Our Blessed Hope
by Chuck Missler
We continue to receive many questions concerning the "Rapture" of the church
and its apparent contrast with the "Second Coming" of Jesus Christ. Where does
this strange view come from? Is the term "rapture" even in the Bible? Clearly,
the idea of the Rapture can be considered the most preposterous belief in
Biblical Christianity. It reminds me of the famous quote by Dr. Richard Feynman,
speaking of quantum physics:
I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics... in
fact, it is often stated of all the theories proposed in this century, the
silliest is quantum theory. Some say that the only thing that quantum theory has
going for it, in fact, is that it is unquestionably correct.
The situation regarding the doctrine of the Rapture is painfully similar.
The Harpázô
The mysterious event known as the Rapture is most clearly
presented in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, in which he encourages
the grieving Christians that, at the "great snatch," they will be reunited with
those who have died in Christ before them.
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.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him. 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
precede them which are asleep. 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. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
-1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
In verse 17, the English phrase "caught up" translates the
Greek word harpázô, which means "to seize upon with force" or "to snatch
up." There are those who claim that the word "rapture" isn't in their Bible.
That's because they aren't using the Latin translation:
...deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus
obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus.. -1 Thessalonians
4:17 (Latin Vulgate)
The Latin equivalent of the Greek harpázô is the
Latin verb rapio, "to take away by force." In the Latin Vulgate, one
of the oldest Bibles in existence, the appropriate tense of rapio appears
in verse 17. (Raptus is the past participle of rapio, and our
English words "rapt" and "rapture" stem from this past participle.) At the
Rapture, living believers will be "caught up" in the air, translated into the
clouds, in a moment in time, to join the Lord in the air.
The Promise
This will be the fulfillment of the promise which our Lord
confirmed at the Last Supper:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in me. 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. 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. -John 14:1-3
This thrilling promise wasn't given to everyone, only to His
believers. (Judas had already left by then.) This appears to parallel the
promise of the bridegroom in the pattern of the ancient Jewish wedding, where,
after the ketubah, the engagement, but before the huppah, the
formal ceremony, the groom departed to prepare a new home for his bride, usually
an addition to his father's house. The bride was kept in a state of expectancy
pending his return-often in the middle of the night, as a surprise. (The
huppah, the wedding ceremony, was followed with a seven-day celebration,
etc.)
The Process
The anticipation of a bodily resurrection after life on this
earth pervades the entire Bible. In the oldest book of the Bible, Job declares:
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold,
and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. -Job 19:25-27
Yet, when our Lord comes to gather His church, there will be
a generation alive at that time. In his discussion of the Resurrection in his
first letter to the Corinthians, Paul again deals with this astonishing event:
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory? -1 Corinthians 15:51-55
(From quantum physics considerations, I suspect that this transformation, "in
the twinkling of an eye," will occur digitally in 10-43 of a second.)
The Imminent Gathering
Clearly, the Bible teaches us to expect Him at any moment.
This is called the Doctrine of Imminency: it is next on the program and may take
place very soon. (The word "imminent" should not be confused with "immanent,"
which, in theological contexts, means that God is not only transcendent, or far
above us, but that He is always with us and active on our behalf. Nor should it
be confused with "eminent," which is a title of honor reserved for persons of
outstanding distinction.)
Imminency expresses hope and a warm spirit of expectancy,
which should result in a victorious and purified life. Believers are taught to
expect the Savior from heaven at any moment. Paul seemed to include himself
among those who looked for Christ's return. Timothy was admonished to "keep this
commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Jewish converts were reminded that "yet a little while, and He that
shall come will come, and will not tarry." Some have concluded that the
expectation of some were so strong they had stopped work and had to be exhorted
to return to their jobs, and have patience.
Two Events?
There are many that hold to the view that emerged in
the Medieval church (Catholic and Protestant) that the "Second Coming" of Christ
and the "Rapture" are somehow the same. Yet there seems to be a number of
indications that these are distinct and separate. In contrast to the imminent
gathering of His church, there are numerous passages that deal with precedent
events which must transpire prior to the "Second Coming" to establish His
kingdom on the earth. Some of the passages referring to the Rapture and the
Second Coming are summarized at the the table below.
