It's The End of The World As We Know It

But...isn't it always? I mean, every day ends and the world changes. Earth is a little farther around the sun, the solar system is a little farther around the center of the galaxy. Several billion cells inside us have died and been replaced. Someone died, someone was born. It happens all the time. Why the fuss?

As someone said to me,"Well, if that be the case, then let us all have a clear conscience, keep our minds focused on God, and be doing what we are supposed to be doing when the time comes." OH WAIT... that is what we are supposed to be doing ANYWAY!! D'oh!

In all seriousness though, one of the main reasons I began to question the evangelical Protestant (ev-Prot) tradition was the rapture theory. I had read the Left Behind books by Tim LaHaye and listened to the radio preachers and pulpit preachers (Southern Baptist and Charismatic) and the Pit Preachers at UNC-CH and the Amway speakers at Amway meetings (yes, Amway. Let's just move on please). So, of course, being the wonderfully curious person I am, I went looking for where the idea of the rapture came from. I mean, it's not specifically mentioned in Scripture, but then again, neither is the Trinity specifically mentioned in Scripture, so that was okay with me. If there was a historical path I could deal with it.

As I read and researched though, I couldn't find mention of it prior to the early 1800s. In fact, the only time I read anything about something similar (specifically the Thousand Year Reign or Millenialism ) was the denunciation of chiliastic (Millenialist) teaching by the Early Church councils as heretical. The Early Church Fathers wrote that "one thousand year reign" referred to in the book of Revelation signifies an infinite number of years, i.e. a kingdom that shall have no end, not a finite and literal 1,000 years. The Second Ecumenical Council in 381 AD., in their condemnation of the heretic Apollinarius, also condemned his teaching about the thousand-year Kingdom of Christ. To put a stop to further attempts at introducing this teaching, the Fathers of the Council inserted into the Niceane Creed the words about Christ: "His Kingdom shall have no end." 

"In Holy Scripture it is clearly indicated that the Kingdom of Heaven is also the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Christ, in so much as both Saint John the Forerunner and Christ Himself called it so. This Kingdom of Christ will be spiritual and will reign over the internal world of man, while externally being revealed in the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Christ Himself established this kingdom and explained in His parables how it will appear, who it will include and what power it will possess. His reign will not endure for a thousand years, but eternally (Lk. 1:33)." (Elder Cleopa)

Also, if you read the Book of Revelation through the assumption of such a theory, you get Christ returning more than once! According to rapture theory, He comes once in the air to pull His people from the Great Tribulation to come, then a third time for the battle of Armageddon when Satan is defeated and tossed into the Lake of Fire and then a fourth time for the Judgement. Seriously? How can that be when He said He was only coming back once again?

The logic goes kablooie. It gets even kablooier when you realize how many of these so-called rapture prophets have picked some arbitrary day based on random, esoteric, what-passes-for-math-in-their-own-minds and gotten it completely WRONG. And why do they get it wrong? Because Christ Himself said only the Father knows the day and the hour (Matthew 24:36) and He isn't telling. All He is saying is, "Be prepared."

And that's what this former scout is doing. I am preparing myself. God knows I fail at it on a regular basis, but thank you Lord for Your mercy and grace, I have been saved, I am being saved and I pray that I shall be saved by His grace and mercy.

This does not mean that I cannot find humor in this: "My hope is built/On nothing less/Than Scofield's Notes/And Moody Press!" HA!! (For those who don't know, Scofield and Moody are publishing companies named for two 19th century prime movers behind the rapture theory.)

Lord have mercy on me a sinner!

Relevant Reading
The Inconsistency of Chiliasm
Rapture Theology's Ominous Origins
What is the Rapture (Part 1)
What is the Rapture (Part 2)
Historical Account of the Pre-Trib Rapture' Origin
The Rapture - Indisputable Christian Heresy