THE RAPTURE

Many use biblical words (such as fellowship, church and Christian) in ways that they are never used in the bible. While not sinful in an of itself, when done to infer biblical authority for worldly practices this is dishonest.

What about the other side of the coin -- the use of a term that is totally foreign to the bible as though it were inspired by the Holy Spirit? Such is the case with the popular religious term "the rapture." (Check any complete concordance.)

I was attracted to the John Ankerberg program (1/15/95) by the promise that they were going to give "biblical evidence of the rapture." Perhaps I had missed something ...

The first two speakers spent considerable time elaborating on John 14 and 1 Cor. 15: 51-57, which describe heaven and the end of time. The definition of rapture is "very great joy," and no one disputes that there will be very great joy (rapture, if you will) in heaven. But these teachers were not even beginning to address the various doctrines of "the rapture."

A third speaker used 1 Thes. 4:13-18. When he quoted verse 17 he said "... caught up or raptured ..." This has a shread validity. New Webster's Dictionary indicates that the word rapture is derived from the Latin "rapere, raptum to seize and carry away."

The speaker indicated that the word rapture meant to be "caught up, snatched." However, this is the meaning of the Latin root, not the English word. Several other English words, including the word rape, are also derived from these Latin words, but that does not change their English meanings.

If 1 Thes. 4:17 provides the scriptural basis for calling the events which it describes "the rapture," then why would not a Greek word with this meaning be used? Examination of a Greek interlinear bible and Vine's Expository Dictionary show that the Greek words chara, agalliasis, or euphrosune indicate joy. Properly qualified, one of them would come close to the meaning of our English word rapture.

But the word used in 1 Thes 4:17 is harpazo, which means "to snatch or catch away." This has the meaning of physically moving with no reference to emotions whatsoever.

In their ardor to bring legitimacy to a term foreign to scripture, false teachers have engaged in religious double-speak. Why can't we be satisfied with using the words that the Holy Spirit used in describing Christ's second coming? Our attempts to "help" God in this regard inevitably mislead and deceive.