Rapture
|
Second Coming
|
John 14:1-3 |
Dan 2:44-45 |
Rom 8:19 |
Dan 7:9-14 |
1 Cor 1:7-8 |
Dan 12:1-3 |
1 Cor 15:1-53 |
Zech 14:1-15 |
1 Cor 16:22 |
Matt 13:41 |
Phil 3:20-21 |
Matt 24:15-31 |
Col 3:4 |
Matt 26:64 |
1 Thess 1:10 |
Mark 13:14-27 |
1 Thess 2:19 |
Mark 14:62 |
1 Thess 4:13-18 |
Luke 21:25-28 |
1 Thess 5:9 |
Acts 1:9-11 |
1 Thess 5:23 |
Acts 3:19-21 |
2 Thess 2:1 (3?) |
1 Thess 3:13 |
1 Tim 6:14 |
2 Thess 1:6-10 |
2 Tim 4:1 |
2 Thess 2:8 |
Titus 2:13 |
2 Peter 3:1-14 |
Heb 9:28 |
Jude 14-15 |
James 5:7-9 |
Rev 1:7 |
1 Peter 1:7, 13 |
Rev 19:11-20:6 |
1 John 2:28-3:2 |
Rev 22:7, 12, 20 |
Jude 21 |
|
Rev 2:25 |
|
Rev 3:10 |
|
Why So Many Views?
There are, of course, many differing views, especially
regarding matters of eschatology - the study of "last things." This diversity
derives from several factors: the disciplines associated with hermeneutics - the
theory of interpretation - as well as the need to integrate an understanding of
the entirety of God's revealed plan of redemption: "the whole counsel of God."
The need to relate the various elements of end-time events,
such as the Great Tribulation, the events surrounding the Seventieth Week of
Daniel, the Millennium, and other related issues, requires precise definitions
and diligent study. We will address many of these in our subsequent articles in
the hopes that they will prove helpful in understanding these issues and
assisting you in formulating your own views regarding these challenges. (We will
discover that some of the principal controversies are more an issue of
ecclesiology than eschatology! But more of this next time.)
These are not "peripheral" issues (as they may have seemed in
the past). We believe we are being plunged into a period of time about which the
Bible says more than it does about any other period of human history-including
the time that Jesus walked the shore of the Sea of Galilee and climbed the
mountains of Judea! It is the most exciting time to be alive! But if we are to
be diligent stewards, we need to carefully revise our priorities to match His!
All through the Gospels, Jesus relied on the ancient Jewish
wedding pattern for many of His parables, climaxing in His promise in the Upper
Room in John 14 (as reviewed in our previous article). Many of us miss the full
import of these allusions if we aren't familiar with the model of ancient Jewish
wedding practices.
Jewish Wedding
The first step, the Ketubah, or Betrothal, was the
establishment of the marriage covenant, usually when the prospective bridegroom
took the initiative and negotiated the price (mohair) he must pay to purchase
her. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was
established, and the young man and woman were regarded as husband and wife. From
that moment on, the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set
apart, exclusively for her bridegroom. As a symbol of the covenant relationship
that had been established, the groom and bride drank from a cup of wine over
which the betrothal had been pronounced. After the marriage covenant was
established, the groom left his bride at her home and returned to his father's
house, where he remained separated from his bride for approximately 12 months.
This afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married
life. During this period of separation, the groom prepared a dwelling place in
his father's house to which he would later bring his bride. At the end of the
period of separation, the bridegroom came - usually at night - to take his bride
to live with him. The groom, the best man, and other male escorts left the
father's house and conducted a torch-light procession to the home of the bride.
Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the
time of his coming. As a result, the groom's arrival was preceded by a shout,
which announced her imminent departure to be gathered with him.
After the groom received his bride, together with her female
attendants, the enlarged wedding party returned from the bride's home to the
groom's father's house, where the wedding guests had assembled.
Shortly after their arrival, the bride and groom were
escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah).
Prior to entering the chamber, the bride remained veiled so that no one could
see her face. While the groomsmen and bridesmaids waited outside, the bride and
groom entered the bridal chamber alone. There, in the privacy of that place,
they entered into physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the
marriage that had been covenanted approximately one year earlier.
