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.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).
Forgot to include you as primary poster. Sorry ... I think.
A gift can be conditional though.
Heb 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
Salvation is the gift. There's nothing we can do to earn that gift. But God can grant it based on the condition of obedience.
I'll give you a present if you come to the party...but I'm not going to see you out and give you the gift if you don't come to the party.
Discussing brain surgery again BB? Actually, I am sure you agree with me, that the plan of salvation is a lot more simple than brain surgery.
Most people miss it, and why? Many reasons I am sure. Some love darkness because their deeds are evil. Some want to take some, or all the credit for their own salvation, so they go about trying to establish their own righteousness. It ain't gonna cut the mustard.
Concur and well stated.
Yup... MORMON!
Thanks — great to hear from you again! Php. 1:9-11
Selah!
"Sweet Hour of Prayer"
by William Walford:
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"
(The first three stanzas and accompanying story may be found here (click)
If you're around to view the seen shown with the article by Coniaris, you will be on the wrong end of the Rapture.
Matthew 24 is misunderstood by those who refuse to have a dispensational perspective. And that such a perspective is needed is proven by comparing the so called Olivet Discourse in Luke 21 (really the Temple Discourse, given to believers in Him -the earliest Christians- and which helped them know the time to flee Jerusalem with Titus’s armies coming) and the Actual Olivet Discourse found in Mark and Mat5thew. Without a dispensational perspective, one conflates two different events related in Matthew 24, as only the physical touchdown of Jesus in His Second Coming onto the Earth. The Rapture happens in the air ... the Second Coming happens upon the Earth and we who are taken prior int he Rapture will be coming back to the Earth with HIM.
You actually think someone that is rude, nasty, judgemental, vindictive and pretty much hateful, is going to be allowed to live eternity around people of perfect character?? Really? ... you seriously think they'll fit right in, huh?!
Nope...You will never be Christ like; sinless, in this lifetime...No one will...You (we) must be void of any sin when we appear before God..
It looks like you picked a few sins that you are currently not guilty of while avoiding mentioning the rest of them, perhaps to justify yourself in your perception of your own holiness...
What you seem to 'not get' is that we will be made sinless/perfect at the presence of God...In fact we are made sinless right now...
To think that when people get to heaven all they are going to do is change their clothes into something white is way off the mark...
I am one of the few here who agree with your assessment of the Beatitudes and Matt. 25 as proclaiming works requirements for salvation...
However, I beleive the rest of the bible as well...I also believe the rest of the bible including Eph. 2:8,9,10...And I will refer to a previous statement; things that are different are not the same...
Eph 2 and Matt. 25 do not say the same things...They say different things...They were written to and for different people in different times...Matt. is not written doctrinally for the New Testament church...
Tellin’ it like it REALLY is...
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Yes, the mormons try to abscond with just about everything.
They live in a vacuum of their own making.
Mormons are definitely apart from Yehova’s covenant.
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The moment of resurrection has a name: The Last Trump.
You base everything in your post on twisted misunderstandings of translations of translations, and then attempt to blame your misunderstanding on Mr. Strong.
All that is told in the messianic writings is a repeat of earlier revelations in the ancient scriptures, so there is no excuse for your confusion.
You preach the sungod worship invented by Constantine and Eusibius in the mid 4th century called “Christianity” and disregard the clear message of the Apostles: Follow Yehova’s commandments in full.
The squirming is pathetic to watch.
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Gentile has nothing to do with Jewishness.
There was no Jew until the second temple period. Prior to that you were either following the covenant (most of the time no one was) or not following the covenant.
Jewishness is of no relevance to the kingdom of Yehova; they are simply just another bunch of law breakers.
All who openly break his laws are gentile (un-clean as to Yehova’s requirements)
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>> “Matt. is not written doctrinally for the New Testament church.” <<
Good, because there is no “new testament” and there is no church either.
The “testament” was renewed, just as the prophets stated, by the shedding of sinless human blood.
It was renewed with Yehova’s ancient Assembly, not some imaginary “church.”
Church is simply a deliberate mistranslation, ordered by the monarchs of the time the translations were made.
Churches are controlled by nicolaitans, and speak only the approved word, not the Word of Yehova.
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Where and when the believers first called Christians?
Simple solution...Why does Rood not rewrite what we call the New Testament from the manuscripts Rood has available so we can know what Rood claims God teaches...Instead of telling us what's wrong with our translation, give us the right one...
Thanks for that good post bro.
(1) The Last Trump which I think you are trying to pin down, is NOT the one mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
(2) The Mssrs Genesius, Thayer, Strong, and other lexicologists and concordance editors merely show the location and definition of words that occur in the Book of Life. They and that Lovely Book itself show your errors, hundreds of them, denying that the theme of the progressively revealed Will of God, as accumulated in the Bible, is the Coming of the Messiah/Anointed One/Christ of The God, and of His Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace; and that the purpose of the Bible is to show forth the (only) Plan that is offered by The Mighty God for Salvation from Sin, Death, and Eternal Punishment of Adam's wrong choice(s).
Within and throughout, it is through belief in The Faith alone of the Anointed One alone, with willingness to become His eternal servant, by which The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Beloved Son can be reconciled to each assenting human, on a one-by-one personal basis, for ever.
The old shadow-play, the Jewish religion, died on the Cross with Him.
"Tετελεσται!" (Jn. 19:30, Koine)
"It . . ." (the Old Religion, with its non-saving Law) "stands forever finished!"
The Greek text I provided in Post 700 is not a translation, it is the text which is verbally and plenarily inspired, infallible, and preserved for us and beyond time by The Holy Spirit Himself.
The Bible includes 39 books of the Old Testament, superseded by the 27 books of the New Testament which are founded upon the Old Testament, and explain all its mysteries for the regenerated servant of God. It is my presumption that this knowledge is denied to you, because of your unbelief and reliance on someone else's doctrine, and not on that of the Messiah alone (or even at all, looks like).
(3) The Old Testament has a plethora of hidden truths revealed only by the New, of which wisdom you have denied yourself, and are therefore demonstrably willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3:5-7), as seem to be of other Scfiptures, to your own destruction.
It is you, being "ἀμαθής", that is, undiscipled, and hence uninstructed by a Spirit-taught teacher, do err, exactly as the Pharisees of old, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God (Heb. 1:3-4). There is none other to save, and you seem to be missing the boat and its Master.
You need to take heed, that is you are not being chastened by The God for the misuse of His Word, written and Personified, then it is clear what your relationship to Him is (Heb 12:8). That's not me speaking. It's Jehovah Sabaoth.
(4) You misname the religious system of Pantaenus, Clementine of Alexandria, Constantine, Origen, and Eusebius (watch your spelling) of Caesarea--all unbelievers and heretics--as "Christianity." It is not. It is Catholicity, a product of Hellenistic Platonic philosophers who displaced loyal faithful followers of Jesus and replaced the doctrine and practice of the Apostles (Acts 2:42) and replaced it with their own statist religion.
Because you are not aware of the difference, do not really know history, and fail to recognize the Gospel of Jesus, yu equate me with these religionists, whom I anathematize.
(5) What squirming are you talking about? It is your writings that expose a rottenized theology, obvious to those who are walking in the Spirit, standing in the way of the Righteous One, and sitting in the seat of the faithful learner, invited by the Love of our Life.
You need to take a break. Go to McDonalds. Get an ice cream cone. Ponder on your cross-wired mental circuitry. If I were you, I would be smart enough not to broadcast my own ignorance in this FoRum.
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