Should We Be "Enraptured" with The Rapture? Part 1: Introduction & The Gospels
On reading responsibly when it comes to eschatology...
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 frequently as in-jokes among my evangelical peers (laying clothes on a lawn chair and leaving the room to make a rapture joke). But the question must be asked - is this popular belief truly "biblical"?
Supporters of rapture ideology suggest that it is, and argue that they have a wealth of texts to point to as biblical witnesses to the idea. But even a large number of proof texts cannot suffice to suggest that an idea is truly "biblical". What is needed is a proper understanding of the texts themselves, what they are actually saying, and how they fit into the wider biblical narrative. Such an understanding is especially necessary because of the tendency to read into texts what is not actually there. A challenge for any theological position is determining whether it arises out of what the biblical texts say, or if it relies upon reading texts with an underlying assumption that the position is already valid. The question of whether the rapture is a truly biblical idea must be found in analyzing the texts themselves, and for that we must set aside the theological system on which it is built to look at the texts on their own terms.
Looking at the Usual "Rapture Texts" on Their Own Terms
A number of texts are cited in support for rapture ideology. Among the most common are the following: Mark 13:24-27; Matthew 24:40-42; Luke 21:36; 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 5:9; Revelation 3:10, 4:1; etc. What follows are (short) analyses of these passages and how they function in their textual and social contexts.
Mark 13:24-27 (see also Matthew 24:30-31)
The multiple versions of Jesus’ “eschatological discourse” (Mark 13; Matthew 24; Luke 21) are particularly fertile ground for rapture “proof-texts”. This is because these speeches deal with phenomena that will supposedly occur at the end of the age. Unfortunately, these texts are often misread in light of presupposed ideas/theologies about the end times. Here is one occasionally cited text as it appears in Mark, with some surrounding verses:
24 “But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
Mark 13:24–27, NRSVue
The use of the verb “gather” in this context is an insufficient basis for arguing that the text teaches the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. It is important to look at the surrounding information, which gives a much clearer picture of what is going on. Jesus’ speech in Mark 13 describes a series of historical and cosmic phenomena that are expected to precede the return of Jesus. These are referred to via an analogy to “birth pains” that come suddenly and are a sure sign of an imminent event. The pains are not provided in order to give a roadmap for the readers to interpret contemporary events and calculate the date of Jesus’ return, but rather to stress the need for “readiness” and faithfulness to him in the face of persecution and false teaching. Although there is some complexity on how these events/signs fit together, it is fairly clear that the last few verses deal with the second coming of Jesus.
Jesus refers to intense cosmic signs and draws upon the “day of the Lord” imagery from Isaiah 13, which dramatically portray God’s intervention into a hostile world. Attached to this reference is a statement about the return of Jesus, which is claimed to be visible to people upon the earth. The gathering of his people by the angels is attached to this visible return. There is no indication that it precedes his earthly return. In fact, the Greek version of the text uses the adverb τότε (“then, at that time”) which indicates that the gathering will occur either alongside or immediately following the earthly return of Jesus. These events also post-date the persecution of believers, wars, earthquakes, etc. that constitute the “birth pangs” alluded to earlier. The gathering of believers cannot be a secret rapture in advance of an extended period of earthly suffering that itself precedes the final return of Jesus. The internal logic of the text places it as an event that will occur after suffering on the part of his people and the world itself and alongside the highly visible return of Jesus to judge the world. Most likely it refers to the general resurrection.
Matthew 24:40-42 (see also Luke 17:34-37)
These verses are among the most commonly cited when discussing the rapture topic. The images of two people, one of whom is taken away and another who is left, immediately conjure for many readers the ideas found in the Left Behind book series. But this is a classic case of reading a text with a specific idea in mind, and then claiming that the text supports the idea.
The main issue with how these verses are used in rapture theology is that they are (generally) referenced without attention to their immediate context. Here is the verse with a bit more of the surrounding context from the NRSVue (emphasis mine):
36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so, too, will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 24:36–44, NRSVue
The key to this passage is the reference to Noah. Jesus says that his return will be like it was in Noah's time - people will continue on in their normal business, unaware of what was coming, until the cataclysmic event itself. Just as Noah's generation only recognized God's judgment when the flood arrived (despite apparent prophetic warning from Noah, as believed in Jewish extra canonical writings of the time, see 2 Peter 2:5), people who rejected the teaching of Jesus would recognize their error at his return.
But notice Jesus' choice of words here: The flood came and "took them all away". In this present context, being "taken" is an allusion to divine judgment. The logic that follows is that the one "left" is not carried off in judgment. If we revisit the main rapture verses with this in mind, we should re-read the passage as follows:
What this text is actually teaching is in fact the exact opposite of what rapture theology suggests. To be "left behind" at the return of Jesus is actually a good thing. It means that you have not been swept away in God's end-times judgment. You remain on the earth, where Jesus himself is descending to in order to set up his eternal kingdom.
Luke 21:36
Although less frequently quoted than the preceding text, I have noticed the occasional reference to the eschatological discourse in Luke 21 as a text that supposedly teaches rapture theology. Specifically, the following verses:
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34–36, NRSVue
It is important to stress that Luke 21 is a complex chapter dealing with a multitude of events from a critiquing prophetic viewpoint. Jesus discusses some events that clearly require a historical fulfillment (and which may have even been fulfilled by the time Luke wrote his Gospel). He also uses cliched apocalyptic imagery about cosmic signs preceding his return. The complexity of the chapter provides ample space for debate regarding the sequence (and timing) of the described events. But these debates should revolve around what the text actually says and avoiding the temptation to read certain beliefs (or current events) into the text.
In the verses above Jesus warns his disciples against being caught off guard at his return, which is a fairly frequent warning in his parables and apocalyptic teaching. The suddenness of his arrival is stressed throughout and several points in the text stress that it is his second coming (and not a pre-tribulation heavenly rapture) that is in mind. The "day" referred to will come upon "the whole world" rather than a limited subset of believers. And the readers are told to live so that they "might be able to stand before the Son of Man" which is a clear reference to enduring divine judgment administered by Jesus.
Simply put, this text does not lay out a thorough image of what rapture theology envisions. The passage does not suggest that the events in mind precede the earthly return of Jesus by any specific timeline. It assumes that believers will be present for the cataclysms mentioned. Believers are encouraged to remain "ready" in anticipation of the final judgment rather than a pre-judgment removal from the earth. And the language of "escape" is too brief to be weighed down with the complete theory of the rapture when other explanations (including just a physical distance from events such as the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE) can work better. In other words, this text only "teaches the rapture" if you already hold to that belief and limit any form of "escape" to a rapture from the earth.
In the next part of this series, we will take a look at a few other New Testament texts appealed to by the pro-rapture camp – from the letters of Paul and Revelation.