Why the Rapture isn’t Biblical… And Why it Matters

Patheos ^ | June 4, 2014 | Kurt Williams

[Cronos]

I grew up in church culture. Most of what I recall from those early childhood and teenage years bring memories of good things. People genuinely taught me that loving Jesus matters more than anything else in the world. The world, after all, is corrupt and the place we truly long for is far, far away – heaven. So we are to love Jesus and hate the world.

Now, this is not hatred toward the people on earth. I did not grow up in a church culture that taught that we ought to tell outsiders how much they suck, but that this “world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.”

World and physicality = bad.
Jesus and spiritual bliss in a distant heaven = goal of the game.

This distinction came with a subset of beliefs about the destiny of God’s world. Eventually this planet would be destroyed and we Christians would “fly away” to heaven at the rapture of the church. Certain Christians understood the timing of the rapture as it corresponds to the book of Revelation differently than others, but no one ever denied the imminent return of Jesus to evacuate the church out of earth.

What I’ve come to realize is that the church of my youth probably had the rapture all wrong. You see, the Bible flows from Creation (Gen 1-2) to Renewed Creation (Rev 21-22). This is the narrative of Scripture. Nothing in the text (if read in its proper context) alludes to the actual complete destruction of the planet. This world’s worth to the Creator runs deep and because of this, the world as a whole ought to be intrinsically valuable to us.

Physical/earthly realities such as social injustice, violence, hunger, preventable sickness, and the destruction of nature are invitations to the church of Jesus to get our hands dirty and proclaim that this world matters (even in its broken state)! Christ will complete creation upon his return, uniting heaven and earth for the life of the age to come!

The famous “rapture” passage is found in 1 Thessalonians 4.15-17 and reads:

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

This passage, when placed in the larger context of the chapter, is answering questions that Christians in Thessalonica had concerning death. What has happened to our loved ones who have died before the return of Christ to earth? What is theirs and our ultimate destiny? Paul’s answer: bodily resurrection at the return of Christ to earth! Not an escape into the sky [see appendix below!].

In this passage, Paul borrows two specific images from the Old Testament that would have been familiar to Jewish converts and Gentiles who were familiarizing themselves with the Hebrew tradition. The first of these that Paul employs in the text has to do with Moses who comes down from Mount Sinai with the Law with the great blast of the trumpet.

The second image is taken from Daniel chapter 7 where the “one like the son of man” (or “human being” or “The Human One”) and the community he represents is vindicated over the enemies of the people of God. Clouds here symbolize the power and authoritative judgement of God about the rescue of his people. This idea now seems to be applied to Christians who are facing various forms of persecution.

Finally, there is a third image in the text that comes from outside of the canonical context. This is the image of an emperor who visits a city. The people of that region would have gone out to meet him to usher him into their home in a royal procession out in the open air. This, Paul seems to apply to the church who will usher in their King into the new creation.***

Rapture, as it is popularly understood, is nowhere to be found in this “rapture” passage. Christ will return to resurrect, to purge, to heal, and to establish the eternal kingdom of God on this earth. Heaven and earth will unite like a bride and husband – for all eternity. That’s it.

The Bible teaches that when Christ comes back, it will be Good News! “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’” (Revelation 21.4). Surely we cannot erase judgment from the picture, but the hope is that those in Christ will be raised to eternal life and everything that is wrong with this world will be made right.

This world renewed is going to be our home for eternity, and we have the opportunity to reflect that future in our present. Rapture invites us to escape this world: the last thing that Jesus would have ever taught! “On earth as in heaven” is what he said, not “in heaven away from the earth!” Our world’s future is hopeful. Let’s tell that story and not the escapist narratives that many of us grew up with.

[Kurt Note: This article is an adaptation from various pieces that are part of my “rapture” category.]

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APPENDIX

Word Study, 1 Thessalonians 4.17 (Warning: a bit more technical!)

Below is a Word Study that I did based on 1 Thessalonians 4.17. What is interesting to me is how it reinforced my belief that the “rapture” as it is popularly understood (Jesus secretly returns to extract believers from earth to heaven for eternity) is completely unwarranted. If you choose to follow the logic below, you will know why 🙂

1. Word Identification

The word underlying “air” in 1 Thessalonians 4.17 is the Greek word “ἀήρ” (Strong’s: #109).

2. Frequency and Distribution

• Roman Historical Narrative (1x, Acts – 1)
• Pauline Letter (4x, 1Cor – 2, Eph – 1, 1Thes – 1)
• Apocalyptic (2x, Rev – 2)

The usage of ἀήρ in the New Testament by verse:

Acts 22:23

…εἰς τὸν ἀέρ
…dust into the air,

1Co 9:26

…ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων·
…one that beateth the air:

1Co 14:9

…γὰρ εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦντες.
…shall speak into the air.

