Curious Christian

The topic of the rapture came up in conversation recently, and it got me thinking: how many of you believe that rapture prophecies can really fit within a missional understanding of Christianity?

For those not familiar with the term, the rapture isn’t the same thing as the second coming of Jesus, which we all anticipate. Instead, it’s supposedly a kind of prequel—what you might call a “one-and-a-halfth” coming. The idea is that before the second coming, Jesus will secretly whisk away believers to protect them during the chaos of the last days. This teaching is a hallmark of Premillennial Dispensationalism, popularized by books like Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series.

Personally, I’ve always found the rapture doctrine a bit convoluted and, honestly, scripturally flimsy. It feels like an unnecessary extra layer that distracts from the core of the gospel. Admittedly, I don’t encounter it much here in Australia, where the interpretation hasn’t gained the same traction as it has in the U.S., so it’s easy to ignore most of the time. But every now and then, since I interact with all kinds of people online, the topic comes up, and I feel like I should address it.

To be blunt, I don’t see any biblical promise that God will shelter us from persecution in the last days—or any days, for that matter. Instead, what I see is a consistent call to pick up our cross and bear witness to God’s power and wisdom, right up until Jesus returns.

When I think of the Kingdom of God, I see it more as the future breaking into the present—heaven coming down to earth, transforming it. The idea of the rapture as some kind of celestial “panic room” where believers hide away from the world doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t think the world is something to be “left behind”; it’s meant to be transformed by God’s presence. To me, it’s more like a cosmic exorcism or a cosmic resurrection, not a cosmic escape.

That said, I don’t want to harp on this too much. At the end of the day, what really matters is our shared hope in Christ and the way we live out that hope here and now. Whether or not someone subscribes to rapture theology, what’s important is that we’re all looking forward to the ultimate renewal God has promised.