Getting "Caught Up" with the Rapture

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Gary discusses the recent Facebook obsession about the “rapture” coming next month.

All five of the rapture positions dismiss the New Testament’s emphasis on the inauguration of the New Covenant and the Jerusalem above (Gal. 4:21–31). The writer to the Hebrews destroys the myth of a renewed covenant with earthly Jerusalem based on the rudiments of the Old Covenant: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (12:22-24).

Why is it that not a single sermon, address, or discussion in the book of Acts mentions the supposed rapture of the Church? Over a period of nearly 40 years, no one brings up this supposedly crucial prophetic event. There is no mention of an any-moment “rapture” of the Church, an antichrist who will make and then break a covenant with Israel, or the need for a rebuilt temple. What we do find are Jews selling their property (Acts 2:44–45; 4:34–37) because they had been warned by Jesus and Peter of the coming judgment against Jerusalem (2:40).

Paul was on trial “for the hope and resurrection of the dead” (23:6) not the rapture of the Church. Notice how the book of Acts ends. It’s about the kingdom of God, not the “rapture of the Church”:

And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered (28:30–31).

Compare the ending of Acts with the claim that “the rapture of the Church” is the next prophetic event in the history of redemption. Paul didn’t think so, and neither did any other New Testament writer.

The Rapture and the Fig Tree Generation

Since the national reestablishment of Israel in 1948, countless books and pamphlets have been written defending the doctrine assuring readers that it could happen at any moment. Some prophecy writers claimed the “rapture” would take place before 1988. We are far removed from that date. Where are we in God’s prophetic timetable?

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Gary discusses the recent Facebook obsession about the “rapture” coming next month. Certain individuals are teaching that the rapture will “definitely” be on September 22-25, 2025. Gary issues a challenge to anyone convinced of the truth of these prophecies to sign over all their assets to American Vision on September 26, after this newest “sure thing” prophecy is proven to be wrong.

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American Vision’s mission is to Restore America to its Biblical Foundation—from Genesis to Revelation. American Vision (AV) has been at the heart of worldview study since 1978, providing resources to exhort Christian families and individuals to live by a Biblically based worldview. Visit www.AmericanVision.org for more information, content and resources