Eph 2:2

…ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος τοῦ πνεύματος…
…power of the air, the spirit that…

1Th 4:17

…κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα καὶ οὕτως…
…the Lord in the air: and so shall…

Rev 9:2

…καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐκ τοῦ…
…sun and the air were darkened by…

Rev 16:17

…ἐπὶ τὸν ἀέρα καὶ ἐξῆλθεν…
…vial into the air; and there came…

3. Meaning

1) the air, particularly the lower and denser air as distinguished from the higher and rarer air 2)the atmospheric region[1]

After surveying the above seven occurrences, it is clear that the definition is simply the area of unseen space in our atmosphere. Below, the meaning in its various usages are explained:

ἀήρ (aēr, 109), ἀέρος, ὁ, (ἄημι, ἄω, [cf. ἄνεμος, init.]), the air (particularly the lower and denser, as distinguished from the higher and rarer ὁ αἰθήρ, cf. Hom. Il. 14, 288), the atmospheric region: Acts xxii. 23; 1 Th. iv. 17; Rev. ix. 2, xvi. 17; ὁ ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος in Eph. ii. 2 signifies “the ruler of the powers (spirits, see ἐξουσία 4 c. ββ.) in the air”, i. e. the devil, the prince of the demons that according to Jewish opinion fill the realm of air (cf. Mey. ad loc.; [B. D. Am. ed. s. v. Air; Stuart in Bib. Sacr. for 1843, p. 139 sq.]). Sometimes indeed, ἀήρ denotes a hazy, obscure atmosphere (Hom. Il. 17, 644; 3, 381; 5, 356, etc.; Polyb. 18, 3, 7), but is nowhere quite equiv. to σκότος,— the sense which many injudiciously assign it in Eph. 1. c. ἀέρα δέρειν (cf. verberat ictibus auras, Verg. Aen. 5, 377, of pugilists who miss their aim) i. e. to contend in vain, 1 Co. ix. 26; εἰς ἀέρα λαλεῖν (verba ventis profundere, Lucr. 4, 929 (932)) “to speak into the air” i. e. without effect, used of those who speak what is not understood by the hearers, 1 Co. xiv. 9.*[2]

Although ἀήρ is not a word that is frequent in the New Testament, it is interesting to note that there is only one other word that is translated into English as “air.” The Greek οὐρανός has a different meaning when used as “air” than ἀήρ. Rather than referring to the “lower and denser air as distinguished from the higher and rarer air,” it means:

1. the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it

1. a. the universe, the world
2. b. the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced
3. c. the sidereal or starry heavens

2. the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings[3]

It seems that the difference between these two words will prove to be significant. The word in the 1 Thessalonians text indicates the “air” of the “lower” region as opposed to the “heavens” as οὐρανός can also be translated (heavens – 24x, heavenly – 1, heaven – 218). In other words, Paul had an option to use either of the words to talk about the “air” but he chose to use the word that refers mostly to the lower atmospheric region.

4. Meaning in Context

In the context of 1 Thessalonians 4.17, Paul is answering questions regarding the blessed Christian hope. What happens to Christ-followers who die before the return of the Messiah? Are they gone forever? And what about those of us who are waiting for this day? What are we to look forward to? In answer to these kinds of questions Paul describes the coming of Jesus as a moment of resurrection. Because Jesus died and rose again, his followers will someday be like him. They will have bodies that are restored to the image of Christ who is the image of God.

Paul in this passage uses mixed metaphors to communicating the reality of the final resurrection. He employs imagery from the Old Testament as well as from Roman royalty. Christ will appear in such a way that it will be like Moses when he descended down from the Mountain of Sinai. He will come with the “clouds” meaning that he will come with the power / authority of heaven like the “son of Man” in Daniel 7. When this happens all followers of Jesus will be gathered around their King and will usher him into the new heavens and new earth.

Unfortunately, the present passage of Scripture has been interpreted in several different ways; mostly indicating that the return of Christ will be a rapturous moment when God will snatch believers away from this evil world to meet him in the “air” (up in heaven) for eternity. There are several problems with this approach (too numerous to look at for this word study). The current word study exposes one of the fallacies in this interpretive scheme.

Had the Apostle wanted to communicate that Christ coming downward to take us upward was the goal of the 2^nd coming, he could have chosen to use a word like οὐρανός. This word, which is interpreted as “air” on some occasions (as indicated above), would have given the impression that going to meet Christ in the “air” was a upward heavenly route. However, what this word study has discovered is that the word Paul chose to use was one that indicates the lower part of the atmosphere. Paul had a grammatical choice to make, and clearly he did not want to misguide his first century audience by making them think that being “with the Lord forever” actually meant going to heaven, away from the creation project. So, in order to keep his metaphorical devices in place without giving the wrong impression, he chose to use ἀήρ to indicate that he was not talking about escaping this world; but rather being part of its redemptive process. If the alternative word had been selected, Paul would have given us the opportunity to affirm cosmological dualism.

