Is the Rapture Biblical?

Is the rapture real? Why do faithful Christians disagree about it?

In this episode, Pastor Charlie explores one of the most discussed topics in Christian theology: the rapture and the return of Christ. He explains the major biblical views, why sincere believers interpret certain passages differently, and why humility is essential when discussing end times.

Rather than focusing on division, this conversation highlights the truths all orthodox Christians share: Jesus will return, evil will be defeated, believers will be with Christ forever, and our hope rests in Him, not in having every prophetic detail figured out.

Whether you've always believed in a pre-tribulation rapture or you're simply curious about what the Bible teaches, this episode offers a thoughtful, biblical starting point.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

All right, welcome back to another episode of the QA with Pastor Charlie Podcast. Today's question comes from one that we got sent in, and they were asking about the rapture. What it is, if it's real, what do you think go is going on with that whole thing?

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Okay, I think the main question that we got was about a Christian celebrity, I think, that's recently come out and said something along the lines of they no longer believe in the rapture, and you know, maybe giving a little bit of clarity about what that is, maybe why somebody wouldn't wouldn't believe in it. Uh, you know, anytime we talk about end time stuff is one of those things that, you know, we're just scratching the surface in anything like this. I mean, especially in these podcasts that we do that are no more than 15, 20 minutes long at the most, and most of the time around 10 minutes, by no means are we going to get into the full uh understanding of some of these things. The other thing is, you know, even amongst people who believe in certain end times uh order and doctrines, like there's differences in them. They don't all believe the exact same things all the time. And so I'm gonna speak in generalities. There'll be some out there that say, well, I believe in this, but I don't believe in that, and that's completely possible, true. Uh but before we get into this, because end times, for some reason I find interesting, can be so divisive amongst people. I mean, like it is interesting that while we do have these doctrines that are taught in the Bible, like like they aren't easy to understand, but people will put stakes in the ground about what they believe and like speak to the fact like they know exactly how it's going to happen. And there's a reason why throughout the ages in church history there have been differences of opinion and interpreting these things. They're just not that easy. Apocalyptic literature is not that easy to understand and interpret in the Bible. How much do we take literally versus how much do we take symbolically? Uh then you look at passages that sometimes, uh, for instance, in terms of the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4, uh, 1 Corinthians 15, whereas a lot of people go to support their belief about the rapture, uh, they can seem really clear in some places like that. And then when you look at it in the scope and the scheme of other scripture, you say, well, maybe not so much. Now, before I get into the rapture specifically, I do think I want to speak to what we as Orthodox Christians, by and large, do all believe together. Because I think sometimes in our disagreements, we lose sight of how much we really do agree on. And so the first thing I think within Orthodox Christianity and amongst evangelical believers, we we do believe clearly that Christ will return. And I think that's something important for us to understand. The rapture question is going to be do we believe he's gonna kind of return twice or once when he comes back at the end of time? But we do believe he's gonna return. We we do believe there will be a physical return of Jesus Christ to gather his people, to bring an end to uh sin and he will then rule. He will rule in the fact that he will establish his kingdom, he will rule in the fact that he will judge sin once and for all. Satan, his enemies, will be uh vanquished and dealt with. Umbelievers will be judged accordingly, believers will receive uh blessing and benefit and a reward from Christ for how we lived on earth. And then ultimately we will reign with Christ on a new earth. The former will be passed away. There will be something new that's created, a new heaven, a new earth. And so we do believe these things together. And I think it's always important because sometimes we sit down and talk about these things and we spend so much time fighting about what we don't agree with that we're like, you know what? The largest portion we do agree with together, it's more sequential order. How are things going to unfold? Now, I'm gonna assume that this question is in talking about the rapture is speaking of the immediate return of Christ that will gather up believers, uh which will be before the second coming. So that typically is the view uh of what's considered the rapture. And for most people, how they kind of interpret this is that there is a rapture that's going to happen when Christ is going to return. They believe it's gonna be kind of a secret return in the sense that the dead in Christ will rise first. We believers who are alive at that time will be gathered up in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. We're going to leave this earth, and then the tribulation is going to begin. And then once that seven years of tribulation takes place, Christ will return again and then establish his millennial kingdom, his period of a thousand-year reign here on earth. And so, in that sense, there is two second comings of Christ or two returns. One's to gather his church, one's to come and establish his kingdom here on earth. Uh the dispensationalist thought, the pre-trib rapture view, uh, has a lot of merit to it. And again, if you look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we send to get this picture that that seems to be pretty clear that from if you just read it on its surface level, that Christ could return that way. You know, any passage that speaks about the trumpet sounding and Christ returning and it making it be a very immediate, quick thing tends to lead us in that regard. For most people who fall into this vein, what they tend to think will happen is that as we go to be with Christ, then believers are going to experience the judgment seat of Christ, the Bema seat of Christ, where we're going to experience no condemnation, no wrath, no judgment in a negative sense, but rather we're going to receive rewards for our faithfulness in following Jesus. And part of