Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind

by David B. Currie

Author David Currie grew up conviced that one day all true Christians will suddenly be snatched up to heaven. The unfortunate souls left behind by this "rapture" will endure seven horrible years of tribulation, at the end of which Christ will return to earth for a glorious thousand-year reign. Today, millions accept this end-times theology, assuming as Currie did that the Bible clearly teaches it. Many plan their lives around it. But, after studying Scripturefor decades, Currie has come to see that accepting the Bible means rejecting the rapture. In this remarkable book the world's most careful and thorough scriptural study of the rapture Currie demonstrates why. He considers all the relevant verses ( there are hundreds!) and examines them in the light of ancient history, the writings of the earliest Christians, and the claims of the rapturist theologians. With painstaking thoroughness, he unlocks the meaings of key biblical prophecies that culminate in Christ's Messianic Kingdom including those verses in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation that rapturists turn to most. Marshaling evidence as startling as it is compelling, Currie argues that these prophecies of war and tribulation don't point to some still-unrealized apocalyptic future. Rather, most of them were fulfilled long ago: the spiritual, priestly Kingdom prefigured in the Old Testament was inaugurated on Calvary, consumated in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the Temple, and continues to exist today...the Catholic Church! That surprise you. Yet, as Currie shows, it's the only conclusion that fits all the scriptural and historical evidence. Rapture: The End-Times Error that Leaves the Bible Behind makes Scripture, prophecy, and history come alive; and it demonstrates that if you open your Bible, you'll find that God's plan for the future of the world is not filled with darkness and disaster, but with light, mercy, and hope.

Genres: Catholic, Theology, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity

528 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

David Currie, Research Associate of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is a popular Catholic author, lecturer and retreat leader.

His widely read and influential 1996 book, Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic (Ignatius Press) tells the story of his conversion, along with his wife Colleen, from fundamentalist missionaries to Catholic apologists. Prominent convert, Thomas Howard, has called it “the book on this topic of Evangelicals being received into the Catholic Church.”

His most recent book, Rapture: The End-Times Error that Leaves the Bible Behind (Sophia Press, 2003), explores the Biblical, historical, and theological roots of the modern “left behind at the rapture” movement. Dr. Scott Hahn, Founder and President of the St. Paul Center, has called this book “a virtual summa of apocalyptic texts…[that] makes these difficult matters abundantly clear… [with a] steady, charitable, clear voice.”

Currie has written widely in the Catholic press and has several popular tape series distributed by St. Joseph Communications, including: “Rapture: Ruse or Reality?”

Currie and his wife Colleen live in the Chicago area with five of their eight children. Their oldest is now married and their next two are attending university.

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rapture is the belief in the Catholic Church as well as other Christians that during the Second Coming, all good people will disappear without a trace to meet Jesus in heaven. There are many verses in the Bible but the one that speaks about this quite clearly is 1 Thessalonians 4:17:

"Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord."

I am not sure why I did not hear this before like when I was still a student. I only heard about this when I was already working (after college) and we in the family realized that the world could possibly end in year 2000 according to some predictions and my eldest brother told us his 3 younger siblings about rapture. From then on, when somebody is missing suddenly and I don't know his/her whereabouts, I think about rapture especially if that person is good if not obviously religious.

What made me interested when I saw this book at Totus Bookstore and Publishing House was the recent (2014) movie Left Behind starring Nicolas Cage:

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I enjoyed watching this not because of Nicolas Cage but because I wanted to know if there is really a biblical basis for this belief and this book "Rapture: The End Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind" answers that curiosity quite convincingly.

However, even if Currie provides the biblical basis for the belief, this book cautions the believers because those verses are not pointing to a future events. They are not prophetic. Rather, they have already happened or already happening. So, if you are really a devout Catholic, you should reject the rapture.

So, at the onset, this book seems to contradict itself. However, if you really read and digest the book, it supports what we already know: "that Jesus will return like a thief in the night." That, surprisingly is also in 1 Tessalonians this time in 5:2. That's how confusing the Bible really especially if you take some of the verses without considering its overall message and the background when o who they were written.

What I liked about the book though is its thoroughness. It is written in a scholarly way complete with footnotes and bibliography (references). Nice read that took me a long while to finish but every minute I spent with it was really worth spending.

Thank you David B. Currie!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind, David Currie (author of Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic) details the historical development of eschatological doctrines and breaks down key texts in Daniel, the Gospels and Revelation that deal with the end of the world. While I don’t entirely agree with all of his conclusions, this is a must-read in an age where premillenialism and the rapture are buzzwords and are often taken for granted. This is one of the best books I've read on the end times in a long time. The history lesson alone is worth the entire read, plus his hermeneutics for apocalyptic literature are unparalleled.

[Katherine Laurain Ashburner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not always an easy read but well worth the effort. Very insightful.

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed look at the Bible passages frequently used by Protestants to support their rapture theory. However, there were a few problems with the book as well. For example, the author used quotes from the Revised Standard Version rather than from a Catholic Bible (like the Douay Rheims). He also spends time criticizing modernist Catholics, yet he also tries to quote Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and John Paul II in defending the Catholic position. While the specific points quoted seem to be fine, surely he could have found better sources.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian, regardless of their denomination, should read this book. I am grateful to God for freeing me from the false teaching and misinterpretation of the Rapture. Not only is it a heresy, as stated by the early Church Fathers, but it is also a novel idea that has never been taught throughout Church history. Although it may seem daunting with its length of up to 500 pages, this book is invaluable in helping one avoid this abusive novel teaching.

[Ruthie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book cleared up some questions I had at the time. Clearly written and easy to follow/understand.