How can it say it? Rapture theology promotes an end-time scenario of escapism, survivalism, and a violent destructive end to earth. The clock is ticking but not in the way dispensational Left Behind thinkers imagine. God did not so love the world that he sends us World War III. I am a huge Star Trek fan but Rapture theology sure sounds a lot like "Beam Me Up" theology. Let me give a few words about Rapture theology scriptures:
1. Thess.4:13-18 is not about the rapture but a but the resurrection of the dead. In other words, there are not two stages of Christ's final coming, there is only his final return. This text of Scripture is not emphasizing some people will be left behind but we will all be together with our loved ones in our resurrection life!
2. Matt.24:39-42 & Lk.17:34-35 says nothing about born again Christians being taken up in some kind of rapture to escape the last great days of Tribulation. There are Christians throughout all of church history until the present that are going through great tribulation. The only promise Jesus makes is his followers will go through tribulation (Jn.16:33), not escape it. This judgment describes in Matthew and Luke will be like the days where those taken, swept away by the flood or taken up is not as positive thing but are the ones who are going to judgment. The ones left may be the righteous and therefore these versus not only don't teach about the Rapture but actually teach the opposite!
3. And however one wants to interpret Jesus Olivet discourse in Matthew chps. 24-25, one has to deal with Jesus words in verse 34, "Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place." In the end, the ancient church has always focused on a new heaven and new earth where God's people are a new creation in Christ. It is not the Rapture that has been the historical teaching of the church but its all things become new because of the Resurrection of Jesus, God's Messiah.
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