What Now?

Rapture, Anyone?  No Thanks.

The "Rapture" has been back in the news again.  It is now an old, tired, hoary chestnut--but every so often "Rapture dogma" gets to do another promenade around the public square.  And so it has come to pass once again.

The folk we feel saddest about are those genuine, well-meaning believers who have been hoodwinked and misled by stupid speculations masquerading as the truth.  These folk are generally committed to Christ and dedicated to obeying Him, come what may.  They are prone to being captured by false teachers insofar as extreme demands, total loyalty, outlandish sacrifices are to be expected when one follows Jesus (or so they are taught).  To such, the more extreme the demand, the more genuinely true it will appear.

To hear from Scripture that "no man knows the day or the hour" when Christ will return is less satisfying than a certain definitive claim that "He will return in the Final Advent at 3.02pm next Wednesday, so better give up everything to do with this life and live as a fanatic for the next five days."  The latter claim has the the "authenticity" of being both extreme and dramatic, and therefore authentic--at least to gullible, poorly taught, relatively ignorant Christians.  They are like sheep without a shepherd.  And when there is no shepherd, rapine wolves can have a field day.

Rapture dogma came into vogue during the nineteenth century, first in the United Kingdom, then in the US.