Updates
from Alathea Baptist

CNN’s “Rapture Anxiety” Explained

Recently, the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans over at CNN ran a story on religious trauma. Particularly, the story zeroed in on something called “rapture anxiety”.

In case you’re unaware, the Rapture is the doctrine that Jesus will return to earth for His church. While Christians disagree amongst each other about the exact nature and timing of the Rapture, the expectation of the event is an established element of the biblical and historic Christian faith.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 say, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 

The Apostles’ Creed, the standard of Christian orthodoxy for nearly two thousand years, states that Jesus “will come to judge the living and the dead.”

Many Christians, including myself, believe in something called an imminent Rapture. This often misunderstood doctrine includes an element of certainty and an element of uncertainty. We are certain that Jesus could return for His church at any moment. We are uncertain about what moment it will be. Jesus could return in five minutes or He could return in five centuries. Theologically, the one is just as likely as the other. We believe that whenever the Rapture happens it will be followed by a series of judgements on the earth. 

Apparently, some people find this doctrine rather disconcerting. CNN interviewed several former evangelicals who say they experienced great trauma and anxiety as children because they were taught this orthodox Christian doctrine. They now take to the Internet to mull over the horror they experienced being exposed to Christian eschatology. 

Darren Slade is the CEO of the Global Center for Religious Research (which is apparently a thing). In the CNN story, he said, “This is a new area of study, but in general, our research has revealed that religious trauma leads to an increase of anxiety, depression, paranoia and even some OCD-like behaviors”. Slade then takes aim at the doctrine of Christ’s imminent return, saying, “Now imagine you are taught that at any minute, you could be left here on Earth. What does that do to the teenager who just had premarital sex, or even simply took the Lord’s name in vain?”

That’s actually a very good question. It seems to me there are two responses that our hypothetical sinning teenager could have to being taught that Christ could return at any moment. I’ll get to those choices in just a moment. But first I think it’s important to note something very significant about the CNN story. 

The people criticizing the doctrine of the Rapture do not attempt to disprove it. We are not confronted in the CNN story with any biblical, theological, or logical arguments against the imminent return. Its opponents simply do not like the way the concept of the Rapture makes them feel and therefore reject it on that basis.

But even if you don’t believe in an imminent Rapture, the fact is, there are a lot of truths that make us feel anxiety. We are, after all, living on a rock suspended in nothing flying around a giant ball of fire. The universe is full of danger and none of us get out alive. Ten out of ten people die. One way or the other, you will meet your Maker and give an account of your life. That fact can and should cause anxiety for any honest person.

We can try to label this fear and in labeling attempt to make it go away. We can grow bitter against those who pointed these realities out to us. We can plug our ears and yell “la, la, la” at the top of our lunges. Or, we can face the danger and receive the refuge that is offered to us. 

Though there wasn’t a term for it until about five minutes ago, “rapture anxiety” is not a new thing. As it turns out, I have a personal connection to a sufferer of this condition. My dad grew up in Peru as the son of Baptist missionaries. But for the first fourteen years of his life, he did not personalize the message of the gospel that his parents proclaimed.

My dad has told me how he was terrified that he would miss the Rapture. When he would hear a loud truck horn, he always ran to his parents’ room to make sure they were still there. He had trouble sleeping at night.

Now my dad had two choices; two ways he could have responded to this “rapture anxiety”. He could have become bitter and resentful. He could have made himself the victim and loathed his parents for daring to teach him biblical truth. 

I’m very grateful that my dad took a different route. He chose to repent and believe. He confessed his sin and accepted the work that Jesus Christ did on his behalf. He believed that Jesus paid for his sins on the Cross and expelled them by rising from the grave. He bowed the knee to a Lord that will return to judge the living and dead.

That night, he laid his head on his pillow and, for the first time in a while, slept peacefully; his “rapture anxiety” gone forever. 

No one has to suffer from “rapture anxiety”. You can confess your sins, trust in Jesus, and submit to His grace. You can live a life of freedom, joy, peace, and fulfillment; be confident that whether you meet the Lord in the air or through the grave, you will be accepted in the Beloved.

Or you can become bitter and angry and resentful and rant about it on TikTok. The choice is up to you. 

Post a Comment