The rapture keeps coming back

[Rollo Tamasi]

By Brett McCracken, Christianity Today

Are Americans more enraptured with the Rapture than ever? Seth Rogen's 2013 apocalypse comedy, This Is the End, poked fun at the concept, while the cinematic "reboot" of Left Behind, starring Nicolas Cage, takes it seriously. The bleak HBO drama The Leftovers, developed by Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost), explores what life would be like for those left behind after a Rapture-esque event.

The Rapture is a relatively recent idea in church history, as well as a minor theme in Scripture: Many Bible scholars argue that it's not there at all, while descendants of 19th-century dispensationalists see it in passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–55; and John 14:2–3. But it has become a fixture in U.S. pop culture, showing up unexpectedly like a thief in the night.

And what do you say about it?

 

[reba]

IT sells

 

[smaller]

IT sells

Yeah, as fiction. Get saved so you can float away into the atmosphere with Jesus. smh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXuNpF6NVg

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

If the rapture is real, then when does it happen?
Does Hollywood tell us?
Or does that guy who writes all the books and is famous and makes millions tell us?

 

[Christ_empowered]

What are/were the more traditional beliefs re: the end times?

 

[jasonc]

What are/were the more traditional beliefs re: the end times?

The rapture is now ,being a historicist,preterist,is liberal

 

[Christ_empowered]

I do have some concerns about The Rapture, from a social, psychological, etc. perspective. I dunno...the same Christians I know who believe so strongly in the rapture sometimes seem to cling to it as a sort of...escapism. I'm not saying that Christians should --not-- believe in the rapture, but I'm wondering if perhaps strong belief in it has its roots more in a human need for a belief in escape, relief, release than in sound doctrine.

But, I'm not well versed in Christian theology. Did the older doctrines hold that we'd suffer w/ everybody else until Christ returned?

 

[jasonc]

I do have some concerns about The Rapture, from a social, psychological, etc. perspective. I dunno...the same Christians I know who believe so strongly in the rapture sometimes seem to cling to it as a sort of...escapism. I'm not saying that Christians should --not-- believe in the rapture, but I'm wondering if perhaps strong belief in it has its roots more in a human need for a belief in escape, relief, release than in sound doctrine.

But, I'm not well versed in Christian theology. Did the older doctrines hold that we'd suffer w/ everybody else until Christ returned?

You may read up on this.I say start with Matthew henry,Adam clarke

 

[JLB]

By Brett McCracken, Christianity Today

Are Americans more enraptured with the Rapture than ever? Seth Rogen's 2013 apocalypse comedy, This Is the End, poked fun at the concept, while the cinematic "reboot" of Left Behind, starring Nicolas Cage, takes it seriously. The bleak HBO drama The Leftovers, developed by Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost), explores what life would be like for those left behind after a Rapture-esque event.

The Rapture is a relatively recent idea in church history, as well as a minor theme in Scripture: Many Bible scholars argue that it's not there at all, while descendants of 19th-century dispensationalists see it in passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–55; and John 14:2–3. But it has become a fixture in U.S. pop culture, showing up unexpectedly like a thief in the night.

And what do you say about it?

It's false doctrine.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17


The Resurrection/Rapture is one event that occurs at the coming of the Lord. It's called the Gathering.

The coming of the Lord is after the tribulation.

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31



JLB

 

[Edward]

I do have some concerns about The Rapture, from a social, psychological, etc. perspective. I dunno...the same Christians I know who believe so strongly in the rapture sometimes seem to cling to it as a sort of...escapism. I'm not saying that Christians should --not-- believe in the rapture, but I'm wondering if perhaps strong belief in it has its roots more in a human need for a belief in escape, relief, release than in sound doctrine.

But, I'm not well versed in Christian theology. Did the older doctrines hold that we'd suffer w/ everybody else until Christ returned?

We are taught that we will suffer for Christ, however, there's this curious verse...

Luke 21:36

Both sides of the rapture debate can make a very good case for their views. I'm on the fence about it.

 

[turnorburn]

The rapture doctrine was created to place the antichrist appearing shortly before Jesus second coming.. in short.. a smokescreen..

 

[turnorburn]

How many here remember Keith Green?

 

[Sinthesis]

I think today's pop culture rapture idea is a Frankenstein's monster built up of various real biblical concepts.

 

[jocor]

I agree with JLB that there is no pre-tribulation rapture. I don't believe there is any rapture at all, just resurrection.

 

[Edward]

There are some provocative passages that do suggest to me that rapture may indeed be true. Even OT!

Like this one;
Isaiah 26: 19-21
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain./

What indignation? If the tribulation is past and it's the day of the Lord...what indignation?!....maybe.

I'm not 100% on rapture either way but luckily, rapture is not a salvific issue. IIRC, there's uh, 7 (possible) raptures in scripture.
Enoch was raptured before the flood, for instance...

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

How many here remember Keith Green?

I remember Keith Green, Psalm 23;

 

[jocor]

There are some provocative passages that do suggest to me that rapture may indeed be true. Even OT!

Like this one;
Isaiah 26: 19-21
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

What indignation? If the tribulation is past and it's the day of the Lord...what indignation?!....maybe.

This passage is about the resurrection. The indignation refers to Yahweh's wrath against the wicked during the Day of Yahweh (Day of the LORD). That Day begins after the Great Tribulation ends (Mt 24:29; Joel 2:31). The people of Isa 26:20 are poetically hiding in their graves.

I'm not 100% on rapture either way but luckily, rapture is not a salvific issue. IIRC, there's uh, 7 (possible) raptures in scripture.
Enoch was raptured before the flood, for instance...

Enoch was not raptured to heaven. Yeshua was the first to enter it (John 3:13).

 

[for_his_glory]

What are/were the more traditional beliefs re: the end times?

Traditional beliefs do not matter as most of them are generation theories and scripture taken out of context

 

[for_his_glory]

duplicate

 

[for_his_glory]

I do have some concerns about The Rapture, from a social, psychological, etc. perspective. I dunno...the same Christians I know who believe so strongly in the rapture sometimes seem to cling to it as a sort of...escapism. I'm not saying that Christians should --not-- believe in the rapture, but I'm wondering if perhaps strong belief in it has its roots more in a human need for a belief in escape, relief, release than in sound doctrine.

But, I'm not well versed in Christian theology. Did the older doctrines hold that we'd suffer w/ everybody else until Christ returned?

Whether their is one or not our concern needs to be that we are witnessing Christ to others before He does come back.