the reason I think that this view is appealing is it it takes the church out of the tribulation. I think the other part of it is that it tends to take us away from the idea of judgment at the end, that we're not going to have to fear any judgment. God's wrath has already been dealt with in Jesus Christ. There's no reason for us to fear any type of discomfort or uncomfortability in that. Oftentimes in this view, there is a clear distinction between Israel and the church. And so you're going to see that most people in this view are going to say, well, the church is gone. And then during this time, uh Israel is going to be returned, that something's going to happen, you know, supernaturally almost, that's going to bring Israel back into the fold to where they're going to turn back to Christ. And then, of course, the second coming of Jesus is going to happen where there's going to be this millennial rule and reign. The other view is that there's only one return of Christ. It's not two separate events, but there's just one. And that's going to happen. Uh, some believe before the tribulation, some some, I mean, most believe after the tribulation, some believe before the millennium, some after. And again, I'm just scratching the surface here on that. Uh from those two camps, we have classic premillennialism, we have all millennialism. And here's what I would encourage anybody that's that's listening. Read, study, and not just the one that seems easy and palatable to you or the one you've always been taught, but but read all of it. Allow your mind to be challenged by all of it. Seek to see what is scripture really telling us. Sometimes I think it's important just to sit down and take all of the passages that speak about the end times in the Bible and just try to read them through a lens where you're not already have made up your mind about what it says, and then try to string together those pieces and see what you come up with on your own. Now, I think the reason why this guy, and I'm speculating here, the reason why, and I've experienced this in my own life, that Christians have come out recently and said, Well, I don't know if I believe in the rapture or not. Well, for the largest part, I think, uh, of American interpretation, and I'm generalizing about, at least in my lifetime and decades before, the pre-trib view in America has been one of the primary views that have been taught. And I think for a lot of us, that's what we were taught, that's what we heard, that's what we assumed. And I think for a lot of people, including myself, after studying more about the end times, we might start saying, wait, not so fast. Maybe this isn't just as clear-cut as I thought it was. Uh, if you want more good reading about pre-tribulation views, I would tell people to start with John MacArthur. Uh he has a book, When the Time Draw Near, or Because the Time is Drawing Near, I can't remember the exact title. But like it's going to speak to this view that he holds to. Uh, there's other dispensationalists, there's stuff that's come out of Dallas Theological Seminary that's very good to read, that's going to give you some very clear reasons why they believe these things. Uh if that's all you've ever been taught, I would encourage you to read some other things. Uh I the the the ask of this question is like, well, what's your view? And and I would tell you that I personally don't have a strong end times conviction or view. Uh I would tell you right now, I probably lean more toward all millennialism, that we're in that millennial reign. There's just going to be one clear coming of Christ at the end where all of these things are going to be dealt with. Uh, there's a good book by uh called I think A Case for All Millennialism by Ken Riddleberger, maybe. I don't know, Riddleberger will mispronounce his name. But great book that has some really good things for you to read, especially if you've come from a pre-trib dispensationalist type view. Like he's gonna answer a lot of those questions because that's what he used to be. And his writing really began to kind of change my mind as I was kind of wrestling with what I believed. There's of course classic premillennialism, which I think I fit into maybe before this. So I've kind of like bounced around and how I really view it. But by and large, I was taught one way and just assumed that was it. Uh and so I would encourage anybody out there, before you just listen to anybody on there on a podcast, including myself, before you just listen to a Christian celebrity who said, I don't think I believe in this anymore, pick up your Bible, read, find some good resources, and just kind of sort it out. And then be okay with not knowing. Be okay with differing with people. Be okay with saying, well, you know, I see this, but I don't see that. And just ultimately trusting that that God's timing in the end, when He returns, it will be good, it will be right. And for us who are Christians, we need not fear, we need not worry.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Yeah, that's good. Yeah, it's like such a tertiary level problem that doesn't affect your salvation at all.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Right. I believe so. I think sometimes we want to make it a bigger issue than it is. Now, I do believe there's some core doctrines wrapped up in that that if we don't believe it, we've abandoned biblical Christianity and biblical Bible teaching. But most people, in my experience and opinion, who get all wrapped up on this, like they're they're more invested in it maybe than need be. And uh like I can sit down with a guy who's a dispensationalist, pre-trib rapture view, and be like, man, I I see where you're coming from. Like, like I don't think you're a fool or crazy any more than I think an all millennialist is a fool or crazy for what they believe. I mean, I can sit down and read it and and and be like, I agree. I agree it's I agree it's plausible. Uh I agree that it's possible, you know. Is it the hundred percent way that I would lean? Maybe, maybe not. And it's not because I feel like I'm easily led, it's because it's just one of those things that's just not that crystal clear.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Yeah. Do you you have a prediction on when the rapture will be? I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Six months and seven days is kind of where I'm leaning. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure, but that's kind of like on my calendar. That's kind of when I have it put down on.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

So all right, get ready, folks. All right. Well, if you guys have more questions like these, we would love to answer them. You can send them to questions at firstmore.com, and we'll see you guys next Friday.