PART 3

The purpose of this series looking at the idea of the Rapture has been to show, in simple terms, that the Scriptural proof-texts used to justify the concept do not bear the weight of inspection. To the extent that these texts are key to the Dispensationalist approach, either for the rules of interpretation of Scripture, or for speculation concerning the last days, they undercut the theory. To this extent, at least, Dispensationalism does not offer a credible hermeneutic for biblical interpretation.

It has not been the purpose of this series to examine the whole framework of Dispensationalism. That is not the purpose of the Daily Gazelle, nor an area of interest for the Editor.

In this final part we present an alternative ending to the story. The view of the end of the world described by Dispensationalism focuses exclusively on the scenario of an apocalyptic conclusion to history, with the ‘mother of all wars’. The apocalyptic picture is, to be sure, a prominent one in the Bible.

But, there are numerous hints, and more than hints, that fiery judgement is not God’s option of first choice. The first option, so to speak is that portrayed so beautifully in the Book of Isaiah, which paints a picture of a peace so profound that weapons of warfare are re-tooled into agricultural implements (Isa 2); and, it ends with a vision, which cannot be detached from the first one, of a renewed creation in which all the nations come to the worship of the Lord.

This is the gospel. That is, all of God’s purposes for creation are for peace, shalom, and all of his actions—and for Christians, ultimately in Jesus Christ—are for life, and that abundantly. The scenario of destruction is the judgement due for all that violates peace. But God does not direct his purposes single-mindedly towards that judgement, which is the implication of Dispensationalist focus on the final scenes of human history. He has directed all his purposes for redemption, through Jesus Christ.

The prime example of this alternative is found in Exodus 32-33: the story of Moses’ intercession for the people at Mt Sinai. The setting of Sinai is almost apocalyptic in itself, with the fiery cloud over the mountain, and the dangerous presence of the Lord. Moses goes up the mountain and meets with the Lord. But he is gone rather longer than expected, and the people grow impatient with waiting. They demand Aaron to make gods for them, on the quick, so they can get on with life. Aaron crafts a golden calf, which everyone bows down to worship.

The Lord relays this information to Moses, and informs him that he plans to wipe out the whole lot of them, and start over with Moses alone as the foundation of a new people. This is the apocalypse; the end. Judgement Day has arrived. But…

Moses intercedes for the people, imploring the Lord to change his mind. And…the Lord does change his mind.

There are a number of odd things going on here, but we focus on the pertinent point here: this was a day of judgement but it was cancelled because of the prayers of Moses.

The same can be seen in Genesis 18, where Abraham argues with God over the destruction of Sodom. God had invited Abraham into his counsel, and was willing to listen to his intercession for this famously wicked people. In the end, of course, judgement came in spite of Abraham’s efforts. His prayers would have been successful if there had been even ten righteous people in the city. But there weren’t.

It appears that even a small minority of righteous people, willing to pray for their city, can put off the day of judgement.

This thread of God’s readiness to delay judgement can also be found in a very apocalyptic context—2 Peter 3. A passage which promises a final conflagration on the ‘day of the Lord (which comes like a thief) is prefaced with these words:

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient on your account, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance (3:9).

Here is the crucial focus—God is not pressing towards the fiery ending of all things, but is delaying as long as possible to give opportunity for more to be saved rather than to perish; for the lost sheep to be found. And, the lesson of Abraham and Moses suggests that what God wants is for his people to pray toward the same end, so judgement does not have to follow.

Note, too, the question that follows in 2 Peter: 'what sort of persons ought you to be? Leading lives of holiness and godliness...' Not a marginal theme in the Bible.

The problem with Dispensationalism is that it undercuts the gospel at this point. It may not be the intention, but it is the indisputable result as evidenced in the inordinate obsession with signs of the times that has burgeoned through the agency of the Left Behind series. People take this fictional account as a true representation of the biblical text. They are not drawn to the good news, but to a fascination with the end that is more concerned with being amongst the survivors than with assuring there are more survivors. And, there is almost a delight in the prospect of the destruction of God’s enemies. The computer game is but the most recent stark example of this sort of thinking.

Two scenarios. One focuses on imminent destruction of evil; another focuses on potential transformation of evil by the grace of God.

I conclude with a personal illustration.

During the Cold War the Soviet Union was identified by Dispensationalists as the great enemy of God, the ‘Gog’ of Ezekiel which will sweep down from the north to battle against God’s army at Armageddon. The President of the United States went so far as to identify the Soviet Union as the ‘Evil Empire’, indicating a readiness to use nuclear weapons to defend freedom, justice, and the American Way. I was born and grew up with this view of the Russians as the epitome of evil.

But, in 1992 the Soviet system collapsed in an exhausted heap. When the dust cleared, and information began to flow freely again, the West discovered that there was a strong Christian witness in the old Soviet countries. This Summer I travelled to Russia and Kazakhstan, having been invited to teach. I found a growing community of believers in the countries who had so recently been written off as godless and evil.
Was God ready to destroy the righteous with the wicked? Apparently there was a sufficient minority to delay his judgement.

So I wonder what the Lord God thinks about Christian rhetoric about Islam…