In this brief article, Fr. Anthony expresses with clarity the truth of the false teaching known as the “Rapture” and how much it distorts the teachings of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.Posted on 07/27/2016 8:46:41 PM PDT by NRx
By Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris
In this brief article, Fr. Anthony expresses with clarity the truth of the false teaching known as the “Rapture” and how much it distorts the teachings of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.
As I was driving one day I encountered a bumper sticker admonishing me:
“WARNING! In the event of Rapture, this car will be driverless.”
The strange belief in the Rapture teaches that some day (sooner rather than later), without warning, born-again Christians will begin to float up from the freeway, abandoned vehicles careening wildly. There will be airliners in the sky suddenly with no one at the controls! Presumably, God is removing these favored ones from earth to spare them the tribulation of the Anti-Christ which the rest of us will have to endure.
Unfortunately the Rapture has been promoted widely by the Left Behind series of books that have sold over 70 million copies.
The Rapture represents a radical misinterpretation of Scripture. I remember watching “Sixty Minutes”a year ago and was appalled to hear the announcer say that “the Rapture is an unmistakenly Christian doctrine”. It is not!
It is a serious distortion of Scripture.
It is astonishing that a belief so contrary to Scripture and the tradition of the Church could be propagated by so-called “Christians”.
According to the Bible and according to the belief not only of Orthodox Christians but also of the Roman Catholic and most Protestant mainline churches, the true Rapture will not be secret; it will be the great and very visible Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world. That is the one and only “Rapture”. It will not be a separate, secret event but one that every eye shall see (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
The word rapture is not found in Scripture but hearkens to 1 Thess. 4:17 where St. Paul says that when the Lord comes again
“we who are alive…shall be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
This “being caught up…in the clouds”—arpagisometha in Greek, is translated by some as “raptured”. The word itself is not found in Orthodox theology.
The notion of a rapture in which Christ comes unseen to take believers away secretly, and only later comes back again for everyone else publicly—this whole teaching is quite novel. It was almost unheard of until John Nelson Darby formulated it in the 1800s as part of a new approach to the Bible, sometimes called “dispensationalism”.
The purpose of the “Rapture” is to protect the elect from the tribulations of the end times. Yet Jesus said nothing about sparing anyone from tribulation. In fact, He said,
“In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
Nowhere did Jesus ever say that He would return secretly to rapture the elect. Rather, He promised to be with His elect in all tribulations.
“Lo, I am with you always. I will never leave you or forsake you.”
He even had something good to say about being persecuted:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10).
Those who espouse the Rapture claim that Matthew 24:40-41 refers clearly to the rapture of the just,
“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
The entire passage, however, refers to Christ’s second coming where He will judge the living and the dead and separate the just from the unjust.
Darby taught as dogma that when the Scriptures reveal that the Lord will reign on earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4), this figure is to be taken literally, rather than as a symbol for eternity as we believe. The Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 condemned as heresy this teaching which is called chialiasmos (millenianism or 1000 years).
In fact, the Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787 A.D.) in which the essential truths of the Christian faith were defined never mention a rapture. Yet evangelical Christians and Pentecostals keep using obscure passages of the book of Revelation which purport to give a detailed timetable of what will happen at the end of the world, despite the fact that Jesus Himself warned that no man knows either the day or the hour when the Son of Man shall return.
A major problem with the Rapture is that it ends up teaching not two but three comings of Jesus—first His birth in Bethlehem; second, His secret coming to snatch away (rapture) the “born-again”; and third, His coming at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead and to reign in glory. Yet only two not three comings of Christ are mentioned in the Bible. We have the clearest definition of this in the Nicene Creed when we confess that
“the Lord Jesus Christ…will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. His Kingdom will have no end…. I expect the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the ages to come.”
There is no mention of a “Rapture”.
As already stated, most Christians, Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants do not believe in the Rapture. In fact, one Protestant pastor, John L. Bray, summarized magnificently what we Orthodox and most other Christians believe about the Rapture when he wrote these remarkable words,
Though many believe and teach this “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” theory, they erroneously do so, because neither Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, nor any of the other writers of the Bible taught this. Nor did the early church fathers, nor any others for many hundreds of years…. Did you know that NONE of this was ever taught prior to 1812, and that all forms of Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching were developed since that date? …. If I were to preach something, or believe something, supposedly from the Bible, but cannot find that ANYONE ELSE before 1812 ever believed it or taught it, I would seriously question that it is based on the Bible.
Thus the Rapture is foreign to the Bible and to the living tradition of the Church. It is what we call a heresy, a false teaching. False teachings, such as this, happen when people—like John Darby—believe that they have the right to interpret the Scriptures individually apart from the Living Body of Christ—the Church—where the Spirit of Truth abides and leads us to all truth.
I can think of no better words to conclude than those of Jesus when He speaks of the one and only “Rapture”, the Second Coming:
“Be on guard. Be alert! You do not know when that time will come…keep watch…if he comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37).
