What Happened to the Rapture?

If you’ve read the Forlorn series up to the current installment, Forbidden, you have probably noticed that the world (in the novels) has entered the End Times. Someone bearing a close resemblance to the Antichrist has appeared who has made a treaty of sorts with Israel, a one-world government has been established, and God’s people are being persecuted. 

But, you might wonder, what happened to the Rapture?

If you’re a Christian who enjoys reading novels, you’ve probably read the Left Behind series, which is where most Christians get their knowledge of End Times events. Left Behind kicks off with a worldwide “rapture event,” in which all the (real) Christians disappear, and the ungodly folks are left behind to deal with the tribulations and the Antichrist and all that jazz. 

There’s only one problem. Scripture never says that Christians will be taken out of the world before the tribulation begins. In fact, Jesus said the opposite.

“But immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other."  Matthew 24:29-31

Jesus says plainly that He’s coming to get his “elect” after the tribulation, not before. Moreover, Paul tells us that the elect will not be gathered until after the “apostasy” (falling away, rebellion) the appearance of the Antichrist (man of lawlessness):

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

That Christians will not have to face tribulation is at best wishful thinking—it’s really the only reason to believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture. Jesus told his disciples (and us) that we would face tribulation, and we better be ready.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. Matthew 24:9

“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will provide you eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute. But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because of My name. And yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives." Luke 21:12-19

Jesus talked about enduring tribulation, not avoiding it. He even taught what was going to happen to those whose faith was too shallow to endure the trials in the Parable of the Sower and the Seed.

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  Matthew 13:20-21

That “falling away” or apostasy (Greek: Apostasia) is what Paul prophesied would happen in 2 Thessalonians 2, and we see it happening in our world today. Paul used the same word in 1 Timothy 4: 

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1

Worldly doctrines aligned with social justice issues like homosexuality, transgenderism, and Critical Race Theory have overshadowed biblical teaching in many mainstream churches. (As an example, the United Methodist Church, a large, mainstream denomination, recently posted a video on YouTube highlighting a pastoral candidate, a drag queen named “Ms Penny Cost.”) Sexual scandals rock megachurches as celebrity pastors come under fire for immoral behavior (not to mention bad theology). Prominent worship leaders have renounced their faith and become atheists. Liberal pastors deny the deity and authority of Christ. The Pope himself refuses to affirm that Christianity is the true religion, instead stating that all religions are just fine with God: “The pluralism and the diversity of religions, color, sex, race and language are willed by God in his wisdom, through which he created human beings.”

Worst of all, many Christians openly support political candidates who promote abortion, and few Christian leaders will take a firm stand. Even Tim Keller equivocates on the issue, saying on Twitter: “The Bible tells me that abortion is a sin and great evil, but it doesn’t tell me the best way to decrease or end abortion in this country, nor which policies are most effective.” Everyone, Keller thinks, should vote “their conscience.” “Churches should not destroy unity or fellowship over political differences.”

Killing unborn babies has now become a “political difference.”

Sounds like apostasia to me.

You mean Left Behind wasn’t true?

The “left behind” idea comes from a single passage of scripture:

“But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left." Matthew 24:36-41

The assumption is that the “one taken” is a good Christian, while the “one left” is the ungodly person. But that’s not what happened in the Days of Noah, according to this passage. On that day, the bad ones were taken, and the good ones left. So where did we get this idea that the good ones are taken first? In fact, it’s usually the other way around. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a story about a man who sows wheat in his field, but his enemy comes along while he is asleep and sows weeds (tares) among his wheat. The farmer allows the weeds to grow up with the wheat, but at the time of harvest, collects the weeds first and burns them before collecting the wheat. Jesus explains what this story means:

 “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear." Matthew 13:24-26,37-43

Jesus said the weeds are taken out before the wheat.

Resurrection Before Rapture

There is another event that has to occur before the Rapture: the resurrection of the saints. 

'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.' 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

This is the Rapture proof text, but notice the “dead in Christ will rise” before those who are alive are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 

In Revelation, John explicitly states when that “first resurrection” will take place:

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:4-5

According to John, the resurrection happens at Christ’s return after the Great Tribulation, at the beginning of His thousand-year reign. There’s no mention of Him coming earlier, secretly, to take away his favorite Christians so they can avoid persecution.

One of the favorite verses of Pre-Tribbers is Revelation 3:

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. Revelation 3:10

Read in context, this verse was delivered not to all believers, but to a single church, the church in Philadelphia (not Pennsylvania, BTW). But it says nothing about taking them out of the world to avoid tribulation. God often protected His people from trials without removing them from the world. For instance, the Israelite slaves were spared most of the plagues that ravaged Egypt, despite living among the Egyptians. 

All this to say, I didn’t include the Rapture in my books, because I don’t believe it happens until Christ’s Return on the Last Day. This may come as a disappointment to some who were hoping to watch the tribulation unfold from heaven, sitting in recliners with big bowls of popcorn on their laps. I suppose the pre-trib-post-trib debate will go on until Jesus returns to settle the issue. All I know for sure is that no matter what we will face in the future, Christ will be by our side. He promised that, too.

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

For a more thorough explanation of the chronology of End Times events, check out The Rapture and the End Times by David A. Lamantia. 

Gina Detwiler is the author of Forbidden, Part Four of the Forlorn series, available on Amazon and all online retailers. For more information, go to ginadetwiler.com.