The Rapture Trap: A Catholic View

Beliefnet ^ | Paul Thigpen

[NYer]

Open the last book of the Bible, and you enter a strange and dazzling world. In quick succession you encounter there a baffling array of angels and beasts, saints and sinners, worshippers and warriors, celebrations and catastrophes.

There you find a great beast whose number is 666. A scroll with seven seals. Four men riding horses, each horse a different color. Hail and fire, mixed with blood. A battle named Armageddon. A star named Wormwood falling to earth. Crowned locusts with human faces, women's hair, lions' teeth, scales, and stinging scorpion tails. Invading nations named Gog and Magog. A red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, seven crowns.

So what does the Catholic Church officially teach about the true meaning of all these puzzling symbols, figures, and events?

The short answer: Not much.

The Church has never claimed to know with certainty, for example, the true meaning of the locust with human faces. But the Church does witness to a number of important truths about Christ's second coming and the close of the age.

A Humbling Perplexity

The Church teaches, of course, that the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel, with its similar imagery, belong among the Scriptures inspired by God. Both books extend to us God's invitations, promises, and warnings. Both contain useful exhortations to maintain a steadfast hope and faith.

Nevertheless, much of what is contained in these books is exceedingly difficult to understand. The rule of interpreting a biblical text as far as possible in its ``plain sense'' does not help much in many passages we find here. The ``plain sense'' of a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns is just not very plain at all.

On the other hand, what the Catholic Church, by Christ's authority, has definitively declared about the end of the world---and what is clearly implied by what it has so declared---Catholics are obliged to believe. In fact, what the Church has definitively declared, Catholics should be overjoyed to believe. After all, it's good news! Christ's second coming and the events surrounding it are just as much a part of the gospel as His first coming.

Essentials of Catholic Teaching on the Last Days

The Church has not yet attempted to define the precise significance of the four horsemen, the human-faced locusts, and the like. Why not? For this reason: Though the Church's understanding of divine revelation continues to unfold as the Holy Spirit guides the Magisterium, at this point the Spirit has not yet chosen to clarify these and other matters.

Nevertheless, this does not mean the Church has not spoken quite clearly about the basic revealed truths of eschatology---that is, the doctrine of the ``last things.'' A few of the phrases from the Nicene Creed sum up the Church's teaching in this regard. Now we will expand a little on that understanding, drawing a few specific points from what Pope John Paul II has called a ``sure guide'' to faith: the Catechism of the Catholic Church [numbers in parentheses refer to the Catechism].

Jesus will return to the earth in glorious triumph. ``Though already present in His Church,'' says the Catechism, ``Christ's reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled `with power and great glory' by the King's return to earth'' (671). Our Lord's return ``could be accomplished at any moment'' (673) and will be universally visible and undeniable. No secret rapture here. This foundational truth has been affirmed many times over by the scriptural texts we have examined in earlier chapters.

First, however, the Antichrist will appear to deceive the world and persecute the Church. ``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" (675). The spirit of Antichrist has manifested itself many times already in history, most notably in recent times under the guise of atheistic Communism (676). Christians will be terribly persecuted at the hands of the final Antichrist, just as they have been at the hands of his forerunners.

The Church will suffer the great tribulation prophesied by her Lord. ``Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a trial that will shake the faith of many believers''(675). ``The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in His death and resurrection'' (677). Again, we have examined a number of scriptural passages that confirm this teaching. Contrary to the rapture doctrine, Christians will not be spared the great tribulation.

The final victory of Christ on earth will not come through a gradual improvement in the world's spiritual condition. ``The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause His Bride to come down from heaven''(677). This declaration rules out the end time expectations of certain Reformation traditions (see ``postmillennialism'' below). Calvinists in particular often teach that the Church will achieve in history, through the Holy Spirit, a gradual betterment of the world's spiritual condition that will climax in Christ's return to earth. But this mistaken notion offers only a false hope.

