This is a question sent in by wondering on the “Ask Aaron Anything” link:
do you believe in the rapture? what denomination is your church?
My Answer:
I have to say that when it comes to eschatology or end time events… I am a wimp! I think it is okay to talk about it and debate it but not a real issue to preach as doctrine. The study and the fascination with the end times I think can be a diversion from living for Jesus now.
Matthew 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake ”for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning” 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.
Here is my approach to end times; Stay awake! Jesus has given all of his servants a work and a position and He has called us not to sit around a figure out when He will come or how (I know He will return) but that we need to not fall asleep and get lazy. I think people who spend all there time trying to figure out end time events can easily get lazy in the work Jesus has left for them and the position he has called them to.
Here is some great thoughts from Mark Driscoll:
The rapture, like the age of the earth, is an issue that Christians should discuss and debate, but not divide over. Curiously, the rapture is a doctrine that has existed for less than two hundred years in the church’s history. The word itself started at a peculiar and possibly cultic charismatic prayer meeting where a women prophesied that the church would be raptured. From that simple beginning, the doctrine has now become the leading eschatological position in American evangelicalism. For more on this issue, the book The Incredible Cover Up: Exploring the Origins of Rapture Theories by Dave MacPherson is a fascinating historical read. Since the doctrine was not even heard of by men such as Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, and Wesley, we should not make this doctrine the litmus test of biblical faithfulness, otherwise we are saying there was no faithful eschatology for the first 1,800 years of the church.
This is a quote from His book, vintage Jesus:
One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God He actually chose to come into our fallen, sick, twisted, unjust, evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us. Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out.
what denomination is your church?
We are not affiliated with a denomination
Thats some good stuff. I love prophecy because the bible says that God doesnt do anything without telling his prophets. The things that are to come are in the prophecies, Jesus came in fulfillment of Prophecies, the reason the Jews did not except him had to do with that they did not know there own prophecies and scriptures well enough. So it is good to study prophecy and have a understanding of it. Jesus also said that we should keep our eyes open to the signs of the end, and when we see those signs it means the end is coming. But like aaron said we need to fulfill our duty hear and now and stay alert for Jesus second coming, Jesus said keep busy with the Work of the Gospel until he returns, He will not return and rapture the church until we fulfill our duty of preaching the gospel to every person on earth, so lets fulfill our duty, and when the time comes, the LORD will come to take us home, but as for here and now let us proclaim the Gospel of Life in Jesus Christ our Savior!
I love this question, i thank you for posting it Aaron! And i love how our church is non-denominational, its so biblical and its fun telling religious people who always ask what denomination it is to tell them we arent bound by any denomination, after all we are one church in Christ Jesus our LORD!
Thanks joe. We should know the signs of the time that is a great point.
From my understanding, the repture is a theory with no Biblical proof or connection. It is mentioned nowhere in the Bible, and its source is from a vision had by a woman and some coincidental events in surrounding (presbyterian?) churchs.
Some Good reminding Scripture on the topic, though, that I found that warns about people with visions and dreams:
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
John 4:1
1 Timothy 4:1
drew,
i use to completely agree with you about the rapture. But whatever you want to call it, the LORD will call us up together in the sky, it should be a cause of celebration not divsion. Like aaron was saying, we need to keep our eye on the ball, which is fulfilling our duty to make disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus will return, nomatter what way the Sons of God are called up to heaven, our focus should not be on our future glory, but on our present struggle, as we await the return of christ, our duty to save unbelievers souls and to develop those who already believe. Love you brotha, i would love to talk to you bout the rapture some time, i rather much discussing prophecy!
JP
I agree, its a theory and whether you agree or disagree is really irrelevant. Let God decide how he wants to do that day, its not really our concern. And should by no means be a topic of conflict
amen… I could agree more. Let’s not let end time prophecy become a point of division just discussion. Even then not that long of a discussion… LOL.
Re the mention of Dave MacPherson, his web items include some enlightening and unique ones including “Pretrib Rapture Diehards,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Walvoord’s Posttrib Varieties – Plus,” “X-Raying Margaret,” “Famous Rapture Watchers,” and “Deceiving and Being Deceived.” BTW, I bought his bestselling book “The Rapture Plot” at Armageddon Books and it drowns a reader with unanswerable documentation on pretribism’s bizarre birth. Related to this is “Scholars Weigh My Research” on Google. Fascinating stuff.
Florence
It doesn’t really matter if we know every detail, just knowing that it will happen is good enough.
Did God in the form of the Burning Bush say to Moses ” hey!, you there! take off your sandals and come here! i’m going to tell you EVERYTHING that your going to do in detail with the delivering of my people from slavery!”
Same thing with the story of Joseph!
If God is in control, why stress about it?, do what you can now with what he called you to do, and you shouldn’t worry if your gonna be taken up or not.
THis isn’t directed at anyone, i’m just throwing my thoughts out there.
Jesus tolled his disciples to keep with the work He had given them, and to remain busy and on alert because the Son of Man will return like a theif in the night, but Jesus said that he shouldent return like a theif in the night to believers, we should reckognize the signs of the time, not to keep our eyes transfixed on heaven, but to keep our eyes transfixed on our calling, so that when he comes it is because our calling as the church has been fulfilled, to make disciples of all nations. We should treat prophecy like Christ did, he knew the prophecies, he came in fulfillment of prophecies, they are not the least of our scriptures, they are the greatest, we should preach Christ Crucified Christ ressurected and Christs Return. The disciples preached with urgency the gospel because they felt Christ could return at any time, we should imitate them. If we neglect this urgency it is possible to get caught up in our own lives and our own will. As for me, I have layed everything aside to fulfill Gods will and calling on my life because i have the urgency that time is running out, if i had no urgency, then what need would there be to give my life to christ now? when i could give it to him in 20 years from now when ive made my money and set my life in place, we are not promised tomarrow, only today. Whether you agree with the term rapture or not, or pre trib or not, know this, the LORD will return again and come to take us home in heaven. If we neglect the urgency of Christs return, then what urgency is there for the people we preach Jesus to today, what urgency is there for them to live for Christ now? The details of the return are in His hands, but the return will happen, we should live in a state of continual urgency for His glorious return.
Love you all!!!
JosephPrado