Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?: Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?

by Mark Hitchcock, Ed Hindson

Christian Fiction ...
or Biblical Fact? Today, the hope that all believers on earth will be "caught up" to heaven is being challenged in new waves of criticism. Is the rapture really taught in the Bible? Can we really expect Jesus to gather up His followers before the Antichrist is revealed?

In this well-reasoned and thorough defense, prophecy authors Mark Hitchcock and Ed Hindson examine the concept, context, and consequences of the important and long-expected event known as the rapture. Discover the answers to such questions as... As you explore what Scripture says about the end times, you'll get a grander glimpse of your glorious future and the deepest hope of every follower of Jesus.

Genres: Christian, Theology, God

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2018

About the author

Mark Hitchcock was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from law school in 1984. After working for a judge at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for four years, Mark was led to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1991. Since that time, he has served as senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He completed his PhD at Dallas Theological Seminary in 2005 and serves as an associate professor of Bible exposition at DTS. He has authored over thirty books related to end-time Bible prophecy that have sold over one million copies. His books have been translated into over ten languages. Mark is a frequent speaker at churches and prophecy conferences both in the United States and internationally. Mark and his wife, Cheryl, live in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have two sons, Justin (married to Natalee) and Samuel, and two grandchildren..
You can also connect with Mark on Facebook

Reviews

[Alan Fuller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hitchcock and Hindson strive to defend the pre-trib rapture theory in this new book. Everything depends on interpretation and the book proudly points out that futurism consistently interprets the Bible literally (p.118). The symbols in Revelation 1:20 refer to literal things, angels, and churches (p.117). Because of this, the authors believe it is a literal interpretation, but angels are spiritual creatures, and unless you are talking about the buildings, churches are spiritual entities as well.

"As a literary device, an allegory is a metaphor whose vehicle may be a character, place or event, representing real-world issues and occurrences." Wikipedia

I don't think the argument that Rev. 1:20 can't be allegorical because it refers to literal things holds much water.

So what is the result of literalism? You have historical and dispensational premillennialism as well as progressive dispensationalism. You have pretribulation, midtribulation, prewrath, and postribulation views of the rapture. Literalism cuts the scriptures into a puzzle which the interpreter then tries to put back together. Where is the harmonization Jesus spoke of (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-45)?

Literal interpretation brings up an interesting point. It is claimed that the chiliasts such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus were premillennial (p.119), but it is well known that they preferred an allegorical level of scripture. Irenaeus said of Justin;

"Truly has Justin remarked: That before the Lord’s appearance Satan never dared to blaspheme God, inasmuch as he did not yet know his own sentence, because it was contained in parables and allegories…” - Irenaeus.

Modern premill is based on literalism, but the fathers depended heavily on allegory. What's wrong with this picture?

The authors spend quite a bit of time on the concept of “imminence,” the idea that the rapture could occur at any time without any preceding events needed beforehand. They state;

“...the rapture of the church is the immediate expectation of those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.” p.123

That is also true of the spiritual resurrection (2 Pet 1:19), or even of physical death (p.188)

(John 5:24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
(John 5:25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
(John 11:25-26)

Jesus spoke of the resurrection to come (general) and the one that “now is.” The spiritual resurrection is imminent. That’s why I don’t believe in a rapture. The authors say the debate is about when the rapture will occur (p.82), but I believe in the concept of resurrection. The supposed rapture verses (1 Th 4:16, 1 Co 15:52) are talking about resurrection, and Paul makes it clear that he is talking about resurrection (1 Co 15:12-13,21,42).

This leads to the nature of the Kingdom. In the glossary they state;

“Kingdom of God - Both eternal and temporal.” p.203

This doesn’t seem to make sense. That’s because premillennialists believe the kingdom is earthly and lasts for a thousand years (Rev 20). The word kingdom isn’t found in Rev 20 if you want to be literal about it. Here is what Jesus and Paul said about the kingdom.

