Replies

While the rapture (regardless of this date setting nonsense) can continue to be debated, it reminds me of one humorous variation of a hymn (the hymn itself being Biblical):
My faith is based on nothing less
than Scofield’s Notes and Moody Press

the real lyrics
My faith is based on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
.... all other ground is sinking sand

Kinda like the way some people tried to play “pin the tail on the Antichrist” - though I must admit Barry Dunham seems scary close (I plead guilty).

Where is the rapture in scripture......that was not an “idea: until the 1800’s?

You're kidding, right? Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? Was 1 Thessalonians 4 added in the 1800's?

13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For 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: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Or 1 Corinthians 15:
49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Matthew 24:
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

I don't know that it gets any plainer than that.

It's not, and you're right. Its parent idea, Dispensationalism, was developed by Nelson Darby in the 1800s. It has become accepted by many as the default, vanilla view but is in a historical context a fairly new contrivance.

The idea does appear in Scripture, in 1 Thess. 4:17: "Then [after the resurrection of the dead] we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Where most err, in my opinion, is in separating this event from final judgment. There's nothing at all secret about the rapture. It is a very loud event (see verse 16) of which everyone will be aware.