The best book on the Rapture?

[Boxerdog]

I would like some books on the Rapture and how to refute its claims.

Suggestions and brief reviews would be most appricated. thanks

 

[Deus_Vult]

The Book of Revalation for a start…the concept of “Rapture” cannot be justified utilizing the scriptures. Since most "Rapture"believers are also believers in “Sola Scriptura” the argument for “Rapture” fails. If you really want to stir a debate you might also mention but keep in mind Catholics certainly believe that the event of our gathering together to be with Christ will take place, though they do not generally use the word “Rapture” to refer to this event Protestants like to accuse Catholics of making up words such as Purgatory and such yet they have no issue with the word “Rapture” (somewhat ironically, since the term “rapture” is derived from the text of the Latin Vulgate of 1 Thess. 4:17 “we will be caught up,” (Latin: rapiemur).

 

[Fidelis]

For a good introduction to the Catholic perspective of the Rapture and “Left Behind” errors, start with the Catholic Answers articles

The Rapture
catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp

False Profits
catholic.com/library/false_profit.asp

Also, Carl Olsen has written a book called “Will Catholics Be Left Behind” which is an exhaustive look at the orgins and errors of the Rapture theology. His website has numerous helpful articles in this regard:

carl-olson.com/wcblb_home.html

Another good treatment is by Paul Thigpen and is called “The Rapture Trap.” It is primarily focused on refuting from a historical and biblical standpoint, the errors of the Rapture theology. There is also a study guide available for this.
amazon.com/Rapture-Trap-Catholic-Response-Guide/dp/0965922898/sr=1-1/qid=1158698256/ref=sr_1_1/104-4676125-8323958?ie=UTF8&s=books

San Juan Seminars, as part of their Beginning Apologetics series, now has “Beginning Apolgetics 8” which talks about the Rapture, the End times, heaven, hell, and Purgatory.
catholicapologetics.com/ba8a.htm

David Currie has probably written the definitive Catholic book on this subject with his “Rapture: The End Time Error That Leaves the Truth Behind.” In addition to refuting the Left Behind baloney, he does extensive treatments of the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel.
catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=3447

On his Family Life Center websire, you’ll find Steve Wood’s “Introduction To Biblical Prophecy,” a six CD series that does a masterful job of showing you the right and the wrong ways to look at the prophetic writings that Dispensationalists often twist into knots. It comes with a CD of printable study aids.
familylifecenter.net/cart/product_detail.cfm?ID=613&user=43856552

To get a balanced Catholic view of the Book of Revelation, I’d get the “Navarre Bible Commentary on the Book of Revelation.”
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-Revelation-New-Testament/dp/1851820892/sr=1-1/qid=1158698220/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4676125-8323958?ie=UTF8&s=books

Also, if you can swing it, Scott Hahn has a twelve (I think) tape or CD series on the Book of Revelation called simply “The End,” which also has a study guide available.
www.saintjoe.com

Finally, for a well written Protestant (Reformed) refutation of the Rapture nonsense, I’d recommend “End Times Fiction” by Gary Demar. Sometimes it helps to show that not all Protestants buy into this hooey, and they have good biblical reasons for not doing so.
amazon.com/Fiction-Biblical-Consideration-Behind-Theology/dp/0785266429/sr=1-1/qid=1158698165/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4676125-8323958?ie=UTF8&s=books

That should get you started!

 

[Doxiemom]

The Left Behind series were nothing more or less than fiction and should have never been taken as anything else. I read them all, they were a “fair” piece of writing, and contained absolutly nothing in them that i saw as anti-catholic. But, though again I stress fiction, they were as pro-Jesus Christ as you can get.

I am sorrry that you don’t agree that a “rapture” will occur. But many devout Christians (and I am one) do think that this will happen. It is not the Second Coming of Christ, but the event that takes His church (christians) out of the earth. Then comes the Tribulation , a horrific 7 year period that will lead to the ultimate battle between Jesus Christ as King with Lucifer as he has endwelled the man refered to as Anti-christ. It is the triumph over the Evil that Lucifer began in the Garden.

Please let me explain that there are many good and faithful Christians that disagree with the concept of a rapture. But we ALL agree that Jesus Christ Is Coming Again. I want that to happen today. There will be no more tears, no more sickness, no more death. Perfect peace with King Jesus sitting on the Throne of David in Jerusalem., the City that God chosen to dwell and where His Name will be established forever. Wow.

Doxiemom
God giggled when He made dachshunds especially the little bitty long hair ones who trip over their hair when they do the high jumps

 

[Fidelis]

The Left Behind series were nothing more or less than fiction and should have never been taken as anything else. I read them all, they were a “fair” piece of writing, and contained absolutly nothing in them that i saw as anti-catholic. But, though again I stress fiction, they were as pro-Jesus Christ as you can get.

If you believe this, then --and I say this in all fraternal charity – you either are not a careful or critical reader, or you don’t know your Catholic Faith very well.

To cite just one example: in the first “Left Behind” book, the Pope was raptured up. Pretty good, huh? Well, the book makes it clear that he was so honored because he had recently embraced the Protestant doctrine of “faith alone.” In other words, a Catholic is only a Christian if he becomes a Protestant. THAT’S anti-Catholic.

I am sorry that you don’t agree that a “rapture” will occur. But many devout Christians (and I am one) do think that this will happen. It is not the Second Coming of Christ, but the event that takes His church (christians) out of the earth. Then comes the Tribulation , a horrific 7 year period that will lead to the ultimate battle between Jesus Christ as King with Lucifer as he has endwelled the man refered to as Anti-christ. It is the triumph over the Evil that Lucifer began in the Garden.

To hold and believe in this erroneous interpretation of the Scriptures is to believe in a teaching that has been definitively and officially condemned by the Catholic Church. Here is what the Church has said about it:

The Holy Office under Pius XII. On July 21, 1944 decreed:

*In recent times on several occasions this Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office has been asked what must be thought of the system of mitigated Millenarianism, which teaches, for example, that Christ the Lord before the final judgment, whether or not preceded by the resurrection of the many just, will come visibly to rule over this world. ***The answer is: The system of mitigated Millenarianism cannot be taught safely. **(Denzinger 2296)

Again, due to an apparent lack of knowledge about what the Church teaches, you seem to have fallen for these false ideas. Which is exactly the danger that such “harmless fiction” poses.

By the way ALL Christians (including Catholics like myself) DO believe in a Rapture (it refers to it right in 1 Thessalonians 14). The error comes when one subscribes to the erroneous and ridiculous scenarios that Dispensationalist fundamentalists have created. Did you know that NO CHRISTIAN EVER had this interpretation of the Bible until 150 years ago? It is a manmade doctrine of the worst kind.

Please let me explain that there are many good and faithful Christians that disagree with the concept of a rapture.

You can somewhat excuse Protestants for falling for this, because they have nothing to rely on in this area but their own fallible self-interpretation of SCripture. But a Catholic should know better, as our Church has taught definitively on this for 2000 years.

But we ALL agree that Jesus Christ Is Coming Again. I want that to happen today. There will be no more tears, no more sickness, no more death. Perfect peace with King Jesus sitting on the Throne of David in Jerusalem., the City that God chosen to dwell and where His Name will be established forever. Wow.

(to the Catholic understanding of this )

I recommend you get up to speed by reading some of the resources I recommended above, starting with the web-links and this book here:

“Beginning Apolgetics 8: The Rapture, the End times, heaven, hell, and Purgatory.”
catholicapologetics.com/ba8a.htm

 

[Cat]

David Currie’s Rapture is great.

Remember, he’s an ex-Protestant (like me), so he brings all that fundamentalist background and knowledge to his book.

His in-depth Bible study is wonderful. I especially loved the exposition of Zechariah.

It takes a lot of reading to get through the whole book, but it’s worth the time and effort.

 

[Cat]

The Left Behind series is not well-written at all.

My husband started reading the very first book in the series. Within the first 30 pages, he discovered two errors about computers. Dr. LaHaye and Mr. Jenkins could have queried any knowledgeable teenaged computer geek and gotten the correct information. If they didn’t want to talk to teenagers, they certainly could have done a little research by talking to a computer professional, probably someone in one of their churches who wouldn’t charge them much for his/her expertise. Either the teenager or the professional could have advised them on a more authentic approach to computer technology.

Instead, Dr. LaHaye and Mr. Jenkins chose to make up their own computer technology.

Why? Good fiction makes use of as much authenticity as possible. That’s what makes it more like reality and less like fiction. The authenticity wouldn’t have detracted from their story at all.

If the authors didn’t bother to fix something so simple, something that could have been fixed with a short phone call, then how can you be certain that they bothered to research anything else in the books?