WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A RAPTURE?

Many of us have heard the story about the woman who sliced off the ends of the ham before she put it in the oven. When asked why she cut each end, she answered because her mother always prepared it that way. Come to find out her mom's stove was too narrow, so she cut off either end of the ham so it would fit. The tradition had been passed from generation to generation without question but with no present basis in fact.

Though the story may not be completely factual, it accurately describes those who tenaciously cling to a certain view of when Christ will return simply because they have been taught a particular tradition.

Rather than allowing the whole Bible to contribute to our preparation for the second coming of Christ, some people focus only on certain Scriptures, doing their own kind of trimming, to make them that fit in their narrow pre, mid, or post tribulation oven. 

The church has gotten a free pass somehow to reduce viewing Christ’s return to a few key passages with no regard for others that God may wish to use now to prepare His people for that day.

What can be done?

Each of us can seek God to become one of the people to whom He will say on that day, well done good and faithful servant, welcome into the joy of your master.

Jesus warned us about deceit attempting to take our focus off what is most important in the last days.

In response to the disciples asking Jesus when the end of the age would be, Jesus said, "Don't be deceived.” He warned about deception from those coming in His name as a sign of the end of the age. Jesus also said, “Be ready”, whether He arrives in the evening, midnight, or when the rooster crows. We do not want to deny the Lord, hear the rooster crow, and be caught unaware.

"Don't let anyone deceive you" is the definitive word of Jesus on the matter. If people expect Him before, in the middle, or after a particular event, He is under no obligation to conform reality to their expectations. 

God conforms reality to the paradigm of Christ’s Lordship not to the opinions of any church. 

The question is not, when do we expect Him to come, but what now does He expect us to be doing? 

If holding fast to a particular view makes us feel secure, our trust is misplaced. Security comes with walking with God doing His will, or what the Bible calls being awake, the one way not to be caught off guard by His appearing, whenever it happens. 

These days, some people are questioning what some churches dogmatically teach about the return of Christ. This is a good thing because viewing the second coming any of the three traditional ways is inadequate.

For example, Jesus in Revelation 2 uses the word tribulation three times in connection to believers. Some endured tribulation and were commended for it (v9). Others would experience tribulation to become faithful (v10). Still others would be cast into great tribulation because of being unrepentant (v22). The person believing the Lord will come take him or her off the earth before things get too bad is missing the point entirely. The challenge is to be brought to the goal and demonstrate Christ's reign through living faithfully, which Peter says hastens the day of the Lord.

That’s right. The Lord can come sooner based on how His people are living (2 Peter 3:11-12). That fact, in and of itself complicates any theory that predicts a time for Christ’s return.

Taking the position that believers will go through the tribulation is also problematic. In Revelation 3 Jesus said to the faithful that He would keep them "from the hour of the trial that is about to come upon all the world, to try those dwelling upon the earth” (v10). Jesus said as well that He has provided an open door into heaven for "those who didst keep my word” (v8). 

It is time for new wineskins for new wine. We should no longer attempt to cut off both ends of the old wine pouch to get the old wine into the oven. Sorry for the mixed metaphor. The point is that the new wine of what God says in Scripture must shape the new skin, our lives lived in light of His word, which He uses to prepare us for His return.

A person may suggest it is good enough to hold to one of the three views mentioned above and we do not need to question their validity. The problem is that each tradition is proving inadequate, so we should be willing to let go of them, not the belief in the rapture of course but straightjacketed views of it, if they do not strengthen believers to do God’s will from a pure heart. 

The Lord wants to give us eyes to see our being caught up with him in a different light than the typical three approaches can accommodate. The inadequacy of each view leads me to believe that it is necessary to let go of religious opinions that stand in the way of our becoming the faithful servants God desires us to be. No religious system will withstand the test of fire, and if we hold on to them instead of Christ, we too will be burned. 

We must base our lives on God’s word and not the opinions of man, but is that possible when it comes to our view of the return of Jesus from heaven?