After the marriage was consummated, the groom came out of the
bridal chamber and announced the consummation of the marriage to the members of
the wedding party waiting outside. Then, as the groom went back to his bride in
the chamber, the members of the wedding party returned to the wedding guests and
announced the consummation of the marriage. Upon receiving the good news, the
wedding guests remained in the groom's father's house for the next seven days,
celebrating with a great wedding feast. During the seven days of the wedding
feast, the bride and groom remained hidden in the bridal chamber (Cf. Genesis
29:21-23, 27-28) for the seven days of the huppah. Afterwards, the groom came
out of hiding, bringing his bride with him, but with her veil removed so that
everyone could see her.
The Ultimate Bride
The New Testament portrays the Church as the Bride of Christ
in Ephesians 5:22-33 (Paul even quotes Genesis 2:24 as the union at the Parousia
of the Bridegroom in v.31!); Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:2; James 4:4. In the
opening verses of John 14, the marriage covenant is confirmed. Paul continually
reminds us of the purchase price and the covenant by which we, the Bride, are
set apart, or sanctified.
Ecclesiology vs. Eschatology
It is this distinctive nature of the Church that is
often overlooked by students of prophecy: it is more a matter of ecclesiology
than eschatology. One thing that seems to highlight this distinctiveness is the
strange remark Jesus made regarding John the Baptist: Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he. -Matthew 11:11
What does that mean? Jesus goes on to explain,
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. -
Matthew 11:13
It is John the Baptist that closes the Old Testament, not
Malachi. A profound distinction appears to be drawn between the saints of the
Old Testament and those of the New. One of the challenges in fully appreciating
Paul's epistles is the need to understand the staggering and distinctive
advantages afforded the Church, in contrast to those of the Old Testament
saints. And it is this role as the Bride of the Bridegroom that is emphasized in
the parables and in the Book of Revelation.
The Departure of the Bridegroom
The Bridegroom has departed, and His return to gather His
Bride is imminent. He has gone to prepare a place for you and me. (He has been
at it for 2,000 years! It must be a spectacular abode!) This very doctrine of
"imminence" is taught throughout the New Testament and is a cornerstone of the
"pre-tribulational" view: there is no event which is a prerequisite condition
for His gathering of His Bride.
The Great Tribulation
There are those who believe the Church will go through the
Great Tribulation. In exploring this issue, it is essential to distinguish
between persecution, which clearly has been the lot of the Church for 19
centuries, and "the Great Tribulation" of eschatological significance. The
persecution - and tribulation, of the Church was clearly promised to us:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world. -John 16:33
The source of this tribulation is the world and, of course,
Satan. However, "the Great Tribulation" of eschatological significance is quite
another matter. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. -Matthew
24:21
The context here is clearly Israel. Jesus is quoting from the
Old Testament: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and
at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found
written in the book -Daniel 12:1
Note that "thy people will be delivered": the focus of the "Great
Tribulation" is Israel. That is why it is called "the time of Jacob's Trouble":
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of
Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. -Jeremiah 30:7
Jesus (in the Old Testament) explains:
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and
seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. -Hosea 5:15
To "return," He must have left His place! The offence referred to is singular
and specific: their rejection of Him. In "their affliction" they will ultimately
repent and He will respond. The Great Tribulation also involves more than the
wrath of the world or the wrath of Satan: it involves the indignation and wrath
of God. In contrast, the Church has been promised: For God hath not appointed
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,-1
Thessalonians 5:9
And, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him. -Romans 5:9
And, specifically, Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee from the hour [time] of temptation [trial], which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. -Revelation 3:10
Peter also emphasizes, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the
godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to
be punished: -2 Peter 2:9
Here, Peter is using the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah "as
an example," as Jesus also did, in which the prior removal of Lot was a
precondition before the angels could do their work.
A complete study of this issue involves careful and diligent
study of both the Church (ecclesiology) as well as the eschatology (end time
aspects) of the Great Tribulation, which, of course, far exceeds the focus of
this brief review. It requires precise definitions of the terms used, and great
care to understand how each of the elements of the revealed truth relate to each
other.
