A Refutation of “Rapture”
I intend to refute a common understanding of the rapture current in evangelical circles. The common understanding, based on 1 Thessalonians 4:17, is that Christians are raptured from earth before the great Tribulation. I claim this common view goes against Scripture, and has the very real negative effect of taking the sting out of real warnings that Scripture provides. This is perhaps ironic, since one of the arguments against annihilation is that is takes away the fear of Hell; the common view takes away the fear of tribulation.
(1) The Common view misinterprets 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (“Then we, the ones living, the ones remaining, together with them will be caught up [arpaghsomeqa] in the clouds to a meeting [apanthsin] with the Lord in the air; and so be always with the Lord we will be.”) It was common for a prominent person to visit a city and be met by a crowd outside the city and then be escorted back into the city.
(a) Cicero describes Julius Caesar thus: “Just imagine the apanthseiV he is receiving from the towns, what honors are paid to him!”
(b) Cicero describes Octavian similarly: “The municipalities are showing the boy remarkable favor… Wonderful apanthseiV and encouragement.”
(c) Matthew 25:6, where a party meets the groom (eiV apanthsin autou) to escort him to the banquet hall.
(d) Acts 28:15, where a party from Rome meets Paul and those with him (eiV apanthsin hmin) and escorts them to Rome.
In the same way, The Lord is met in the air and is escorted back down to earth to rule.
One of the main arguments that the Common view gives is that there is a two stage coming; one which is secret and involves the rapture and one in which everyone will recognize. However, this scenario does not fit what 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says. There, it says there will be a “cry of command” and a “trumpet of God.” This is hardly secret. Also, the lesson from Matthew 24:40-41, which is usually trumpeted for the rapture, actually refers to people who will be destroyed as in Noah’s flood and not those who are rescued in the rapture (Mt. 24:38-39).
(2) The Common view endorses the wrong eschatology. Since Scripture teaches of a renewed earth, the final human destiny is on earth and so the common view of the rapture goes in the wrong direction (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1; 21:2, where the New Jerusalem descends from heaven). The common view is driven, I believe, by the mistaken idea that the final human destiny is up in heaven. As a side, I wish to refute here two standard proof-texts for the “up in heaven” view:
(a) Luke 23:43, as with Abraham’s Bosom, this concept need only pertain to the temporary abode of the righteous prior to the resurrection and the final eternal destinies. This is the case in Jewish literature of this time.
(b) John 14:2-3, as with Luke 23:43, the idea here most likely refers to the temporary resting abode of those prior to the resurrection. The Greek word for “dwelling places” is monai and has the meaning of a temporary way-station, or resting place, where a traveler would go while on a long journey. In Jewish apocalyptic writing of this time, these abodes were where the righteous souls would rest before the resurrection. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that Jesus is here referring to eternal destinies up in heaven.
(3) There is little reason to think that Christians are to be excluded from the Tribulation:
(a) In Matthew 24, for example, Jesus speaks of the Tribulation in terms that seems to involve his followers. In verse 22, we are told that those days will be cut short on account of the elect. This certainly seems to imply that Jesus’ followers are in the middle of the fray.
(b) In Revelation, it seems the sealing protects the servants through, not from, tribulation (7:3; 9:4; see also 1 Cor. 10:13).
(4) Jesus actually asks the Father not to take his disciples out of the world but to protect them (Jn. 17:15). Jesus also prays that we are not led into the tribulation with the implication that it is a real possibility (Mt. 6:13).