If the Rapture actually happened, what would you do?

[TimothyH]

But since that’s not going to happen because the CC is right, there is nothing to worry about.

Does it not seem odd that people are even discussing this?

I know it is supposed to be a fun exercise, but there was a day when people were struck down for simply saying God’s name. Uzzah touched the Ark of the Covenant and was struck down.

It’s like asking, “What if God were not really the God we thought he was, and Jesus did not establish a kingdom, and he did not condemn the corrupt Jewish leadership in Matthew 13 and did not transfer authority from the Chair of Moses to the chair of Peter in Matthew 16, and Pentacost did not establish a church, and all the laying on of hands in the book of Acts were not confirmations and ordainations, and their is not Apostolic Succession, and what if all the sacraments are really just rituals without meaning and Blessed Pope John Paul II was really just a glorified youth minister?”

I know it is supposed to be only a fun discussion, be we are not supposed to take the name of the Lord in vain, nor profane a sacred thing. If I caught my children discussing such a topics, I would tell them to bite their tounge and cook steamed chicken and snow peas for dinner as pennance. People will probably tell me to lighten up…

If the end of the world comes, I want to be right in the heart of the Church, seated firmly in the Barque of Peter. I want Jesus to look at me and say, “I know you because you recieved my Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in a state of grace many times.” If I am dead when it happens, I want to be buried in Catholic ground, because that is where Jesus will raise up the dead first.

-Tim-

 

[johnnyjones]

Assume, for the sake of argument, that the kind of pretribulation dispensationalist end times like the events in the *Left Behind * series is actually happening. Suddenly, people disappear all at once (no Catholics, because Catholics aren’t “saved” according to many of these groups) and nobody really thinks anything more of it until everything starts (literally) going to Hell: natural disasters, famine, war, you need a mark on your hands before you can conduct business, that sort of thing. Then suddenly you have angels and demons duking it out on your doorstop and Jesus comes back and is all “Sorry, everyone, the Evangelicals were right…”

What do you do?

Remember, this is not up for debate. It’s happening, you can see it with your own eyes. Do you hunker down and hope no one notices that you’re missing? Hope that well, at least you were Christian, maybe Jesus will show mercy? (Not a chance.) Convert? Figure that you can at least go down fighting? I’m just kicking around some ideas for a story about how people of other religions (non-Evangelicals and non-Christians alike) would react to this sort of scenario.

Accept it, you can’t control anything about it. Ask for mercy.

 

[Shannon9791]

I think I’d try to find a way to enjoy all the extra space, maybe move into Jole Olsteen’s mansion and borrow one or two of his cars.

 

[Brooklyn]

Does it not seem odd that people are even discussing this?
-Tim-

It seems extremely odd that Catholics would be discussing this at all. To me, it’s like saying, what if the moon were made of green cheese - would you eat it? C’mon! I understand Protestants discussing this issue because they are basically free to believe anything they want to believe. But as Catholics, we have the Magesterium to guide us. If it isn’t taught by the Church, why are we discussing this as if it could be true?

Some of the answers on here sort of made my head spin. I am spending very little time on this forum these days, and this is the major reason why.

 

[kwdayboise]

Which ‘desert’ would you rather be, the Cake Desert or the Sahara Desert?

Well played. :juggle:

The rule I learned in elementary school: dessert, two is nice … desert, one is enough.

 

[JustaServant]

It seems extremely odd that Catholics would be discussing this at all. To me, it’s like saying, what if the moon were made of green cheese - would you eat it? C’mon! I understand Protestants discussing this issue because they are basically free to believe anything they want to believe. But as Catholics, we have the Magesterium to guide us. If it isn’t taught by the Church, why are we discussing this as if it could be true?

Some of the answers on here sort of made my head spin. I am spending very little time on this forum these days, and this is the major reason why.

That’s why I said what I said earlier.
The “rapture” is the invention of an insane woman in England, circa 1800s.
To even ask “what if” delves into the realm of fantasy.

 

[wcknight]

Okay, I admit it, “I’m a dinner” now can I get raptured too !!!

 

[wcknight]

IF there were any truth at all to this rapture thing, some of the saints would have mentioned it long ago. St. Padre Pio certainly would have since he was around just 50 years ago.

There are a ton of Catholics who do the Christian thing as well as or far better than any evangelical so, leaving behind all the Cathilics is totally bogus and contradictory.

Admitting we’re sinners, yes we do that and boy do we ever do that in spades… believeing and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior , yes we do that as well as anybody. Repenting of our sins, and reforming our lives and having a personal relationship with Jesus, yes, we do that as well as the best of themm…

Admitting we are 'DINNERS"… that one we have to work on !!! BUT now that I’m aware of it, I’ll add it to my list…

 

[robwar]

I didn’t say anything about Jesus coming twice at the end of time. I said the rapture was unbiblical and that at the end of time the good guys will remain while the bad guys go to hell.

My post did not say that Jesus will return twice.

A literal “Catching up” of all believers to literally meet Jesus in the air is also not proper Biblical exegesis. “Going out to meet” was a custom in the Old Testament. You can get an understanding of what Paul was alluding to by looking at the instances of “Go out to meet” in the Old Testament here. Go out to meet was a common phrase in Jesus’ time and Paul was not talking about a literal flying up to meet Jesus in the air, but his return and being escorted back to earth as a king.

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)

Just as there is no rapture, there is no literal flying in the air to meet Jesus. Paul was speaking alegorically about Jesus return as a victorious king.

If the rapture did happen, I’d keep my faith in solid Catholic Biblical exegisis and assume that the good guys were “Left behind.” Hooray for me.

