The Rapture Didn’t Happen, Now What?

It was predicted that the Christian rapture would happen on September 23 or 24, 2025. Well, I am confident that Jesus knows me and has saved me, and I’m still here to write this. I even checked on Facebook to make sure I wasn’t left behind. I gave it a few extra days so I could make sure I didn’t write this in vain. What would lead someone to claim that the rapture would happen on September 23 or 24 of this year? First, I didn’t even know this was a claim until the day before. That’s how much I am on social media these days. Second, it’s not that far-fetched. It is easy to see things that are not there when we read the Bible a certain way, and this blog post is a warning against that–our tendency to look for signs and wonders rather than seek to know Christ more.

So, buckle in. If you are the easily offended religious type, just close this article now because you are about to come to grips with the fact that most of our modern-day eschatology is made up in recent history and is not actually in the Bible. If you continue reading, I want to implore you concerning Christian humility. I do not care if you agree with me. Mature Christians can disagree, especially on matters of eschatology, and still be family in Christ. Yes, even go to the same church. Even as a pastor, I don’t expect my church family to agree with everything I say. I do want sincere dialogue so we all grow in our relationships with Christ and one another. Who knows, my church people may teach me something or challenge me in a way that makes me a better man and better Christian.

I will tackle the ideas in order.

What is the rapture?

When will the rapture take place?

Let’s dig in.

What is the rapture?

Modern-day Christians did not invent the idea of a rapture or parousia. Believe it or not, rapture is a Biblical idea. Elijah and Enoch are said to have been raptured up in the Old Testament. Some biblical interpreters believe those instances are a foreshadowing of what awaits Christians prior to Christ’s second coming. But, the Old Testament doesn’t tell us that explicitly. People have to speculate to get there, and I’m not really willing to speculate when it comes to the plain meaning of Scripture. In the New Testament, people seem to see rapture primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17;

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 

Someone will read a couple verses like this, and our brains will start to fill in the gaps with details we heard somewhere else or read in a book. We will begin picturing Kirk Cameron or Nicholas Cage in our mind’s eye. In reality, we are missing critical information to interpret this verse well. Every single person, me included, is quick to seek confirmation bias–which makes our interpretation most difficult. The most difficult thing to overcome when striving to interpret the Bible correctly is my own preconceptions. This is true for everyone. Our bias blinds us. Many times, it causes us to add to Scripture without even realizing we do so. I think the Holy Spirit is very patient to teach us slowly when it comes to denying our bias. It is no easy task. It’s especially difficult when we miss critical information like, when will the Lord Himself descend? What does it mean exactly for us to be caught up together with those who are already dead in Christ in the clouds or the air?

Instead of simply filling in those details with what we think, it is a good practice to deny self and search the text for an explanation. Nine times out of ten, the Bible tells us exactly what it means in context. For these two verses, we don’t have to look that far. We can expand the context just a little to learn exactly what Paul meant:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

This passage refers explicitly to those who have already fallen asleep–Christians who have died. Further, it is an encouragement for those who are still alive. We who are alive will not precede those who have already died because those who already died are already with Jesus. That’s the main point! We miss it when we take a couple verses out of context to try to justify our preconceived notions of what end-times events there may be. Look at the passage. Here are a few details I notice:

1. When Jesus returns with the sound of a trumpet and shout, He is returning to retrieve those who died in Christ already, not those who remain alive.
2. Then, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with those who already died. Paul is unclear about the timing, here. He could be referring to our eventual deaths (which is what I think because of the topic in context) or Christ’s second coming.
3. The imperative, here, is, “comfort one another with these words.”

We spend much time arguing against one another over these words, which is disobedience to God based on the instruction in this very passage. Instead, we comfort one another with these words. Our friends and family members who have died in Christ are with Him. Jesus comes personally with celebration to retrieve each one who dies in Him. When it is our time, we will be with our loved ones again because Jesus will also come to get us. This isn’t an end-times passage at all. It is a current reality and a great comfort to our souls. We are not without hope in death like unbelievers are. Though we grieve, we don’t grieve like the unbelievers.

