Tags
Bible, deception, end-times, Jesus, John Nelson Darby, rapture, Scripture, signs, tribulation, truth
Sometimes an apologist must make a defense of the faith to unbelievers, and sometimes an apologist must defend correct doctrine against erroneous doctrines of fellow believers. This post is the latter sort of apologetics.
The most prevalent end-time doctrine in the United States is the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture. Bible prophecy experts have written entire libraries in support of this doctrine. The fictional Left Behind series of Christian thrillers, which begin with a pre-tribulation rapture, are wildly popular and have even been made into a movies.
I’ve heard the pre-tribulation rapture preached all my life. I’ve studied prophecies in the Bible. I don’t find the arguments for a pre-tribulation rapture convincing at all.
I am not writing this post in order to be divisive or to put other believers down. I am not all-knowing and more prominent and scholarly people will disagree with me. Please do not dismiss what I have to say on that account. Instead, hear me out, and research the topic for yourselves. If you should still disagree with me that is fine. Just be sure of what you believe and why you believe it.
“Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” ~Romans 14:5b
One of the biggest issues with the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine is that it is a new doctrine. No one taught this doctrine prior to the 1830’s. The pre-tribulation rapture was first taught by an evangelist and preacher of the Plymouth Brethren named John Nelson Darby. In many ways Darby was a great man of God, however, I believe his eschatological views were incorrect.
We should be suspicious of any new doctrines, but newness alone would not prove the pre-tribulation view wrong. The standard of all Christian doctrine is the Bible. If the pre-trib rapture is a true Christian doctrine, it should be supported by Scriptures.
What does the Bible say about:
-a rapture?
-a tribulation?
-Christ’s return?
-signs of the end?
No other books, no other predictions, have the same authority as God’s Word. Any argument for or against pre-tribulation rapture must be based on Scripture alone–sola scriptura. The Bible will form the basis of my arguments against the pre-trib view in subsequent posts.
+Jared+
Enjoyed reading some of your posts so i thought i would jump in on this particular topic. Keep in mind though that i am Catholic;therefore i do not accept sola scriptura as a doctrine.
So you think you’re going to disappear?
Catholic Teaching by Colin S Donovan
Endtimes/Millenium/Rapture
The term “endtimes” applies both to the era of Christ’s first coming (Heb 1:2, 1 Cor 10:11, Heb 9:26) and to the events immediately before his return and the end of the ages (Mt 24:13, 2 Tim 2:1, 2 Peter 3:3). The definitive Catholic teaching on the endtimes is contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the discussion of the article of the Creed, “From thence He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” [CCC 668-682]
As the Creed infallibly teaches, the Second Coming is associated with the end of the world and the Last Judgement. Therefore, it is NOT associated with any earlier time – such as to establish a “Millenium.” The Catholic Church specifically condemns “millenarianism,” according to which Jesus will establish a throne in this world and reign here for a thousand years [CCC 676]. She teaches instead that Jesus already reigns in eternity (1 Cor. 15:24-27, Rev. 4 & 5) and that in this
world His reign, established as a seed, is found already in the Church [CCC 668-669]. This is the 1000 years, which is the Hebrew way of indicating an indefinite long time – in this case, the time between the first and second comings, the era of the Church, in other words the last days in the broadest sense.The Book of Revelation situates this era between the persecutions of the Roman
antichrists of the first century and the final unleashing of evil at the end.
The notion that Jesus will come, reign, and then depart, so that the devil can trick the world again, is incompatible with the incomprehensible dignity of the Lord and His love for His people. Jesus’ Coming will be definitive, triumphant and ever-lasting, NOT temporal and limited.
As for the Rapture, the meaning of 1 Thes 4:15-17 is that at the return of Christ (v.15) and the General Resurrection of the Dead (v.16), those who survive the persecution of the Antichrist will have no advantage in being resurrected over those who died before His Coming [CCC 1001]. All will go to meet Him and be with Him forever (v.17; cf. Rev 20:17-21:27).