The final victory of Christ will not come within history, but beyond it. ``The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of the falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism''(676).

Down through the ages, some Christians have mistakenly claimed that Christ's ``millennial reign'' was already taking place within history and was coming to pass through a particular group of religious enthusiasts in a particular geographic locale. Typically, such millenarians

, as they are called, have claimed a special status because of their connection to that realized ``kingdom,'' leading to eccentric, questionable, or even immoral practices: strict vegetarianism, the condemnation of marriage and procreation, claims to bizarre private revelation, polygamy, sexual promiscuity, military conquests, the murder of their opponents, and the like. The Church condemns these false claims and the tragic consequences to which they typically lead.

The Jewish people will come to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah before He returns. We have only hints of this remarkable development in Scripture, in the Gospels and St. Paul's epistle to the Romans. ``The glorious Messiah's coming is suspended at every moment of history until His recognition by `all Israel,' for `a hardening has come upon part of Israel' in their unbelief toward Jesus'' (674). ``The `full inclusion' of the Jews in the Messiah's salvation, in the wake of `the full number of the Gentiles,' will enable the People of God to achieve `the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,' in which `God may be all in all'" (674).

The dead will be raised. ``The Christian creed---the profession of our faith in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and in God's creative, saving, and sanctifying action---culminates in the proclamation of the resurrection of the dead on the last day and in life everlasting'' (988). What does it mean to be resurrected? In death, body and soul are separated, and the body decays. In the resurrection, the body will be granted ``incorruptible life'' by being reunited with the soul (997).

When Jesus was raised from the dead with His own body---He still had the scars of His crucifixion, which the disciples could physically touch---His body no longer experienced a merely ``earthly life'' (999). It was a ``glorified body'' (997), transformed in such a way that it could exercise new abilities such as passing through physical barriers. But it retained its former capabilities, such as the ability to eat.

When we are raised, ``Christ `will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body,' into a `spiritual body'" (999). Exactly how this happens ``exceeds our imagination and understanding; it is accessible only to faith'' (1000). But it will surely take place ``definitively `at the last day,' `at the end of the world,' " in close association with Christ's appearing (1001).

Christ will judge the living and the dead, and the Evil One and his allies will at last be utterly overthrown. ``God's triumph over evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world'' (677; see also 1038--1041). Again, we have reviewed in earlier chapters a number of scriptural passages that attest to this truth. As the God-Man who conquered death and the Devil, Jesus alone is worthy to judge the earth and bring a definitive end to its wickedness. ``Jesus solemnly proclaims that He `will send His angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,' and that He will pronounce the condemnation: `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!' '' (1034).

At the end of time, God's kingdom will come in its fullness, and all things will be renewed. ``Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, `new heavens and a new earth.' It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head `all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' ''(1043). Not only humanity, but the entire universe as well will be perfected. In this consummation of all things, there will be no more sadness or sin, pain or sickness, death or decay. The saints will reign with Christ, glorified in body and soul, and will enjoy perfect fellowship face to face with God for eternity (1044--45). But we do not know exactly when or how this transformation will take place (1048).

The hope of God's coming kingdom should not tempt us to withdraw from earthly affairs. ``Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come.'' We must never confuse earthly progress with the increase of God's kingdom (as some forms of liberation theology, for example, have done). But ``such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society'' (1049). Darby's notion of a Church that forms ``no part of the course of events of the earth'' is thus a spiritual fantasy.

In the meantime, Christ's presence with us through His Word, His Sacraments, and His Spirit draw us closer to the fulfillment of His promise. ``The Holy Spirit's transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the kingdom and the consummation of the mystery of salvation. While we wait in hope He causes us really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity'' (1107; see also 1100--1106). ``There is no surer pledge or clearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth `in which righteousness dwells,' than the Eucharist'' (1405).

This, in summary, is the faith of the Church with regard to the close of the age. Admittedly, it is a short outline compared to the endless volumes of speculation that have been published by end times enthusiasts. But that is because God has not yet clearly revealed to the Church details such as the precise nature of ``Wormwood,'' the identity of the two prophets, or the specific geographic locations, if any, of the nations Gog and Magog.Fruitless Speculations vs. Fruitful Debates

Unlike the Left Behind authors and many other fundamentalist ``prophecy scholars,'' the Catholic Magisterium does not spend much time speculating about who will be the Antichrist or whether he is now living on earth. It does not try to match up the vivid scenarios in Revelation and Daniel with the evening news and the mutually contradictory, ever-changing predictions of politicians, scientists, and economists. It does not seek to provide a definitive explanation of the millennium, or ``thousand years,'' referred to in Revelation 20.

Perhaps as events unfold, God will make known His plan to the Church more clearly, in more detail. But unless and until He does, where the Holy Spirit has left a particular matter as a mystery, the Magisterium faithfully remains silent. In the meantime, imitating the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church keeps within herself as a treasure all that God has said and ponders it in her heart (see Luke 2:19, 51).

If the rapture promoters (and some overly imaginative Catholics as well) would imitate such wise and modest reticence, they could spare themselves considerable embarrassment. After all, the plug-the-headline-into-the-Bible-verse game has always been a losing proposition.

[campaignPete R-CT]

i think this is correct ... Catholic Mass readings:
Epiphany Sunday
Epistle: Revelation 21:3 | Gospel: Matthew 2:1
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Palm Sunday
Epistle: Revelation 19:1 | Gospel: Matthew 21:1
“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God”

Trinity Sunday
Epistle: Revelations 4:2 | Gospel: John 14:6
“And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”

[campaignPete R-CT]

The persecution that the anti-Lindseyists receive at the hands of the Lindseyists ... is this a forerunner of the persecution of the Antichrist?

Does Lindsey-ism qualify as a “Community-wide Religious Delusion”? What is the proper term for such things?

[Marie Rodriguez]

It is the Blessed Hope - and you have a complete lacking in humility in the face of it.
It is understood that the majority of Catholics do not believe in the Rapture - that is not the problem here.
I am a Catholic who does - but that is neither here nor there.
Show some respect and humility. Referring to our brothers in Christ as fundamentalist “prophecy scholars” is insulting and extremely juvenile.
The Church of Laodicea will undergo a severe chastisement - and hopefully, that will wake some people up. In the meantime, the current state of the Church is CESSPOOL.
The Church of Philadelphia is made up of Catholics and Christians who are Humble.
Wake up. You anger our Lord with your willful blindness.
You don’t believe in the Rapture - that is fine. Those who do believe do not deserve your condemnation - you are picking specks out of the eyes of well-meaning people.
Check out the log in your own eye - the Church is not in a good place with God right now.
Our Lord spoke harshly - you are neither hot nor cold - you are vomitted from His mouth. I speak of the current state of the Christian Church - not you in particular.

[Salvation]

Everyone is still here, correct?

[Salvation]

This was written in 1881 by a French priest. A good read.

I am currently reading this book. A much different story than Camping's

BTW, this book was written in 1881; you wouldn't believe how applicable and accurate it is!

 

Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life!"
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux

In the late nineteenth century, Father Charles Arminjon, a priest from the mountains of southeastern France, assembled his flock in the town cathedral to preach a series of conferences to help them turn their thoughts away from this life’s mean material affairs—and toward the next life’s glorious spiritual reward. His wise and uncompromising words deepened in them the spirit of recollection that all Christians must have: the abiding conviction that heavenly aims, not temporal enthusiasms, must guide everything we think, say, and do.

When Father Arminjon’s conferences were later published in a book, many others were able to reap the same benefit—including fourteen-year-old Thérèse Martin, then on the cusp of entering the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. Reading it, she says, “plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth.” Young Thérèse, filled with a sense of “what God reserves for those who love him, and seeing that the eternal rewards had no proportion to the light sacrifices of life,” copied out numerous passages and memorized them, “repeating unceasingly the words of love burning in my heart.”

