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The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation
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Average Rating:  out of 57 Reviews
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Price: $15.00
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Sale: $8.54
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Manufacturer: Basic Books
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EAN (European Article Number): 9780813343143
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Paperback
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Author: Barbara R. Rossing
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Publisher: Basic Books
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Dewey Decimal Number: 236.9
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Publication Date: 2005-07-05
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Reading Level: 240
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Description: With a new introduction and new readers study guide by the author The idea of "The Rapture"-the return of Christ to rescue and deliver Christians off the earth-is an extremely popular interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation and a jumping-off point for the best-selling "Left Behind" series of books. This interpretation, based on a psychology of fear and destruction, guides the daily acts of thousands if not millions of people worldwide. In The Rapture Exposed, Barbara Rossing argues that this script for the world's future is nothing more than a disingenuous distortion of the Bible. The truth, Rossing argues, is that Revelation offers a vision of God's healing love for the world. The Rapture Exposed reclaims Christianity from fundamentalists' destructive reading of the biblical story and back into God's beloved community.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: Interesting expose of "Left Behind" theology but pretty thin in the end |
Date: 2008-12-30 |
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Details:
This book has trouble deciding what it wants to be. On the one hand, Rossing gives us a commentary on Revelation, while on the other, she seeks to debunk the post-rapture mythology of all too many Americans today. She spends too much of the book taking on the peculiar world of the "Left Behind" series. Rossing argues persuasively that there is no biblical foundation for a belief in rapture and the "end times," but I think many of us already knew that. A more interesting question, and one not really addressed here, is why so many biblical literalists believe such a non-literal interpretation of Revelation and other texts.
Beyond the debunking, Rossing wants to recover the hopefulness of the Book of Revelation. God is not taking the righteousness out of earth but is coming to dwell with us on earth. God is not reveling in violence and killing but rescuing us from this. That's a worthy point to make, though I fear that the people who need to hear it won't pick up this book.
Overall, I found the book interesting, but thin. Rossing has the material for a really good 60-70 pages. Unfortunately, she stretches it out to about 190pp, with repetition and with "Left Behind" bashing.
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Review Summary: A strong indictment of Left Behind eschatology |
Date: 2008-12-11 |
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Details: Dr. Rossing makes a strong case for why, not only is the eschatology widely embraced by mainstream evangelicals wrong, it is also potentially dangerous. She traces the effects dispensationalism has on America's foreign policy and evangelicals' approach to the environment. Rossing does a very systematic, albeit brief, deconstruction of dispensationalist thought. Two caveats: first, this book is more or less a polemic. As a Lutheran, she sees the Rapture theory as a dangerous, up-and-coming eschatology that she must protect the sheep from. Therefore, she seems to have a hard time really sympathizing with those who were convinced of the Rapture since they were young. Second, she doesn't really get into the more exegetical reasons for not believing the Rapture until the very end. Most of the time is spent discussing why the Rapture theory has negative connotations as opposed to why, Biblically, it should not be believed. However, she does get there eventually. Though she doesn't answer all the questions there are to be asked, this book makes a great primer for why this widespread Biblical interpretation should not be so quickly embraced. |
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Review Summary: What did Jesus say? |
Date: 2008-12-05 |
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Details: Dr. Rossing easily disassembles the error in the rapture from the majority view. This is not hard to do since there is only one resurrection for believers and it occurs when Christ comes in glory after the tribulation, not before the tribulation as taught by men such as LaHaye. However, there is one person in scripture who clearly taught an escape. Jesus told his own disciples that when they see the antichrist to not return to their homes, but to get out of town. He also said in that same night, two shall be in the field and one shall be taken the other shall remain. When we connect the dots we see that the reason he tells them to get out of town is because they have been left behind. Then he tells them about how the kingdom shall be likened unto ten virgins at that time when some enter the kingdom and some remain. He also said that the kingdom is like unto stewards whom their lord has left in charge. When their lord returns unexpectedly, those who have done their master's will are blessed and enter the kingdom, the others are judged harshly. In all these parables all we see are the servants of God. The unbelievers are not part of the parables. Jesus distinguishes these parables from the time "When the Son of Man shall return in glory" with the angels, trump of God, clouds of witnesses and so forth as seen in Corinthians and Thessalonians.
Then in Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus tells us what will happen to the seven churches should he return at that time. Some escape, some are killed with the sword, others are cast out into the great tribulation. What is so astonishing is that Jesus actually gives us full notice of everything that comes to pass when he comes as a thief in the night to compell us to love him with all our hearts so that we can escape as promised to the Philadelphia church. My name is Steven A. Janda. I am the author of Ready or Not, Here I Come, written in 2008. |
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Review Summary: Very good review |
Date: 2008-09-23 |
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Details: The author methodically reviews the background and support for the current views on the rapture held by many fundamentalist Christians. When compared to her own academic review of scriptures this support is found wanting in many areas. She does not leave all conclusions entirely to the reader, but her book presents a clear and cogent argument for discounting many of the current views expressed in such books as are found in the Left Behind series. |
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Review Summary: A Sane, Hopeful and Compassionate Reading of Revelation |
Date: 2008-07-08 |
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Details: Like other reviewers, I fear that those who would most benefit from reading this book are already too close-minded for it. God loves the world and is coming back to live with us on earth. The escapist "end times" scenario of the dispensationalists is just plain dangerous for the entire planet. If you've been convinced that you're going to be raptured away while the rest of humanity is destroyed, you've been sold a bill of goods. Please read this book. |
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