If you were a bit intimidated by my last (lengthy) post regarding the Book of Revelation, including its connection to the Rapture, you might be more interested in the following less-than-seven minute video by Ben Witherington, New Testament scholar at Asbury Seminary. Witherington, who was highlighted before here on Veracity, gets to the rub of the history behind the Rapture.
Witherington, as you will see, concludes with a negative assessment of “Rapture Theology.” Contrast this with Dallas Theological Seminary’s Darrell Bock who accepts the “Rapture Theology.” For those of you not accustomed to big words like eschatology, you can think of it in this context as someone’s understanding or theology of the “End Times.” Bock, also a New Testament scholar and a favorite here on Veracity, follows his brief assessment with a very helpful, three-minute way of evaluating how Christians should handle important issues in the church where Christians nevertheless disagree.
I hope you might benefit from both videos.
Veracity 
October 11th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Reblogged this on Reasons For The Hope Blog and commented:
Follow up on Veracity’s previous post. While there is disagreement on what and when of the Second Coming what is important to note is agreement that Jesus will return. Have a blessed day, David
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August 10th, 2019 at 9:54 pm
Nice essay on a generous way of approaching apantesis, the word for “meet” in 1 Thessalonians 4. Tends towards the post-tribulation rapture view:
https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/snatched-up-for-a-meeting
Alan Kurschner, a prewrath proponent, takes a different view:
https://www.alankurschner.com/2019/04/24/the-greek-word-apantesis-meeting-does-not-mean-an-immediate-escort-back-to-earth-a-response-to-posttribulationism/
Kurschner’s view is weaker, as he presupposes that the word apantesis MUST not mean what it means in every other Scriptural context. He argues that the context in 1 Thessalonians 4 demands a “meeting” with the Lord, whereby the believers go back up to heaven with the Lord. But I simply do not see it in the text itself. Is Kurschner’s reading possible? Sure it is. How likely? Hard to say.
Should we be dogmatic on this point? No, we should not.
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