My Controversial View of the Rapture

It's funny how God works and even sometimes, makes us eat our own words.  On my own, I wouldn't ever post my controversial view here, a place where I feel led to minister to new Christians and just do simple Bible study.

As a matter of fact, I very recently said, "Unless God really, really prompts me to do so, I won't."  Well, consider me very prompted.

I'm going to give a little background before we get into the meat of things.  I love the late Chuck Missler and have great respect for his ministry.  Months ago, I was watching a Q&A with him from his headquarters in New Zealand. Someone asked him about our subject-matter. He said, "I believe there's something to it." That was all he said at that time.

I thought, "Cool. Chuck Missler thinks there is merit to my view."
Then, the other day, I watched a video of him behind a pulpit saying, "What I'm about to tell you is controversial and my colleagues don't agree with me.  It is speculation on my part but, I believe it."

Seeing this man of God who, at the end of his life, studied, changed his mind and came to the same conclusion as I have, really blessed me.  I began to wrestle with the idea of presenting my view here and, voila'.

I know that with all this preamble you are thinking I am about to present some crazy extra step to salvation or something.  That is not the case.  My obscure, controversial belief is that there is a difference between the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ. I'm going to do my best to explain that belief briefly and clearly, and what it means to us as individual Christians.  

Pshew!  Here goes...

First, lets cover the implications because otherwise, you may not even think this is worth reading.  I don't believe for a minute that every Christian is taken in the Rapture.  Am I a 'Post-Trib Rapture' person? No, I'm a 'somewhere-in-the-middle-before-the-wrath-of-God' rapture believer.  And even then, I just don't think most Christians are going to go in it.

I am not talking about cultural Christians who grew up in one denomination or other; or those that go to church because it's what good people do but have never made a decision for Christ.  I'm talking about born-again people.

As a matter of fact, I think the 'rapture' may not even make national news and if it does, it will be a blip on the radar.  It will not be the massive upset portrayed in the popular, "Left Behind" series.  I believe this distinction lies between those who have made Jesus their Savior and those who have made Him their Lord.

Now, let's get to the scriptural basis for my belief because I'm a BIG fan of the Bible. I base my life upon it and trust my eternity to what it says.

The first clue I will point to is found in Philippians 3:12-14, 

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

Take a moment and consider what Paul is saying here.  If anyone should be able to claim the prize, it should be Paul. Jesus Himself knocked him off his high-horse and called him into the ministry.

How about 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. so I don not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

I do not believe the disqualification he is referring to is salvation, although I do believe one can backslide and walk out from under the blood of Jesus. I believe the disqualification he is referring to is the prize.  Salvation is a "gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9).  If salvation is a free gift, what is the prize Paul is referring to that we need to strive for?  I think part of that prize is the rapture.

More scripture, you say?  Indeed.

Probably the best proof I can give in the limited space of a blog post is 'The Parable of the 10 Virgins.'  This parable can be found in the 25th chapter of Matthew, starting with verse 1.  I'm going to paraphrase but please read it for yourself.

Jesus said that at that time, the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish.

The bridegroom was delayed and the virgins fell asleep.  The foolish ones took their lamps but didn't take any extra oil  but the wise ones took extra oil.

When the call went out that the bridegroom was coming and the virgins woke, trimmed their lamps and were to go out and meet him, the foolish virgins were out of oil.  They asked the wise ones to share their oil but the wise ones said that would mean they wouldn't have enough for themselves.

The wise virgins encouraged the foolish to go to those who sell oil and by more.  While they were gone, the bridegroom came and took the wise ones to the marriage feast.  When the foolish virgins returned, they knocked on the door and asked to be let in, but they were told no.  The story concludes with an admonition to watch because you don't know when the bridegroom  comes.

There are a few things I would like to point out about this story: they are all virgins, they all have lamps, they all have or have had oil at one point or another (oil is used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit very often in the Bible), they are all waiting for the bridegroom.  I think it is safe to say the virgins are all Christians. 

The story also mentions the marriage feast.  Where else do we find a similar feast?  In Revelation 19:7-8 it is called the marriage supper of the Lamb.

I'm not going to go too deep into rapture theory here, but I ask you to look at all the scriptures you use for whatever view you take on the rapture and remember two things,  God does not deal with everyone the same,  (Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13) and He does reward good even if it is postponed until the Bema Seat of Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:10).

I will leave you with a few stories in the Bible that show types of what I'm talking about. I will link the scriptures so that you can read them for yourselves.

Abraham (father) sent his servant (Holy Spirit) to his own people (the church) to select a bride for Isaac ( the son).  Rebecca was given the choice of leaving immediately or staying with her family for 10 days (10 is the number of completion, fulfillment, and I think refers to the tribulation). Rebecca left with Eleazar immediately (Genesis 24).

God called the Levites for His own, as priests (Numbers 3:45). But, from among the priests, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:7)

Xerxes had many wives but Esther was chosen from among them (Book of Esther). Oh and, Mordecai would be the picture of the Holy Spirit in this story.

Naomi (Holy Spirit) leads Ruth (bride) out of Moab (worldliness) to Boaz (bridegroom) (Book of Ruth).  There was another daughter-in-law named Orpah.  The point is, both Ruth and Orpah were married to Naomi's sons. Only Ruth went home with Naomi.

God took a rib from Adam's body to make Eve. Jesus is called the second Adam (1 Cor 15:42-49).  The parallel is, God will take a piece of Jesus' body (the Church) to make His bride, not of the whole of His body.

Almost done. Jesus gives us another parable in Luke 13:24-30.  In this passage, Jesus encourages us to 'strive' to enter through the narrow door.  Sounds like Paul, right?  He goes on to say that those that don't enter will knock and ask to be let in. Sounds like the foolish virgins, doesn't it?

Jesus will say, "Where did you come from?"  Those outside the door will give Jesus a long list of things they did in His name.  He will call them workers of iniquity and tell them to depart from Him where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Notice He doesn't say to either party, the foolish virgins or to these folks in Luke, to depart into the Lake of Fire as He does to some (Matthew 25:41).  He tells them there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Let me just say, if I miss the rapture and am here for the whole, horrible tribulation, I will be weeping and gnashing my teeth.  

OK, maybe one picture of the rapture from the Old Testament and then we'll be done.  Almost all Christians that believe in a pre-tribulation rapture use Noah as a type and picture of that event.  They say Noah was lifted above the tribulation of the flood.  I agree that God lifted Noah above the flood; but, if you think he didn't feel the rocking of the waves, the thuds of  bodies hitting the ark or hear the screams of the drowning, you would be mistaken.

Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24) is the picture of the rapture before the wrath of God is poured out.  All the guys from Adam to Noah were Patriarchs.  All (except, of course, for Adam) were of the godly line of Seth.  Enoch was taken from among the Patriarchs, raptured so to speak. He was one from among many, well at least several.   

I hope this isn't a stumbling block to anyone.  You are absolutely saved by grace through faith. Please read my post on the Gospel for more information.  But, if you only call on Jesus for 'fire insurance' (to stay out of Hell) you may be in for a rude awakening when it comes to the Judgement seat of Christ and the rapture.