Summary4 min read

Defenders Podcast — Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 3): The Rapture Interpretation Continued

Host: Dr. William Lane Craig
Date: April 7, 2021

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. William Lane Craig continues analyzing the so-called "Rapture" view within Christian eschatology. He addresses whether Paul and Jesus taught a secret or preliminary return of Christ to "snatch" believers out of the world before the visible and decisive Second Coming. By examining key scriptural passages, Dr. Craig contends that the New Testament presents a single, climactic return of Christ—accompanied by the resurrection and judgment—rather than a two-stage coming with a secret rapture event.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Rapture" Defined and Challenged

Dr. Craig describes the "Rapture" view as the belief in a preliminary, hidden coming of Christ to take believers out of the world, prior to his public Second Coming. (00:12)
He challenges this view by systematically comparing relevant biblical texts, emphasizing that these passages consistently refer to a singular, public event.

2. Paul's Teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4: Resurrection, Not Secret Removal

Scripture Basis: 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17
“...the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command...and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive...shall be caught up together with them...” (00:26)
Dr. Craig asserts this event is the eschatological, end-time resurrection—not a secret rapture:
- “This is not a secret snatching of the elect out of the world. Rather, this is the time of the final resurrection of the dead.” (01:23)

3. Jesus' Words on Resurrection and Judgment—John 5:25–29

Both the righteous and the unrighteous will rise at Christ’s coming for judgment, further negating a two-stage event:
“The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth...to the resurrection of life...to the resurrection of judgment.” (02:10)
Craig points out this harmonizes with Paul’s description and implies a simultaneous resurrection for all.

4. Parallel Wording in 1 Corinthians 15

Paul describes resurrection at the “last trumpet” and the destruction of death, paralleling 1 Thessalonians 4:
“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed...” (03:31)
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” (04:21)
Dr. Craig: “Notice that this moment of the resurrection is the destruction of death. This is the end of death. There will be no more death after this event.” (04:25)
The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:22–26). Thus, there is no room for another stage after this final event.

5. Sequence of Eschatological Events in 2 Thessalonians 2

Dr. Craig draws on Paul’s clarity in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 regarding what precedes Christ’s return:
- The “rebellion” and the revealing of the “man of lawlessness” (often linked to the “abomination of desolation” from Mark 13) must occur first.
- “That day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed...” (05:47)

6. Intertextual Parallels: Mark 13, 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The "gathering" of the elect in Mark 13:27—“he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds”—uses the same verb as Paul’s description of believers assembled to meet Christ (2 Thess. 2:1).
- “The event that Jesus describes in Mark 13:27...is the same word that Paul uses to describe the parousia of Christ, the coming of Christ and our assembling or gathering to meet Him.” (08:28)
This linguistic and thematic overlap strongly suggests a single, climactic return.

7. Critique of the Secret “Rapture” Theory

Dr. Craig concludes the evidence for a separate, invisible event (the “rapture” before the Second Coming) is lacking:
- “It seems to me that there are no grounds for thinking that there is such an event as John Darby and others have imagined.” (09:36)
He reiterates the biblical sequence: tribulation, the appearance of the "man of lawlessness," final resurrection, judgment, and death's defeat—all at Christ’s visible Second Coming.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the finality of resurrection:
“This is the end of death. There will be no more death after this event. Death is destroyed.” — Dr. Craig (04:25)
On scriptural consistency:
“So the vocabulary is the same. It is the same event. He's talking about the parousia, the return of Christ.” — Dr. Craig (07:36)
On the "Rapture" hypothesis:
“It seems to me that there are no grounds for thinking that there is such an event as John Darby and others have imagined.” — Dr. Craig (09:36)

Key Timestamps

00:12: Introduction to the Rapture view and context from Paul’s letters
01:23: The time and nature of the resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4
02:10: Jesus' teaching in John 5 on universal resurrection for judgment
03:31: Paul’s description of the last trumpet and resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15
04:25: The destruction of death as the final enemy
05:47: Sequence of end-time events in 2 Thessalonians 2 — the revealing of the "man of lawlessness"
07:36: Consistent language of the “parousia” (coming) in Thessalonians
08:28: Gathering the elect — linguistic and thematic parallels in Mark 13 and Thessalonians
09:36: Concluding critique on the lack of biblical basis for a secret rapture

Conclusion

Dr. Craig meticulously traces biblical teaching on Christ’s return, systematically dismantling the notion of a distinct, invisible rapture event prior to Christ’s public Second Coming. By harmonizing Paul’s epistles with the Gospels, he contends that the New Testament points to one, climactic eschatological event where Christ returns, the dead are raised, the living changed, and judgment delivered—culminating in the final defeat of death. The episode is rich with exegetical insight and scriptural cross-referencing that will appeal to anyone interested in an in-depth, reasoned approach to Christian eschatology.

