I recently saw a video by Willie Robertson advertising the
release of the movie Left Behind,
which is based on the series of fictional books bearing the same
name. The Robertson clan has an
enormous influence on the masses, so it was pretty disappointing to see this
video. You may wonder exactly why I
found it so disappointing. It’s simple –
the Rapture doctrine is a false teaching! Not only is the Rapture a false
teaching, but so is the millennium doctrine, which is the idea that Christ will
return to Earth to establish a literal, physical kingdom, and reign for a
thousand years in Jerusalem.
Religious groups differ slightly on their teachings, but
most believe in a thousand-year reign, and many believe that prior to the
reign, Jesus will secretly snatch away all the Christians, leaving behind a world
of chaos and despair. Following seven years of tribulation ruled by the Antichrist,
Jesus and his followers will then return to the earth to occupy the kingdom in
Jerusalem.
According to the Left
Behind series, and those believing the lies, when the Rapture occurs,
driverless cars will crash in the streets, pilotless planes will go down in
flames, wives will turn to see their husbands’ recliners empty, and so on. Sure, these scenes make for a good movie, but
are they really scriptural? What does
the Bible really teach about the end of the world?
As with any Bible topic, you’ve got to keep things in
context. Who is talking? Who is the audience? What’s being said, and why is it
being said? If we can answer these basic
questions, we can avoid misapplication of the scripture. Much of the teachings on the Rapture and the
millennial reign stem from a misapplication and misunderstanding of the book of
Revelation.
Revelation was written by John to the seven first-century
churches in Asia minor. These Christians were being persecuted and were
experiencing a terrible time of tribulation. It pertained to things happening
then and there, to people who were desperate for immediate comfort. Revelation
is full of symbols, signs, and figurative speech, and it’s not to be taken
literally, especially when trying to make predictions about the “end
times.” For more insight on the purpose
of Revelation, see this article written by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
Here’s what the Bible teaches:
1.)
Jesus will not return in secret.
He will return with a “shout,” the “trump of
God,” the “voice of the archangel,” and with “blazing fire” (1 Thes. 4:16, 2
Thes. 1:7). In fact, “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7).
2.)
Jesus will not return to Earth.
Faithful Christians will meet Him in the air
(1 Thes. 4:17). The universe will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10-13), and we’ll be
given “a new heaven and a new earth,” which refers to the Heavenly home Jesus
promised in John 14:1-6.
3.)
Jesus will not reign on an earthly throne.
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this
world…” (John 18:36).
It is impossible for Christ to rule as an
earthly king on a physical throne. Why?
Because the Bible describes Him as spiritual PRIEST and KING. His
throne has to be in Heaven because: a) an earthly king could not serve as
priest, and b) an earthly priest had to be a Levite, which Jesus was not
(Hebrews 8:1-4).
4.)
The kingdom has already been established.
In Acts 1, we see the resurrected Christ ascending
to Heaven in a cloud after talking to the Apostles about the coming kingdom. Picture yourself looking up into the sky as
Jesus ascends and disappears. In Daniel
7:13-14, we see the resurrected Christ coming into Heaven and God giving him
rule over the kingdom. Acts 1 is Earth’s view of Christ’s ascension, and Daniel
7 is Heaven’s view of Christ’s ascension.
“13 I saw in the night
visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed.”
You’ll notice that it was at that time – when Jesus ascended to
Heaven – that He became ruler of the kingdom, the church. This isn’t
some prophecy about a far-off earthly kingdom that Christ would inherit millennia
into the future!
In Matthew 16:28, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here,
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his
kingdom.” To borrow a statement from Eddy Gilpin, “either there are 2,000 year
old people walking around today, or the kingdom has already come.” That’s just it – the kingdom has come. THE
KINGDOM IS THE CHURCH. The kingdom that was promised to Peter and
the apostles in Matthew 16:17-19 is the church that was established on the day
of Pentecost in Acts 2.
5.)
On a day unknown to us, Christ will return, but not to
earth.
There will be a mighty shout, an
unearthly blast of the trump, and Jesus will come in the clouds. The dead in Christ will rise, the living in
Christ will be changed (translated), and they will ascend to meet Christ in the
clouds. There will be a great judgment of every soul that has ever existed. The
disobedient will receive their punishment, and the obedient will receive their
reward. (I Cor. 15, I Thes. 4, Matt. 25)
So what about Matthew 24 where
Jesus talks about there being wars, famines, earthquakes, etc.? It’s
simple. Jesus was answering two separate
questions: 1) When will the temple be destroyed? 2) And what about your second
coming and the end of the world? Jesus provides an answer to each question. In
the first part of the chapter, Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem
by the Romans and 70 A.D. That’s what
the wars, famines, earthquakes, etc would be a sign of. There would be obvious clues of the coming
destruction. There would be great tribulation and persecution. Men, women,
and children would be killed by the
Romans. He says in vs. 34, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not
pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Again, either there are 2,000 year
old people walking around, waiting for earthquakes and wars, or the event Jesus
prophesied about already happened.
Then he contrasts the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. with the events of the last day when he returns. Verse
36: “BUT, of that day and hour [the
day of his return] knoweth no man…as the days of Noah…one taken, and the other
left…as a thief…therefore be ye also ready…” Unlike the destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the end and destruction of Earth will come silently, as a
thief in the night, with no warning. We’ll
have no warning when he comes, but we will all surely know it when he does! The
phrase, “one taken, and the other will be left” is referencing the idea that
some will be saved and some will not. It is not a reference to a Rapture of any
kind.
Since it got a little complicated,
I’d like to make sure my message is clear. Conclusion:
1.)
Revelation is full of imagery and figurative speech
2.)
There will be no warning of Christ’s return
3.)
When He does come, it will be spectacular (not quiet
like the rapture)
4.)
Christ will not return to the Earth because He rules
His spiritual and eternal kingdom from Heaven
5.)
The kingdom is the church, which is already
established.
