Christians: What do you believe about the Rapture?

Question

Do you believe it will happen? Why or why not?

If possible, could you give a Scripture referencing why you stand on what you stand on? If not, don't worry about it. I hear differing opinions around me quite a bit. Just want to know what the rest of the world thinks.

Answer 1

The "Rapture" was invented by J.N. Darby in the mid-1800's.

Eighteen hundred years after Jesus himself declared that his kingdom was not of this earth, John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) arrived to proclaim that Augustine, the Baptist Separatists, the Reformers, the Puritans, Spurgeon … everybody had it wrong. Everyone, except him. Proclaiming his "Rediscovered Truths", Darby set about to correct all those who had come before him. Yet, with all of his prolific writing, it was Darby’s devotee, an American, Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921), whose “Scofield Reference Bible” succeeded in making Darby’s “truths” famous. The Scofield Reference “Bible” gave every man the “answers” to all the mysteries of God.
It also promoted a new invention ... “The Rapture”.

The Origin of “The Rapture”

It was through the publicity-ridden pronouncements of charismatic Scots Presbyterian minister Edward Irving (1792-1834) – who was the founder of the extra-biblical ecstasies movement that would become Pentecostalism - that premillennial speculation revived and began to capture the imaginations of men.

Speaking from the “Caledonian Chapel” of his Catholic Apostolic Church in London, Irving posited the idea of a “secret Rapture”, at precisely the same time as Brethren founder John Nelson Darby. Exactly who should be credited with the invention of the Rapture - Irving or Darby - is unlikely to ever be determined, but the philosophy itself certainly appealed to the carnal speculation of both men’s adherents.

Irving’s death in 1834 meant that Darby was uncontested in seeing himself as the prophet of God where end times speculation was concerned. In founding the “Brethren” movement, Darby’s realisation of his own imagined status as God’s answer to a ruined church, was secured. Darby and his followers would establish a system of “theology” that contradicted eighteen hundred years of historic Christian doctrine, including no less than the plain declarations of the Lord Jesus and the apostles. Chiliasm - the Jewish heresy of the Messiah ruling over an earthly kingdom - was renewed, and with it, the assertion that God had not one, but two, sets of elect people. This was the beginning of what would become the “fundamentalist” teaching of the contemporary twentieth century church.

The assertion that the Rapture will come in timely fashion to remove Christians from the earth; that “the Church” is not meant to suffer “The Great Tribulation”, is a very agreeable doctrine to the modern man or woman, secure in their comforts of a centrally heated home and a congenial, social church setting.

Since history bears testimony to multitudes of men, women, and children who were cruelly tortured and martyred for the name of Jesus Christ and for their refusal to compromise their faith, healthy humility - if not common decency - alone, would dictate the need to remove any notion that there could be any greater tribulation than that which has been endured by the saints and martyrs of Jesus Christ over the past two thousand years.

There is nowhere - nowhere - not one single place in the Bible, that speaks of a secret, silent "Rapture". The coming of Christ to this earth will be with noise, fanfare, and great glory. The "Rapture" appeals only to those who are secure in the "knowledge" that they are not expected to undergo suffering for the name of Jesus Christ.

Following the death of Darby; the Scofield "Bible" and Moody Institute proliferated the idea to Americans and Canadians.
In the 20th century, the concept appealled to the imaginations of multitudes as a result of three Hollywood-style movies in the late 1970's; and from the science fiction speculation of Hal Lindsay.

If you are genuinely interested, complete information on the origin of "The Rapture" is available in the latter half of Chapter Two of the dissertation at www.theforgottenbible.org

I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Philip Livingstone

Answer 2

Too many scriptural references to type up now, but I stand with the mountains of interpretation that Darby was way off when he came up with the "rapture" heresy in the 19th Century.

The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in The Book of Revelation by Barbara R. Rossing is probably the best book I've seen to refute the Darby heresy completely.

As for myself, I just find the whole idea that for 1900 years all of Christendom was somehow "missing the point" and Darby found 3 or 4 out of context passages that had been hidden in plain sight in Daniel & Revelations.... seems weak. It's as if instead of following the Sermon on the Mount, we were REALLY supposed to be going on a scavenger hunt.

Sorry to offend any of the "Rapture Ready" crowd, but read something other than "LEFT BEHIND" on the subject and you'll see that it's all just a big distraction.