But the fundamental doctrine of imminence has to be
forfeited with any view that requires the Great Tribulation, or any other
precedent event, to occur prior to the Rapture. Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. -Luke 21:36
Since Paul highlights that the mystery of the Church was his
privilege to reveal in the New Testament, it is fashionable to assume that it
would be futile to expect any references to the Rapture of the Church in the Old
Testament. However, here are some provocative passages for your personal
consideration:
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall
they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into
thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a
little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh
out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the
earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. -Isaiah
26:19-21
Who are to enter which chambers? How long are they to be hidden? (Compare
this with John 14:1-3 and come to your own conclusions.) And there are others:
Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment;
seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the
Lord’s anger. - Zephaniah 2:3
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of
his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. -Psalm 27:5
But to me, the most provocative are the consistent pattern,
or "types," metaphors, and similes, in the Old Testament:
Pattern is Prologue
It is interesting to notice the patterns that seem to be
suggested in the Biblical text. One of the greatest judgments on the Planet
Earth was, of course, the flood during the days of Noah. It is obvious that
there were three groups of people facing that judgment:
1) Those that perished in the Flood;
2) Those who were preserved through the Flood, by means of the
ark; and
3) Those who were removed prior to the Flood, namely, Enoch.
(It can be argued that he was only one person, but so is the Church!
Enoch is, for many reasons, one of the most intriguing
characters in the Old Testament. There are also several provocative Jewish
traditions regarding Enoch. He is regarded as having been born on the day the
Jews observe Hag Shavout, the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost. What is also
interesting is that, by tradition, he is also believed to have been
"translated" (or "raptured") on his birthday. Since the Church was "born" on
this day, one wonders if we, too, will be "raptured" on its birthday! (As some
pre-tribbers love to point out, Enoch wasn't "mid-flood" or "post-flood," he was
"pre-flood.") We all have enjoyed the famous confrontation between
Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel's three friends in the fiery furnace in Daniel
3. Many prophecy buffs view Nebuchadnezzar and the forced worship of his image as a "type" of the Antichrist, and the
three Jewish young men as a foreshadowing of the 144,000 miraculously preserved
through the "furnace" of the tribulation. That leaves a provocative question:
Where was Daniel himself? Who might he represent as a type?
Some prophecy buffs see the use of a threshing floor as an
idiom alluding to the tribulation. The marvelous romance of Ruth, who becomes
the Gentile bride of Boaz, her Kinsman-Redeemer, is seen as an anticipatory type
of the Church and her Redeemer. In the critical threshing floor scene in chapter
3, where is Ruth? At the feet of her Redeemer. Interesting. In Genesis 22,
Abraham left the donkey and the two young men at the foot of the hill as he and
Isaac went up to the top of Moriah for the famous offering of his son. After the
episode concludes with the substitution of the ram, it lists those that then
returned to Beersheba: So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose
up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Genesis 22:19
Where's Isaac? Obviously, Isaac also returned with Abraham
and the two young men. But we are fascinated that the Holy Spirit appears to
have edited the person of Isaac out of the record from the time he was offered
until he is united with his bride two chapters later! We believe this was
deliberate to have the narrative fully conform to the type.
We continue to receive many questions concerning the "Rapture
of the Church" and its apparent contrast with the "Second Coming" of Jesus
Christ. Where does this view come from? Is the term "rapture" even in the Bible?
The mysterious event known as the Rapture is most clearly
represented in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which encourages the grieving Christians
that, at the "great snatch," they will be reunited with those who have died in
Christ before them. In verse 17, the English phrase "caught up" translates
the Greek word harpazo, which means "to seize upon with force" or "to snatch
up." The Latin translators of the Bible used the word "rapturo," the root of the
English term "Rapture." At the Rapture, living believers will be "caught up"
in the air, translated into the clouds, in a moment in time to join the Lord in
the air. There are many that still hold to the view that emerged in the Medieval
church (Catholic and Protestant) that the "Second Coming" of Christ and the
"Rapture" are somehow the same. Yet there seems to be a number of indications
that these are distinct and separate. There is also predicted an unparalleled
"time of trouble" that Jesus called the "Great Tribulation." Many hold to the
view that the Rapture of the church will occur after that specific period of
time, thus, closely associating it with the Second Coming. This is known as the
"post-tribulation" view.
