LEFT BEHIND:
THE REAL STORY
Lately, a series of books entitled, Left Behind, by Tim LaHaye, has caught the interest of many Christian people. Full of questions about the coming of our Lord and what will become of planet earth, these Christians are intrigued by books which give answers to our heartfelt questions. One of the most popular, if also controversial, doctrines taught by the Left Behind series is the doctrine of the “rapture.” According to the doctrine of the rapture, Jesus will come again silently and whisk away into the skies those people who are Christians. Following this silent “rapture” a period of intense tribulation will fall upon those who, because of their lack of faith will have been “left behind.” The teaching of the rapture, it is claimed, is based upon Matthew 24:37-41 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The Matthew passage talks about some being “taken” and some being “left” when Jesus comes again. The I Thessalonians passage talks about the faithful being “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.” The events which supposedly surround the rapture are: mystery and bewilderment at the disappearance of so many Christians, driverless cars crashing and pilotless planes plunging to the ground, extreme persecution and hardship perpetrated by very evil men, courageous confessions of faith and selfless acts of valor and the final triumph of good over evil. Actually the ingredients of this drama are what great novels and movies are made of. The books are every bit as exciting as the most popular action thriller. And the popularity of the books shows that people are reading them with almost as much devotion as Harry Potter. But are the books true? Are they biblical? Do they promote the gospel of Jesus? Unfortunately the answer to these questions is, “No!” The drama of Left Behind is not true and is actually quite dangerous.
Why do I say this?
First, the Bible is clear that Jesus has come once and will come a second time. The rapture theory says he will come a second time silently and then a third time gloriously. The passages cited above and virtually all the passages used to support the rapture theory are really talking about the glorious return on the last day of Jesus who will judge the earth. There is really no such thing in the whole Bible as a silent second coming of Jesus. When Jesus comes again he will bring with him all the angels and there will be the sound of trumpets. The sun will stop shining and the moon as well. Stars will fall (Matthew 24:29-32). You will not miss it. And when people are whisked away from their cars or airplanes there will be no one “left behind” to wonder what happen. It will be very obvious what happened. The end will have come.
Second, the doctrine of the rapture is wrong because it makes it seem as though the tribulation is limited to a specific and very short period of time. Further it suggests that Christians will not have to experience this tribulation. But the Bible says that the tribulation takes place from the time of Christ’s first coming until he comes again (I Peter 1:3-9). We are in the tribulation right now. How else can you explain the wickedness of the world and the lukewarmness of so many Christians? How else can you explain the wars and rumors of war which surround us. How else can you explain the mourning and unhappiness that is so often part of our lives in this “veil of tears.” Jesus does not promise to come get us before things really get bad. He promises to comfort us with the positive assurance of his love and forgiveness no matter how bad things get. And Jesus does not tell us to anticipate how he will make things easier for Christians. He tells us that His grace will be sufficient because things are tougher for Christians.
Third, as just stated, the faith of every Christian is not in things to come for planet earth. Rather, Christians need to learn to look to the cross of Jesus for relief of this world’s troubles. “I have determined to know nothing among you except Jesus and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2),” says Paul. The greatest danger of the rapture theory is that it gets Christians to focus their devotion in the wrong direction. God wants us not to be exercised about the mysteries of the future. That’s why he makes it so simple. “This same Jesus who has been taken from into heaven, will return the same way as you see him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).” He is coming back. That’s really all we need to know. And we are saved only through Jesus who, 2000 years in the past, died that we might live. Many of the advocates of the rapture theory will boldly assert that if you don’t believe in the rapture then you will be left behind. They clearly give the impression that the rapture doctrine is the single most important teaching of the Bible. All this even though the doctrine of the rapture was not invented until the late 1800s. But true Christians have always known that the central Bible teaching is that God forgives our sins for Jesus sake. You are saved through the blood of the lamb even if we don’t fully know are even ponder the mysteries of the end times.
Fourth, the doctrine of the rapture teaches that people are saved be witnessing dramatic events. According to the rapturists those left behind can be converted by the dramatic events of the rapture and subsequent tribulation. The Bible teaches that people are saved only through the word and sacraments. In one of Jesus’ parables a rich man went to hell. In hell he begged that he be allowed to go back to earth to warn his brothers that they should believe. But, God told him, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to the Bible (Luke 16:29).” The rich man insisted that if someone came back from the dead then unbelievers would certainly listen. “No,” said our Lord. “Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God Romans 10:17).” God does not convert “left behind” people by scaring the living daylights out of them when driverless busses plunge off cliffs. He saves through baptism, the proclamation of the Gospel and the blessed Sacrament. These means of salvation are rarely mentioned in the books by rapturists.
Finally, the Bible clearly teaches that there will be no second chance. “It is given for a man once to die and then the judgement (Hebrews 9:27).” Yet the rapture doctrine says that those who are left behind will have a second chance. If there is one thing that the Bible is certain about it is this: when Jesus comes again then all chances for salvation are over. “Work while it is day,” says our Lord. There will come a time when it is too late for mission work. That is why the Bible says that when the nations see the coming of the son of man, “they will mourn (Zechariah 12:10-14).”
John Stephenson, a leading theologian of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, says that “the secret rapture,” “displaces Christ as the center of Scriptures and deflects Christian hope from the humble awaiting of His coming in glory to the macabre reckoning on the occurrence of a series of intermediate lurid events whose dating becomes the object of feverish speculation.” The rapture is a false doctrine and it is a bad doctrine. It teaches a secret coming of Christ when the bible does not. It points us in the wrong direction when confronted with tribulations. It detracts us from Christ crucified. It suggests that faith comes from dramatic events rather than the word. It teaches a second chance. As Stephenson says, “It displaces Christ.” Read the books if you must, but for heaven’s sake. Do not trust them.
The last three Sundays of the Church year have traditionally emphasized the last times and the second coming of Jesus. This year is no exception. So I will preach three sermons on the last days on November 12, 19, and 26. They will be titled:
I. Signs of the End
II. The End of the World
III. Prepared for the End