The "Rapture" Myth: How and Why It Was Created

[SarahM32]

There's an article on The Rapture Myth that has some good evidence to support it.

For example, it explains how and why the "Rapture" cult misunderstands the book of John where it says Jesus "will meet us in the air" and "receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:3)

The article explains how and why Paul erred in 1st Corinthians 15:50-54 which says that when “the last trumpet sounds the dead will be raised and we will be changed and the mortal will become immortal.”

It also explains how and why Paul erred in 1st Thessalonians 4:14-17 where Paul essentially claims that just as Jesus “died and rose again, so God will raise those who have fallen asleep [or died] in Jesus.” Paul claims that the “Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

The author explains how Paul misunderstood Daniel 12:1-2 and the book of Isaiah (as well as others.

And at the end of the article there's a great video.
.

[SarahM32]

1. For anyone's interested, I noticed the article was revised today.

I think it's an improvement, more informative and including a much more logical premise.

And, even if you don't read it, you ought to see the video at the end. Funny!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. The doctrine of the Rapture isn't the same as the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead

The Rapture is the doctrine, held mostly by fundamentalist types, that before the Great Tribulation, God will magically zap all the saved people into heaven.

The resurrection of the dead is the doctrine that Paul is talking about.

[SarahM32]

3. Yes. But, ...

Wikipedia, in giving its explanation about he "Rapture" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture says that: "The Rapture is a term in Christian eschatology which refers to the 'being caught up' discussed in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the 'dead in Christ' and 'we who are alive and remain' will be 'caught up in the clouds to meet 'the Lord'.[1] The Rapture is used in at least two senses in modern traditions of Christian eschatology: in pre-tribulationist views, in which a group of people will be "left behind", and as a synonym for the final resurrection generally.[2][3][4]"

That's how most people see it, and clearly the "Rapture" and "Left Behind" crowd quotes Paul all the time, to "prove" they are right.

And here's the beginning of the article I cited on The Rapture Myth:

The idea of a “Rapture of the Church” is thought of in several different ways in modern traditions of Christian eschatology, but the one most people are aware of is called the “Pre-Tribulationist” view. It holds that the “true Christians” will be “beamed up into the clouds to be with Jesus,” and everyone else will be "left behind" on earth to suffer in the prophesied tribulation -- when there will be horrible wars and terribly destructive natural disasters.

One of the big problems with that belief is that it’s painfully obvious that we’ve already been suffering from the great tribulation that Jesus of Nazareth prophesied. In fact, it has increased during the last hundred years, with all the wars and rumors of war, the “seven plagues” (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, famines, diseases, pestilences) and “many other terrible things” like tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, man-made atrocities and disasters, pollution, etc.

The other big problem with that "Rapture" belief is that it’s obviously delusional, and, in fact, it is based on a gross misunderstanding and misinterpretation of prophecy.

The modern idea of the “Pre-Tribulationist Rapture of the Church” can be traced back to 1830 when the “Plymouth Brethren,” a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement came up with it. And, even though most mainstream Christian denominations including Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Anglican Christians, Lutheran Christians, and Reformed Christians do not believe in it, there are several denominations and sects that do. That has become quite obvious by the amount of books in the “Left Behind” series have sold, and by the news reports of predictions of when the “Rapture” would take place.

Now, even though the Christians who believe it love to quote Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians and his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, the fact is that Paul got his ideas from Daniel 12:1-2, which states that: “ ... the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was ...; and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to rebukes and everlasting shame.”

However, if you understand the book of Daniel in context, and especially in context with the book of Isaiah, and understand what Jesus actually taught, the meaning of that is not as Paul assumed."

[SarahM32]

4. The author dispels all the other myths about Jesus too, and ..

Last edited Fri Sep 21, 2012, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

Jesus essentially said: "I tell you the truth: I must go away, but I will send the Counselor to you. He will righteously judge the world; because I am going to heaven and you will see me no more. I came not to judge the world, but the rulers of this world must be judged. I have much more to say to you, but it is more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak of himself, because of himself he will do nothing but the will of the one who sent him. He will [write and] speak only what he hears from God, and he will tell you what is to come. He will glorify me by having what is mine and making it known to you." (Paraphrasing and clarifying John 8:28, John 12:47, and John 16 verse 7-15)

As is explained in Prophecies Re: He Who Fulfills Them, Jesus clearly revealed that because he had to go away and would be seen no more on earth, he would send someone delivering a needed message, who will issue the judgment, guide humanity unto the truth, show you things to come, and declare the testimony of the Christ-Avatar who is in heaven with God.

The articles that explain the prophecies of Jesus of Nazareth, who said that at the end of the age the son of man, the principal messenger for the Spirit of truth, would issue judgment, guide us unto truth, show us things to come, and glorify Jesus for what he really was, are as follows:

About Christianity
The Nature of God
The Virgin Birth Story
The Martyrdom of Jesus
The Resurrection Story
The Second Coming Story
Why Is the Messiah Hidden?
The Modern Prophet
Isaiah Chapter 53
The New Covenant
Where Is Zion?

And there are many others. It's a very comprehensive message that covers the religious issues of the day. Since the government is "upon his shoulders," he also has shown us the way to establish good government that is actually of, by, and for the people.
.