The Rapture of the Church

by | Jan 31, 2024

Heartbeat of Christianity

The anticipation of Jesus’s return, known as the Rapture of the Church, holds a complex place in the hearts of many Evangelical Christians. While eagerly awaiting this moment, there is also a deep concern for the salvation of our non-believing loved ones. The term ‘Rapture’ denotes Jesus’s return to gather his bride, the Church. Its significance fluctuates relative to world events. Whenever wars, earthquakes, plagues, or famine make headlines, Christians find themselves scanning the eastern sky, hoping that the long-awaited time has finally arrived.

RaptureKey Influences

Those of us who came to faith in the 1970s and 80s were likely influenced by Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth or the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. In my case, it was 666 by Salem Kirban. Such works made people want to be ready when the Lord returned and, simultaneously, fearful that they might miss out. I remember hearing of an old pastor saying this about the Rapture of the Church, “I am prayed up, packed up, and ready to be picked up.” That was only sometimes the case for me as a teenager. I remember coming home to an empty house several times and, for an instant, wondering if the Rapture had occurred and I missed it.

The Thessalonian church, likewise, feared Jesus might have already returned, and they missed it. The apostle Paul corrected their thinking with this: 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 |NIV) The passage implies that such an event could not go unnoticed.

Timing of the Rapture

The Bible contains numerous references to what Christians call the Rapture of the Church, Second Coming, or in the Greek, parousia. Parousia is taken to mean presence after absence or the arrival of a ruler. The issue gets complicated when one attempts to place it with the great tribulation and the millennial reign of Jesus and his saints.

Jesus’s return is inevitable, but the timing remains a mystery, even to him. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36 | NIV) Historically, there has been disagreement over when it will occur in relation to the great tribulation. Moreover, even the great tribulation itself is subject to debate. Consequently, a cursory overview of Christ’s return requires a basic understanding of three other theological terms: millennium, tribulation, and dispensationalism.

In this context, the millennium refers to a 1,000-year reign of Jesus and the Christian martyrs on earth, which some believe will occur after the great tribulation. Others think it will occur before. And, finally, some doubt there will be an earthly millennial reign. This is where the water starts getting a little muddy. And it doesn’t stop there.

 The Tribulation

Tribulation refers to the suffering of God’s people. Jesus spoke of a ‘great tribulation’ or thlipsi, an unprecedented time of trouble preceding his return. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:6-7 | ESV) Most view it as a future event, but some ancient and a few modern scholars believe the tribulation occurred during the Jewish revolt and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70.

Christ’s Return

1) Pre-tribulation: Jesus will return before the great tribulation. A pretribulation rapture is a relatively new theological concept. Those supporting it often refer to the following passage: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 | NIV)

Before the nineteenth century, the idea of Jesus returning twice, once before and after the great tribulation, did not exist. 1. “It was at Albury Park and Powerscourt in the 1830s that Church of Scotland pastor Edward Irving and Brethren leader John Nelson Darby began to teach a pretribulational “secret” rapture over against the predominant posttribulational position.”2.

A “Secret” Rapture of the Church

Darby believed Christ’s return would occur in two stages. First a “secret rapture” would remove the Church before a seven-year tribulation. Then the Lord would return and begin a 1000-year reign with his saints. “In pretribulationism the dealings of God with the Church are severed from His dealings with Israel.”4.

2) In mid-tribulation, Christ will return in the middle of the tribulation, but before the wrath of God is poured out.

3) Post-tribulation, he will return after the tribulation. Post-tribulationists typically refer to earlier Church beliefs on the topic with Jesus only returning once. They support their contention with this verse. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22 |NIV)

4) Atribulationalists believe we are currently in the tribulation leading to Christ’s return. According to Roland Rasmussen, Jesus will begin his Millennial Kingdom reign immediately following the tribulation.3.

In addition to confusion over the Rapture of the church and the great tribulation, its timing relative to the millennial reign of Jesus is also open to interpretation.

Millennialism

Postmillennialism. For postmillennialists the millennium is a future, indeterminate period of worldwide Christianization followed by the tribulation and Christ’s return. Christians, not Jesus, will finalize God’s earthly kingdom. They believe that rather than being introduced supernaturally, the peace and prosperity of the millennium will occur over time through preaching and teaching. Most evil in the world will be eliminated. Christ will return after the millennium, followed by the resurrection of the dead and final judgment.

Amillennialism. Amillennialists believe we have been in the tribulation since Jesus’s resurrection, and it will conclude when he returns. They believe the kingdom of God is already here in the Church. Not much will change until Jesus returns. There is no way of knowing for sure. However, one thing we do know is that the persecution of Christians is on the rise. Many would argue that suffering and tribulation have affected the Church since the beginning. But pressures on believers are increasing to an unprecedented level. (See the links at the end.)

