Rapture, Revelation, and the End Times - Conscious Evolution TV

82robin-bobin Rapture, Revelation, and the End Timeswhen Christ returns, but is that the same as people mysteriouslydisappearing while others continue their normal lives?”Premillennial dispensationalists (including LaHaye and Jenkins)believe in a chronology such as: (1) a rapture, in which trueChristians are taken up to heaven; (2) a seven-year period of difficultiescalled the “tribulation” for all of the people whoremain on earth; and (3) the glorious appearing of Jesus todefeat evil and initiate a thousand-year reign on earth called the“millennium.” As discussed elsewhere in this book, some otherpersons who believe in a rapture place it in the middle or at theend of a period of tribulation, instead of before it. The questionis, do the “three main Rapture passages” (LaHaye’s phrase)really teach that kind of complicated scenario? 14 Don’t they simplydescribe a resurrection at the time of Jesus’ second coming?For example, the noted biblical scholar N. T. Wright, a memberof the evangelical wing of the Anglican church and nowbishop of Durham, discusses the description of Christ’s comingthat Paul provides in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. He argues thatPaul was using a mixed metaphor when describing Jesus’ returnto earth, adding: “Few in the U.K. hold the belief . . . that therewill be a literal ‘rapture” in which believers will be snatched upto heaven, leaving empty cars crashing on freeways.” 15 Hisremark illustrates that widespread acceptance of a rapture maybe culturally limited to North America.Gary DeMar, author of an extensive biblical critique of TimLaHaye’s theology, also is convinced that there is no rapture inthe Bible. He asserts: “LaHaye takes Bible passages that refer tothe general resurrection and applies them to a pretrib [pretribulation]rapture of the church. The resurrection of the dead, notthe rapture of the church, is the hope of the church.” 16 Referringfurther to the issue of biblical support, Demar says: “There is nosingle verse or group of verses that specifically describes any ofthese . . . Rapture positions. In terms of pretribulationsim, sincethat’s the Rapture position advocated by LaHaye, we shouldexpect to find at least one verse that describes Jesus coming forHis church to take Christians to heaven prior to a seven-yearperiod of tribulation, and then Jesus returning with His churchrobin-bobin