The Catechism provides us with a general order of events at the End [CCC 673-677]. Chronologically they are,
1. the full number of the Gentiles come into the Church
2. the “full inclusion of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of the full
number of the Gentiles” (#2 will follow quickly on, in the wake of, #1)
3. a final trial of the Church “in the form of a religious deception offering men an
apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth.” The
supreme deception is that of the Antichrist.
4. Christ’s victory over this final unleashing of evil through a cosmic upheaval of this passing world and the Last Judgment.
Approved Catholic mystics (Venerables, Blessed and Saints, approved apparitions) throw considerable light on this order, by prophesying a minor apostasy and tribulation toward the end of the world, after which will occur the reunion of Christians. Only later will the entire world fall away from Christ (the great apostasy) and the personal Antichrist arise and the Tribulation of the
End occur.
Although this is not Catholic doctrine, arising as it does from private revelation, it conforms to what is occurring in our time, especially in light of Our Lady of Fatima’s promise of an “Era of Peace.” This “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart” (other saints have spoken of a social reign of Jesus Christ when Jesus will reign in the hearts of men) would seem to occur prior to the rise of the Antichrist. The optimism of the Pope for the “New Evangelization” and a “Civilization of Love” in the Third Millenium of Christianity fits here, as well. This would place us, therefore, in the period just before the events spoken of in the Catechism, that is, on the verge of the evangelization of the entire world.Other interpretations are possible, but none seem to fit the facts as well, especially when approved mystics are studied, instead of merely alleged ones.
Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL
EWTN Ask The Experts
Endtimes/Millenium/Rapture
The term “endtimes” applies both to the era of Christ’s first coming (Heb 1:2, 1 Cor 10:11, Heb 9:26) and to the events immediately before his return and the end of the ages (Mt 24:13, 2 Tim 2:1, 2 Peter 3:3). The definitive Catholic teaching on the endtimes is contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the discussion of the article of the Creed, “From thence He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” [CCC 668-682]
As the Creed infallibly teaches, the Second Coming is associated with the end of the world and the Last Judgement. Therefore, it is NOT associated with any earlier time – such as to establish a “Millenium.” The Catholic Church specifically condemns “millenarianism,” according to which Jesus will establish a throne in this world and reign here for a thousand years [CCC 676]. She teaches instead that Jesus already reigns in eternity (1 Cor. 15:24-27, Rev. 4 & 5) and that in this
world His reign, established as a seed, is found already in the Church [CCC 668-669]. This is the 1000 years, which is the Hebrew way of indicating an indefinite long time – in this case, the time between the first and second comings, the era of the Church, in other words the last days in the broadest sense.The Book of Revelation situates this era between the persecutions of the Roman
antichrists of the first century and the final unleashing of evil at the end.
The notion that Jesus will come, reign, and then depart, so that the devil can trick the world again, is incompatible with the incomprehensible dignity of the Lord and His love for His people. Jesus’ Coming will be definitive, triumphant and ever-lasting, NOT temporal and limited.
As for the Rapture, the meaning of 1 Thes 4:15-17 is that at the return of Christ (v.15) and the General Resurrection of the Dead (v.16), those who survive the persecution of the Antichrist will have no advantage in being resurrected over those who died before His Coming [CCC 1001]. All will go to meet Him and be with Him forever (v.17; cf. Rev 20:17-21:27).
The Catechism provides us with a general order of events at the End [CCC 673-677]. Chronologically they are,
1. the full number of the Gentiles come into the Church
2. the “full inclusion of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of the full
number of the Gentiles” (#2 will follow quickly on, in the wake of, #1)
3. a final trial of the Church “in the form of a religious deception offering men an
apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth.” The
supreme deception is that of the Antichrist.
4. Christ’s victory over this final unleashing of evil through a cosmic upheaval of this passing world and the Last Judgment.
