My Reply to the Question:
Your reference to a rapture indicates that you come from a
section of Christianity which has accepted the teachings of J.N.
Darby. Darby's teachings became known as
'Dispensationalism' - actually his teachings would
probably have remained quite obscure but for the fact that they
were accepted 'hook, line and sinker' by Cyrus Scofield
(1843-1921) who put them at the heart of his 'Scofield
Reference Bible' and this book became very popular,
especially within the United States. The book comprised a KJV
Bible with Scofield's reference notes appearing on the same page
as the inspired text.
Traditional evangelical Christianity never taught a
rapture and the teaching is very new (19th century).
This is an area of doctrine where we say that Christians must be
allowed honest differences of opinion ('dispensationalism' does
not amount to being a cult), but since I do not accept the
teaching of a rapture (the word never occurs in the Bible and
Paul encourages Christians to look forward to the Second Coming
and to the Resurrection - not to a so-called 'rapture') then I am
not a good person to ask when any perceived "rapture" will take
place.
The widespread acceptance of the rapture teaching in the United
States often surprises Christians from other countries, a huge
majority of whom have never accepted Darbyism (or,
dispensationalism). The Scofield Reference Bible, though
as popular as ever in the United States, is still not read very
much outside of north America, and Scofield's biblical
understanding is often viewed as being highly suspect by the very
best evangelical scholars, which is not to doubt the man's
obvious sincerity. Scofield, by the way, had received no
biblical/theological teaching from anywhere and was actually an
attorney. Modern dispensationalism, as taught in such
fundamentalist bastions as Dallas Theological Seminary,
has modified the Darby/Scofield influence to some extent.
Meanwhile it is now possible to buy a Scofield Reference
Bible with NIV text, if one prefers it.
Apart from the concept of a rapture, my other problems with
Darbyism include the insistence that the Bible should be divided
up into 7 dispensations during which (according to the theory)
God has dealt with mankind in 7 different ways; I find no
evidence of this and I have been a student of the Bible for 40
years. As I look through the pages of Scripture, I certainly find
the presence of several covenants but I find that the Old
Covenant becomes the primary focus of the Old Testament and the
New Covenant becomes the primary focus of the New Testament.
Indeed Scripture reveals that the New Covenant is the
major covenant of the entire Bible since it is this
Covenant which finally and fully reveals the grace of Christ and
how men and women may be fully restored to God through
Him.
I also have a problem with dispensationalism's doctrine that God
continues to deal quite separately and distinctly with Israel and
the Church. The New Testament introduces the teaching that
Christians become 'Spiritual Jews' and spiritual sons and
daughters of Abraham and, in complete contrast to the Old
Testament, is virtually silent about national Israel (Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 2:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9-10). I will not
go further and state why I think the rapture teaching is wrong
because that goes beyond what you asked me, but I will
just say that no major doctrine or teaching should ever be
established on just one or two Scriptures which may be less clear
that we would wish. The major doctrines - such as the
Atonement, Justification, the Second Coming and the Resurrection
are based on numerous Scriptures. Put all those Scriptures
together and you have a very clear teaching.
In your e mail, you also mention the 'Great Tribulation'
which, again, is capable of more than one interpretation.
May I - with respect - encourage you to avoid all extremist
interpretations of prophecy and to focus on what the New
Testament shows is essential: walking in the Faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ and longing for the day of His appearing. I
believe that the Second Coming of our Lord could be very close
and that is when the Resurrection of the Dead will occur; be very
wary of teachings which set a timetable of events "which must
happen first" - No! Christ could return very soon indeed! I
know of few teachings more dangerous than the anticipation of
a schedule of events which one expects to occur and one
feels must occur before the Second Coming, especially
when, as is too often the case, that "schedule of events" is
based on a flawed understanding of prophecy.
Robin A. Brace, 2006.