Luk_17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk_17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Rom_14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

One point of confusion is the return of Christ. Is the return of Christ the same thing as the rapture, are they two different events, or are they two stages of the same event separated by the tribulation?

“...the Lord’s second advent: the rapture, which takes place in the air, and the return, which begins in the air but ends with a return to earth.” p.104

“Second coming - The general term for the coming (Greek, parousia) of Christ. Includes two phases: the rapture of believers into the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and Christ’s return with them to the earth (Revelation 19:11-21).” p.204, Glossary

They seem to use “advent” or “second coming” to include the rapture, and then the return to earth. The two stages are separated by a seven-year tribulation. The same pattern is used to separate the future kingdom (p.104). They then say there are events that lead up to the second coming, but not the rapture.

“The simplest harmonization of these two different events supports a pretribulational rapture (which is signless and could happen at any moment), while the many events taking place during the tribulation are best understood as signs leading up to the second coming.” (p. 106).

Are you confused yet?

“That’s the question each interpreter must answer. We leave it to you, based on the evidence.” P.111

The “falling away” is another confusing concept.

“31. If the expression “except the falling away come first” be translated literally “except the departure come first,” it would plainly show the necessity of the rapture taking place before the beginning of the tribulation.” p.193 (2 Th 2:3)

The apostasy is sometimes translated as rebellion. In closing;

“Speculations about cars and airplanes crashing due to the rapture of their drivers and pilots are used to criticize the pretrib view when, in reality, the same problems would be present no matter what one’s view of the timing of the rapture. Even if the rapture were to occur at the end of time, one cannot assume everyone will be a pedestrian at that moment.” p. 24

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at the pretribulation view of the Rapture, including all the Scriptures that discuss the Rapture. As I hold this view myself, I appreciated how the authors went in depth on the fallacies in the other views based on Scripture. I knocked a star off because it got repetitive at times.


Read as an audiobook on Hoopla

[William Struse · Rating 4 out of 5]

As our world becomes increasingly secular a growing number of Christians are looking at the claims of the Bible with growing skepticism. Chief among those claims is the promise of Christs return and His gathering of believers to Him. Paul in his epistle to Titus described this future event as the “bessed hope”. Today this hope is most often referred to as the rapture.

In this their latest book, Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?, prophecy teachers Ed Hindson and Mark Hitchcock take on the rapture skeptics as they explore one of the Bible’s most beloved and controversial eschatological subjects.

The book explores two main aspects of the rapture. First they provide a spirited Biblical defense of the rapture or catching away of believers. After providing a reasonable Biblical foundation for the rapture, Hindson and Hitchcock then explore the timing of the rapture. Among Christian’s this aspect of the subject is often the most controversial and frankly complex. As to the timing of the Rapture the authors give a brief overview of the following positions:

• The Pretribulation Rapture View
• Midtribulation Rapture View
• Posttribulation Rapture View
• Partial Rapture View
• Prewrath Rapture View

Of these Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock spend most of their time looking at the pre-tribulation and the post-tribulation view of the rapture. I must say I thought the authors could have done a more thorough exploring the pre-wrath position, as the Biblical arguments for this position are gaining credibility of late.

Though I do believe the case for the rapture is Biblically solid and the authors do a good job of laying out that information, I admit that personally I have not yet been able to wrap my mind around all the complexities and varying opinions regarding the subject of its timing.

To me the best part of this book was the author’s warnings about the dangers of making assumptions about Bible prophecy. Ironically these warnings are at the root of my personal doubts about the pre-tribulational rapture view that Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock hold so strongly.
First let me share with you some of their excellent observations regarding assumptions and their troublesome offspring - speculations.

• “Thus, the great temptation for those who attempt to interpret prophecy is to move from the biblical facts to their own assumptions and speculations.” - (p. 33)

• “Here is a key principle to keep in mind at all times: Be sure to distinguish the facts of prophecy from the interpretive assumptions you draw and the speculations you make.” (p. 33).

• “Our interpretive assumptions need to be based upon a proper exegesis of Scripture. If our interpretive assumptions are correct, they will lead to valid conclusions, but if not, they may lead to ridiculous speculations.” - (p. 35)

• “Speculations
These are calculated guesses based upon interpretive assumptions. In many cases, there may be no clear factual basis for these. They are simply educated (or uneducated) guesses.” - (p. 35).

• “The issue at stake is not whether we can win an argument, but whether we can properly interpret biblical prophecy. In our attempts to do so, we must all clearly distinguish between the biblical facts, our interpretive assumptions, and our personal speculations—which exist in all the prophetic views.” – (Hitchcock, Mark. Can We Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 36). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.)

Unfortunately Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock appear to have failed to follow their own advice regarding the pre-tribulation view of the rapture. Consider the following foundational statement regarding pretribulationism:

• "Pretribulationism teaches that the rapture of the church will occur before the commencement of the seven-year tribulation period, also known as the seventieth week of Daniel." (Hitchcock, Mark. Can We Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 66). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. )

According to this statement pretribulationism is related to the prophecy found in Daniel chapter 9 which is most commonly called Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.

What Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock don’t tell you about their view of Daniel 9 is that is built upon an incredibly important set of chronological assumptions about the 2nd temple era. These assumptions, then required certain speculations which they cannot support with a reasonable rendering of the Biblical record.

You see, the prophecy of Daniel 9 begins with a “commandment to restore and build Jerusalem”. (This is a Biblical fact.) This commandment both Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock believe was given to Ezra or Nehemiah during the reign of a Persian king named “Artaxerxes” Longimanus. (This is an assumption because the Bible does not plainly state the identity of the Persian “Artaxerxes”.)

Troublingly neither Mr. Hindson nor Mr. Hitchcock (as far as I’m aware) have ever provided a reasonable Biblical (chronological) explanation why they believe Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries of Artaxerxes Longimanus. This is especially troubling because the Bibles own chronology does not support such a contemporaneous relationship.

In fact in order to believe Mr. Hindson’s and Mr. Hitchcock’s chronology about Ezra and Nehemiah you have to believe that Ezra was at his youngest a quarter century older than Moses when the events describe in the book of Nehemiah took place. (his father died in the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar) The same unreasonable age applies to the priests and Levites who came up with Joshua and Zerubbabel in the first year of Cyrus (536 BC) and who Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock would have us believe were still alive in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus (445 BC). This also would require Eliashib the high priests to be 80-120 years old when he help his brethren rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

The Biblical chronology on the other hand if taken at face value in its most reasonable and natural reading would have these men in their prime of life during the reign of Persian “Artaxerxes” known as Darius ‘the great’.

What’s especially difficult to understand is that Mr. Hindson in his recent book Charting the Bible Chronologically makes strong case for the Exponential Decay Curves which posits that after the flood mankind’s natural lifespan decreased to roughly 70-80 years by the time of King David nearly five centuries before the era of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Yet Mr. Hindson's assumptions regarding Ezra, Nehemiah, and the 2nd temple era require him to propose that the men of that era were nearly twice that age. An age that even with today’s incredible medical advancements is not attainable. It’s just not a reasonable or justifiable assumption.

If then Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock’s position on the starting point of Daniel 9 is established upon an unreasonable and unproven assumption then by their own rules their view of Daniel’s 70 Weeks is in large part speculative. To the extent then that their pre-tribulationalism is dependent on Daniel 9, by their own admission their position must be considered speculative.

I want to make clear that I believe both Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock are fine Biblical scholars. I just believe they have unwittingly made a well-meaning assumption that they have probably never taken the time to verify for themselves. My hope is that in some future writings they will give this subject the Berean’s stewardship it rightly deserves.

