Does anyone believe in the rapture? Where does this concept come from?

Question

I have heard that the concept started with a man named by Darby in the late 1800's.

Answer 1

It comes from these Bible passages.

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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 out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Answer 2

A lot of people believe in it. Not just Christians. In most religions, there is a story about the beginning and the end of the world. It's logical, because where there is a beginning there is always an end. So, I'd say the rapture dates back to the first religions. An example other than Christians if you need one: The Aztec's emperor from 1480 to 1520 believed that the Apocalypse would come and the leader of which would have white skin. There are plenty of other examples.

Answer 3

I believe in the rapture.

Written:
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Luke 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

The last one is a picture of the church leaving. Immediately I was in the Spirit. You see for a long time I thought I was going to take this body with me. I have since come to believe that it will stay behind.
Besides, I have seen what happens to the body. It withers and is afflicted with disease. Check out the older people. I for one don't want it. I want the new one. Did you notice ---in the Spirit--- Olay!

Answer 4

This idea of the rapture that you speaking of is simple made up nonsense. The idea is nowhere in the Christian bible, nor is it found in any other legitimate scriptural work.

The best any one can do is trace it back to a somewhat deranged fire and brimstone preacher in the 1800s.

The idea apparently fit in well with his silly ideas about a selectively loving God who of course saw Him and his followers as the only ones worth being saved.

Typical Christian superiority complex, this is seen by many as more of a symptom of deeper psychological disorder, than a religious belief.

Your fine, God loves you just the way you are. Go on with your life. If you feel that you have acted in an unloving manner toward someone, then make the necessary correction in your behavior and attitude and act accordingly in the future. This is all the real God ever asks of us.

No groveling required, no guilt necessary, no deranged fantasies about judgment and damnation.

Just love, That’s all the real God has ever had for you.

In your heart this sounds like it is true.

This is because your heart remembers what this love feels like and it can't be fooled like your mind can. Listen to your heart not the nonsense they have put into your thoughts about your loving father.

Love and blessings.

Answer 5

Yes, I believe in a pre-trib rapture, and I believe the Bible supports that position. Beyond the verses already stated, I would point to:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told, you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

These verses tell us that Jesus will come to take us to be where He dwells, this could only happen in a rapture.
Basically, there is no theological reason why Christians would go through the judgments meant for an unbelieving world.

Answer 6

The Rapture is an event in certain systems of Christian eschatology (the study of the end times) whereby it is believed that all Christians will be taken from Earth by Jesus Christ into Heaven. Although almost all forms of Christianity believe that those who are "saved" will enter Heaven, the term "rapture" is usually applied specifically to the belief that Christians will be taken into heaven prior to the Second Coming of Christ, and there will be a period of time where non-Christians will still be left on earth before Christ arrives to set up his earthly kingdom

Answer 7

Yes I believe and I am waiting, but no one knows when it should happen, all I know that God tell us to be ready for He will come like the thief of the night that doesn't worn anyone.

Rapture: When Jesus Christ comes for his church and takes them home to be with him. Anyone who believes in and has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and personal savior will be included in the rapture. The rapture is the next big event, on the prophetic calendar. It is an event that can happen at any moment, since all prophetic signs have come to pass.

Exactly what will happen when the rapture takes place: total chaos. Millions of people will simply just vanish off the face of the Earth without a trace. This will cause world wide riots and socio-economic collapse like the world has never seen and never will see again. Although, the word rapture doesn't appear in the Bible, the notion of 'being caught up' is mentioned by Paul in 1 Cor


1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
And again in 1 Thes

1 Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1 Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Before the Tribulation begins, Jesus Christ will come back for his church (the body of Christ)
1 Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ
This is sometimes called the 'escapist' theory. Suggesting that Christians will escape God's wrath and be taken to perfect safety. The above verse just told us that we are NOT appointed to wrath. We believe in Jesus as savior there is nothing left for us to prove. The total price was paid by Christ at Calvary. There is no need for the church to pay another debt.
Some people say that the church must be cleansed, that there are Christians that aren't really Christians. Don't worry about it. God knows who these hypocrites are and they aren't going any where. Lets not condemn that entire apple orchid for a rotten few.!



Key Verses As To The Time Of The Rapture
There are four major theories concerning the Rapture.
Pre-Tribulation: By far the most popular theory. This point of view states that no Christian will go through the Tribulation. The rapture will also be pre-millennial.
Mid-Tribulation: The church will be here during the trumpet judgements, for the first 3.5 years of the rapture but will not be here for the last 3.5 years known as the Great Tribulation. This position still supports the pre-millennial view.
Post Tribulation: Believe that the church will be on Earth during the entire 7 year period of the Tribulation. This view is the hardest to support in scripture. It is also the most unscriptural point of view.
No Rapture(Dominion Doctrine): Believe that the second coming and the rapture as one in the same. Their doctrine is totally incorrect. As Christians, we are to seek after the things above not on earthly things (Col 3:1-2)and wait for our savior returns (Phil 3:20).
The following table will list and compare the first three rapture views and how key verses in scripture relate to each one. Yes signifies that the verse supports that specific rapture doctrine.

So think why the devil is lying to people that there are aliens? So when the church of Christ disappeared, the devil can say, see the aliens has taken the bad ones.

Answer 8

It appears to me that most of the answers you are getting, unfortunately, are from people that are confusing the rapture with the second advent. Orthodox Christianity DOES believe that Christ will come again---the dead will rise and all will be judged. Orthodox Christianity does NOT believe in this 'secret rapture' that Tim Lehay and some evangelicals have embraced.

Answer 9

I do not believe it. Atleast not any time soon.

The belief is rooted in Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion and the core of all abrahamic branch religions.

They also first believed in God and the Devil. They believed that human existance has a continuous conflict between Good and Evil, that will come to a final climatic battle in which Good will win. All souls will be reborn and the kingdom of heaven will rise.

Zoroastrian Archives:
http://www.avesta.org/avesta.html

Answer 10

It comes from people trying to find signs in the Bible that they use to say, "See!It says right there that these things will happen and they are happening and so the end is coming and only the righteous shall leave this Earth and all others shall be left behind to suffer".

Problem with this is that this has been done so many times in history that it is not even funny anymore....