-Tim-

thanks Tim. 100% agree

 

[robwar]

It seems extremely odd that Catholics would be discussing this at all. To me, it’s like saying, what if the moon were made of green cheese - would you eat it? C’mon! I understand Protestants discussing this issue because they are basically free to believe anything they want to believe. But as Catholics, we have the Magesterium to guide us. If it isn’t taught by the Church, why are we discussing this as if it could be true?

Some of the answers on here sort of made my head spin. I am spending very little time on this forum these days, and this is the major reason why.

Amen!

 

[cheese_sdc]

Assume, for the sake of argument, that the kind of pretribulation dispensationalist end times like the events in the *Left Behind * series is actually happening. Suddenly, people disappear all at once (no Catholics, because Catholics aren’t “saved” according to many of these groups) and nobody really thinks anything more of it until everything starts (literally) going to Hell: natural disasters, famine, war, you need a mark on your hands before you can conduct business, that sort of thing. Then suddenly you have angels and demons duking it out on your doorstop and Jesus comes back and is all “Sorry, everyone, the Evangelicals were right…”

What do you do?

Do as I always have done - make the best choices for Truth and Goodness I can based on what I know at the time.

 

[WeMustHaveFaith]

Wait who says catholics are not going to be saved? and why? we believe in god too!

 

[Publisher]

Assume, for the sake of argument, that the kind of pretribulation dispensationalist end times like the events in the *Left Behind * series is actually happening. Suddenly, people disappear all at once (no Catholics, because Catholics aren’t “saved” according to many of these groups) and nobody really thinks anything more of it until everything starts (literally) going to Hell: natural disasters, famine, war, you need a mark on your hands before you can conduct business, that sort of thing. Then suddenly you have angels and demons duking it out on your doorstop and Jesus comes back and is all “Sorry, everyone, the Evangelicals were right…”

What do you do?

Remember, this is not up for debate. It’s happening, you can see it with your own eyes. Do you hunker down and hope no one notices that you’re missing? Hope that well, at least you were Christian, maybe Jesus will show mercy? (Not a chance.) Convert? Figure that you can at least go down fighting? I’m just kicking around some ideas for a story about how people of other religions (non-Evangelicals and non-Christians alike) would react to this sort of scenario.

If it happened…I wouldn’t be here to worry about it.

 

[Gailgirl]

Such a scenario is completely unbiblical, and is in fact, 180 degrees out of phase with what the Bible actually says. The Bible actually says that the good guys get left behind and the bad guys get taken away to hell.

Publishing a story that perpetuates ideas such as the rapture encourages unbiblical error. I would be very cautious about doing so.

-Tim-

Tim: The ‘catching away of believers’ is very much a biblical doctrine. 1 Thess 4:13-18 tells of this event occurring when the Day of the Lord occurs. Paul clarifies his remarks in 2 Thess 2. Why be cautious about an event that Holy Scripture say will occur? Granted, because it is a future event, one cannot be dogmatic about when/what the Day of the Lord entails, but some views are more credible than others.

 

[CopticChristian]

Tim: The ‘catching away of believers’ is very much a biblical doctrine. 1 Thess 4:13-18 tells of this event occurring when the Day of the Lord occurs. Paul clarifies his remarks in 2 Thess 2. Why be cautious about an event that Holy Scripture say will occur? Granted, because it is a future event, one cannot be dogmatic about when/what the Day of the Lord entails, but some views are more credible than others.

Gailgirl,

Scott Hahn says the day of the Lord has come and passed when I believe Jerusalem was destroyed…the temple destroyed…that is as I recall Scott Hahn’s suggestion of the day of the Lord as recorded in Josephus.

 

[colmywaykurtz]

Tim: The ‘catching away of believers’ is very much a biblical doctrine. 1 Thess 4:13-18 tells of this event occurring when the Day of the Lord occurs. Paul clarifies his remarks in 2 Thess 2. Why be cautious about an event that Holy Scripture say will occur? Granted, because it is a future event, one cannot be dogmatic about when/what the Day of the Lord entails, but some views are more credible than others.

The “catching away of believers” is more likely a metaphor for the spiritual elevation of believers at the beginning of the millennial period , when Jesus will reign over the earth in His Eucharistic presence. This precedes his personal return, when the forces of Gog/Magog will be destroyed and the Judgment performed. A good interpretation of this can be found in The Book of Destiny, by Fr. Hermann Kramer—a book that has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur of Bishop Mueller of Sioux City, Iowa. Available through Tan Books.

 

[Nelka]

If the Rapture actually happened, what would you do?

It won’t happen.

If I start to entertain such ideas they could propogate in my head.

 

[Izdaari]

If it happened as in the OP’s scenario? I’d have to admit my interpretation of end times prophecy was wrong, and if I wasn’t one of the ones who went, my relationship with God needed improvement as well. But I expect if that happened, at least some Catholics and Orthodox would go, because they are Christians, and at least some would be “right” with God. I have never heard that believing specifically in the pre-trib rapture was a requirement for being chosen to participate in it.

 

[colmywaykurtz]

That’s why I said what I said earlier.
The “rapture” is the invention of an insane woman in England, circa 1800s.
To even ask “what if” delves into the realm of fantasy.

I was under the impression that the Englishman John Nelson Darby, a former Anglican minister, brought it to America (along with the doctrine of dispensationalism). This was in the 1860s, in the middle of our Civil War, and all the apocalyptic-toned bloodshed and destruction of the conflict made Americans ripe for believing in this sort of thing.

From that time to this, dispensationalist doctrines like the rapture have proliferated in American soil like a particularly stubborn weed.

 

[colmywaykurtz]

Protestant reference works like the Scofield Bible and Strong’s Concordance took this idea (along with other dispensationalist doctrines) and spread it like wildfire in America.