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[00:01]
A
Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig. For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonablefaith.org Today we want
[00:12]
B
to continue our discussion of the so called Rapture view, according to which prior to Christ's decisive second coming to establish his physical visible kingdom in this world, there will be a sort of preliminary coming of Christ to snatch out of the world the elect and take them to be with Him. Now we've been talking about Paul's discussion of the coming of the Son of Man in his Thessalonian correspondence. Notice that the coming of the Lord described By Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 15 to 17, is the time at which the resurrection of the dead occurs. First Thessalonians 4, 16, 17a says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them. So this event is the time of the resurrection of the dead. It is the eschatological end time resurrection towards which we look. This is not a secret snatching of the elect out of the world. Rather, this is the time of the final resurrection of the dead. Compare this to what Jesus says in John, chapter 5, verses 25 to 29. Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him the authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Here Jesus says that when he comes again as the Son of man, both the righteous dead and the unrighteous dead will rise for judgment. Compare this to 1 Corinthians 15:51,55, where Paul uses some of this very same language that we saw in 1 Thessalonians with regard to the trumpet of God and the resurrection of the dead. Paul writes, lord, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and his mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? Here Paul describes how death itself will be vanquished finally at the return of Christ, when the dead in Christ will be raised, and then those who are alive, who do not sleep similarly will be changed and transformed into their resurrection bodies to live with Christ forever, exactly as Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4. Notice that this moment of the resurrection is the destruction of death. This is the end of death. There will be no more death after this event. Death is destroyed. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 22 to 26. Paul says, for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ the first fruits. Then at his coming, those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom and to God the Father, after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. So at the second coming of Christ, the dead shall be raised, both righteous and unrighteous, for judgment. Those who are alive will be transformed into their resurrection bodies, and death will finally be destroyed, the final enemy. This is, I think, the event that is being described in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. Not some sort of secret rapture of the Church. Look also at Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, which I think cements this understanding. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 1 to 8. Here Paul is describing the same event that he talked about in his first letter to the Thessalonians. He says, now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited either by spirit or by word or by letter, purporting to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, and the Son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you this. And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. Here Paul is talking about the return of Christ and our assembling to meet him, and assuring Thessalonians that certain events have to take place before this final event will occur. This is, as I say, the same event described in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. The vocabulary in is the same. In 1st Thessalonians 4:15 Paul refers to the parousia. He says, the coming of the Lord. The parousia is the word for Christ's coming. Then in second Thessalonians 2, 1 he says, now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, this is the parousia. So the vocabulary is the same. It is the same event. He's talking about the parousia, the return of Christ. Notice that that event does not happen until the events described in the Olivet discourse occur. All of those events that Jesus describes in Mark 13 have to happen first, and then there will be the parousia, the coming of the Son of man. So go back to Mark 13 again and look at verse 14 there Jesus warns, but when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be, let the reader understand that. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Compare that with 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4, where Paul says, that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the Son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Here Paul describes this man of lawlessness in similar terms to what Jesus predicts concerning the desolating sacrilege or abomination of desolation that will be set up. This is something that must happen before this coming of the Son of man. Also notice that the gathering that Jesus refers to in Mark 13:27 and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth, and to the ends of heaven, is plausibly the same event that Paul is talking about in Second Thessalonians 2:1, where he says, now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him. The verb that Jesus uses is episunaggo he will gather the elect from the four corners of the earth. Then in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul uses the noun form episunagoge our gathering to meet him or our assembling to meet him. So the event that Jesus describes in Mark 13:27, where the angels go out and gather the elect to be with Christ with the Son of Man, is the same word that Paul uses to describe the parousia of Christ, the coming of Christ and our assembling or gathering to meet Him. So it seems to me that the biblical basis for thinking that there is some sort of invisible return of Christ Christ that is going to precede Christ's visible glorious return at the time of the resurrection of the dead and the Judgment Day just doesn't have any biblical basis at all. It seems to me that there are no grounds for thinking that there is such an event as John Darby and others have imagined. Next time we'll continue our discussion of the Rapture view. Until then, may God give you a great week.