Question to those Protestants who believe in the Rapture.

[MaryRita85]

I have an honest question and I did grow up Protestant but there was something I could not understand (amongst others). The church I went to focused heavily on “The Rapture”, and it was nailed into my head everyday and I am sure that I was not the only one.
Why so much focus on “The Rapture”? If you believe in “The Rapture”, isn’t it said you will not know the date or time so isn’t it more likely that you would die by a disease, car accident…before “The Rapture” would happen? It seems to me that I better not commit any sins (specifically Mortal) ,and go to Reconcilliation often as I am more likely to die from something like I mentioned earlier than to continue to worry about this “Rapture”.And I know Confession is not really a part of Protestanism but shouldn’t they focus a little more on their daily activities than obsessing over the other event? And I would imagine if you are focusing on these daily doings that this would set up well for the “Rapture” that you believe in?Perhaps, I am wrong in how you understand this event, and if so please do clarify.I have just seen firsthand people who are literally going crazy over thinking about this!

 

[robwar]

I have an honest question and I did grow up Protestant but there was something I could not understand (amongst others). The church I went to focused heavily on “The Rapture”, and it was nailed into my head everyday and I am sure that I was not the only one.
Why so much focus on “The Rapture”? If you believe in “The Rapture”, isn’t it said you will not know the date or time so isn’t it more likely that you would die by a disease, car accident…before “The Rapture” would happen? It seems to me that I better not commit any sins (specifically Mortal) ,and go to Reconcilliation often as I am more likely to die from something like I mentioned earlier than to continue to worry about this “Rapture”.And I know Confession is not really a part of Protestanism but shouldn’t they focus a little more on their daily activities than obsessing over the other event? And I would imagine if you are focusing on these daily doings that this would set up well for the “Rapture” that you believe in?Perhaps, I am wrong in how you understand this event, and if so please do clarify.I have just seen firsthand people who are literally going crazy over thinking about this!

False teaching leads people to do false things. I think one can’t understand something that really isn’t in the Bible and is false. It sounds like you might still be dealing with it though. There are some very good Catholic books out there about the Rapture. “Will Catholics be Left Behinds” and “The Rapture Trap”. Now that you are Catholic you can let go of it but I think since you grew up with this stuff, you would benefit from some good books from the Catholic perspective that refute it and show why this is a dangerous heresy.

 

[MaryRita85]

False teaching leads people to do false things. I think one can’t understand something that really isn’t in the Bible and is false. It sounds like you might still be dealing with it though. There are some very good Catholic books out there about the Rapture. “Will Catholics be Left Behinds” and “The Rapture Trap”. Now that you are Catholic you can let go of it but I think since you grew up with this stuff, you would benefit from some good books from the Catholic perspective that refute it and show why this is a dangerous heresy.

No, it isn’t me, I don’t believe it and never really got into it. It is actually quite a few people in my family that I am speaking of so I am trying to understand their thought process, with no avail.

 

[robwar]

No, it isn’t me, I don’t believe it and never really got into it. It is actually quite a few people in my family that I am speaking of so I am trying to understand their thought process, with no avail.

I think you still would benefit from the two books I mentioned because they do go into the origin and the history of dispensational teaching which is behind it and a method of interpreting scripture and categorizing the Bible. I am thinking if you have a strong basis under you it might help you understand them. Both books also have and use different Protestant references which maybe you could give to your family members and they might find it more acceptable to read than lets say a Catholic one. Remember, dispensational interpretation of the Bible is a recent development. There are many more Protestants that are against it than for it but what gets the notice are sensational series and popular books that make it look like all Protestants believe this and teach this which is not true at all.

 

[MaryRita85]

I think you still would benefit from the two books I mentioned because they do go into the origin and the history of dispensational teaching which is behind it and a method of interpreting scripture and categorizing the Bible. I am thinking if you have a strong basis under you it might help you understand them. Both books also have and use different Protestant references which maybe you could give to your family members and they might find it more acceptable to read than lets say a Catholic one. Remember, dispensational interpretation of the Bible is a recent development. There are many more Protestants that are against it than for it but what gets the notice are sensational series and popular books that make it look like all Protestants believe this and teach this which is not true at all.

This is true, thank you!

 

[The_Wizard]

Another very good book is David B. Currie’s Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind. Two chapters in the book give an insight into why people buy into the rapture. They are Chapter 2, “In Defense of the Rapture” and Chapter 9, “Why the Rapture Is Appealing”.

 

[Steveabrous]

I too was brought up Protestant and I too believed in the Pre-tribulation Rapture.

