Ridding the Rapture from our Lips: Evangelical Young Adults and the End

EXCERPT FROM LAWRENCE GARCIA:

The term “rapture” within eschatological discourse can take on many shades of meaning and nuance; some are convinced the term can be retained as long as we are sure to clarify what is meant by it. However, I’m persuaded that the term is beyond recovery seeing its continual use may lead to a slow “death of a thousand qualifications.” There is simply too much sociopolitical baggage that accompanies the term itself. Hence, I will employ the term “rapture” to describe the secret catching away of the church within the dispensational tradition of interpretation following its brain child John Nelson Darby and made popular with its widespread dissemination in the Scofield Reference Bible. I prefer the term “The Great Greeting,” or something like it, as it emphasizes what I believe to be one of St. Paul’s primary points within 1 Thessalonians 4: that when the Messiah returns to consummate his royal rule his people will meet him at some point along his reappearance so as to accompany him on the commencement of the new age.

That said it’s hard not to notice the fervor for this particular doctrine within conservative circles is undergoing a great thaw, especially with the younger generation of Evangelicals. Why is this? Is this a good thing? What are we replacing it with? And are the reasons for no longer affirming the rapture legitimate? READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE

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Lawrence is going to make a full series out of the issues he raised above. I’m excited and plan to read along!!!!

Question: Why do/don’t you accept the “rapture” as popularly understood? If you no longer hold to the doctrine, can you tell us about your journey toward a different theological approach?

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If you are interested in this subject as it connects to “The Great Tribulation” (Mark 13), I invite you to read my series: Earthquakes – Signs of the Times? Based on this academic paper