rapture opinion please.

[Carri]

I've been hearing alot about how catholics and protestants have differing opinions on rapture, and even 3 different theories on the rapture from protestants. I started to do some looking into and I was wondering if anyone here had any theories.

I am just courious, I have not formed an opinion. I just really want to hear all sides.

A little about me: In my life I have been taught so many things that I never questioned or questioned but accepted anyway, recently I let go of it all and I'm searching and determining what I believe for myself. This searching feeels more spiritually "right" than just blindly accepting things.

[Infinite Grey]

The Catholic and Orthodox churches as well as the Reformed denominations have no tradition of such a teaching and reject the doctrine, in part because they cannot find any reference to it among any of the early Church fathers. Some also reject it because they interpret prophetic scriptures in either an amillennial or postmillennial fashion, as being more spiritual than physical.

[Brightshores]

I agree with IG.. I was raised in a mainline Protestant church, and the rapture was never even mentioned. From what I understand, the rapture is something that is really only part of fundamentalist teachings. Scriptural references seem to be scattered, weak, and vague. According to wikipedia, "rapture" theology only became popularized in the mid 19th century - hardly an ancient Christian tradition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rapture

[Cloaked Raven]

I grew up in the Anglican/Episcopalian church and attended a United Church Sunday School.

We learned about Revelations, but not about the Rapture. I didn't learn what that meant until I hit my late teens and we discussed it at church camp. And the ministers there said that it was pure fiction.

I agree with IG and Bright Shores. If it was popularized in the 19th century, it's not an ancient Christian tradition.

Hope this helps. :)

[LostSheep]

Beliefnet may have annoying ads (and now be owned by NewsCorp, I think), but it still has some interesting bits. Here's what it says on the topic: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/196/story_19630_1.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/26/story_2602_1.html

[David19]

The Catholic and Orthodox churches as well as the Reformed denominations have no tradition of such a teaching and reject the doctrine, in part because they cannot find any reference to it among any of the early Church fathers. Some also reject it because they interpret prophetic scriptures in either an amillennial or postmillennial fashion, as being more spiritual than physical.

I agree, I don't know that much about this topic, although I, personally, am very interested in it (if only 'cause I like a lot of Christian Mythology, and the Apocalypse bit especially, and I like to see the different meanings that people can attach to it). I don't think Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox (and the Greek, Russian Orthodox, etc) interpret it literally, and don't really believe in the Rapture. Wasn't the Rapture only added like 200 years ago or something?.

Personally, I'd like to get Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, etc perspectives of the Apocalypse, End Times, etc. Maybe that's a thread to go in the Abrahamics forum.

Edit: BTW, this may be OT, but do you, or anyone else, think this might go better in the Abrahamics forum (http://mysticwicks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=597), it's just, it seems this is about general Christian belief, not Christian Paganism, or Christian Wicca, Christian Witchcraft, etc?.

[bellamandu]

i attended a nondenominational charismatic church (basically a politically correct term for holy-roller) for several years. one of the things that was prominent in church teachings was about the rapture.

in a nutshell, this is what we were taught (and it is continued by most churches in the area):

near the end of times there will be a "rapture" of all those who are true christians. this means that anybody who god considers to be a "true" christian will basically dissapear off the face of the planet.

shortly after all of this happens, there will be a huge world-wide panic. i mean duh, millions of people have just dropped off the face of the planet. wars will break out and half of the worlds population will die from war and famine. monsters will rise up out of hell and the earth's waters will turn to blood, etc etc. this is the tribulation.

during this time of panic and chaos a man will rise up. (the anti-christ) all of these people in the middle of chaos and war will look up to this man as a new messiah. they will worship him as a god because he provides the world with a sense of false peace and prosperity. anyone who speaks against him and refuses to bear his mark on their hands or forehead (the mark of the beast) will be killed. he will rule the world for several years on a new throne that he has created in jerusalem.

sometime during this, jesus will fly out from the heavens and begin a great war with this new messiah. all the people on the planet who have taken the mark upon themselves will fight as the army for the antichrist and satan, and those who were taken up into the heavens during the rapture will fight for jesus and god.

at some point during all this jesus wins, and casts the antichrist and all those who bear his mark down into a new, even more horrifying version of hell for all eternity.

afterwards, god will clean up the planet, and a new jerusalem will fall from the heavens and destroy the old kingdom. this will be god's new throne and the earth wil become the new heaven.

the end.

yeah, its rather ridiculous, but its what the majority of christians believe around here.

[Little Billy]

I've been hearing alot about how catholics and protestants have differing opinions on rapture, and even 3 different theories on the rapture from protestants. I started to do some looking into and I was wondering if anyone here had any theories.

I am just courious, I have not formed an opinion. I just really want to hear all sides.

A little about me: In my life I have been taught so many things that I never questioned or questioned but accepted anyway, recently I let go of it all and I'm searching and determining what I believe for myself. This searching feeels more spiritually "right" than just blindly accepting things.

The rapture was basically made up by this guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby