Left Behind? Yeah, I’ll Stay!

Here is yet another doozy of a topic. This week’s topic comes from a question I was asked by cb last week who contacted me through the web site. I found myself short of time to answer, but thought it would be a meaty topic for us on Thursday night. I will attempt the impossible, being brief while talking about eschatology, more commonly known as the rapture.

Before I go into the question lets do what I said in the title, “Etymology of Eschatology” or really the word "rapture" (eschatology just goes better with etymology). The word “rapture” comes from the Latin word “rapiemur”.

I Thess 4:17 Deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur [suddenly caught up] cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus.

1 Thess 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

CB asked, “I read on your site that you don't see the Lord's return as soon.
I won't be able to come to Boulder, but..... a) I was wondering if you might be able to give a brief response as to why you believe that, or a website that I can visit explaining this view - and b) Is it good in God's eyes to pray for Christ's (really) soon return?”

Well, in a nutshell it is true I don’t believe Jesus will return soon as most people think of it as soon. I do think He will return, I do think it is very possible it could happen in my lifetime. Yet to say it could happen **poof** at any time is an uneducated opinion at best. Why? I thought you would ask that, and sorry to be so blunt, but pop-theology has done much damage in their quest to either fill their pockets or push their agenda of fear.

In my promise to keep this short I will point out a couple of things why I do not believe the “rapture” could happen at any given time.

1st - 2 Thess 2:1-4 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

2nd – This one is from my friend Steve who wrote this after researching this very topic. Click on the link to take you to his statement on I Thessalonians 4:15-18. Tell him what you think.

Link to Steve's Page

As for part B of the question, which I like very much (thanks for asking it CB!), well I want to ask one thing. Why do people want to pray for the Lord's soon return? Does life suck? Do people want others to suffer because Jesus' return would surely mean the wrath of God? Do people just want the presence of Jesus? Is the world just so bad that one feels that justice must come NOW! Look at the scripture below, Jesus is saying He is coming soon. Then there is a statement,"Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." The term "amen" is an agreement and the next word are what are being agreed upon, "Come, Lord Jesus."

Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." - Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

As I read this it is impressed upon me that John has just had this revelation of all this heavy stuff. After Jesus tells John what is going to happen, I believe Jesus is reassuring John that He will be coming. John is saying after all this stuff he witnessed, "Come, Lord Jesus fulfill what you are revealing to me." I don't think he is saying this because life sucks, or that he wants people to suffer or that he wants to be in the Lord's presence any sooner than normal. Jesus says He is coming and John says cool do it.

Personally I don't care, my time on earth is what it will be. I don't pray "Lord come now." Well, that is not exactly true, I have prayed that prayer, but it was because my life really did suck and I wanted off this crazy third rock. However, I am now glad He didn't come and I have become a bigger person because of His delay. Read 1 Thess and 2 Thess a few times.

As always I want to hear from you regardless if you come on Thursday night or not. Please post your comments on my blog. I promise I won’t bite your head off. I just want to see what people think of this. Oopps, I went long.

Also link to this page on rapture just for a few other ideas.