10
Thanks to books like Left Behind, the English word rapture often conjures up images of bodies mysteriously disappearing into thin air, followed by several years of severe tribulation, leading up to the final judgment and resurrection. Such a view is a product of dispensationalism, a relatively new theological framework, and not one that the church fathers ...
answered Oct 6 '15 at 16:00
Nathaniel is protesting
41.2k11 gold badges113 silver badges277 bronze badges
9
John Darby (1800-1882), often considered the father of dispensationalism and one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren, tends to be given credit for inventing the doctrine, or at least for having "provided the intellectual mantle that helped make it respectable." (1 2 3 4). Anti-pre-trib sources often allege that he got it from a certain Margaret ...
6
The original question asked:
What did the early church actually believe about what we call the "rapture"?
There are two prominent meanings of the word "rapture". The most common meaning today is the one used by Dispensational theology, in which
the rapture refers to the belief that either before, or simultaneously with, the Second Coming of Jesus ...
6
The rapture, properly understood, is fully compatible with Roman Catholicism. The English word rapture comes from the Latin word raptus ("a carrying off"). This Latin word (or a similar one, rapio) is employed in the writings of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, and it appears in the Bible, which indicates that the word rapture is perfectly ...
answered Oct 7 '15 at 14:56
Nathaniel is protesting
41.2k11 gold badges113 silver badges277 bronze badges
5
This is the LCMS answer to questions concerning the Rapture:
The short answer is: On the Last Day.
When is the Last Day? We don't know. The last day will come "like a thief in the night," bringing destruction to unbelievers but salvation to believers (1 Thess. 5:1 - 10).
Q: Does The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believe in the rapture?
A: The ...
4
In The Rapture Exposed, Barbara R. Rossing offers a good answer for why Jesus doesn't mention the Rapture in His Matthew 24 discourse. She says (page 32) the belief that Christ will return to earth again is foundational for Christians – but this is not the same as the Rapture, which is only a recent theological development. On page 22, she explains that the ...
4
The rapture itself is not described in the Revelation, and for that reason there are three common conceptions as to when it will occur, of which I am sure you are aware.
There are however some hints we can use to form our own opinion as to when it will occur in Revelation.
As I'm sure you are aware the rapture is a concept formed from being caught up into ...
4
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, the question was simply a set up.
Even though they did not believe in this, the resurrection they are referring to is the resurrection of dead the Pharisees believe in, which according to Act 23 is similar to what Paul (Christians) believes in.
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were ...
4
Revelation 1:9
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called
Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The "great tribulation" is not a future event, it is an ongoing event. The Apostle John speaks of himself as enduring the tribulation of ...
4
Most Reformed/Calvinist churches are Amillennial.1 For Amillennials the "millennium" is a symbol for the entire church age, and there is no single time which we could call the "Great Tribulation". Instead there will be times of tribulation throughout this age. The second coming of Jesus is not seen as a complex multi-part event like the pre- and mid-...
3
Dispensationalists believe that in the secret rapture, believers will receive their new, glorified bodies. This rapture occurs prior to or during the tribulation, meaning that the current earth will continue, and only later will the new earth be made.
Glorified bodies
Dispensationalist John MacArthur, while discussing 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 and what he ...
answered Nov 2 '15 at 17:21
Nathaniel is protesting
41.2k11 gold badges113 silver badges277 bronze badges
3
God makes it pretty clear in verse 2 what the trumpet commands are for:
Numbers 10:1-2 ESV The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp."
Now, you could say that this passage (or any passage) has some sort of hidden meaning, ...
3
How do those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture explain that not everyone who remains will believe?
It is not only the failure to notice those disappearing in the rapture, other more significant events also fail to motivate people to repent.
Revelation 16:9-11 And men were scorched with great heat, and
blasphemed the name of God, which hath ...
3
Be careful to distinguish between the Rapture and the resurrections. There will be two resurrections, of the just and the unjust:
John 5:28-29
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done
...