Both postmillennialists and amillennialists believe the millennium is figurative, not 1000 years. Postmillennialists hold tribulation will gradually decrease, while amillennialists believe it to be ongoing.

Premillennialists anticipate a Rapture followed by a tribulation of seven years, concluding with the return of Jesus. Furthermore, they expect a literal post-tribulation 1000-year period in which Jesus reigns on earth and evil is supernaturally suppressed. During that time, many Jews will convert to Christianity. As with everything, there are variations on the theme, but this brief overview will suffice for our purposes.Rapture

Dispensationalism

Dispensationalism proposes God has two plans, one for Israel and one for the Church. It rejects supersessionism, the belief that the Church replaced Israel in God’s plan. Israel’s purpose is secular or earthly (political and ethnic). For Christians it is spiritual or heavenly.

Dispensations refer to historical periods in which God related with his creation in a specific way. Initially, there were two dispensations–before Jesus and after Jesus. C.I. Scofield identified seven specific ages or dispensations. They are:

  1. Innocence
  2. Conscience
  3. Human Government
  4. Promise
  5. Law
  6. Grace
  7. Fullness of Time

The number of dispensations is irrelevant. What matters is how God related to his creation in that period.

A Certainty

There should be no doubt in any believer’s mind that Jesus will return one day. The first promise given to the disciples after they watched him ascend to heaven was, “Men of Galilee, ”why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'” (Acts 1:11 | NIV) Jesus gave his disciples a similar promise on the night of his betrayal. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3 | NIV) It is unlikely Jesus shuttled back and forth as each disciple died. But he will be there when their bodies emerge from the grave in the final resurrection.

The King

Christ’s return will be quite different from his first appearance as an infant. That helpless baby grew into a man who willingly laid down his life to open the door of reconciliation between sinful humans and a holy God. The next time the world sees Jesus, everyone, believer and non-believer alike, will recognize him. His return will be in the way the Jewish people of his day expected—as a conquering warrior-ruler. That is when his kingship will be confirmed, . . 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11 | NIV)

The story does not end there. “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed . . .” (2 Thessalonians 1:7b-10 | NIV)

What is the Hold-Up?

The only thing that has prevented Christ’s return is God’s mercy. He is giving humankind time to recognize the need for a savior. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 | NIV)

But the clock is ticking toward an event on God’s calendar. “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7 | NIV)  Regardless of when the Rapture of the Church occurs, the troubles of this life will be in our rear-view mirror, and all believers will be clothed in an immortal body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-54)

Dr. Luke cautioned all believers, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36 | NIV)

No one truly knows when Jesus will return. And trying to figure it out has proven to be a fool’s errand. Entire books and websites have been devoted to it. What I have presented here is simply intended to encourage thinking about Christ’s return. Jesus is coming back. And we had better be ready.

Resources

  1. Craig Blaising, Alan Hultberg and Douglas J. Moo, Three Views of The Rapture: Pretribulation, Prewrath and Posttribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018), 14.
  2. , 15.
  3. Roland Rasmussen, The Post-Trib, Pre-Wrath Rapture, abridged, 3rd. Ed. (Canoga Park, CA: Pre-Trib Research Center, 2014), Kindle, Location 195.
  4. Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the Tribulation: A Biblical Examination of Posttribulationism(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), Kindle, Location 104. 

Links

Cristina Maza6. cited a study by a Roman Catholic organization, Aid to the Church in Need, which examined 13 countries and concluded, “Not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution.” The author went on to paraphrase the report with this observation, “. . . .Saudi Arabia was the only country where the situation for Christians did not get worse, and that was only because the situation couldn’t get any worse than it already was.”

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra,7. asserted, “Approximately 215 million Christians now experience high, very high, or extreme levels of persecution; that means 1 in 12 Christians live where Christianity is “illegal, forbidden, or punished,” according to Open Doors researchers.” North Korea retained the top spot, but Afghanistan was a close second. The CEO of Open Doors concluded, “Both countries are extreme in intolerance and outright persecution of Christians in every area Open Doors monitors.” But Pakistan reported the most violence of any country during the year of the study.

 In addition to Islam, where “Every day six women are raped, sexually harassed, or forced into marriage to a Muslim under threat of death due to their Christian faith,” Open Doors found, “Radical Hinduism and Indian nationalism are driving factors in the increasing levels of unrest and instability Christians face . . .”

Caleb Parke8. of Fox News reported, “Release International, a U.K.-based charity that helps support persecuted Christians around the world and a partner organization of Voice of the Martyrs, warns that this year, particularly in China, India, and Nigeria, persecution against Christians is rising.”