Why I Want to Be Left Behind

[BlueStateSaint]

With the arrival of the Nicholas Cage movie (I've seen some pretty bad reviews for it), this topic was bound to be raised.  Yeah, I know it's old, but I just got it in an email yesterday.

Why I Want to Be Left Behind

BY JOSHUA RYAN BUTLER , CP GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
September 22, 2014|3:15 pm

"Left Behind" comes out this week, an apocalyptic thriller starring Nicolas Cage. Based on the best-selling book series, the movie revolves around "the rapture": a belief that one day all Christians will suddenly vanish, disappearing from the earth to go be with God, while the world they "left behind" plunges into apocalyptic destruction.

Americans may find "Left Behind" to be best-selling entertainment, but is it biblical? I say no. In fact, as a follower of Jesus I find the rapture to be not just a little bit off, but actually upside-down and backwards.

When Jesus comes, here are a few reasons why I want to be left behind.

A Recent Invention

The rapture is new to the Christian scene. It arose in the late 1800's, when Margaret MacDonald, a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl, claimed to have it revealed to her in a vision. Her vision was then picked up and popularized by the famous British preacher J.N. Darby, during his extensive travels in America.

All love to the high school prom queen and traveling street preacher, but this is a suspiciously short track record for nearly 2000 years of Christian theology.

The piece goes on to list his reasoning.  It's interesting.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/why-i-want-to-be-left-behind-126835/

[BattleHymn]

He seems to be hanging a lot of his eschatology on one English word, "taken".  I'm no Greek scholar, so I can't tell you what the original text said. 

He does seem to be cherry-picking his verses and avoiding others, which some in the comments section have already pointed out.  It's an interesting read nonetheless.   

[Big Dog]

If you guys get raptured, can I have your stuff?

[Dori]

Isn't it only Evangelicals that believe in the rapture?

[freedumb2003b]

If you guys get raptured, can I have your stuff?

Did you ever see the movie "Skyline?"  It is "evil rapture."

I don't know why but I get a huge kick out of it.  I watch it from time to time and laugh my way through it.

[Big Dog]

Did you ever see the movie "Skyline?"  It is "evil rapture."

I don't know why but I get a huge kick out of it.  I watch it from time to time and laugh my way through it.

I have seen it.

It's MST3K-level bad, which really is a compliment on its awfulness!

[freedumb2003b]

I have seen it.

It's MST3K-level bad, which really is a compliment on its awfulness!

I really miss that show...

[Big Dog]

I really miss that show...

Me, too. I've watched the more recent work from the different cast members, but they aren't the same.

[dutch508]

In the not to distant future...

 

[Big Dog]

In the not to distant future...

 

 

Absolute thread-jack:

Which is the best next line?

Mine: "Way down in Deep 13"

[BattleHymn]

If you guys get raptured, can I have your stuff?

//un-thread jacked

Sure!

There are lots of different ideas on the rapture, whether it exists, and if it does, pre, mid, or post tribulation, etc. Belief in a rapture is not just limited to Evangelicals, at least within the circles I frequent.  For the record, I'm a Pentecostal.   

//re-thread jacked

I've always been partial to  the "We'll send him cheesy movies; the worst ever made" line myself.  If you watch the shows often (which I do), there were lots of changes to the lyrics over the years, so you've got many different choices. 

Does anybody have a favorite episode? Just to rattle off a few for me, "Eegah", "Space Mutiny", "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", and "Angels' Revenge" are all laugh riots.   

 

[Big Dog]

I've always been partial to  the "We'll send him cheesy movies; the worst ever made" line myself.  If you watch the shows often (which I do), there were lots of changes to the lyrics over the years, so you've got many different choices. 

Does anybody have a favorite episode? Just to rattle off a few for me, "Eegah", "Space Mutiny", "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", and "Angels' Revenge" are all laugh riots.   

I have a fair bit of MST3K on DVD and VHS.

My favorites:
1. Outlaw
2. Space Mutiny
3. Manos, The Hands of Fate
4. Eegah
5. The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman -tie
5. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians -tie

[BattleHymn]

I have a fair bit of MST3K on DVD and VHS.

My favorites:
1. Outlaw
2. Space Mutiny
3. Manos, The Hands of Fate
4. Eegah
5. The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman -tie
5. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians -tie

Nice list.  It looks like we've got the same taste in cheese. 

If you don't have Godzilla vs. Megalon, I snapped it up from Youtube the last time it was up, before Toho could pull it down. 

[FlaGator]

I believe that the concept of the Rapture to be unbiblical. I present as evidence this verse from  1 Thesolonians 4:15-17

15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Then there is this from Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

If the dead are to rise first and are not risen until the very end of the old Earth and the old Heaven then how can the living be raptured before the tribulation?

[Big Dog]

Nice list.  It looks like we've got the same taste in cheese. 

If you don't have Godzilla vs. Megalon, I snapped it up from Youtube the last time it was up, before Toho could pull it down.

How could I forget Rex Dart, Eskimo Spy?

 

[longview]

I believe that the concept of the Rapture to be unbiblical. I present as evidence this verse from  1 Thesolonians 4:15-17

Then there is this from Revelation 20:11-15
If the dead are to rise first and are not risen until the very end of the old Earth and the old Heaven then how can the living be raptured before the tribulation?

That's where I'm at with the whole rapture notion.

[Gina]

I always thought when you died you went straight to heaven or hell.  Until I was told you wait on Earth til the 2nd coming.    

[JohnnyReb]

I always thought when you died you went straight to heaven or hell.  Until I was told you wait on Earth til the 2nd coming.   

Well damn......still have to put up with DUmmies, even in death.

[FlaGator]

I always thought when you died you went straight to heaven or hell.  Until I was told you wait on Earth til the 2nd coming.   

Judgement takes place after the resurrection. Between death and the resurrection no one know what happens. Opinions vary and everyone thinks they know what happens. I have an opinion but it is not based on anything specifically in the Bible. Just an idea that feels right.