In closing my respectful criticisms notwithstanding, I think that Mr. Hindson and Mr. Hitchcock indeed have made a solid Biblical case for the doctrine of the Rapture. Their view of the timing of the rapture on the other hand is based upon far too many assumptions and their commensurate speculations and demands a Bereans skepticism. In closing I leave you with their sobering reminder:

• “Our interpretive assumptions need to be based upon a proper exegesis of Scripture. If our interpretive assumptions are correct, they will lead to valid conclusions, but if not, they may lead to ridiculous speculations.” - (Hitchcock, Mark. Can We Still Believe in the Rapture? (p. 35). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.)

Maranatha!

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does the Bible teach the rapture of the Believers? When will it happen? Will we have any warning? What is the truth? How can we know? Does it matter? What does the Bible teach?
This book carefully compares the four main eschatological views. Each view is briefly explained, and then the challenges to each and their responses are looked at in the light of the Scriptures. The authors don't rely on their opinions only they quote from numerous other sources as well.
Hinson and Hitchcock are pretibulational premillennialists. That means they believe the saved will be raptured before God judges the world for seven years then returns to reign for a thousand years. This book defends that position both Biblically and historically.
The vocabulary of the book is a little hard at first, but they do a good job of defining terms and words that we don’t use every day, and at the end of the book, there is a very good glossary.
The authors conclude with the most important question of all. Are you ready to meet God be it by rapture or death? Do you know your sins are forgiven? Have you accepted Christ? Then they give a brief but clear Gospel presentation.
I really appreciated the kind balanced tone. The authors have firm well-defined beliefs and they vigorously defend them, but they don’t demean or belittle those who disagree.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley and Harvest House Publishing. A positive review was not required and these are my honest opinions.

[Dave Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to confess that from the title and description i had i was expecting a book looking at the case for is there or isn't there a rapture. Having experienced teaching that the rapture is coming soon so be ready and this since the 80's I have recently heard a lot of people say there isn't going to be one or it's the bad guys who will be moving. This is a well written and extremely well researched book, but it is a powerful testimony for the pretribulation belief.
I guess if you go to a football match and ask a 1000 different people to give a report on the match you would have many different reviews of the same match and all totally honest in their own minds. The tribulation is obviously a lot more important situation but the reporting is likewise also very different even from people of the same belief hence the number of different comments from such a impressive list of people that you will find in this book.
None of this is meant as criticism (honest) I think this is a great book for those that want a well grounded and thought out and researched book and Mark has certainly done that and more. This is as strong a book as you will find anywhere on the pretribulation view and it is a book that it is focused on this and argued very very well from my view point.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revelation has long fascinated Christians and I'm not immune to that fascination. What will happen? When will it happen? Will I be included? What/who should I believe about interpretations of Revelation. There are three trains of thought concerning the Rapture: pretribulationalists, posttribulationalists, and midtribulationalists. The authors analyze and explain each of these three views. The examination of the three views can sometimes seem overwhelming to the average Christian. I personally referred to my Bible, commentaries, and other texts about the book of Revelation. Bible scholars, I'm sure, will have no difficulty following the authors. I do find this book to be very helpful and highly thought provoking. There is a glossary and summary of the three views at the conclusion of the book, as well as references. This book has obviously been greatly researched.
I am rating this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to readers.
I received an ebook of this selections from netgalley and Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Jeff Brawner · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are really interested in the topic then it’s a fairly good book. Some of the chapters have arguments that are a bit of a stretch. The historical argument was surprisingly weak for example. The arguments about the immense of Christ’s return as well as the possibility of a separate return of Christ and rapture were much better.

For my family members that read these reviews, there are simpler books on this topic that I would point you to.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 stars for being written with clarity; but 2 stars because I still find the perspective deeply forced. I definitely learned more through this book about premillenialist dispensationalist perspectives on eschatology. Nevertheless, I imagine there have to be more convincing books out there for this perspective!

