So, let’s move along to the text from Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica that folks of the dispensationalist disposition use to “prove” that at some point in time Jesus is going to show up, someone’s going to blow a horn, and all of the good christian folks are going to be taken up into heaven. They will all sit around in joyful bliss while the world they left behind, all of the people, family; friends; and loved ones, are being tormented by plagues and death. I wonder, will those joyous few be munching on chips watching death unfold as if they were watching the Super Bowl? “Hey, pass the nachos!”
Here is that text,
13) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (New American Standard Bible, 1995 update, LaHabra, CA, The Lockman Foundation.)
Like I wrote earlier, the fact that some of the people in this particular community of Christ followers had died was the concern here. So, Paul shares a bit about that. (The term “asleep”, or “fallen asleep” here refers to death.)
However, the verse I want to focus on now is the last one, v. 17.
From a first glance, it appears that maybe Darby got it right. On what the late Billy Graham would call a ‘simple reading’ of the text, it does seem to say that those who believe like Paul did will, in fact, be ‘caught up’ to be with Jesus forever and ever, Hallelujah, ain’t it grand!
But, if we take a closer look, things may not be like they seem.
(Insert diabolical laugh here.)
The actual word ‘rapture’ does not appear at all in this text. Many scholars think that the term is an English take on the Latin version of this verse. In that version, the word translated ‘caught up’ is rapiemur. That literally means “we shall be carried away.” The English word also carries a meaning of some “lofty emotion” or “feeling of ecstasy” which could have influenced its use here. In any case, this is the term assigned to an event that Paul wrote about.
The question, though, is this the point that Paul was explaining to his young sisters and brothers? Was he trying to give them the actual blow-by-blow sequence of events that would occur at Jesus’ return? And, did he intend that they should understand it as being whisked away to the great by-and-by where they would be eternally separated from the world that they were born into?
Here’s where it’s important to know a bit about the social and cultural context of the writer and the readers. This period of time in the world controlled by Rome was vastly different than the time in which we live. They had different beliefs, different goals and ways to achieve them, they were, in a word or two, “Not Us.” Yet, so many people who interpret these ancient documents read them as if they were written yesterday. Simply put, we cannot sit down and read the Bible like we would the latest Stephen King novel. Anyone who says different is either playing you or just plain ignorant.
I wrote earlier that Paul was addressing a question that the young community at Thessalonica had. “When Jesus returns, what’s going to happen to our friends and family who are already dead?” Paul had apparently told them that Jesus was going to return to institute God’s righteous kingdom. And they, the Thessalonians, would be members of that kingdom.
These people were primarily from a pagan background. They worshiped the gods of the Greek and Roman pantheon as well as Caesar and Roma. They had no concept of resurrection from the dead like Paul did. Paul might as well have been talking gibberish to them. But, they accepted his words and believed that somehow this Jewish prophet from Palestine had, indeed, risen from the dead and was taken up into the heavens. But, they didn’t seem to be able to apply that to anyone other than Jesus. “Yeah, sure, Jesus was special and all. But, what about my husband? My business partner? They all believed in Jesus. Are they going to miss out on Jesus’ coming?”
This was the question Paul was attempting to answer. Not, “Hey Paul! What’s gonna happen to us when Jesus comes back?” This is the question that moderns ask. It’s an entirely different issue. And, if we start from there, we will miss Paul’s point completely.
So, knowing the question, what was Paul’s response? This is where the literal, simple readers of the text get completely turned around. They generally say something along the line of what Darby & Pals did.
And, they would be mistaken.
The language that Paul used was something that everyone to whom he wrote would understand. It was, after all, part of their culture. Paul responded that when Jesus returned all who had died would be raised from the dead. Resurrected just like Jesus. (I can hear the collective “Whew!” from everyone hearing this.) After that, all who were alive would be snatched up to meet Jesus somewhere in the clouds.
That’s it. Nothing more. There is nothing in this text that indicates where they would go from there. Yes, they were promised that they would be with Jesus always. But, the location is nowhere to be found in this letter.
This truly begs the question, WHY NOT?
The short answer to that is that they already knew!
“Whoa! What! Hold on, Mike! How could they know if Paul didn’t tell them?”
Context, context, context my friends. It’s all about the context.
And, in the next post we’ll see what this means.
Please use the comments to share your thoughts and questions.
And, Please share with one and all! Your friends, neighbors, the mailman!
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