Now the very book that so inspired the Little Flower is available for the first time in English.

Let the pages of The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life fill you with the same burning words of love, with the same ardent desire to know God above all created things, that St. Thérèse gained from them. Let them also enrich your understanding of certain teachings of the Faith that can often seem so mysterious, even frightening:

• The signs that will precede the world’s end
• The coming of the Antichrist, and how to recognize him
• The Judgment and where it may send us: heaven, hell, and purgatory
• Biblical end-times prophecy: how to read it and not be deceived

  Jesus commands us to be ever-watchful for his return, and ever-mindful that we have no lasting city on earth. The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life is an invaluable aid to inculcating in your spirit that heavenly orientation, without which true human happiness cannot be found—in this world or the next.

[narses]

+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

[narses]

+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

[Salvation]

Five Myths About the Rapture
On the Rapture: Darby/MacDonald theory of a coming rapture
The Rapture Trap: A Catholic View

[Northern Yankee]

Thanks!

[G Larry]

Thank you!
Just ordered the book.

[Salvation]

It’s quite deep in some places. Our spiritual book club read it for Lent, but we really neeeded to have two months to read and digest it. I’m still only about a third of the way through it. But it is fascinating.

[Salvation]

BTW, I’ve read two other books since then. Just got back to this one, though. I want to finish it.

[G Larry]

If you take a look at the book I recommended in post #4, it is quite deep also.

[xzins]

(Please see the following scripture) As one can see below, "rapture" is Paul's word to describe the events regarding the disposition of both living and deceased Christians at the time of Christ's return in the clouds.

Many might say that their church teaches no such thing, but they MUST have some teaching on it if their bibles contain the books of 1 Thess and 1 Corith.

For Roman Catholics (and they can correct me wherein I am incorrect), Mary is believed to have been "assumed" into heaven. In other words, she went from "this realm" to "that realm" -- which would, in effect, call for them to at least discuss the "similarity" of that with what happens to living Christians at the time of Christ's return.

Just my humble 2 cents worth.

1 Corinthians 15: 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

1 Thessalonians: 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (greek: harpazo; latin: "rapturos") together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

[surroundedbyblue]

Troll much?

[baa39]

There’s a very simple explanation for why the Rapture did not happen:

All the liberals were getting together a petition to outlaw Krispy Kreme donuts in Heaven. God said, like hell you are, and just decided to cancel the whole thing!

[jafojeffsurf]

The Lambs Supper by Dr. Scott Hahn.

http://www.catholiccompany.com/lambs-supper-mass-as-heaven-earth-p1001259/

[JBReyes777]

Greetings Readers:

The reason why the “Rapture” did not occur is because, there
is no Rapture, but rather, “The Warning” of Our Lady of Garabandal amen. The Warning AKA The Illumination of Conscience or to correct our Conscience. We will see all the good and bad we have done, and all that we have failed to do in our lifetime. Yes, some will die, but not die as know we it be today, but rather, the shock or impact of “The Warning.” Amen...Peace...

[Marie Rodriguez]

Live the message of Fatima - pray & do penance!
I’m pretty sure our Blessed Mother does not appreciate the name calling and the way your name calling has made me feel this morning.

[surroundedbyblue]

Who’s name calling? I simply asked if you troll much. It is awful suspect, after all, that you register here on FR & in your first post, you chastise a faithful Catholic & attempt to reprimand them on a article that advances the true teachings of the Church. To top it off, you identify yourself as a “Cathpilc”, but you say you disagree with the Church & you do believe in the rapture.

When will people realize that being Catholic is not an ala carte function. You are or you aren’t. You can’t pick & choose which beliefs you agree with. Those are Catholics in name only.