Approved Catholic mystics (Venerables, Blessed and Saints, approved apparitions) throw considerable light on this order, by prophesying a minor apostasy and tribulation toward the end of the world, after which will occur the reunion of Christians. Only later will the entire world fall away from Christ (the great apostasy) and the personal Antichrist arise and the Tribulation of the
End occur.
Although this is not Catholic doctrine, arising as it does from private revelation, it conforms to what is occurring in our time, especially in light of Our Lady of Fatima’s promise of an “Era of Peace.” This “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart” (other saints have spoken of a social reign of Jesus Christ when Jesus will reign in the hearts of men) would seem to occur prior to the rise of the Antichrist. The optimism of the Pope for the “New Evangelization” and a “Civilization of Love” in the Third Millenium of Christianity fits here, as well. This would place us, therefore, in the period just before the events spoken of in the Catechism, that is, on the verge of the evangelization of the entire world.Other interpretations are possible, but none seem to fit the facts as well, especially when approved mystics are studied, instead of merely alleged ones.
Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL
EWTN Ask The Experts
my apologies this was copy/pasted 2x into 1 post. Mistake.
That’s fine. I’m an amillenarian too! At the time I wrote those posts I had already been a firm “post-tribber” for several years, though in most other respects I was a basically a dispensationalist and still believed in an earthly
1,000 year reign of Christ.
Recently, I began to question this. I listen regularly to podcasts from the Christian think tank Reasons to Believe. Most of they guys from RTB are scientists, but they have one philosopher–Kenneth Samples. RTB doesn’t take an official eschatological position, but when asked, Ken Samples has always said that he is amillenial. I didn’t know much about amillenialism, other than a lot of people had told me it was a heresy mostly held by Roman Catholics (I don’t have a big problem with Catholics, although I disagree in some areas; I’m just telling you what other people have said to me). Ken Samples is a conservative Evangelical Protestant, so when I found out he was amil I figured there must be more to it than what I had been told.
I found out tha amillenialism is the majority eschatological view throughout the world, and has also been the majority view of Christians throughout the history of the Church. Not only were Catholics amil, so were all of the early Protestant reformers including like Martin Luther and John Calvin and later influential Protestants like John Wesley. I bought a book entitled The Case for Amillenialism by Kim Riddlebarger, which I’ve almost finished, but has already convinced me of amillenarianism.
As far as people disappearing at the rapture, I don’t believe in the standard dispensationalist view, and I’ve questioned it about as long as I’ve been a post-tribulationist. The idea that babies will suddenly vanish from wombs and cars and airplanes will suddenly be unmanned is silly and cartoonish. I don’t see how dispensationalists can even believe it! I think God would plan the return of Jesus better than that. But I guess I’m preaching to the choir in that regard. However, I do believe there will be some kind of way Christians will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air at His coming. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says the living will be caught up together with the resurrected believers “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Jesus said in Matthew 24:31 that at the time of His return, the angels will be sent out to “gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Since Jesus and Paul use language that suggests we’ll meet the Lord in the air I tend to think that we’ll literally be caught up to meet Him in the air. This also makes sense to me because, like you, I believe the return of Christ, the general resurrection, the judgment of the living and the dead, the destruction of the present world, and the creation of new heavens and a new earth all happen at around the same time. As I envision it, the Christ will return, the dead will rise again, the living and the resurrected believers will be caught up with Christ, the damned will be cast into hell (“outer darkness,” “lake of fire,” pick whatever metaphor for eternal punishment you like), and the saints will accompany Jesus back down to the new creation with immortal resurrection bodies. Of course, I’m not dogmatic about it. If being “caught up” turns out to be metaphorical as you suggest, I’m not going to pout about it! We’ll see exactly how this all plays out in the end, but the important parts are: Christ will return, we’ll receive eternal life, and the unbelievers will receive eternal punishment.
Thanks for the comment!