Some sources also read this kind of rapture into 1 Corinthians 15:

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

Notice that this pericope also doesn’t say anything about a rapture in the sense it was meant for September 23 or 24, 2025. There is a promise in the same sense Paul meant in 1 Thessalonians 4. Not everyone will die. But, no one who is in Christ will be stuck with these sinful bodies. In a twinkling of an eye, those who are still alive when Christ returns will be changed. This will happen at the last trumpet. From Paul’s imagery in 1 Thessalonians, we can reason that, since Christ comes with trumpet sound to retrieve those who died in Christ, the last trumpet here refers to the last Christian death on the earth, which agrees with John’s Revelation when the martyrs ask when God will finally judge those who killed them:

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also (Revelation 6:9-11).

Jesus is vague in his answer, which requires the martyrs to have faith in His timing. He does, however, tell them that He will return to earth and judge the unjust once the last Christian who will die dies. He already knows who it will be. The future is set. Once it comes to pass, Jesus will return and Christians who are still alive will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. John’s Revelation and 1 Thessalonians 4 confirm this interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15. I personally think it is wonderful how the Bible, when read plainly, fits together so well.

This is ultimately a greater encouragement for us. Instead of being grounds on which to try predicting when Christ will come, it is grounds for us to encourage one another in light of the reality of death. Jesus cares. He will set all things right. Be patient. He knows what He is doing, and it will work out for our good. We will all be with Him, and we will all be like Him.

This means I don’t see a rapture in the sense of the September 23 or 24 prediction anywhere in Scripture. This was a difficult realization for me because I remember being taught about such a rapture in the church growing up. The belief in a rapture is still widespread. Chances are, you believe in a rapture event just because of statistics and widespread preconceptions about such an event. I need you to read this next part.

It is okay for us to disagree. It doesn’t make either of us less of a Christian. I am not the final authority on any topic, especially end-times events. Jesus is the final authority. My goal is simply to drive you to God’s good word to investigate any topic. I invite sincere conversation. I still have friends trying to convert me to their positions, and we have the best conversations. Differences should bring us together rather than drive us apart. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). We stifle our own spiritual walk and growth in the faith when we stop talking about God’s word together or only gather around us people who already think like us.

When will the rapture take place?

Well, if there isn’t this kind of rapture, then never. What if I’m wrong? That’s the thing about doing theology for any of us. We are fallible. We can err in what we believe. I’m willing to grant that and I’m open to being persuaded if you can show me clearly in the Bible. What if there is a rapture? When should we expect it? The man who made the prediction about September 23 or 24, 2025 wasn’t pulling a date out of thin air. He was reading the Bible and got to Haggai 2:18-23.

Haggai 2:18-23

‘Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded, consider: Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’ ” Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another. On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ ” declares the Lord of hosts.

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, God would shake the heavens and earth–overthrowing thrones of kingdoms and destroying the power of the kingdoms and nations. This sounds a lot like the end of the world.

Here, I have to warn about reading ourselves into the text and reading the text with 21st Century eyes. The Hebrew Calendar when Haggai was written was different (and still is). The ninth month was not September, it was Kislev, which roughly translates to a November-December timeframe–not September.

Other than the date, the passage is about when God would raise up Zerubbabel, not a rapture or Christ’s Second Coming. Haggai is probably referring ot one of Zerubbabel’s descendants, as the prophets often did. But, the prophecy also deals with the building of the Second Temple and overthrow of the Babylonian Empire–which happened in fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy. Zerubbabel’s descendant who would be raised up in the likeness of David? That was Jesus–in His incarnation, not His second coming as marked by the end of the Second Temple period in AD 70 when the Temple in view with Haggai was destroyed according to prophecy.

So, we see that it is important for us to read the Old Testament and at least be aware of its historical context.

No matter what we believe about possible end times events, we know for certain:

1. Christ will return.
2. We will be with Him.
3. We will be like Him.
4. We will be with one another.
5. Jesus will finally deal with all injustice.

Be blessed, my friends. I look forward to some sincere dialogue following this post.

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