Did You Miss the Rapture?
Did you miss the Rapture last week? I do not suppose you did. After all, there are no widespread missing person cases reported worldwide, as one would suspect if this doctrine had any merit. Why was the internet ablaze with talk of this subject yet again? MSNBC reports,
“The most recent “rapture craze” is rooted in a prediction from a South African man named Joshua Mhlakela, whose dream in 2018 predicted that Jesus would return on Sept. 23 or 24, 2025. That prediction first gained traction on TikTok and then went viral. If history is any guide, Mhlakela’s prediction will not be the last.
(https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/rapture-bible-christianity-end-times-american-evangelicals-rcna233434)
Why do people continue to be led astray by such a failure-ridden doctrine? The answer is relatively simple, they have the same problem as many in the days of Jesus, they had not read. Jesus asked the question, “Have ye not read?” to His opponents in several places (cf. Matt 2:13; 12:3; 12:5; 19:4; 22:31; Mark 12:10; 12:26; Luke 6:3). If Jesus asked this question to the religiously minded students of the day, what does that imply? I contend that God expects one to read, as answers to questions become attainable through reading, and that one who reads is able to see through the false prophets.
Ye Not Read: What Passage Does Such a Doctrine Come From?
Is there any Biblical passage associated with the idea of a Rapture? Well, let's consider that the word itself does not appear in the Biblical text because it is from a Latin word, rapio, meaning to snatch up or seize. While the Bible does not have this word, that does not discredit it. The passage that this doctrine is based upon does talk about the concept. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 reads, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
The concept this doctrine is based upon is the people of God who have died, and those who are living will be “caught up” to meet the Lord, and will remain with Him forever. However, the problem with this doctrine is not the idea of the faithful being caught up in the air when Jesus returns. The problem is that they have ignored just how that will occur. The judgment of the righteous and the wicked will occur simultaneously, not separated by years, as many Rapture false prophets teach (cf. John 5:28-29; Acts 24:14-15; Revelation 20:13). If one were to read, they would recognize that the resurrection will occur simultaneously for the wicked and the righteous. Jesus said, “all that are in the tombs, shall hear His voice and shall come forth (cf. John 5:28-29)
Ye Have Not Read: The Test of a Prophet
Under Moses, there was a test of prophets that was commanded to be practiced. God, through Moses, promised a prophet like Moses who would come. They were to look forward to that prophet. However, when there is a true prophet, there is always a counterfeit. Consider the counterfeit prophets of Jannes and Jambres (cf. Exodus 7:22; 8:7;18; 2 Tim 3:8). A counterfeit confirms the existence of the authentic. Counterfeiters of currency copy the authentic bill because they understand the value associated with it. In the same way, false prophets would see the benefit of persuading men to do certain things. Under Moses, this was the test.
But the prophet that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deut 18:20-22).
We are not under Moses by any means (cf. Col 2:14), and prophecies have ceased (cf. Jude 3; 1 Cor 13:8-13), so what can we learn from Deuteronomy 18? First, if there were alleged prophets today and they spoke presumptuously, meaning their prophecies failed, then people should not listen to them ever again. Once again, we are not under Moses, so capital punishment is not valid for these individuals, but all the same, anyone who is seeking to follow God should not listen to these false prophets on anything pertaining to the word of God. If we had read, we could be certain of this. I am very disheartened that people like Mr. Mhlakela had the ability to cause many people to act upon false prophecies. Many individuals quit their jobs, sold homes, cars, and other things because they assumed they would be raptured last week. The days came and went, and guess what, the world remained as it was.
Ye Have Not Read: God’s Doctrine over Man’s
If people would simply read the Word of God, they would be able to see that the date of the Lord’s return is impossible to know for any man. Consider what the Word of God says,
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. (Matt 24:35-39, emphasis mine)
There will be no signs of the return of the Lord. The world will continue as it is presently, people will go to work, have weddings, pay bills, etc. No one knows the day nor the hour. A simple reading of the Bible would make this very clear. Unfortunately, there is a desire in the hearts of humans to maintain a loyalty to erroneous doctrines over the plain teaching of God’s Word.
In closing, I want to remind you every so often that this false theory pokes its head out and claims that the Rapture is coming, so you can be prepared to respond when someone you love is confused. First, the Bible affirms that the resurrection of the dead will occur simultaneously, and it will precede the changing of the living. Second, Hal Lindsay and others of his ilk have been wrong more than once and certainly could not be prophets, even if prophecy continued. Finally, there is no man who knows when the Lord will return. So, before you get caught up in false prophecy, prepare for the day by obeying the Gospel and living faithfully because no one knows when that day will occur.
