The Rapture Isn’t In The Bible. So Why Do So Many People Believe?
A history of the idea of the Rapture (and why it is false)
There is a persistent and dangerous idea within the Christian Evangelical church that there will be a Rapture of believers at the end of the world. The Rapture is an event in which faithful Christians will instantly be taken up into heaven before the End Times. This idea, on its face, is ridiculous. Yet, it continues to dominate certain religious circles. The Bible does not speak of a Rapture. It is a fabrication created by fringe thinkers and capitalized by intrepid salespeople. Despite that, it continues to linger as a potential pitfall for Christians, new and old.
So, where did the idea of the Rapture come from? Why is it so prevalent? What does the Bible actually say?
The History
The Rapture is a relatively recent idea. It emerged in the early 19th century out of the American revival movement. This was a time of loose orthodoxy and new ideas that gave way to denominations such as Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventists. It was out of this culture of newness and reinterpretation that the Rapture came to be. John Nelson Darby is credited with being the first person to postulate a Rapture in which Christians would be taken before a final Tribulation…
