 1:4–10). This earth shall be burned up and dissolved (II Pet. 3). Christ will deliver the kingdom up to God (I Cor.15:23–3:10).

Now, TODAY, is the gospel age, the time for sinners to be saved (Matt. 28:20, John 8:21, Heb. 3:15, Rev. 22:12). When Christ comes there will be no further preparation. Therefore, watch and be ready!

This is long - hope you read it all the way through.

Daniel 9:24-27

"And AFTER threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be CUT OFF, but not for himself (FOR US!);" Dan. 9:26a

While Christians generally agree in the belief that the "seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks", that is, 69 weeks (483 years) MEASURED to the time of Christ, they don't all agree concerning the final week of the prophecy - the 70th week!

Dispensationalist insert a huge GAP of time (2000+ years) between the 69th and 70th week. We who believe that the whole 70 weeks are fulfilled also believe that 70 follows 69 in logical sequence.

Dispensationalists, and other futurist groups for the most part, say that the 70th week refers to the ANTICHRIST who will MAKE a covenant with the Jews, and after 3 1/2 years will BREAK that covenant. The fulfilled 70th week is just the opposite: the Messiah CONFIRMS the covenant that the Jews were under for the full 70th week. In the "midst of the (70th) week Messaih will be "cut off" - a word that means to be murdered or killed. Jeus confirmed the covenant during his ministry of 3 1/2 years, and the apostles continued to confirm it for another 3 1/2 years - only to the Jews, for Christ came to save the lost sheep of Israel. Then Cornelius was converted and the Gospel was extended to ALL men.

What a difference we see here! One says it is future, the other fulfilled. We believe the fulfilled understanding is the correct view; that the 69th week led “unto Messiah”. In the “midst of the 70th week (3 ½ years) Jesus was “cut off” in death. His death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice and caused all other sacrifices to be of no value in God’s plan of salvation. Let’s look at what transpired.

1. Jerusalem was to be rebuilt, and the streets, walls and temple also. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record what took place in that building process.

2. The Holy One, the Messiah, was to be anointed. This was Jesus! At John’s baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River God anointed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Luke 3:21-22). From the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah was to be 483 years (69 weeks). When this time was fulfilled, those who knew the prophecy were expecting the appearance of the Messiah, Jesus. Many thought John was the Christ, but he denied it (see Luke 3:15). When Jesus was baptized John cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The time came for the 70th week to come into play at Jesus’ anointing.
He had appeared right on time with the prophecy of Daniel. Jesus, in evident reference to the TIME prophecy of Daniel, said: “The TIME is fulfilled” (Mark 1:15) and as the Anointed One He preached the gospel of the Kingdom. At the synagogue of Nazareth he said, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has ANOINTED me” (Luke 4:18-22). In Acts 4:17 it mentions Jesus as the “holy one” that the Lord “anointed”. Then we recall that Peter mentioned that “God ANOINTED Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit…who went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed of the devil” (Acts 10:28).

Daniel’s prophecy revealed that the time unto the Messiah would be 69 weeks (483 years). This measured right up to the time Jesus was baptized and anointed to begin His ministry as the Messiah, the Christ, the “Anointed One.”

3. The Messiah was to be CUT OFF. That came AFTER the 69th week, which DOES NOT and CANNOT mean “in” or “during” the 69 weeks! If Christ was to be cut off AFTER the 69 weeks, there is only one week left in which that could happen – the 70th week; and that after 3 ½ years of it.
The term translated as “cut off” implies that Christ would not die a natural death; he would be murdered. Isaiah prophesied using these words: “He was cut off out of the land of the living” (Isa. 53:8). The details of how Christ was “cut off” can be found in the Gospels.

4. TO FINISH TRANSGRESSION came at Christ’s death. As Jesus was dying, he cried out, “It is finished.” No future sacrifice can finish transgression; it was completely FINISHED on the Cross (Heb. 9:15). “He was wounded for our transgression” (Isa. 53:5).

5. TO MAKE AN END OF SINS. This is tied together with finishing transgression by Christ’s sacrifice. This didn’t mean that man ceases to sin; rather, it means that forgiveness of sins no longer needs a sacrifice to be offered in ones name. It also doesn’t mean that one should still sin – heaven forbid! Jesus came to “save his people from their sins” and accomplished that feat when he “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Mt. 1:21; Heb. 9:26 – read Heb. 10:4-17).

6. TO MAKE RECONSILIATION FOR INIQUITY. Reconciliation is from the same term translated “atonement”. This also was accomplished at the Cross. (See Heb. 2:17; Col. 1:20-22; Eph. 2:16; II Cor. 5:19; Titus 2:14 and Isa. 53:6).

7. TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS. Another accomplishment of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross! Isaiah 53 needs to be read as it is a prophecy of this. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “By the righteousness of one…shall many be made RIGHTEOUS…unto eternal life by Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17-21). See also Mt. 3:15; Heb.1:9; I Cor. 1:30; I Pet. 2:24; Rom. 3:21-26; II Cor. 5:21 and I John 2:29).

Just in view of these things, we absolutely do not see any basis for the futuristic teaching that none of these things have been fulfilled, but are to be linked with the supposed 70th week at the end of the age. To teach such borders on denial of Christ and what He accomplished at the cross!

8. HE SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT. This Christ did! Read Mt. 26:28 – the word “testament” and “covenant” are translated from exactly the same Greek word! Read also Hebrew 9:14-15, 8:6, 12:24 and Malachi 3:1. Jesus confirmed the covenant during his 3 ½ year ministry and was continued for the next 3 ½ years by the Apostles to only the Jews. Thus finished the 70th week. It then, with the conversion of Cornelius, went universal to all mankind on this world; and it continues today.
Daniel’s prophecy stated that Messiah would CONFIRM a covenant, not MAKE a covenant, for the 70th week. We then ask, during Christ’s ministry of 3 ½ years and the Apostles work for the next 3 ½ years, was this directed only to the LOST SHEEP of the house of Israel? We answer it in the AFFIRMATIVE – YES! Read Acts 3:25-26 and 13:46; then Paul’s remarks in Rom. 1:16.

9. HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE. This also was fulfilled in the death of Jesus on the Cross in the midst of the 70th week. Proof of this is seen in the time prophecy of Daniel that said the sacrifice would cease in the midst of the week – the 70th week, which followed the 69th week in succession. This was when Jesus died, for the 69 weeks measured UNTO MESSIAH and his death came after a ministry of three and one half years! This 3 ½ years are proven by the Gospel of John, wherein he makes mention of 4 Passover feasts – see John 2:13, 5:1, 6:4 and 13:1. John 5:1 does not mention Passover by name, but by taking John 4:35 about the “four months” into consideration, it is possible to determine that this was the feast of the Passover (see Charles Boutflower, In And Around the Book of Daniel, page 208).

10. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This part of the prophecy was not dated within it for this happened in 70 AD, 40 years after the 70th week.
Dan. 9:26 – “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
Dan. 9:27 – And HE shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week shall he cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.”

Notice that verse 27 begins with these words: “And he…”. Just whom does the pronoun “he” refer to? This is important, really! There is not basis that this “he” refers to an Antichrist, for the Antichrist is nowhere mentioned in the context – even the term was not known at that time, for it seems that John in his letters had originated it when he wrote. The context DOES MENTION a “prince” whose PEOPLE would destroy the city and the temple. Since that did happen in 70 AD, we don’t see any reason to assume that the “prince” is someone who will live 2,000 years later.
Anyhow, we know that the pronoun “he” does not connect with the word “prince”, for the word “prince” is the object of the modifying clause “of the prince.” It’s well known that a pronoun CANNOT have as it antecedent the object of a modifying clause.
There is only one person that the “he” can refer to – the MESSIAH! It is the Messiah who is the subject of the passage and to whom the “he” refers.

Much more could be brought out to substantiate the fulfilled viewpoint as the true teaching of Daniel’s 70 week prophecy. However, this should suffice for the average student of the Bible. (Maybe you are not average, but then again, maybe the average ones really get the picture!)

Wow ... I don't quite know where to start.

What is the underlying content of the prophecy? Daniel 9:24 tells us ...

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city ...

If you can't accept that "your people" is the nation of Israel and "your holy city" is Jerusalem then you are not able to grasp any of the content of this prophecy here. Though you made no mention of this in your post, I will assume you understand that much. Now ...

Let me repeat what you actually said ...

Jesus confirmed the covenant during his ministry of 3 1/2 years, and the apostles continued to confirm it for another 3 1/2 years - only to the Jews, for Christ came to save the lost sheep of Israel. Then Cornelius was converted and the Gospel was extended to ALL men.

So you have established that your position supports the notion that the 70th week concluded 3 1/2 years after the death of Christ and the prophecy was completely fulfilled.

This next part is critical, for here is where you MUST abandon literal interpretation. First, I'll give credit where credit is due. You did well interpreting the 69 weeks, you took them literally, as weeks of years in the context of the Babylonian captivity. You measured out the time, showed how it all adds up ... well done. But; theres a but. The text of Daniel 9:27 says ...

He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering ...

Your problem is that the "He" cannot refer to Christ ... as the sacrifices did not literally stop in the middle of your 70th week with the death of Christ ... they literally stopped 40 something years later with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD! At this point you must abandon your literal interpretation of the 70 weeks of years and replace (theres that word again) a normal literal interpretation with something else. "He" in verse 27 cannot refer to Christ, despite your grammatical insistence.

And so now it's time for you to provide a quaint explanation of how this was really fulfilled in some spiritual sense, or perhaps you will just tell me I don't understand the NT. Feel free to indulge yourself.

I think we're done here ... but I really do wish you well in your quest for the truth, you will certainly not find it in the preterism of Curtis. Maranatha

Your problem is that the "He" cannot refer to Christ ... as the sacrifices did not literally stop in the middle of your 70th week with the death of Christ ... they literally stopped 40 something years later with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD! At this point you must abandon your literal interpretation of the 70 weeks of years and replace (theres that word again) a normal literal interpretation with something else. "He" in verse 27 cannot refer to Christ, despite your grammatical insistence.

Actually, that grammatical explanation is not mine; it came from a college professor who teaches the Greek Koine language to students: he is not the only professor who does so, for I checked more than one before adding their explanations to the notes I keep on this issue.

What I responded to those who question Curtis' article is entirely to brief to do justice to the subject. I have omitted the weight of argument which could be presented from leading Bible scholars who reject dispensationalism concepts in favor of harmonious end-time teachings. If your really interested in what others have to say on this subject you may find some value by reading the various books written by those of all persuasions on this topic.

My desire is not to just answer or reply to critics but to edify the readers of these threads, to clarify the subject and to strengthen faith in the gospel of redemption and the blessed hope, to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord who reigns in the hearts of those who believe in him in the present.

But; theres a but.

Definitely! There always is, regardless of a persons viewpoint; and that person who is really partisan will respond in the negative virtually all the time - these posts prove this comment.

I think we're done here ... but I really do wish you well in your quest for the truth, you will certainly not find it in the preterism of Curtis.

Okay, if you say so. However, others may not agree. As for Curtis' articles, I have communicated to him that I don't always agree on everything he writes. I doubt very much that I ever agree with everything anyone writes; I examine, figuratively with a microscope, everything anyone puts forth as the truth - as you have found out :-) God bless you for your interest in the topic.

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