Yes it is if we start with what Christians have in common and are open to the implications of what the whole of Scripture teaches about Christ coming to earth a second time.

To start, here are some points of agreement. Christians of all denominations from Roman Catholic to Evangelical charismatics believe Christ will return in power and glory, and He tells us, Be ready. Christ’s return is closer than ever, and when He comes in glory we will all be changed.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

While shared beliefs about Christ’s return unite Christians, the pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation rapture beliefs unnecessarily pit believers from the three different persuasions against each other. Entrenching ourselves in one of the three camps is problematic because the positions promote infighting. 

The views do not unite but rather divide and lead to speculation. Paul warned Timothy what happens when people focus on the wrong things. Paul told him, "Have them stop devoting their attention to myths and never-ending genealogies; theses divert people to speculating instead of doing God's work, which requires trust. The purpose of this order is to promote love from a clean heart, from a good conscience and from sincere trust. Some, by aiming amiss, have wandered off into fruitless discussion."

It is not a coincidence that Jesus in Revelation 3 tells the church to become watching because the works God had for them had yet to be fulfilled. They looked alive but were dead. If they did not get back to keeping what Jesus said, He would come as a thief and they would not know when He was coming. Do you want to be ready when Jesus returns whenever that may be? 

Overcome and become watchful.

We must not be led astray into dead ends of fruitless debate. Instead, we need to be strengthened with trust and a pure heart to do God’s will. Any teaching of Christ’s return that does not cause us to serve Christ in purity and sincere faith misses the mark. Purification is intimately related to Christ’s coming as John makes clear here in 1 John 3:

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Our being the sons of God came about from love of His first appearing, and the hope of our becoming what we shall be is wrapped up just as intimately with Christ's second coming, with purity of heart and service here on earth essential to our hope of being like the Lord and seeing Him as He is. 

Wasn’t Enoch’s close relationship with God the reason he was taken to heaven? Enoch walked with God and was no more because God took him. Hebrews 11 said that Enoch received the testimony from God that he was pleasing to Him before God translated Enoch to heaven. Pleasing God prepares us for the day we shall see Jesus.  

God brought Elijah to heaven while the prophet was walking and talking with Elisha. God led Elijah from divine appointment to divine appointment on the day of his departure up until the time the chariots of God came, separated the two men, and carried Elijah into heaven. Elijah did not know beforehand when that would happen, but he was faithful up until the fullness of time. 

Noah escaped destruction because he found favor with God. He was faithful. He habitually walked with the Lord. This is how he could heed the divine warning concerning the things not yet seen. We cannot see when Christ shall come, but we, too, need to heed God’s warning of what is to come, so we can be ready to be taken at the time of His arrival.

Noah’s posterity is faithful obedience to fulfill God’s purpose. Even Noah did not know when the flood would come until God said, “Come in thou and all thy house…” seven days before the rains came.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

Sitting around the pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation campfires complicates matters.

It may be that there are so many Scriptures about Christ’s second coming that it is too easy to pick and choose those that bolster one position while ignoring others that either contradict that position or add important considerations that when ignored lead to error and expose the position to valid criticism.

All Scriptures shedding light on Christ’s return should be highly valued as precious tiles in the heavenly mosaic of Christ's return. We can trust God will use them to lead us into the truth of Christ’s return, although we understand them only cryptically and do not yet see how all the pieces fit into the glorious will of God. 

Human cleverness has never been able to reveal the timing of Christ's second coming just as no one could have predicted the exact circumstances of His first appearance.

Out of respect for the King of Kings, we should allow all Scriptures to speak for themselves and lead us to conclusions instead of forcing Scripture to conform to our perspective.

Rising up from our comfortable seats in our respective camps, we should stamp out the fire of our assertions about matters God has hidden and He alone understands. 

Leaving behind the things we do not know, we can choose to obey what God says. We can walk in loving relationship with Jesus into the full dawning of His Day and our being revealed with Him in glory at His return.