The Apocalypse (Part 2)

The Apocalypse (Part 2)

Brett A. Todd

Back when I was attending a Christian conservative college, a new book captivated much of the conservative Christian movement, including many of the students at this college I attended.  The book was called, “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Is In 1988” written by a former NASA engineer by the name of Edgar C. Whisenant.  It was a crazy time for sure.  I remember students from this college going to a church nearby to practice for the rapture by wearing white rapture robes and jumping off from chairs as a way to simulate and prepare for the real rapture that could happen at any moment.  But there was no rapture. The Apocalypse never happened.  What did Edgar C. Whisenant do? He recalculated his numbers and came up with another date for the rapture to take place.  But once again, it never happened.

The word “rapture'' is used by many conservative Christians who believe that in the end-times, the Apocalypse, Jesus would take up all the good Christians into heaven to escape, in most cases, the great tribulation.   This is what the series of books, “Left Behind” was all about.  Jesus would split through the skies and sweep away all the good conservative-born-again Christians into heaven.

As already mentioned, Jesus and his disciples believed the Apocalypse would happen during their generation and not ours or any other generation for that matter. So, what were these early Christians expecting? You may find the following answer to this question interesting. 

You may remember the story when Jesus' two disciples, James and John asked Jesus if they could sit at his side, one at his right and the other at his left when he took his throne in his new kingdom (Mark 10:35-45).  Jesus makes it clear to these disciples they didn’t understand what was all involved in the coming of his kingdom.  It meant not only would he have to suffer, but they would have to suffer as well.

Verse 37 is key, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” The glory, James and John were referring to, was not in heaven, but was Jesus’ earthly Kingdom here on earth in Jerusalem.   This is why in the Lord’s prayer, as found in Matthew 6:10, we read these words, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven” [Emphasis added].  In Luke 9:27, Jesus tells his followers there will be those present and listening to him who will not die until they see this kingdom on earth:

But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” It is sort of a joining together of heaven and earth by the kingdom coming down out of heaven to earth.  This is what the author of the Book of Revelation 21:2 says, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

So what were these early Christians expecting?  They believed that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus would return to earth during their generation to set up God’s Kingdom.  His twelve Disciples would rule with Jesus over the twelve tribes of Israel.  This is essentially what Jesus said in Luke 22:28-30, “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Rome would no longer be in control because there was now a new King and his name was Jesus.

Here is the problem, just as the rapture never happened for those conservative Bible students, at the college I attended, and for Christians around the world in 1988, neither did Jesus return to earth to set up God’s Kingdom for his generation.  More than likely, there were a lot of followers of Jesus who were greatly disappointed in this fact.  So, what did these early followers of Jesus do?  As the years passed, they started to recalculate and redefine what Jesus meant by his words, Matthew 24:34, “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.”

In our next study, we will look at some very interesting words of Jesus concerning what modern Christians call “Holy Communion” and discuss how Jesus’ and his disciples’ view of the Last Supper was recalculated and redefined by later Christians.