"Enraptured" with the Rapture?
Revisiting a multi-part series on problems in end times speculation, proof-texting, and reading the Bible responsibly...
One of the defining beliefs of American Evangelicalism is the idea of The Rapture - a near-future relocation of the faithful to heaven while non-believers are "left behind" to suffer in the "end times" earthly tribulations prior to the Second Coming of Jesus. The popularity of this concept can be observed in the sheer number of books and movies made about it, not to mention the amount of sermons and religious radio programming dedicated to the topic. I have personally observed "The Rapture" used as a public evangelism preaching point (people need to "turn to Jesus" because "the rapture is soon"), mentioned in casual conversation (as the central hope for believers), and occasionally as in-jokes among evangelical peers (for example, laying clothes on a lawn chair and leaving the room to play a prank on others). But the question must be asked - is this popular belief truly "biblical"?
Back in early 2022 I wrote a (brief) four-part series on this very topic. Links to these posts are provided below for your enjoyment:
These thoughts are not the entirety of what can be said about the problems that I have found with this popular belief, but the represent a brief overview of some key misreadings that lie at the heart of rapture theology.