Ever since the end of the American Civil War, a large portion of American Christians have grabbed hold of John Nelson Darby’s idea of the “rapture,” where true believing Christians will simply disappear from this earth while the rest of humanity undergoes a time of great tribulation under the rule of the anti-Christ. Understandably, this idea of “escapism” was extremely appealing after a nation had just undergone four years of the worst bloodshed and death in American history. Yet, the biblical support for this idea is somewhat shaky.
The Rapture is in Revelation, Right?
Wrong. There is no mention of the rapture anywhere in the book of Revelation. Author Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth) suggests that the rapture occurs when the angelic guide says “Come!” to John and whisks him through the heavenly door to witness “what must soon take place.” Lindsey backs up this theory by pointing out that the word “church” never again appears in the rest of Revelation—hence, the church must no longer be present. While this is certainly one theory, there are also many theological problems with this assertion.
The first one is simple common sense. Why would God remove his witnesses from the earth at a time when their testimony and witness is needed the most? Christian witness in the face of trial is how God spreads the Gospel of Christ to create faith in those who hear it.
Second, regarding Lindsey’s assertion that the church is not mentioned again, the “saints” are still quite prevalent. Additionally, churches are referred to as “lampstands” in the first chapter, and lampstands are referenced later on in Revelation in the form of “two witnesses” (Rev. 11) Given Revelation is a book that is filled with symbolic imagery, these two witnesses are no different. Two is the number necessary for a claim in court to be considered truthful (Deut. 19:15). Since the “church” is Christ’s witness here are on earth, it seems logical that the lampstands/witnesses are the people of God bearing witness to the power of Christ in the manner of the prophets of old.
So Where Does This Idea of the Rapture Come From?
It’s pulled from two texts in the New Testament: Matthew 24:30, 36-44 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. In Matthew 24:36-44, it speaks of two people working side-by-side, one is taken the other is not. This has been interpreted to mean that people will literally just vanish into thin air. However, when we think about what Jesus’ original hearers would have thought when he said this, this interpretation seems less likely. In Jesus’ day, people who were “taken” by the Romans were usually taken to be interrogated, imprisoned, judged, and/or executed (similar to Nazi Germany where people just “vanished” because they were taken by the Gestapo). Plus, the context of this passage is in reference to it being like the flood, where people were swept away, or taken, by the flood.[1] Thus, Jesus’ hearers would have seen the one left standing as the more preferable of the two.
Yet, even if the intent is that being taken is the more preferable, the point of the story is about the “coming of the son of man” does not suggest that the people will first disappear for seven years prior to that coming. As for 1 Thessalonians (similar to Matt. 24:30) which talks of the great trumpet blast, all the dead being raised, and those who are still living being caught up in the air with Christ, Paul makes no reference to there being people who are “left” to suffer a time of tribulation. This statement was made to a group of Christians who were beginning to worry that some were dying, and Christ had not yet returned. Paul was giving them edification that they should not worry, for the dead would actually precede them in joining Christ upon his return. In Revelation, the raising of the dead does not occur until after the “time of tribulation” that all the world will suffer (Rev. 20). Thus, the “rapture” is when Christ returns, raises the dead and puts an end to evil in our world.
Isn’t the Promise to the Church in Philadelphia Proof that the Church will be Raptured and Spared?
The problem with encompassing the entire breadth of God’s faithful people under the church of Philadelphia can be summed up in one word: Smyrna. The church at Smyrna was also a very faithful congregation that Christ held nothing against, yet, they are told they will still suffer at the hands of the ungodly. Throughout the church’s history, this has always been the case—some suffer persecution while others are spared. This is true today as well. Americans have the luxury of not facing death and suffering because of their faith. However, other churches throughout the world are not so lucky. Thus, rather than a rapture that takes a portion of God’s people, it seems more likely that when the tribulation that comes “upon the whole world,” there will still be groups that are protected from the worst of these trials, while others will face the brunt of it.
Revelation is, and always has been, a book that asks the question: who do you belong to? The beastly systems of this world that seek to oppress and distract from God, or to the lamb who was slain in order to set us free? In both John’s day and today, the distinction between the two is not always clear. We need scripture, like Revelation, to open our eyes to the differences so we can clearly discern who it is that we truly belong to.
[1] Barbara Rossing, The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation, (New York: Basic Books, 2004), 178
For further reading:
Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)
