If you are reading this, presumably the rapture did not occur on Saturday, May 21, 2011 as predicted by Mr Harold Camping. I suppose, though, that if only 144,000 people (a literalist's interpretation of Apocalypse 7:1-8) will be taken to heaven in all the world, then the rapture might have happened and we simply didn't notice it, since this equates to roughly 1:10,000 living Christians world-wide (or ~1:45,000 people worldwide), and would barely make a blip on the "Missing Persons" reports. It seems like a timely re-post, though. I was recently asked about Rapture Theory: what does the Church teach, and what do I think about it. The short answer is that that the Church does not believe in the rapture as an event which will occur before the Second Coming, but that she does believe that those of her members who are still living when Christ returns at the end of the world will be gathered together to live with Him in His kingdom forever. I can point to three articles which give a good presentation of Catholic teaching regarding the Rapture: the first is by Catholic Answers, the second by Mr Marcel Lejeune, and the third is by Mr Carl Olson, who has also written a book on the subject.
As for what I think about it: I usually don't. As far as I know, the teaching of the Church is that those who are still alive when Christ returns at the end of time will of course be separated into the saved and the damned (see Matthew 25:31-46). Those among the saved will enter into Heaven (with possibly a stop in purgatory), and the rest shall depart for hell. This will happen only after Christ's return, not before--so this is not some sort of "get out of tribulations free card."
I accept the Church's teachings as best I understand them, including as regards the second coming. This means that I simply don't spend that much time thinking about things like millienialism, pre-millienialism, and post-millienialism as opposed to amillienialism. The way I see it, I will either meet Christ as my judge at the time of my death or at the end of time (or both), and it's probably not going to matter the particular order in which this happens. And while I don't frown on speculation--I engage in it myself sometimes--I don't see any particular use as to speculating when the end of time will be.
Rather, it is best to live as if each day may be my last (see Luke 12:16-21, and Matthew Chapters 24 and 25). While I'm at it, I prefer to live as if the world itself will survive a very long time without me, because I know it can and suspect that it will. In any case, if my spiritual affairs are in order, then I will hear (as I hope to hear) "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21); in the meantime, I would prefer to work to hand on a better world to future generations, in whatever form I can (see Proverbs 13:22).
Will I be surprised if Christ returns in glory before the end of my life? Yes. Will I be unprepared? I hope not, but I cannot presume to say. Christ's return tomorrow morning would be little more surprising to me than my death in a car crash on the way home tonight. If anything, it is far less likely, since billions have lived and died during the Christian era without the world's having ended. Basically, I view the question as to whether or not Christ will return in glory to usher in the end of the world before I die as interesting for speculation and useless for my spiritual life. I view it as being on a par with questions as to whether or not hell is eternal: my goal either way is to not go there. Similarly, as concerns whether Christ's coming is for me Eschatological before or after it is Parousian, my goal--and my hope--either way is to be ready when it happens. In the meantime, when this will happen or how is not worth worrying over too much.
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Quote:
"Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew 6:33-34).
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The original post can be viewed
here. If you enjoyed this post, here are some other related posts:
What Happens to Non-Christians When They Die: A Speculative Reflection Christ's Return: the Parousian Sense Christ's Return: the Eschatological Sense Christ's Return: the Veiled Presence Sense Of Infants and Salvation (Nicene Guys)
Pascal's Wager and Invincible Ignorance: Irreconcilable? (Nicene Guys)
Tags: Parousia Eschatology Catechesis Theology