Post-Tribulation Views
There are at least four distinct types of post-tribulational
views:
1. Classic post-tribulationism (J. Barton Payne, et al);
2. Semi-classic post-tribulation ism (Alexander Reese);
3. Futuristic post-tribulationism (George E. Ladd);
4. Dispensational post-tribulationism (Robert H. Gundry).
These differing views are based upon different approaches,
presuppositions, and argumentation. In fact, they substantially contradict each
other. As one insists on literalness, each of these views must embrace in
creasing difficulties. Those of us who cling to a very literal view of the
Scriptures believe that the church will be removed prior to the tribulation
period (the "pre-tribulation" view). Why? What is the basis for this view?
The Pre-Tribulation View
The Rapture is characterized in the New Testament as a
"translation coming" (1 Corinthians 15:51- 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) in which
the Lord comes for His church, taking her to His Father's House (John 14:3).
However, at Christ's Second Coming with His saints, He descends from heaven to
set up His Messianic Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14:4-5; Matthew 24:27-31). The
differences between the two events are harmonized naturally by the "pre-trib"
position, while other views are not able to ac count comfortably for such
differences.
A New Testament Mystery
Paul speaks of the Rapture as a "mystery" (1 Corinthians
15:51-54), that is, a truth not revealed until its disclosure by the apostles
(Colossians 1:26). The Second Coming, on the other hand, was predicted in the
Old Testament (Daniel 12:1-3; Zechariah 12:10; 14:4). In fact, the oldest
prophecy uttered by a prophet was given before the flood of Noah and was of the
Second Coming! It was given by Enoch, and quoted in Jude 14-15. The movement of
the believer at the Rapture is from earth to heaven; at the Second Coming it is
from heaven to earth. At the Rapture, the Lord comes for His saints (1
Thessalonians 4:16), while at the Second Coming the Lord comes with His saints
(1 Thessalonians 3:13).
Post-tribulation Problems
One of the strengths of the pre-trib view is that it is
better able to harmonize the many events of end-time prophecy because of the
above distinctions. There are some awkward difficulties with the post-tribulational
view:
1)The post-tribulation view requires that the church be
present during the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27), even though it was
absent from the first 69. This is in spite of the fact that Dan 9:24 indicates
that all 70 weeks are for Israel. We believe the church must depart prior
to the 70th week, before the final seven-year period.
2)The post-tribulation view denies the New Testament teaching
of imminency--that Christ could come at any moment--since there are
intervening events required in that view. We believe there are no signs that
must precede the Rapture.
3) The post-tribulation view has difficulties with who will
populate the Millennium if the Rapture and the Second Coming occur at
essentially the same time. Since all believers will be translated at the Rapture
and all unbelievers are judged, because no unrighteous
shall be allowed to enter Christ's Kingdom, then no one would be left in mortal
bodies to start the population base for the Millennium.
4) Similarly, post-tribulationism is not able to explain the
sheep and goats judgment after the Second Coming in Matthew 25:3- 46. Where
would the believers in mortal bodies come from if they are raptured at the
Second Coming? Who would be able to enter into Christ's Kingdom?
5) The Bride of Christ, the church, is made ready to
accompany Christ to earth (Revelation 19:7-8, 14) before the Second Coming, but
how could this reasonably happen if part of the church is still on the earth
awaiting the Second Coming? If the Rapture of the church takes place at the
Second Coming, then how does the Bride (the church) also come with Christ at His
Return?
While many diligent scholars disagree, most of their views
derive from their presuppositions about the Scripture. The more literal a view,
the more there is an adoption of a pre-millennial pre-tribulation position. We
encourage you to review the various passages yourself and develop your own
conclusions. This is our "Blessed Hope," and you will not find a more exciting
and rewarding discovery. This topic is perhaps the most demanding from the point
of view of requiring the greatest amount of integration of many portions of
Scripture. Remember Acts 17:11: "Receive the Word with all readiness of mind,
but search the Scriptures daily to prove whether those things be so."
|