Kyle Roberts and Adam Rao have written about A Teachable Moment: The Perils of Rapture Theology. Like the article I wrote about in my post The Rapture and the Spirit of the Antichrist, this is a good and timely contribution to the current debate about the Rapture. Roberts and Rao quote N.T. Wright on this subject, as I did in my own Rapture non-post-mortem post. Here are their conclusions:
American Christianity will always be infatuated by and prone to predictions about the coming end. The recent media preoccupation with the doomsday, rapture theology of a well-meaning but deeply mistaken radio broadcaster is just the latest example. Christian leaders have a responsibility to remind people that we cannot know the “day or hour” and that it is counter-productive to speculate about it. They should also emphasize, however, that Christians should not seek to escape the world, but to embrace and engage it instead.
Thanks to Eddie Arthur for the link – also for linking to one of my other posts.
This is the result of some 150 years of allowing dispensationalism to be the predominant voice in eschatology. The promises of Christ’s return are not to be interpreted through whatever is on CNN.
Kenneth, I agree. Dispensationalism has done the church a lot of harm. “Left Behind” may be good fiction but it is bad theology. Also, it is good to be back in touch with you after so many years.
You are too charitable, Peter. “Left Behind” is wretched, poorly-written fiction, from the beginning with the family wondering, “Where’s mum gone?” to the end with those left behind linking arms and striding off together (the authors evidently having been so moved as to want to re-create”We’re Off to See the Wizard”) as the “Tribulation Force,” it is unreadable, or a read that will make one throw it down, acclaim “Done! At last!” with a heart full of thanks.
King Cake, as I haven’t actually read any of the “Left Behind” series I can’t really comment. But I know they are bestsellers so I thought they had at least some literary merit to balance their lack of theological merit.
Actually that reminds me, I really ought to add them to my stores as they might bring in some sales commission!
A fine idea, Peter, and further proof that all things work together unto good!
Peter, you don’t believe in a rapture, then what is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 referring to, in your opinion?
Mjazz, it is referring to the second coming of Jesus, and to events which happen at that time and afterwards (“After that”, v.17), not to anything happening years or months before that coming. I accept that there will be some kind of rapture at that time. If I have ever said that I don’t believe in the rapture, I should qualify that by saying that I don’t believe in one before the second coming.
Peter, I can see that. There are so many prophecies in the Old and New Testaments, and so many books with different interpretations, that after a while I found it difficult to weave them all into a cohesive unit. I decided to put the study of eschatology on hold and trust God and Jesus Christ in whatever the outcome may be.
Mjazz, your attitude makes a lot of sense. I am not attempting to come to any definite positive conclusions, and only critiquing those who do for bad reasons.