Answer 3

The observe "rapture" does not take place in the Bible. the assumption of the Rapture, however, is obviously taught in Scripture. The Rapture of the church is the form wherein God gets rid of all believers from the earth as a manner to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on earth for the period of the Tribulation era. The Rapture is defined on the whole in a million Thessalonians 4:13-18 and a million Corinthians 15:50-fifty 4. a million Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes the Rapture as God resurrecting all believers who've died, giving them glorified bodies, and then departing the earth with those believers who have been nevertheless alive, who've additionally been given glorified bodies. "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a noisy command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the lifeless in Christ will upward push first. After that, we who're nevertheless alive and are left would be caught up inclusive of them in the clouds to fulfill the Lord in the air. And so that they can be with the Lord continuously" (a million Thessalonians 4:sixteen-17). a million Corinthians 15:50-fifty 4 makes a speciality of the on the spot nature of the Rapture and on the glorified bodies we can receive. "hear, I inform you a secret: we won't all sleep, yet we can all get replaced - in a flash, in the fast while, on the final trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the lifeless would be raised imperishable, and we can get replaced" (a million Corinthians 15:51-fifty two). The Rapture is the impressive journey we would desire to continuously all be yearning for. we can finally be loose from sin. we can be in God's presence continuously. there's a approaches too lots debate over the meaning and scope of the Rapture. this is no longer God’s reason. quite, with regard to the Rapture, God needs us to “motivate one yet another with those words.”

Answer 4

Yes, I believe in the rapture. Jesus said he would come again and take us out of this world. He also said he was going to prepare us a place. In Revelation it talks a lot about the end times and the things that will happen, first I believe that the mark of the beast will come about, and then I believe that it might get pretty bad before God comes back, and then I believe that God will come back and take those who are saved. This is just my ideas on how it will happen, I'm not for sure if the beast will come before or after the rapture, I just think it will come before. But different people have different ideas on how it will come. But yes it is real, and it will happen.

Answer 5

If, as some suggest, the rapture is not a doctrine of the Bible, then let them try to explain what these two passages could possibly mean:

"Brothers, 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. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According 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. 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. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness."
I Thessalonians 4:13-5:5

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in 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. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Corinthians 15:50-57

Answer 6

Pastor Billy says: surprisingly as this sounds 99% of all Christians do not believe in the "Left Behind" series of the endtimes. Rapture as taught by some TV Evangelists or a minority of Protestant Evangelicals is not accepted as authentic Christian doctrine.

Answer 7

I believe it will happen! The Scripture says that "...in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye" after the "dead in Christ" rose first, that "those who are alive and remain shall be "CAUGHT UP" in the clouds to meet Him in the midway air. The word "rapture" doesn't appear in the Bible itself. The word comes from a Greek Bible description of this event, "rapare" which means "to seize or snatch out" which was what was probably a good term to describe how quickly the Church will be removed in that moment of time.

Answer 8

well
I am pre-tribulation rapture, but I will take that bus whenever it comes by. My salvation does not depend on me knowing when the rapture is..
I have a 100+ page book on the pre trib rapture and can not post that here.. I am going to give what I believe and not the references as it is too much..
I believe pre trib because I don't believe that God will pour out his wrath on his christians.. The world will be like the time of Noah (really terrible) before the rapture, but when the wrath of God hits the earth we will not be here.

Answer 9

I believe that it will happen. Its written in Matthew that Jesus will deliver us from the tribulation. I think that it will happen after the persecution of Christians and the mark of the beast. Then Jesus will come like a bolt of lightening that can be seen from the east to the west. He takes us out with the holy spirit. Since the holy spirit is gone, there will be nothing holding Satan back and Armageddon begins. It happens after the start because it says that Christians will refuse the Mark, and it says that Satan will do wonders that will even deceive the elect. So Christians must still be here.

Answer 10

First and foremost, I am not a ''Christian''.....The scriptures is not about ''Christians'' it is about the Hebrew Israelites..... The only people Yah himself says that he has known out of all the families of the earth..... The so called *****/African American are the decendents of the hebrew Israelites....

The Rapture is a false doctrine made up by man..You can do a google search for yourself...Yah says that he will provide protection on earth for his people in the wilderness.....Just like no one goes to heaven after death....Noone will be ''raptured'' off to heaven and watch people suffer on earth...... During the ''Times of Jacob's(Israel) trouble'' or The Tribulation times.... The Israelites who will flee into the wilderness will be provided protection in the wilderness for 3 1/2 years.....Israel is told to flee to the mountains...... A fine example of protection on earth is in the story of Noah.....Noah and his family were provided protection on earth....They were not raptured off into the heavens....... All throughout the Scriptures the Israelites were protected on earth.......And just like the days of Noah it will be again in the end.......... All of these movies and books such as the ''Left behind Series'' are false and misleading...They are helping Satan to continue to lead the world astray....... Again people, test every spirit......Seek and you shall find..... And stop letting these false preachers in these churches lie to you and lead you astray....Read the Scriptures for yourself.... What they say and teach is not sound doctrine..... They are wolves in sheep clothes.......... Shalom!!!!

Get the truth out to our people!!!!!!