Do Lutherans believe in the Rapture?

Strangely, the answer is both yes and no. Yes, if we are referring to the event that Paul
mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where Christians who are living and are already dead will
rise and be "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again after
which will be the final judgment. And no, if we are talking about the "Secret Rapture"
popularised by Dispensatonalists and which has engendered much literatures and pop fictions
such as Tim La Haye's End Time series.
Dr. Thomas E. Manteufel of Concordia Seminary pointed out there are more than meets the
eyes than what "Secret Rapture" suggests. Dispensationalists are reading more into what Paul
is actually teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. He highlighted 3 serious problems with this
dispensational teaching.
1. Dispensationalist teach that dispensation of the church will end at the rapture and a new
dispensation will begin. Lutherans believe that after the rapture is the final judgment.
2. Dispensationalists such as Scofield wrongly teach that each dispensation has a different
revelation from God, before the rapture it was the gospel of grace, after the rapture it is the
gospel of the kingdom. Thus the way man is saved is different in each dispensation. This is not
correct.
3. Dispensationalists teach that after the rapture some people will be given a second chance to
repent and believe during the tribulation. This is again wrong.
The "Secret Rapture" theory erroneoulsy based on Matthew 24:40-41 portrays that some people
will mysteriously vanish from the earth while others are left behind. However in the context of
Matt 24:36-42, Jesus is just telling his disciples to be watchful for his second coming, He is NOT
describing how the rapture happens.
I did some commentary research on how Bible scholars interpret who are the ones "taken" and
who are the ones "left" behind in Matt 24:40-41 and realised they are quite evenly divided on
this. Some example like Craig Blomberg, David Turner and others interpret the "taken" to be the
wicked based on the earlier Noah narrative where the wicked were "taken" by the flood, the
righteous were left. Other scholars interpret "taken" in vv 40-41 to mean taken to paradise.
Theologian Barbara Rossing of the ELCA has written a compelling book "The Rapture Exposed"
which debunks the Secret Rapture theory.
TTC Theologian Roland Chia has also written a very readable book called "Hope for the World"
which provides a good counter-balancing amillennial perspective to local Singapore literatures
and discourses on eschatology which often articulate the Dispensational view.
In conclusion, Lutherans do believe in the rapture of the saints but not in the "Secret Rapture"
as taught by dispensationalists
- Martin Yee