The term rapture refers to Christ’s 2nd coming when those believers who are still alive will be caught up with him in the air.

In this sense the Catholic church definitely believes in the “Rapture” although we don’t call it that.

When someone says 'The Rapture" they usually are referring to a pre-tribulation, pre-2nd coming event in which Christ will come to earth but not land on the ground. He will snatch up the cream of the crop sparing them the tribulation that is to happen before the 2nd coming. This belief is based on the misinterpretation of certain key scriptures and is a false teaching.

As I stated. I believed it. Then I read the bible. It is no where in the bible

The dirty little secret is this: For all the bible thumping protestants do they don’t actually read it. They just believe what they are told in the pulpit.

 

[MaryRita85]

Wizard-Thanks
Steve- Yes, this is what I was speaking of, that is how I was brought up and this is true. I hear always Catholics don’t read the bible, yet

1. These same family member do not, they read books written by others and
2. I have already read 20 chapters of the NAB TODAY!

 

[robwar]

I too was brought up Protestant and I too believed in the Pre-tribulation Rapture.

The term rapture refers to Christ’s 2nd coming when those believers who are still alive will be caught up with him in the air.

In this sense the Catholic church definitely believes in the “Rapture” although we don’t call it that.

When someone says 'The Rapture" they usually are referring to a pre-tribulation, pre-2nd coming event in which Christ will come to earth but not land on the ground. He will snatch up the cream of the crop sparing them the tribulation that is to happen before the 2nd coming. This belief is based on the misinterpretation of certain key scriptures and is a false teaching.

As I stated. I believed it. Then I read the bible. It is no where in the bible

The dirty little secret is this: For all the bible thumping protestants do they don’t actually read it. They just believe what they are told in the pulpit.

Yes, but many of them quote the Bible, take verses out of context and then restring them together to fit whatever theory or idea they want to believe in. This is true of a lot of “teachings” that are out there, not just this heresy. I know someone like Jack Van Impe
has memorized big chunks of the Bible, yet if you start out with the wrong basis or theology, one can end up with some very wrong conclusions.

 

[Steveabrous]

Yes, but many of them quote the Bible, take verses out of context and then restring them together to fit whatever theory or idea they want to believe in. This is true of a lot of “teachings” that are out there, not just this heresy. I know someone like Jack Van Impe
has memorized big chunks of the Bible, yet if you start out with the wrong basis or theology, one can end up with some very wrong conclusions.

Yes but most people only know about 20 verses that they were taught from the pulpit. They don’t actually read the bible.

 

[ltwin]

I have an honest question and I did grow up Protestant but there was something I could not understand (amongst others). The church I went to focused heavily on “The Rapture”, and it was nailed into my head everyday and I am sure that I was not the only one.
Why so much focus on “The Rapture”? If you believe in “The Rapture”, isn’t it said you will not know the date or time so isn’t it more likely that you would die by a disease, car accident…before “The Rapture” would happen? It seems to me that I better not commit any sins (specifically Mortal) ,and go to Reconcilliation often as I am more likely to die from something like I mentioned earlier than to continue to worry about this “Rapture”.And I know Confession is not really a part of Protestanism but shouldn’t they focus a little more on their daily activities than obsessing over the other event? And I would imagine if you are focusing on these daily doings that this would set up well for the “Rapture” that you believe in?Perhaps, I am wrong in how you understand this event, and if so please do clarify.I have just seen firsthand people who are literally going crazy over thinking about this!

Maybe you know a lot of neurotic evangelicals? I’m being serious. I don’t worry about the rapture. I don’t know anyone at my church who is immobilized by fear of the rapture either. Maybe they are out there, but I haven’t seen any.

 

[Steveabrous]

Maybe you know a lot of neurotic evangelicals? I’m being serious. I don’t worry about the rapture. I don’t know anyone at my church who is immobilized by fear of the rapture either. Maybe they are out there, but I haven’t seen any.

Most fundamentalist Christian church believe in the pre-tribulation rapture and most don’t dwell on it. But there are some (more cultish) that make it the backbone of the church. Jehovahs wittnesses for one.

 

[MaryRita85]

I will say throughout the years they have died down but I remember growing up, every Sunday it was brought up in some sense. I’m glad to know that most are not so fanatical regarding that thought.

 

[JonNC]

Another very good book is David B. Currie’s Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind. Two chapters in the book give an insight into why people buy into the rapture. They are Chapter 2, “In Defense of the Rapture” and Chapter 9, “Why the Rapture Is Appealing”.

Clever title, this.

Jon