3
There are a few interpretations:
The falling away (or rebellion) is the word apostasia (G646). Some say this apostasia, or the apostasy, is the rapture. However, there are some problems with this interpretation: literally it would mean that the rapture comes before the gathering unto Him, which doesn't make sense (since in this interpretation the gathering ...
2
The Moody Bible Commentary (MBC), which is dispensational, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial in its outlook, takes an in-depth look at these verses. Some relevant points from it include 1) the rapture is described as a single event and 2) the distinct steps of the event do not suggest a delay.
1) The commentary describes the rapture multiple times as a ...
answered Aug 1 '15 at 16:18
Nathaniel is protesting
41.2k11 gold badges113 silver badges277 bronze badges
2
When taken in full context, I believe the answer becomes a little more clear.
"For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those ...
2
I don't believe that a comprehensive answer to this question is possible at this time.
Many denominations refrain from even identifying a preferred eschatological position, let alone require their adherants to support it, so adherence statistics won't cut the mustard. To answer the question properly would require professional surveying on eschatological ...
2
Synopsis: The pre-tribulation “rapture” teaching was first developed at the Albury prophecy conferences in the late 1820s and can be found in "Dialogs on Prophecy" published as a result of those meetings. Edward Irving was a member of these meetings and brought his friend, Lady Powerscourt to at least one of the meetings. She was so impressed that she ...
2
Church Fathers on the Rapture
Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” Book V, Chap. 29:
And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, 'There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.' For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with ...
2
In none of the early church fathers' writings there is proof that they believed in a pre tribulation rapture, the opposite is true.
... And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.” For this is the last contest of the ...
2
This is actually a Trinitarian proof text, often used in debates with modalists. Social Trinitarians would say this proves that the Son is a completely different person from the Father, although He is by nature still God, being of the same substance as the Father. This is because Social Trinitarians put a stronger emphasis on the "threeness" of God, while ...
2
TLDR; Jesus is fully God, but decided to become fully human in order to save His people from sin, and to be an example for us. This limited Him, but did not cease to make Him God.
I believe the Bible answers this clearly.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things ...
2
One of the basic precepts of Christianity, as well as Judaism, is that there is an eternal portion of the human being which is eternal, and known as the soul. That precept is loosely based on the idea that man was created in God's image. Looking at Genesis, we find;
Genesis 1:27 KJV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; ...
2
Given that Judaism does not believe Jesus was the Messiah or that there is going to be a rapture of the Christian Church, then I think it is safe to say that any comparison between what happens at a Jewish wedding and the Christian view of the rapture has been made by Christians.
However, from the information you provided at section (2) in this link http://...
2
Many Calvinists reject dispensational premillennialism, so for them your question doesn’t even make sense.
Eschatology and soteriology can often develop independently of one another, so you’re not going to find a good answer to your question. Your best bet is to study the various eschatological views often held by Calvinists, which include Dispensational ...
1
There is only one resurrection where both the righteous and wicked will rise and be judged. (See Dan. 12:2) Paul expands on the resurrection and what to expect, but from my reading the Bible, there is only a single event. Jesus corrects the Sadducees, stating that there is no marriage in the world to come. The Sadducees' question was a set up.
1
I speak from a Seventh Day Adventist perspective.
The scriptures used to justify post-tribulation rapture are often the same scriptures used to justify pre-tribulation rapture. The main difference being -- we do not believe those who are Jewish will be treated any differently from other nations (Gal 3:28-29), and that all Christians make up what is ...
1
The need for three comings presupposes the following:
there will be a future period characterized by great suffering referred to as the Great Tribulation
the primary purpose of the secret preliminary coming is to take Christians away from the earth to prevent their experiencing this tribulation
Some non-rapturists, preterists specifically, see these ...
1
I am unfamiliar with any polls or studies on this topic but I do think the two are related though not necessarily by theological foundations. The link appears to be an extremely literal interpretation of the Bible biased toward recent history.
For example, young earth creationism interprets the Genesis account of creation strictly literally despite being ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible