a looooong thought on "the rapture"

Over the last eight years or so (since I moved back to Kansas), the topic of the “Rapture” has come up quite often in several different conversations I have had with Christians. In fact, one of the first comments on this blog alluded to it. It is my opinion, based on what the Bible says, it is a fairy tale invented by man. People have asked me, “Do you believe in ‘the rapture’?” I tell them that I believe exactly what Paul wrote about it.

The “modern” Christian doctrine (indoctrination) of the "rapture" teaches that "dead" and "sleeping" Christians will be physically "caught up" to heaven when the Christ returns in the flesh. This belief is derived from 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5, a letter written by the Apostle Paul, which reads:

4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

At first, when reading the fourth and fifth chapters of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, it appears that Paul was telling us that when the Christ returns, those Christians "which are asleep" and those who are "dead" will both awaken and rise from the dead and then be physically "caught up" into the sky "to literally "meet the Lord in the air."

Most Christians today have been taught, either by clerics or friends, to interpret this passage literally, in terms of its outward meanings. Is this what the Apostle originally meant? Or was he instead trying to convey a less obvious, spiritual meaning? How can one know for certain? Does Paul tell the readers how to interpret his writings? Can one find related statements elsewhere in Paul's writings which help to better understand what he was trying to tell the Thessalonians in his letter? The answer is yes, of course. Paul clearly tells us how to interpret his writings and he clearly paints a picture of what he meant when he spoke of people being "caught up" into heaven.

Referring to the issue of interpretation, Paul instructed the readers to: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (O-R-T-H-O-T-O-M-E-O in Greek) the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15

Paul wants readers to do two things. First, he wants one to “earnestly study” the “word of Truth.” In other words, he wants one to know what his writings actually say. And then, secondly, he wants one to “rightly divide” or to correctly interpret what he was saying.

How can we know how to “rightly divide” the Christian message? That's not too difficult because Paul tells us how. Paul wrote, 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians

According to Paul, the “word of Truth” must be “spiritually discerned.” The phrase “spiritually discerned” is translated from the original Greek P-N-E-U-M-A-T-I-K-O-S A-N-A-K-R-I-N-E-T-A-I. The word A-N-A-K-R-I-N-E-T-A-I comes from the original root Greek word... K-R-I-N-O, which means judged, determined or interpreted. In other words, this passage can also be correctly translated as spiritually judged, spiritually determined or spiritually interpreted.

What Paul was trying to help one to see is that literal minded people cannot correctly understand "spiritual truths" expressed in spiritual language. If Paul's teachings are to be "rightly divided" they must be spiritually perceived or, in other words, they must be interpreted in terms of the spiritual message that they contain. Nowhere in his writings does Paul even remotely suggest that passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4 should be interpreted literally.

Paul clearly says that his teachings need to be spiritually interpreted, and that if we interpret his teachings literally, we will not understand what he was actually saying. What does this mean in actual practice? And how can we know if we are, in fact, correctly interpreting Paul's "spiritual words?"

To help get a clearer understanding of what Paul was trying to tell us in 1 Thessalonians 4, let's begin by taking a closer look at Paul's statements concerning "those [Christians] who "sleep" and the "dead" Christians who will "rise again." First, ask yourself, how did Paul use these terms elsewhere in his writings? And then ask, how were such terms used elsewhere in the New Testament?

The NT (New Testament) writings contain numerous statements concerning topics such as: sleep, death, resurrection, awakening, and rebirth. For example, in the Apostle Peter's writings we find a statement which says that: ”For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit (P-N-E-U-M-A-T-I)” -1 Peter 4:6. If one was to interpret this statement literally, then one would have to conclude that Peter was saying that the Gospel was preached to literally "dead" people in an attempt to convince them to rise from their “deadness.”

The same is true of Paul's writings. For example, Paul told the Christians of Rome to start acting like they are alive. He wrote:”Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” -Romans 6:13. Later on, in this same letter, Paul again tells these Christians: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11).

While Peter and Paul both advised their listeners to “wake up” and “to rise” from the "dead," Jesus told people that they had to get "re-born." Jesus said: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (S-A-R-X); and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (P-N-E-U-M-A). Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” - John 3:3-7

It is obvious that Peter and Paul were not writing to people who had ever been physically dead, and likewise, Jesus was speaking to people who had obviously already been physically born. In another place, we can see where Jesus again used the analogy of "death" to refer to someone whom He had characterized as spiritually dead, spiritually misdirected or spiritually unaware. When Jesus told the man to "Let the dead bury their dead" (Luke 9:60), He certainly was not speaking of people who were physically dead and who were going to a funeral. Instead, Jesus again clearly was speaking symbolically. He was using a parable to describe people who had become spiritually misdirected.

In his letters, Paul also repeatedly uses Jesus' symbolic parable of “death.” For example, in Ephesians Paul was speaking to Christians who were obviously very much physically alive, and yet, he advised: "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead," (Ephesians 5:14). In what way were the Roman Christians asleep and dead? Certainly not literally. If Paul was speaking in these passages of something other than physical sleep or a fleshly death, then wouldn't it be consistent to also apply the same principle of spiritual interpretation to 1 Thessalonians 4?

Consider back in 1 Thessalonians 4, when we take a closer look at the entire context of Paul's “rapture” passage, we can clearly see that Paul intended these passages to be interpreted spiritually. Here Paul concludes his statement about "those who sleep" by advising: "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:6). If Paul actually did intend for his statement about "those who sleep" to be interpreted literally, then to be consistent, wouldn't we also have to conclude that his other statement just a couple of verses later, "let us not sleep, as do others," should also be interpreted literally? Was Paul trying to say that he doesn't want Christians to ever physically sleep again? Of course not. This is not physically possible. Even Jesus had to sleep (see: Matthew 8:24 for one example). So, if Paul wasn't speaking here of literal, physical sleep, then what was he actually saying?

Apparently the Christians back in those days were not "rightly dividing" Paul's teachings so Paul was telling them to wake up spiritually, to open their eyes to spiritual realities and to begin to "spiritually discern" his writings. Paul continues by providing us with some even more specific examples of what he meant when he spoke of "sleep" and "death." Two thousand years ago, the Jewish people had failed to recognize the fulfillment of their prophecies. By not recognizing the return of Elijah from heaven as John the Baptist and similarly by rejecting Jesus as their Messiah they demonstrated that they had lost the true spirit of their teachings. This is what Paul meant when he called these people "blind", "asleep" and "dead."

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul explained that some of these "dead" people were raised from their spiritual deadness when they awoke to the fact that the promises contained in their scriptures had indeed been fulfilled and that Jesus truly was the Messiah. Referring to these newly awakened people, Paul wrote: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (a few that recognize Jesus) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear ;) unto this day… For if the casting away of them (those who recognize Jesus) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” -Romans 11:7-15. A few had recognized Jesus as the Messiah, but the eyes of the others have been “blinded.” This is what the Scriptures refer to when they say that “God has put them to sleep,” shutting their eyes and ears so that they do not understand what they were talking about when they told them of Jesus.

Can you see what Paul was saying here? The Jewish people of Jesus' day obviously were very much physically alive, but however, according to Paul, as a result of their misunderstanding and denial they were characterized as being “dead,” not physically dead but spiritually dead or spiritually unaware. Then, Paul explains that when these people finally began to understand the inner spiritual message hidden in their scriptures and when they woke up to the fact that Jesus truly was the Messiah, Paul says that this was like "dead people coming back to life." This was something that was so wonderful that, metaphorically speaking, it was like coming out of the grave of denial and rejection and being carried up to the heaven of belief and certitude. This is also what Peter meant when he wrote that: "for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit (P-N-E-U-M-A-T-I).” - 1 Peter 4:6. It is obvious that this is what Peter and Paul both meant when they wrote of those who are "asleep" and those who will "rise again."

Paul continues his statement in 1 Thessalonians by next promising that the newly awakened Christians and those Christians who had risen from the dead will next " shall be caught up (H-A-R-P-A-Z-O) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…" The literal interpretation of this passage has inspired the birth of the modern Christian dogma of "the rapture." Most people have seen the bumper stickers which read: "Warning: in case of rapture this car will be vacant." There are a lot more people than you think that literally believe that they will physically disappear from their cars and that there will be accidents because these cars will no longer have drivers behind the steering wheel. What would Paul have thought about this literal interpretation? What did Paul actually mean when he spoke of being "caught up... to a meeting with the Lord in the air?" Ask yourself, what are the examples of history? How were people raptured into heaven in the past? The answer, once again, can be found in the writings of Paul and the other Apostles.

The original Greek word which has been translated here as "caught up" is “H-A-R-P-A-Z-O”. The word "rapture" actually is a human invention and appears nowhere in the Bible. Paul only uses this word twice in all of his letters, in 1 Thessalonians and in 2 Corinthians.