5. Verification

There is no dispute of how ἀήρ is to be translated from Greek into English among the translations. In every version that was checked (ESV, KJV, NIV, and TNIV) this word is translated as “air.”

After consulting the “Easton Bible Dictionary” we find that this word study’s findings about the meaning of the word ἀήρ is consistent and verified. It states: “The atmosphere, as opposed to the higher regions of the sky (1Th_4:17; Rev_9:2; Rev_16:17).”[4] This is also confirmed by the UBS Greek Dictionary: “air; ethereal region above the earth, space.”[5]

---

FOOTNOTES

***N. T. Wright, “Farewell to Rapture,” Biblical Review (August 2001). http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.htm (accessed October, 2009).

[1]http://www.biblestudytools.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=109&version=nas

[2] http://www.greekbiblestudy.org/gnt/greekWordStudy.do?id=100095&greek=false

[3] http://www.biblestudytools.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=3772&version=nas

[4] See: Easton Bible Dictionary. Available Online at: http://refbible.com/a/air.htm

[5] The Greek New Testament With Greek-English Dictionary by B. Aland (Editor), K. Aland (Editor), J. Karavidopoulos (Editor), B. M. Metzger (Editor), C. M. Martini (Editor)

[Cronos]

“It is plain from history that the Holy Roman Empire played a big part in all of this” — the Holy Roman empire was from 962 to 1806 — it was founded 900 years AFTER the destruction of Jerusalem. How could it play any part in the destruction of Jerusalem? sheesh

[Cronos]

Stoned wall - the blasphemy is coming up with a fiction of “left behind”

[ravenwolf]

Question, do you believe Revelations was fullfilled in the first cenntuey.

[daniel1212]

the city of Jerusalem was utterly destroyed as you read in Josephus accounts - accounts of that time.

A precursor of what Rv. describes. Just was part of "no more" do you not understand?

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. (Revelation 18:21)

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; (Revelation 18:22)

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. (Revelation 18:23)

However, if "no more" does not mean "no more," than you can also dispense with that meaning in such verses as,

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

[daniel1212]

See above.

[daniel1212]

The imagery - Revelation is allegorical - or do you expect that John actually saw Jesus wih a two-bladed sword out of His mouth? Or was that the significance of the power of His words

Which is ignorance or cultic sophistry. JWs likewise deny eternal punishment in Hell since the word geenna refers top a garbage pit. If taking things literally mean that there can be no symbolism involved then you can also join those who deny Is. 53 speaks of Christ, (the "Lamb of God") since it also uses allegorical language.

However, If taking things literally mean that there can be no symbolism involved then it requires the sort of exegetical gymnastics that you must engage in to relegate most every end-times prophecies of the New Testament as being fulfilled in AD 70A.D.

If you want to contend this, please provide a list of all prophecies of the New Testament that you do not consider to have been fulfilled.

If you are unwilling do to this, then we should focus on what is most important, that of experiencing Biblical regeneration thru personal heart-purifying faith in the risen Lord Jesus to save the sinner on Christ's account and credit, by His sinless shed blood, and thus follow Him.

[ravenwolf]

The holy Roman empire had nothing to do with the destruction of
Jerusalem but it had a big part in the kingdom of God, every
thing did not end with the destruction of Jerusalem but had just
begun.

[Boogieman]

“Matthew 24:37 clearly says Jesus will usher in the age of the church”

Huh?

“37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Where does Jesus say anything like that in this verse?? Noah is most notable for being the harbinger of a great, worldwide calamity...

“Jesus does not mention any hint of a tribulation or a millenium after His coming”

Well, the tribulation happens BEFORE His second coming, of course, and Jesus mentions its just a few verses before, in Matthew 24:21. There is no mention of the millenial reign in this discourse, that is true, but it is mentioned in prophesies that clearly parallel this one in their sequence of specific events. Jesus doesn’t mention the resurrection of the dead here, or the last judgement either, but we know both of those follow the second coming as well. Just because they are not mentioned every time the second coming is mentioned doesn’t mean they aren’t going to happen.

However, none of that really addresses the point I made; you are just sidestepping it. You assert that this prophecy Jesus makes in chapter 24 of Matthew was fulfilled in 70 AD, or at the least, fulfilled in the lifetimes of the generation he was speaking to. That prophecy, in verse 37, includes the second coming of Jesus. So, in order for your thesis to work, you must believe Jesus has already returned.

How did every Christian on the planet, and everyone else for that matter, miss what is supposed to be an event that is witnessed by every tribe and nation?

[Cronos]

I believe what the author wrote

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.

and ends with 20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.

meaning that the first resurrection, the spiritual resurrection of the soul from Sin

Apologies for the long-winded, but yes the coming of the new Jerusalem did happen in 69 AD with the coming of Christ's Church, the New Jerusalem, where we share in the joy of the sacrifice of the lamb at each Eucharist - or as the Lutherans call it, the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Those in the great multitude, from every nation, race, people, and tongue, are the Church. They make up the New Israel, which has gone through a New Exodus. While the first Exodus involved the people of Israel being saved from the tyranny of Egyptian slavery, this final Exodus consists of the people of the new covenant being saved eternally from the domination of sin and death. As Jesus states, in the reading from today’s Gospel, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (Jn. 10:28). The salvation of a multitude too large to be counted is a fulfillment of the great covenant made with Abraham: “I will make of you a great nation … All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you” (Gen. 12:2, 3; cf. Gal. 3:7, 29).

[Cronos]

The book of the Apocalypse is the foretelling of the destruction of Jerusalem.

It was written during the persecution of Christians by Nero so around the 60s AD and talks of the destruction of Jerusalem in 69 AD

Yes, Jerusalem was destroyed - as clearly stated by Josephus

Rev 8:7 says "a third of the land was burnt up" -- this is the description of what happened during the Jewish war that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem - the first trumpet, the destruction of the land - the scorched earth policy of the Empire

Refer to the writings of Josephus

Truly, the very view itself of the country was a melancholy thing; for those places which were before adorned with trees and pleasant gardens were now become a desolate country in every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change... nor if anyone that had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again; but though he were standing at the city itself, yet would he have inquired for it notwithstanding

The wars of the Jews by Josephus book 6 chapter 1

What part of "no more" and "desert" do you not understand?

[Cronos]

The millstone is exactly like Rev 8:8 "And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea" -- and, as I said, it echoes Luke 17:1-2 --> it is an allegory like the rest of the book of the Apocalypse

the no more music is what happened to Jerusalem in 69 AD

[Ezekiel]

It’s the narrow way.

This stuff is way more literal than the people who “take the Bible literally” might ever suspect.

[Cronos]

The cultic sophistry is taking it literally - which is the root form of your cults like the Jehovah's witnesses or the Adventists

The book of the Apocalypse is filled from start to end with imagery, specifically meant to be allegorical. the 6, 7, 1000 are not literal but allegorial

[Cronos]

The Holy Roman Empire, even at its peak ruled over less than a quarter of all Christians.

The HRE didn't include the Ancient Church of the East, the Assyrian Church, which in 900 formed fully 33% of all Christians and stretched from Mongolia to India to Ctesiphon.

the HRE didn't include the Orthodox who were in the Roman Empire or the Bulgarian Empire or under Islamic rule

The HRE didn't include the Copts or the Armenians or the Syriacs

the HRE didn't even include all Western Christians - even at its peak there were the Christians of Iberia, of Italia, of Poland, Hungary, England, Ireland, Scandanavia.

In what way could the HRE play any part in the kingdom of God in your opinion?

[Ezekiel]

Regarding the star sailors: many are called, but few are chosen.

[HarleyD]

The idea being that human nature and God's nature doesn't change, so things will continue in a similar manner.

I think you're absolutely correct. If the scriptures shows us anything it shows us the consistency of God and of man.

While I'm still working through the different views, after studying eschatology I'm under the same impression about the Book of Revelation. It is a book of comfort for us.

[HarleyD]

The idea being that human nature and God's nature doesn't change, so things will continue in a similar manner.

I think you're absolutely correct. If the scriptures shows us anything it shows us the consistency of God and of man.

While I'm still working through the different views, after studying eschatology I'm under the same impression about the Book of Revelation. It is a book of comfort for us.

[impactplayer]

Maranatha - My only point regarding your comments is that there really is no longer a Biblical Israel. There is no Temple, thus no path to reconciliation. What we have is a secular nation made up primarily of people of Jewish descent who do not recognize/accept their Messiah. It is the job of Christians to help the find and be found by Messiah. God only knows what will become of them if they do not.

[Pelham]

Far better to use the word “the apocalypse” rather than rapere or rapiemur

That would require ignoring the text.

The author of Thessalonians used ἁρπάζω, harpázō, "carrying away".

He didn't use αποκάλυψη, apocalypse, "revealing" "disclosure".

[Pelham]

“The article is written by a pastor. Perhaps you ought to address him?”

The article was written by a self-described Progressive Christian.

People ought to take a look at what “Progressive Christians” are all about:

https://www.patheos.com/progressive-christian-blogs

https://www.patheos.com/progressive-christian