The Rapture

In our Revelation series on Sunday mornings I have been dealing with some controversial subjects hoping that instead of adding to the confusion or coming up with a clever theory that, we might come away with a helpful, thoughtful and practical insight.

The Second Coming is one of those confusing and controversial subjects. The popular view is that the world will get worse then Jesus will rapture or vacuum Christians in an instant right out of the world. After this comes the tribulation, then the second coming.

For the first 1700 years after Jesus the church did not hold to a rapture theory. This view came in as a reaction to the widespread liberal theology that didn't take anything in the Bible literally.

I'm not sure exactly how the idea came to the progenitures but the only Scriptural support given for it is 1 Thessalonians 4 and even that says nothing about a rapture but is speaking of a resurrection that will take place. Revelation also speaks of a resurrection that will take place at the full appearance of Jesus. This is why there are no biblical scholars who believe in a rapture.

So why is it that this has been sustained since the mid 1800's? Sensational theories will always have an audience especially if the theory is one that guarantees that Christians escape difficulty that is coming to the earth.

The worst part of this theory is that it teaches that things must get worse before Jesus takes his church away. Why would you and I work for a better world? This is part of the reason that the Evangelical church has been slow in getting involved in social and global causes. Finally, when it did it did much of it was done so in a bait and switch way trying to save people's souls.

In Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of his return. In chapter 25 he gives three parables as to what his followers were to do in preparation for his return. The last one states clearly that his followers are those who actually do something about the practical needs of others. These are the ones who are received into God's heaven. It is as if Jesus is actually saying that by being actively involved in making our world a better place that we don't need to worry about missing or figuring out when or how Jesus will return.