For more full disclosure, I found the work of Michael Gorman (Reading Revelation Responsibly) and Richard Bauckham (The Theology fo Revelation) more consistent and cogent to me and sensible with my own theological intuitions and understanding of the biblical narrative.

Once again, though, I am thankful to have read this to gain more knowledge to better understand where Premil Dispensationalists are coming from. I do not doing their genuineness in desiring to precisely, thoroughly, systematically account for the scriptural data. While I cannot follow their methodology or conclusions and find the logic deeply unconvincing, I respect the attempts made here and can see myself recommending people to read this book to better understand this perspective.

[Humphrey Kutosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we still believe in the rapture? I say, yes! We actually must believe in the rapture for it is the clear teaching of Scripture that "we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The legitimate question to ask, therefore is WHEN? not IF? And to that to, the resounding answer given is before the tribulation (pretribulationism) if the scriptures are to be given their normal, plain and natural meaning. All other views give way to allegory and alleged spiritual meaning that make prophecy mean anything other than what it actually says. On the other hand pretribulationism upholds the truthfulness of God's promises to the nation Israel and the clarity of the scriptures. Furthermore, pretribulationism encourages us to be ever ready for the imminent return of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Ed Hindson and Mark Hitchcock do a great job of demonstrating this. What are you waiting for? Grab yourself a copy and read this compelling defence.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many Christians, especially within reformed circles today, write off the pre-trib, pre-mil position without giving it serious thought. This book shows there is more than meets the eye. I found its discussion on the historic doctrine of immanence, the importance of harmonizing prophecy, and the catalog of other rapture events in the Bible especially intriguing. It may not be the definitive treatment of pretribulationalism, but the book certainly shows there is plausibility. Don’t miss the appendix, with a list of 50 reasons to favor a pretribulational rapture.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Mark Hitchcock and Ed Hindson explain what the rapture is, why not every Christian believes it will happen, and the question of the timing. They use many clues and evidence in the Bible to back up their claims and belief that the rapture will indeed happen, and before the tribulation, where God pours out his wrath upon the wicked of the earth. With scriptural verses backing up their views, I found this to be a very good and informative book.

[Michael Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and well writte

Outstanding! A book every Christian should read. The authors do a great job of explaining the different eschatologicql views and provide multiple references and other authors opinions on the issues. They show decisively why a Pretribulation understanding of Scripture is the clearest and much less issue fraught view. Highly recommended!

[Luke Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid defense

This work is a solid defense of the pretribulational rapture. The authors discuss several views and argue from Scripture what is good and what is wrong about each. They utilize historical writings to indicate the pretrib view has been around from the beginning of the church and not just the 1800s. I highly recommend this book.

[Jason Osorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark and Ed give a clear explanation of the doctrine of the dispensational rapture. However, there are many things with which they left "loose ends"; although that does not take a star off my score, since, personally, it has helped me to understand some of the things I believe in eschatology.

[Duk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I’ve read to date supporting the pre-Tribulation Rapture while simultaneously being respectful of opposing views and interpretations. It only gets bogged down occasionally in historical and scriptural support and is ultimately very accessible.

[Sierra Allred · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I think this book is fairly biased in favor of pretribulationism, it contains good I formation! I learned a lot while reading it and have more of a peace about the end of times!

[Bob Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Jim Moroney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for Christians

I am running into more Christians who follow a post tribe belief. We need to counter these beliefs wherever we find them. This book will help.

[reading with E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Was so helpful and I annotated it heavily! Thank you!

[Diana Wodnoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for a Theology class. Very good end times 101. So much detail and information.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Can We Still Believe in the Rapture' is a clear and concise look at the Rapture; it's historical context from a biblical perspective; its timing; and the question of why some Christians reject it. Ed Hindson and Mark Hitchcock explore questions to a belief that many Christians hold dear and wait for with anticipation.

Well-written and intoxicating this is a book that all Believers should spend time reading. You will not put it down until finished.