Many Protestants have historically seen this event [i.e., “the rapture”] as one aspect of the general resurrection at the end of the age (1 Cor. 15:50–55; 1 Thess. 4:13–5:11). The rapture, therefore, refers to the catching away of believers who are living at the time of Christ’s bodily return to earth. When they are caught away in the resurrection, they join those who have died in Christ. While these two resurrection passages are often used by dispensationalists as biblical proof texts for a sudden and secret rapture, historically, Protestants have believed that both texts speak instead of the resurrection of believers from the state of life or death to glorification at the return of our Lord.
Kim Riddlebarger | A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, Expanded Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 30.
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On p.171 of the expanded edition of the book, Kim R. credits Ken Jones in describing the Dispensational secret rapture view as being akin to a “cosmic dog whistle”–only the elect will hear the shout, hear the voice, see the dead rising, see the Lord in the air, etc. Not exactly the global public event described in I Thess. 4.
Incidentally, I’ve always found it curious that our textualist Dispensational brothers and sisters fasten so firmly to the Vulgate terminology “rapture” rather than to the lexical form of the Greek term in 4:17, “harpazo.”
Rob,
This is interesting. The influence of the Vulgate on the history of English translations is very interesting too. Typically, when there is an odd translation in the KJV, in my experience, it is traceable to the influence of the Vulgate.
In my research on the rapture and dispensational theory I discovered that the real author of it was a Jesuit, Francisco Ribera, who spread it in 1585, and Emmanuel LaCunza also spread it later in his writing under the name Ben Ezra, around the late 1780’s 1790’s. The Synod of Dort was aware of this theory when it wrote their commentary on the bible called the ANNOTATIONS and described it as repugnant in the commentary on 2Thessalonians 2. I saw the old picture/ page of this document and read it. I believe this was written around the 1620’s. The Reformers were aware of this heresy but most people were convinced of the papacy being the seat of the antichrist for centuries. Cardinal Bellermine, contemporary of Ribera backed this interpretation as well. I don’t have any documents proving this but have read it in various books. Historicists know this account.
Dr. Clark,
The link shows the author’s name as Jeramie Rinne.
Dr. Riddlebarger has been so helpful towards clarifying difficult portions of scripture and years of confusion on these topics.
Thanks for your work as well.
Thanks Ken.
I corrected it. When I type a name spell correct will change it if I don’t let it sit for a moment. Thanks.
I hear the term “Secret Rapture” used often in this discussion, but I have never heard a Dispensationalist use it (although I don’t listen to many), can you share what is meant by “Secret Rapture”? As I understand it, both Amil’s and Dispy’s believe in a rapture, why are only latter coined with the secret qualifier?
Grant,