Dear John and Doves:

“Partial rapture” is an uncomfortable possibility, generally rejected by our “prophecy experts” and seen as manifest judgmentalism. “You're just trying to scare people.  Jesus never gave a list of requirements for the rapture. He just said you must be a believer. The rapture is our ‘blessed hope’ and it’s for every Christian,” they protest. Well, yes and maybe. Let’s take a deeper look at this.

And I want to say at the outset that I am also somewhat uncomfortable with the “partial rapture” position, though less than I used to be. But we can’t simply ignore the explicit texts that deal with it, or the admonitions in scripture that suggest it. So let’s try to be honest and see what the scripture says.

Jesus set the bar really low for the rapture. He gave just ONE requirement:

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

Rev. 3:10 NKJV (emphasis added)

Those who keep His command to persevere may claim the promise.

I believe that the rapture IS for all believers. Jesus does not divide His body into “prime believers” and a “not quite good enough” group. He loves us all, we were ALL unworthy, He paid for ALL of our sins, and we ALL have a blessed hope. So, if it’s for all of us, then who decides who goes and who stays?

WE do. Surprised?

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

1 John 2:28

Consider this passage. John said “ashamed before Him at His coming.” The trumpet sounds and every believer hears it. The heavens are opened – the doorway to the Throne of God is visible. Jesus stands at the door in all His glory, and His blazing holiness lights up all of creation. A booming voice commands, “Come up here!” And then what?

Some Christians, for whom Jesus Christ is their consuming passion, will eagerly obey the command and, literally, fly to Him. But what about those believers who have spent their lives in carnality? Those who have saving faith, but have not been transformed by the renewing of their minds, have not been conformed to the image of Christ, have not abided in Him, have not “persevered”?

What about them? John suggests they will “shrink back.” They will choose to not go. THEY – not you, me or Jesus – will choose.  In a sense, they make that choice every time they turn on the TV. They have sown their lives with habits that leave Jesus out. Their names are written in His book, but their lives — up to this point anyway — have been squandered. They can’t bear to look at Him; they are totally engulfed by their own shame.

The Greek word John uses for “ashamed” is aischynō (pronounced ice-WHO-no) and it means “to disfigure, to dishonor, to suffuse with shame, make ashamed, be ashamed.” BlueLetterBible suggests “that we may not in shame shrink from him” which may be a literal, or perhaps idiomatic translation (they don’t say).

(complete item here: https://stevekerp.wordpress.com/2022/08/22/the-aischyno-option/)

Hope to see you soon!

Steve

P.S.  Many of the “prophecy experts” teach that the blessed hope in Titus 2:13 is the rapture and, specifically, our deliverance from the tribulation period.  Once again, the “experts” are off target. Our blessed hope is to be with Jesus Christ forever. Our hope is not an event; it’s a Person. A focus on the event takes our eyes off Christ and puts the focus on our comfort. Those who choose, for whatever reason, to be left behind do not lose their blessed hope.

 
In Jesus Christ, complete reconciliation with God is now freely available.
What are you doing about it?