Is the Rapture Biblical?

Through my years of study, conversation, and connection within the Christian world (primarily North American Christianity) I’ve taught about, heard about, and been questioned about the Rapture. What is it? Is the Rapture Biblical?

In this article, we will dive into the definitions, history, and meaning of the rapture. Attempt to determine where it came from. Answer whether or not it is Biblical, And explore what fallout or issues the belief in a rapture can create.

What Is the Rapture?

The rapture is an eschatological (and of time) belief or doctrine that states that at the second coming of Christ, the body of believers will be taken away from the earth and transported to the heavens. This is primarily derived from 1 Thessalonians 4, specifically verses 13-17.

The rapture is a modern concept developed in the mid to late 1800s and was a child work of Dispensationalism. This teaching (accidentally) states that there will be three comings of Christ. At his Second Coming, the rapture will take place and the body of believers will be taken out of the earth. This event triggers what is known as the Tribulation. At the end of the tribulation period, Christ will return again (3rd times the charm?) to the earth for 1,000 years. I.e., a Millenia.

At the end of this Millenial Reign, as it’s called, the armies of God (all of us who were taken in the rapture and who died in Christ before us) will attack the armies of Satan in what has become known as Armageddon. There, Satan is defeated, the earth is destroyed, a new heaven and earth are made, and we continue on into eternity with God.

If this all sounds overly romanticized, it is because that is what has taken place with this teaching. Books and movies have been written about it. And, evangelical churches spend entire Sunday School periods scaring the daylight out of children by telling stories of the rapture.

Did the Early Church Believe in a Rapture?

The short answer is no. The modern-day pre-millennialist/pre-tribulation rapture of the church is not found in church history. When I say church history, I mean everything from the time of Christ to the founding of the Christian church, through the Apostolic era, and up until the mid-1800s.

The two branches of Christianity with the most historic and documented roots to the time of the Apostles and the Early Church fathers are the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Roman Catholic church rejects pre-millennialism and the rapture concept. They teach and believe in the second coming of Christ but do not mark it as a pre-tribulation event.

Additionally, the Eastern Orthodox Church takes a similar stance. The only difference is that they see the second coming of Christ, and the final judgment, outside of a tribulation scene, happening simultaneously.

We also do not see the rapture, post-rapture tribulation periods, and the associated pre-millennialism beliefs during the Reformation. No teachings exist between prime groups and leaders such as Martin Luther, and John Calvin that indicate a rapture belief.

Throughout all of church history, there has been a strong belief and emphasis on end-time events. The second coming of Christ, final judgment, and for believers to always be ready for that time to come. We have learned now, however, that this idea of a rapture, which incorrectly creates three comings of Christ, was never taught in the church.

Is the Rapture Biblical?

The rapture as we know it is not Biblical in my view. However, while correct theology is critical, I would preface that as a secondary issue. Maybe even tertiary. While the differences of opinion, thought, and studies are valid and important, this is not a topic I would divide the body on.

That being said, where did it come from if it is not Biblical? And should we believe it? Well, this is a matter of interpretation. Current proponents of the rapture teachings will say it comes from the Bible. As we now know, however, the Orthodox Church nor the Reformation taught a rapture or the distinction between the 2nd coming of Christ and tribulation.

In fact, the rapture as previously mentioned is an outflow of Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is a product of John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren movement. Dispensationalism is an attempt to structure the different time frames of Biblical history and to show how God dealt with man differently and distinctly in each time frame.

These seven dispensations are Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom. According to Darby, we are currently in the dispensation of Grace. The Kingdom Age is associated with the Millennial Reign. While not malicious, this teaching of dispensationalism creates all kinds of Biblical error – the rapture being just one of them.

Again, as mentioned, a pre-tribulation rapture necessitates a third coming of Christ. Dispensationalism teaches that the core message of Covenantal salvation has changed multiple times throughout history. Scripture teaches neither of these things. In fact, according to Scripture, God saved Abraham the same way he saved Paul, you and I. Through faith because of His Promise.

Won’t we be caught up with the Lord?

Yes! But Scripture doesn’t teach a clear pre-tribulation rapture. Church history never adopted such a stance. And because this concept is the birthchild of another erroneous doctrine (dispensationalism) it is necessary to discount the teaching.

As you read in Scripture, those of us who are alive and remain at the second coming of Christ will be taken away. The difference and important distinction is that that is the end of days. That will be the Day of the Lord, great and terrible.

The fallout from this rapture teaching should be considered noteworthy. Firstly, it teaches an incorrect view of salvation. The majority of dispensational Protestant believers also teach that the chances of being saved after the rapture are none. Revelation 6:9-11 indicates that many will be saved through the tribulation, or persecution of the church.

Conclusion

Also, the rapture has been used as a tool of fear. Even during my 17 years as an Oneness Pentecostal, I heard countless comments such as, “You don’t want to be caught in a movie house when the rapture comes. Do you want to miss heaven for a movie?” Another woman told me of a panic attack she experienced during a baseball game. Memories of being told that God hated organized sports and that if you were in a ball game during the rapture you would be lost overwhelmed her.

This kind of teaching reduces the power of the Holy Spirit such that God is powerless over when the end will come and whether His elect will be saved. Yet we know Scripture teaches the absolute opposite. Matthew 24:36 tells us that the Father knows exactly when the end will come. The Father knows who is in Christ, and there will be no surprises come that final day.

Finally, the teaching has led to a plethora of conspiracies. Theories such as accidentally taking the mark of the beast and missing rapture. My friends, the mark of the beast won’t be an accident. God isn’t going to allow his children to be ‘accidentally’ condemned to eternal distance from Him.

Paul, when he taught on the Day of the Lord, made it a promise of hope. Not fear. A message of salvation, not of wraith. We should believe and teach likewise!