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-5, Paul reveals that he too was “raptured” or "caught up (H-A-R-P-A-Z-O) as far as the third heaven… and heard unspeakable words no man could utter by law." Notice here, that Paul was saying that he, himself, was "caught up" into heaven two thousand years ago. Was Paul saying here that he physically ascended into heaven while he was still alive? If we can believe what Paul told us back in 1 Corinthians 15, we should already know that that "flesh and blood" can't go to heaven. So, if Paul's writings are consistent, the answer is NO! Paul was not physically “raptured” or "caught up" into heaven two thousand years ago. So, ask yourself again, what was Paul trying to teach here?

As you probably already know, before he became a Christian, there actually was a time when Paul was an enemy both of Jesus and of Christianity. Paul had rejected Jesus' claim to be the Messiah and Paul was actively working to destroy the infant Christian Church. When Paul woke up to the fact that Jesus truly was from God and that Jesus truly was the Christ, Paul describes this spiritual awakening as being "caught up (H-A-R-P-A-Z-O) as far as the third heaven." (2 Corinthians 12:1-5). Once again, Paul's “rapture” or his being "caught up" into heaven while he was still physically alive was a spiritual and not a literal reality. Paul's “rapture” symbolized his awakening to the inner spiritual realities which are concealed in the Jewish scriptures.

In the Apostle John's writings we can see that he too claimed to have ascended into heaven while he was still alive. John wrote: "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” (Revelation 4:1-2. When John was "caught up" into heaven he explains that this happened "in the Spirit." And again, later in the same book, John explains that he saw these things "in my vision (O-P-A-S-E-I)" -Revelation 9:17. Once again, when John was "caught up" or when he was “raptured,” this clearly was not in the flesh.

Are there any other examples in the Bible of people being “raptured” into heaven? In the Book of Hebrews we are told that the Old Testament Prophet Enoch was also "translated" into heaven. Paul (if he indeed was the author of the Book of Hebrews) explained that Enoch's "translation," or his being "carried over" into heaven, again was not physical. He wrote, ”By faith Enoch was translated (M-E-T-E-T-E-T-H-E means “carried over”) that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” -Hebrews 11:5-6. Enoch's translation into heaven was "by faith," it was a faith experience and had nothing to do with the literal flesh.

Later on, in his letter to the Colossians, Paul clearly explains what he meant by being "translated" into heaven or being "caught up" into the "kingdom of God". Paul wrote, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (M-E-T-E-S-T-E-S-E-N means “carried away”) us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” -Colossians 1:9-14. Notice here that Paul was saying that when we combine "knowledge of his will" with "spiritual understanding," only then is it possible for us to be "translated" out of the "darkness" of ignorance and misinterpretation into the light of the true "faith." This is a spiritual and not a physical reality. This is Paul's spiritual interpretation of how people can be "caught up" or "translated" into the "invisible" spiritual realm of God, this is Paul's interpretation of "the rapture."

What does this actually mean to us today? In the past, we know that Jesus and His Apostles characterized those people who were caught unprepared and misdirected as being spiritually "dead," "blind," or "asleep." Furthermore, Jesus characterized the so-called Jewish religious experts of His day as "blind leaders of the blind." Jesus explained that He called them "blind" because they "teach for doctrines the commandments of men." In other words, the rabbis had misinterpreted what the Jewish scriptures were saying and yet they were passing off their viewpoint as the authoritative "doctrines" of God. In simpler words, they had become false teachers and they were misleading others. Jesus concludes this statement by warning that "And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” -Matthew 15:14. Both will lose their way.

What lessons can people today learn from these mistakes of the past? Can we be certain that we're not repeating the same mistakes ourselves right now? What did Jesus and His Apostles say about it? Are there any statements in the Bible which promise that Christianity won't also be corrupted by the "leaven" of false interpretations? What did Jesus tell us?

Jesus knew what the future was going to bring and, sadly enough, He knew that His followers too would be deceived by "false prophets." Jesus predicted that, ”For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (E-K-L-E-K-T-O-U-S means “chosen”)." -Matthew 24:24. A similar warning was also given by Peter. Peter wrote, ”Israel had false prophets as well as true; and you [Christians] likewise will have false teachers among you. They will import disastrous heresies... They will gain many adherents to their dissolute practices, through whom the true way (H-O-D-O-S) will be brought into disrepute… They have abandoned the straight road (H-O-D-O-N) and lost their way (H-O-D-O-S).” -2 Peter 2:1.

The word that is translated here as "way" comes from the original Greek word H-O-D-O-S. This word means "road" or "highway." Remember, in one of his more famous statements, Jesus declared, "I am the way (H-O-D-O-S) ... no one comes to the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6 (future blog post coming on this topic). In other words Jesus was saying that He is the true “road” or “highway” that leads to the Father.

