Why do many Christians believe in the "Rapture" when it is not in the bible?

Question

Nothing in revelations suggests that people will be sucked up to heaven before the tribulation, in fact the bible says that EVERYONE WILL LIVE THROUGH IT HERE ON EARTH.

Where does the idea of the rapture come from?

Answer 1

It's a total misinterpretation of 1 Thessalonians. Christians WILL go through the "Tribulation" - I think it has already begun, to be honest.

The idea of a "pre-Tribulation Rapture" was unheard of in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers - heck - many of them thought the Diocletian Persecutions and the the persecution of Nero Caesar were pretty much a "tribulation", no?

You don't see that idea until the 1800's - and now, it's being perpetrated by fictional books like those "Left Behind" novels.

Nonsense.

Answer 2

it's the Catholics who believe this. it says in Revelation that Christians with be persecuted and killed right? so how then could they be raptured. unless it's only a certain few who get raptured.

Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

i think this is what people base the rapture on. this to me sounds like they are being arested and taken away because they are Christians. but it also may be that this is God taking them

i think this happens after Revelations is fullfilled because it is the second comeing of Christ right? it's doesn't make sense that Christ would come and then Revelations would happen. so those verses then suggest that there will be a remnant on the earth when Jesus comes.

Answer 3

For those who quote Matt 24:40 & 42, should start with

vs: 13"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

(All christians have to endure to the end)

vs:21"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

22"Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

(The elect have to pass thru it)


vs: 29"But immediately after the tribulation of those days

(vs 40, 41 take place after the the great tribulation, and along with the other verses people quote to "prove" the rapture)

-----

Rev 4:1,2 Is talking about John receiving a vision, and has nothing to do with a "rapture"

Answer 4

Yes, it's in there. Not in Revelations, though...

According to the doctrine of Rapture, when Christ returns, all of the elect who have died will be raised and transformed into a glorious state, along with the living elect, and then be caught up to be with Christ. The key text referring to the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which states, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord."

Virtually all Christians hold that the Second Coming will be preceded by a time of great trouble and persecution of God’s people (2 Thess. 2:1–4). This period is often called the tribulation. Until the nineteenth century, all Christians agreed that the rapture—though it was not called that at the time—would occur immediately before the Second Coming, at the close of the period of persecution. This position is today called the "post-tribulational" view because it says the rapture will come after the tribulation.

-----------------------
MY opinion:

People have been proclaiming that they are living through the "end times" for waaaaay too long. There's always some unhygienic street-corner evangelist crackpot sputtering about how the world is going to end and that all the heathens better get the Lord harassed into their unsaved souls.

It STILL hasn't happened. The sky isn't falling. The oceans aren't boiling. Pigs are most definitely NOT sprouting wings and taking to the skies. They've been barking about it for years and years and years and they'll STILL be barking for years to come.

It's a scare tactic, a convenient freak- the- everliving- crap- out- of- folks magic wand that can be waved about in dramatic fashion any time the religious collective feels the soul harvest is running dry.

Trust me... go about your life. Ok, I'm sure you will anyhow considering there's really no alternative option (besides suicide, and I've heard “God” frowns upon that), but just make sure to keep in mind: STAY CALM. DON'T PANIC. REMEMBER YOUR TOWEL.

Answer 5

You need to read Revelation 4:1-2 more carefully. The Rapture is clearly described there, with the apostle John as an individual example of what will happen at that time.

Then, read further down and notice the 24 "elders." These folks are wearing white robes AND "stephanos" crowns, which are given to "overcomers" as a reward; they're not wearing "diadema" crowns, like that given to Jesus Christ. Only the Church wears white robes and stephanos crowns. Since Revelation is in chronologal order, and since John is told he'll see "things which must take place after this," (verse 1) the common sense conclusion is that the Rapture happens BEFORE the Tribulation.

Also, Jesus states at Rev. 3:10b "I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Since this "test" involves ALL who dwell on the earth, it wouldn't be possible for the Church to be there and not experience the judgements.

There are many more references to the Rapture in the Bible. If you REALLY want to understand, go to www.pre-trib.org for more information.

Peace.

EDIT: "Father K" and "Murph," you are entitled to your own beliefs, but it's not a true statement that the early church fathers didn't mention the Rapture, or that this is a concept first preached in the 1800's. Here's a portion of a sermon by "Pseudo-Ephraem":

"All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins."

That's pretty blatent. There's a similar statement in the Sheperd of Hermas (which is NOT a gnostic pseudo-gospel).

Answer 6

Your right, the word "rapture" is not in the bible.
Many among "born again" Christian groups, if not all, subscribe to the
concept of "rapture". There are seven definitions of this word in Webster's
definitions 3 and 4 in the Dictionary are what the word
means: "3 a) a carrying of a person to heaven; 3 b) Christ's raising up of
his true church and its members to a realm above the earth where the whole
company will enjoy celestial bliss with its Lord; 4 a) the state of being
carried out of oneself : spiritual or emotional ecstasy : possession by an
overwhelming emotion (as joy, love)".I don't see the dead in Christ rising, Jesus descending from Heaven, or us meeting Him in the air. They're right; the word “rapture” is nowhere to be found.
For the record, the word “rapture” comes from the Latin word rapturo, which is a translation of the Greek verb "caught up" that’s found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. You can call it the “pre-trib rapture,” the “pre-trib rapturo,” or the “pre-trib caught up” - it's all the same thing.
1Thess 4:16-18 "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. Therefore encourage each other with these words"

Answer 7

Matthew 24:36-41
36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

1 Thes 4:13-17
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For 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. 17After 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.

1 Cor 15:51-52
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

These are a few of the verses that show the Rapture.

Answer 8

The idea comes from the Bible. It does not say Rapture, specifically, but talks in more than one place about a taking away, a gatherin up to the sky, and the verse about 2 people in a field, and one is taken up, and the other its not.

Maybe you should read the Bible, or at least research it, before you try so poorly to dispute it.

Answer 9

It says, "caught up in the air." The word rapture is used to refer to that event. However, the actual word "rapture" does not exist in the Bible.

The controversy, as with most of the Bible, is how it is interpreted. Some take it literally while others think it is a figure of speech.

Answer 10

The word "Rapture" is not there. The event called the Rapture is mentioned a
number of times. Matthew 24, Jesus said, "There will be two in the field, the
one taken, and the other left!"