The Rapture Question Answered

[JM]

The Rapture Question Answered

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away…I was hoodwinked and bamboozled into believing the PreTrib Rapture and Dispensationalism. I’ve blogged about this in the past. It was my own fault. I didn’t examine the tradition I was being spoon fed in light of scripture.

For most of us in North American who attend conservative, Bible believing churches the PreTrib Rapture is the default tradition often assumed in the preaching and written into our church statement of beliefs.

Early in my Christian life, once I started reading Revelation and Daniel for myself, I doubted the idea. Over the course of a few years I moved from PreTrib to a PreWrath Rapture view before abandoning PreMillennialism altogether. But every now and then I pick up The Sign by VanKampen and find it impressive. The PreWrath Rapture view places the timing of the Rapture or the removing of the church from earth before the out pouring of God’s wrath found in chapter 6 of Revelation.

One of the most useful books in helping me rid myself of the PreTrib Rapture tradition is titled, “The Rapture Question Answered” by Robert Van Kampen. For many reasons, mostly for the sake of tradition I guess, I still have a fondness for this eschatological view.

Comparing Revelation 6 with Matthew 24 or the teaching concerning the end times in Pauline epistles with the teaching of Christ, the PreTrib Rapture view melts away… Van Kampen is especially good at picking apart the timing of the Rapture. For this reason I recommend the work. It’s short, easy to understand and as the subtitle reads, “Plain & Simple.”

For nostalgia and to satisfy some nagging questions I’m going to re-examine this end time view with another read through The Sign, maybe listen to a couple of sermons or lectures on the subject.

Yours in the Lord,

jm