Posted on 05/21/2016 8:38:01 AM PDT by Salvation
Q. Many of our Protestant brethren say that, before Jesus comes, there will be a rapture wherein all the faithful will be taken up, I guess, to meet Him in the sky. When I tell them that the Bible says we will “see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven” (Mt 24:30) and “he will send his angels ... and they will gather his elect from the four winds” (Mt 24:31), and then ask them who will be left to “gather” if everyone has previously been “raptured,” they say it will be the Jews. What is the Church’s teaching on this? Will there even be such a thing as the rapture? I’m confused! Any light you can shed on the subject will be greatly appreciated!
Rich Willette, Springfield, Vt.
A. The notion of rapture (a Latin word that means to be snatched away) is a very novel concept among certain (not all) evangelicals. It is a notion less than 150 years old and finds no real support in the biblical text as you point out. Fundamentally, the theory asserts that before the final tribulations of the last times, faithful Christians will be snatched away. Rapture theorists disagree about the exact moment of the snatching. Some say it will be pre-tribulation, others midway through the tribulations, and some even say post-tribulation.
The root text for evangelicals who hold rapture theory is a text from the First Letter to the Thessalonians: “Indeed. we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words” (4:15-18).
The context is the second coming of Christ. There are not two second comings taught in Scripture, but rapture theory posits two — the one described in First Thessalonians and another one, some 1,000 years later. Note, too, that in First Thessalonians there is no mention of some people being left behind. There is no mention of a 1,000-year reign. Nor does St. Paul indicate that what he is describing here is a different coming of Christ, distinct from other texts in the Gospel wherein Christ describes His own second coming.
Thus we are left with a text that simply does not support what rapture theorists say. They further strive to unnaturally stitch this account with other texts in the Book of Revelation. The result is a highly debatable account of the last days that even rapture theorists hotly debate in terms of the details. The whole enterprise amounts to an attempt to shoehorn biblical passages into rapture theory that more clearly call it into question. To say the “elect” are merely the Jews is speculative at best and fanciful and contrived at worst.
As for Catholic teaching on these matters, the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes it as follows: “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers [see Lk 18:8; Mt 24:12]. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh. [see 2 Thes 2:4-12; 1 Thes 5:2-3; 2 Jn 7; 1 Jn 2:18-22]” (No. 675).
Well then by logical extension, any time I have seen a protestant kneeling in prayer holding their Bible we can safely conclude that they are worshipping the Bible. Going strictly by appearances and the rules you have established, it is the only logical conclusion.
The mess the world is in some guy will pop up and say “Hey, I can fix everything” if only you’d do as I say. He’d be so charismatic governments will fall all over themselves to give him the power he needs and I bet it’d involved the UN.
In 2 Thess 2, where Paul is explaining to the folks that they cannot be in the Day of The Lord period because certain things that he taught them would hallmark that time have not occurred. That is not saying that certain things must occur before the Rapture, it is saying certain things will occur before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
The doctrine of imminence is an aspect best not ignored, since Jesus taught it, Peter taught it, and other Apostles appear to have taught it, even Paul. The meaning of imminence is not to be taken as soon, rather it is a notion that something can happen completely without an announcement or sign of it, as in 'the next thing that will happen sometime from now to then'. The Rapture ends the Church Age that Paul referred to as a dispensation of Grace.
We are told to watch, be alert, anticipate His imminent arrival for us. Paul was not telling the folks to be alert for the arrival of antichrist, he was telling them that they could not be in the Day of The Lord because there are specific things which will happen before that Day is present.
Well then by logical extension, any time I have seen a protestant kneeling in prayer holding their Bible we can safely conclude that they are worshipping the Bible. Going strictly by appearances and the rules you have established, it is the only logical conclusion.
If you see any one offering prayers to the Bible as catholics do as noted at this website http://www.marypages.com/PrayerstoMary.htm or making images of the Bible and bowing down to it as catholics do Mary then you may have an argument.
Instead, your argument sounds like a third grader doing something they shouldn't who has been caught by the teacher and when asked for an explanation they cry out I'm not the only one doing it!
Daniel1212's post must have really hit home.
Those pigeons must still be having a field day on the chess board.
Wow...again with the name calling.
What do some catholics and obama have in common?
very, very thin skin.
and this is EXACTLY how the anti-Catholics sound to the Catholics.
Your hypocrisy is showing in your very own post.
Checkmate.
I did deny and it and proved that non-Catholics worship their bibles. Your own comments prove that non-Catholics are nothing more than idolaters.
Nobody knows when. It’s up to us to be diligent.
Amen to that!
You’ve proven nothing. You offered no evidence to support your claim whereas Christians can easily point out numerous examples of catholics worshiping Mary n
.
Exactly!
Those that are in the know, know. Politicians, liberals and the Hollyweird bunch won’t.
Figures you hate the Rapture, you government stooge you.
Stop thread jumping or I’ll report you.
Reported.
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