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September 28, 2014 at 8:15 pm (This post was last modified: September 28, 2014 at 8:22 pm by Jenny A.)
Rapture was not theology even discussed in the churches I grew-up in although one of those Churches was Presbyterian and some branches of the Presbyterians were the first to accept it. It's only been with the political rise Evangelical Christians and the Left Behind books that I heard about it at all. Since then I've seen it predicted and the date come and go a few times.
So I've been doing some poking around. As church doctrines go, it's a pretty new idea. Pre-20th Century references to it are extremely thin on the ground. It appears to be at best an 18th Century idea that didn't become anything approaching popular until the 19th. It's now as mainstream as it's ever been.
The oldest arguable rapture discussion in church literature is from 1590. by Francisco Ribera, a Catholic Jesuit, who taught "futurism" which the idea that most of Revelation is about the future. But most scholars don't think he was talking about anything like modern ideas about The Rapture.
The first discussion of Rapture in anything like it's modern premillennialism garb, was preached by the 17th-century American Puritan father and son Increase and Cotton Mather. Contemparies Philip Doddridge and John Gill agreed.
In 1788 Philadelphian Baptist Morgan Edwards wrote an essay espousing the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture.A Jesuit priest (writing as Juan Josafat Ben Ezra), wrote La venida del Mesías en gloria y majestad (The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty) which was published in 1811, 10 years after his death. In 1827 it was translated into English. Another Catholic priest Emmanuel Lacunza in followed in 1821.
Dr. Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, an English theologian and biblical scholar, wrote a pamphlet in 1866 citing the concept of the rapture in the works of John Darby back to Edward Irving. Edward Irving taught a two-phase return of Christ, the first phase being a secret rapture prior to the rise of the Antichrist. According to Irving, “There are three gatherings: – First, of the first-fruits of the harvest, the wise virgins who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth; next, the abundant harvest gathered afterwards by God; and lastly, the assembling of the wicked for punishment.”
John Nelson Darby popularized the pre-tribulation rapture in 1827. William Eugene Blackstone's book Jesus is Coming (1878) and the Scofield Reference Bible (1909 and 1919,revised in 1967) also helped popularize the idea.
My grandmother believes in it, but I don't think I gave it much thought as a child. I don't think the preacher ever really talking about christians disappearing or rising into the sky. Or us being in the end times right now. Fo serious, yo.
My grandmother may be the exception to the rule in my old town.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."
September 28, 2014 at 9:02 pm (This post was last modified: September 28, 2014 at 9:59 pm by Drich.)
(September 28, 2014 at 8:15 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Rapture was not theology even discussed in the churches I grew-up in although one of those Churches was Presbyterian and some branches of the Presbyterians were the first to accept it. It's only been with the political rise Evangelical Christians and the Left Behind books that I heard about it at all. Since then I've seen it predicted and the date come and go a few times.
So I've been doing some poking around. As church doctrines go, it's a pretty new idea. Pre-20th Century references to it are extremely thin on the ground. It appears to be at best an 18th Century idea that didn't become anything approaching popular until the 19th. It's now as mainstream as it's ever been.
The oldest arguable rapture discussion in church literature is from 1590. by Francisco Ribera, a Catholic Jesuit, who taught "futurism" which the idea that most of Revelation is about the future. But most scholars don't think he was talking about anything like modern ideas about The Rapture.
The first discussion of Rapture in anything like it's modern premillennialism garb, was preached by the 17th-century American Puritan father and son Increase and Cotton Mather. Contemparies Philip Doddridge and John Gill agreed.
In 1788 Philadelphian Baptist Morgan Edwards wrote an essay espousing the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture.A Jesuit priest (writing as Juan Josafat Ben Ezra), wrote La venida del Mesías en gloria y majestad (The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty) which was published in 1811, 10 years after his death. In 1827 it was translated into English. Another Catholic priest Emmanuel Lacunza in followed in 1821.
Dr. Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, an English theologian and biblical scholar, wrote a pamphlet in 1866 citing the concept of the rapture in the works of John Darby back to Edward Irving. Edward Irving taught a two-phase return of Christ, the first phase being a secret rapture prior to the rise of the Antichrist. According to Irving, “There are three gatherings: – First, of the first-fruits of the harvest, the wise virgins who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth; next, the abundant harvest gathered afterwards by God; and lastly, the assembling of the wicked for punishment.”
John Nelson Darby popularized the pre-tribulation rapture in 1827. William Eugene Blackstone's book Jesus is Coming (1878) and the Scofield Reference Bible (1909 and 1919,revised in 1967) also helped popularize the idea.
The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagisometha), which means "we shall be caught up" or "taken away", with the connotation that this is a sudden event. The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω).[18] This use is also seen in such texts as Acts 8:39, 2Corinthians 12:2-4 and Revelation 12:5.
September 28, 2014 at 9:24 pm (This post was last modified: September 28, 2014 at 9:33 pm by Jenny A.)
(September 28, 2014 at 9:02 pm)Drich Wrote: 1) Do you believe in the Rapture?yes
[2) If so, how do you support it Biblically The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagisometha), which means "we shall be caught up" or "taken away", with the connotation that this is a sudden event. The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω).[18] This use is also seen in such texts as Acts 8:39, 2Corinthians 12:2-4 and Revelation 12:5.
3) Why is this such a relatively recent idea? The idea isn't new. it is apart of 1 thess 4. The doctrine (details) following the passage are what is 'new.'
4) Why is it primarily a U.S. Christian doctrine only?
It's not. All forms of christianity believe in the rapture, but the subsequent explaination as to what that means varies.
reformatted for clarity: my questions in bold and Drich's answers in italic.
September 28, 2014 at 9:57 pm (This post was last modified: September 28, 2014 at 10:01 pm by Drich.)
(September 28, 2014 at 9:24 pm)Jenny A Wrote:
(September 28, 2014 at 9:02 pm)Drich Wrote: 1) Do you believe in the Rapture?yes
[2) If so, how do you support it Biblically The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagisometha), which means "we shall be caught up" or "taken away", with the connotation that this is a sudden event. The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω).[18] This use is also seen in such texts as Acts 8:39, 2Corinthians 12:2-4 and Revelation 12:5.
3) Why is this such a relatively recent idea? The idea isn't new. it is apart of 1 thess 4. The doctrine (details) following the passage are what is 'new.'
4) Why is it primarily a U.S. Christian doctrine only?
It's not. All forms of christianity believe in the rapture, but the subsequent explaination as to what that means varies.
reformatted for clarity: my questions in bold and Drich's answers in italic.
It is the rapture I'm asking about not the second coming. Do you believe in The Rapture?
Seriously? I am the only one who voted in Your poll, I voted yes and I answer yes to your first question. What about my single word answer is giving you so much trouble that you feel you need to ask me again?
Maybe carefully read what I wrote again, all your questions have already been answered.
