Why Rapture Fixation Interferes With Our Work Today

Introduction

The catching away of the Body of Christ is our blessed hope and real comfort. Scripture teaches it plainly. Christ will raise the dead in Christ and catch up the living to meet Him in the air. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51 to 53. Yet when believers make the rapture their constant focus, it begins to interfere with the very work God gave us to do in this present dispensation. Right division keeps hope in its proper place so our hands stay busy with the ministry Paul assigned.

What The Blessed Hope Is For

God gave the hope of the catching away to comfort and steady saints, not to make them spectators. Wherefore comfort one another with these words, 1 Thessalonians 4:18. Paul reveals the mystery of our change and then draws a practical conclusion. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 15:58. The hope is fuel for abounding work, not a reason to withdraw from it.

How Rapture Fixation Distracts

First, it shifts attention from the commission Paul gave to the Body of Christ. Our task is to preach the gospel of the grace of God, to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery, and to edify saints in sound doctrine. See Acts 20:24, Ephesians 3:9, Ephesians 4:11 to 16, 2 Timothy 4:2. When time and energy are consumed by date guessing, timeline charts, and endless debates, evangelism and edification suffer.

Second, it tempts saints to mix Israel’s prophetic program with our mystery program. Many rapture conversations borrow Matthew 24 signs that belong to Israel’s tribulation, not to us. The Jews require a sign, 1 Corinthians 1:22. There are no prophesied signs that must precede our catching away. Sign watching breeds confusion because it pulls instructions from the wrong program.

Third, it can produce spiritual passivity or panic. Some say there is no point to long term ministry because we will be gone soon. Others grow fearful at every headline and neglect sober minded service. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1:7. Paul’s cure is simple. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil, Ephesians 5:16.

What We Are Supposed To Be Doing Now

Paul names our present work clearly.

Preach the gospel that saves today. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. Call sinners to trust His blood without works. See 1 Corinthians 15:1 to 4, Romans 3:24 to 25, Ephesians 2:8 to 9.

Act as ambassadors for Christ. God has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. We pray men in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. See 2 Corinthians 5:18 to 20.

Make all men see the fellowship of the mystery. Teach the distinctions of prophecy and mystery so the gospel is not corrupted. See Ephesians 3:9 and Romans 16:25 to 26.

Edify the Body of Christ. Equip saints with sound doctrine so they are no more children tossed to and fro. See Ephesians 4:11 to 16 and 1 Corinthians 14:26.

Maintain good works. Be ready to every good work and learn to maintain good works for necessary uses. See Titus 3:1 and Titus 3:14. Do all to the glory of God with honest labour and quiet testimony. See 1 Thessalonians 4:11 to 12 and Colossians 3:23.

None of these assignments are suspended while we wait. They are exactly what we are to do while we wait.

The Right Use Of The Blessed Hope

Use the rapture truth to comfort the grieving, to steady the suffering, and to encourage perseverance. Remind the saints that present sorrows are temporary and that mortality will be swallowed up of life. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18 and 2 Corinthians 5:1 to 4. Let the hope produce holy urgency. Knowing that we could be gathered to the Lord at any moment should make us more diligent to preach, teach, and give. Hold forth the word of life, Philippians 2:16. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time, Colossians 4:5.

Practical Guards Against Unhelpful Obsession

Keep your studies anchored in Paul’s epistles when teaching our hope. Refuse to import Israel’s tribulation signs. Commit fixed time each week to evangelism, teaching, and prayer for open doors. See Colossians 4:3. Measure ministry health by obedience to clear Pauline instructions, not by how many rapture timelines you can draw. When you speak of the blessed hope, always connect it to present duties. Therefore be stedfast. Therefore abound in the work. Therefore comfort one another and keep walking.

Conclusion

The catching away is precious truth. It belongs to us. It comforts us. It purifies our priorities. But if it becomes the center of our attention, it can interfere with the very mission God gave us in this dispensation. Keep the order right. Let the blessed hope drive you to preach the gospel of grace, to make the mystery known, to edify the saints, and to maintain good works. That is how we redeem the time while we wait for the Son from heaven.