Consider what Peter was saying here. He first reminds that "Israel had false prophets" and then he predicts that Christianity will likewise have false teachers who "will gain many adherents." Peter further warns that, like the "blind leaders of the blind" in the past, "false teachers" will likewise "import disastrous heresies" into Christianity. And he concludes by sadly predicting that because of these "disastrous heresies" the "true way" or true H-O-D-O-S of Jesus will actually be "abandoned."

Is this what Paul was actually trying to warn us about in 1 Thessalonians 4 when he spoke of Christians who will be found "dead" or "asleep" at the time when "the Lord" returns? In Paul's second letter that he wrote to these same Christians in Thessalonica, Greece, in 2 Thessalonians, Paul further warns, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” -2 Thessalonians 2:3. What did Paul mean by this? Was he truly warning that Christians in the last days, like the Jews of two thousand years ago, will likewise have become "deluded" and "deceived" by false teachers? That Christians too will "fall away" from the truth and instead will be seduced into following the "lie?" Could this actually be possible? Ask yourself, did Jesus, Peter and Paul know what they were talking about?

Back in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul states that when the Christ again comes down from heaven, he will come like a “thief in the night” (Jesus says this also). In the 24th chapter of Matthew, Jesus explains what this term means. Here, Jesus tells a parable of a servant who was left to guard his master's house when the master went away. The servant falls asleep and a thief breaks into the house. The thief was in the house and had gone before anyone had even realized that he had been there. What does this parable mean? How does it relate to the return of the Christ? Ask yourself, how was this parable fulfilled in the past? Was John the Baptist or Jesus recognized by the people of their day? Did they too come like a "thief in the night?" What can we learn from this lesson of history?

Jesus continues in Matthew 24 by telling another parable, the parable of the "ten virgins." In this story, ten future brides were waiting at night for the coming of the "bridegroom." Half were foolish because they didn't bring enough oil to light their way. Half were wise because they had come prepared. Jesus says that as they waited, they all fell asleep. Later, when the "bridegroom" finally did come, only those who had come prepared were admitted into the wedding, while those who were not prepared with the oil of insight were sent away. By their actions they had deprived themselves from the marriage to the "bridegroom." Once again, isn't this exactly what had happened two thousand years ago with John the Baptist and Jesus? The Jewish people who, because they weren't properly prepared, had deprived themselves of the opportunity of recognizing Jesus the Messiah. What does this mean to us today? Are people today, like the Jews of the past, also in danger of failing to recognizing the Messiah when he comes? If religious history is any indication, this definitely IS a possibility. Not one of God's Prophets in the past has been appropriately recognized by the very people that they came to save. What does it take for us to have the "oil" of spiritual insight? How can we avoid missing the "bridegroom" this time?

We could start by learning the lessons of the past. In the past the Jewish religious leaders were waiting to see the Old Testament prophet Elijah descend from heaven to herald the appearance of the Messiah, the Christ. When Jesus claimed to be the Christ they immediately concluded that this could not have been possible because obviously, no one had yet seen Elijah return from heaven. Jesus however explained that the actual fulfillment of this return of Elijah prophecy was much different that what they had been led to expect. The return of Elijah was John the Baptist, not in the flesh, but in the spirit. Jesus also explained that He Himself had come down from heaven two thousand years ago, again, not in the flesh, but in the spirit. These incorrect interpretations of the rabbis carried a high price. They cost John the Baptist his head and they got Jesus nailed to a cross. How could this possibly affect us today?

Today we see Christians making the exact same mistakes of interpretation that the Jewish people made two thousand years ago. Back then, the Jews were expecting to literally, visibly see the return of Elijah from heaven. Today, Christians are expecting to see Jesus literally, physically, visibly descend from heaven in the flesh. Why? Have the ominous predictions that "false prophets" will appear within Christianity come true? Has the "true way" again been "abandoned?" I ask again, did Jesus, Peter and Paul know what they were talking about? Most Christians either hope that somehow this hasn't really happened, or they hope that Jesus and Peter couldn't possibly have been talking about them. How realistic is this? What do you think?

My point is two-fold. One, is it not obvious that a lot of Christians of today are making the same mistakes that they accuse the Jews of making two-thousand years ago by interpreting things to be literally true? If they took their way of interpreting Biblical verses and lived in Jesus’ day, wouldn’t they be throwing stones at Him as well? Secondly, in a day when all of the prophecies concerning the “last days” before the “new age” comes have been fulfilled, what else are they waiting for to happen? Is it not obvious that you only know when a “thief” has come after the fact? Think about it…