Obey the commandments?
If someone violated one of the ten commandments, they will go to Hell? For instance, they do not observe the Sabbath (saturday or Sunday?). What if they Lied? I think the Christians I know avoid violating the commandments. When they do slip and all of us will, I thought Jesus forgives?
Can you please post that again for the forum so they can all see what a looney Christian basher you are?
You always refuse to answer the question of what religion you are and what your background you are that gives you such nutty perspectives
It’s a thread on rapture and you use it as a segue to attack Christians
Why are you on the forum it begs the question
Like most social liberals you are here to impugne us as you pretend to be one of us
But please post again
1. I don’t regard you as a Christian.
2. See #1.
The second issue is that your author leaves out a tremendous amount of scripture that throws a monkey wrench into his theory...
Like many have said, you can prove anything from the scripture...However, if one believes ALL of the scripture and will reconcile ALL of the scripture, the truth becomes a lot narrower...
metmom, you do know that NRx is an Orthodox Christian, don’t you? And that the article he posted is written by a Priest Emeritas of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America? Not everyone who disagrees with your beliefs is a Catholic.
Fortunately none of us will be judged by you
so what is your religion?
dont be afraid
Are you scared I’ll be mean to you?
“Does it really matter what the sects say? The confusion lies in allowing others to tell us what God said, instead of believing Him when we read it ourselves.”
You have hit the very core of the reason there is all this bantering back and forth. An accurate and true interpretation of God’s W
ord only comes when man sets down his opinions and traditions and allows the WHOLE counsel of God to interpret itself. Every time I go to the Word to study (I write Bible Studies) I ask that all of my imaginations would be set aside and that I would be open the the truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit. In other words I am not entering into study to prove my points, but to have God show me His unchanging TRUTH!
It is amazing how the scales fall off and things that seemed to contradict or “rub” up against each other fall into place. So many try to make sense of the New without the Old and vice versa.
Your post was water to my soul. Thank you
The Dispensation of Grace had not yet been fully (or even partially) instituted when the Thief on the Cross was granted his forgiveness.
It was a privilege of the Messiah to invoke this blessing prior to the shedding of the blood and prior to the renting of the veil.
You're not mean, you're a punk pretending to be a Christian. There's a big difference. And your challenging of my Christianity, my conservatism, my sexuality, and anything else that come into your pin head is merely your fumbling efforts to create a false, slanderous narrative you can manipulate into thuggery. Its very common in bars, when you've got a group of friends looking to jump someone. But it doesn't work so well online.
You bore me. You have zero comprehension of how common you are. You lear, you spit, you mock - you're a thug. So what? I'm not your prey - you're mine. Your prey is the weak and confused and frightened, like all thugs. And as far as Christianity is concerned, Jesus put it best - He "knows you not."
Go play in the street, there's a good boy. Oh look, something shiny!
Are you a Christian
A simple yes or no will suffice
You never answer do u
You write as someone who judges Christians from a position of ignorance
You’re the one who always leaps into the fray here about faggots
So it begs the question
A real man who state what they are and how it influences their perspective
I sure don’t run from that
American
Southern
White
Protestant
Love women
Big family
Guns
Know the world
And so forth
I think most here besides you get it ...my homepage is very forthcoming
Do gooders confuse Christianity with being sweet
There is not one single word in the Bible supporting a pre-trib rapture.
Paul wrote a very pointed letter to the Thessalonians to refute their foolish belief in a pre-trib rapture.
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was to assure them that it could not happen, because the man of sin and Satan’s tribulation of the saints must come first.
A simple yes or no will suffice
You never answer do u
---
What is truth?
Very interesting. I never thought about it this way, but it makes perfect sense. Very powerful.
It sure is!!
Matthew 24:40-41 (NIV)
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV)
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air
Not a BIT Scriptural!!
No; Mormonism is.
The Bible says...
Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.
Leviticus niv
18:22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
20:13 If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Isaiah 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
2 Peter 2:13b Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.
Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5. if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6. if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7. and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8. (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9. if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
10. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11. yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.
But there IS hope!!!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...
The Beast is who will be doing all of the tribulating.
The saints are who will be tribulated.
Noah was Taken through the judgement, he didn’t escape.
Israel was taken through the Red Sea, the chariot wheels are still there today where they crossed.
They went through the desert, and all that didn’t believe died there.
Yehova has promised to protect his elect in a place he prepares in the desert during Satan’s Tribulation of the saints. The Earth will swallow up the flood that Satan sends after the elect.
HMMMmmm...
Specifically, that because they are thieves, they need not be treated with respect or even acknowledged as human, let alone children of God.
Specifically, that because they are murderers, they need not be treated with respect or even acknowledged as human, let alone children of God.
Specifically, that because they are adulterers, they need not be treated with respect or even acknowledged as human, let alone children of God.
Specifically, that because they are liars, they need not be treated with respect or even acknowledged as human, let alone children of God.
I see what you mean.
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