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).
Powerful testimony, MAUDEEN. Matthew 24
Yep. He made millions on his book and in the end, he died like everyone else.
“But as for that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
A practical translation: You can die at anytime and it happens to the good and the bad.
[“Like would they avoid certain jobs, set up emergency bunkers or foundations for those left behind, not keep pets or what?”]
I’d be more concerned about the eternal fate of those who are left behind. Hell is real.
I understand, my response was to the original poster.
I recall that story. It actually made sense, given you are Christian who has an animal who depends on you, at least to me. But what about the humans who are left behind, especially the elderly and young?
Freegards
“we who are alive…shall be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
And when I was a very very young girl I dreamed that this happened, and it was BEFORE I could read, before I had heard about this. I dreamed a cloud picked us up and was taking us up up and away. I threw a fit, my family wasn’t with me, and it dropped me back to earth....
I agree...there is an event to occur that we know as the rapture...the big fuss is over when it will occur! But the rapture will happen!
So you don’t think it is reasonable to expect some sort of effort to ease the suffering of the young and elderly who are left behind? Or animals?
Freegards
That’s true. I learned that on a trip to Rome. I was on a walking tour of Palatine Hill. The tour guide said Caesar would not have said E tu, Brute. Because that is Latin and educated, upper class people spoke Greek back then. I didn’t know that until 2006. But if you know Latin, Spanish, and Italian like I do, and you hear some Greek, you can figure out what they are saying very often. But you have to listen VERY carefully and really concentrate.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
And I know, Talisker, you don't want to hear from me, but you are right.
Everyone wants toughlove - for everyone else.
For themselves? Mercy, mercy, mercy.
[So you don’t think it is reasonable to expect some sort of effort to ease the suffering of the young and elderly who are left behind? Or animals?]
GOD already made a way when He sent His only Son JESUS CHRIST to die for our sins. It is a free gift for everyone who will accept it.
What a negative comment! We, as Christians, are required to spread the Gospel and bring as many to Christ as we possibly can, so they will be in Heaven with us. If your comment were true, there would be no churches...
I am a Christian with gay family members, and I think it is none of my business what they or anyone else does in their personal life.
Our actions on earth will not damn us to hell and will not get us into heaven. Only Christ can do that, He shed His blood on the cross for our total atonement. Nothing we can do to add to that, or to subtract to that.
Gay or straight, male or female, etc.
We are all One in Christ, male female jew gentile slave freed...
Its called “judgement”, and it is to be delivered by God. If there is no consequence or reward for choice, than what is the point of having one? Who are we to interfere? I think you confuse pity with dismissal or apathy. Most Christians I know, their heart breaks for those not saved. That goes for gays as well. But we are also not required to tolerate a redefinition of homosexuality being sin as put forth by Paul in Romans 1.
Ok, lets say they didn’t accept the gift.
So why not try to ease their suffering as best you can, considering? It’s not like you can take it with you.
Freegards
Really? Why do you think liberals hate Christians so much?
Liberals are pursuing sinful lives, but are not treated with compassion. They have been raised with fear of God. Mostly they haven't been physically abused - but mentally. Christians have all the right reasons for the condemnation - they can detail each sin. But they leave children afraid and angry and rebellious. It doesn't involve accepting sin, but holding someone in contempt. And when its done to a child, it sticks, often for their whole lives.
Christians don't concern themselves with these results. They just tick off an administrative form to say they attacked sin, and the rest isn't their responsibility.
I don't think Jesus will see it that way.
gnip
A Christian’s main focus while on this earth is to respond to Jesus’ command as put forth in The Great Commission. The ultimate act of compassion is to lead a soul to Christ, and eternal salvation. The preparation you call for to “ease the suffering” of those left behind is already being done by witnessing. Creating “Rapture Survival Kits” for the unsaved is not what we are called to do.
Catholicism: Indisputable Religious Cult
[Our actions on earth will not damn us to hell and will not get us into heaven.]
It’s in the BOOK. That’s the way it will be.
REVELATION 22:10-15
10 Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near.
11 Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”
12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.
15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
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