10 Common Questions Concerning A First-Century Rapture
I haven’t always held to a first-century rapture. For forty years I held to a future rapture. Then, in 2023, I began studying the rapture. As a result of this study, I have concluded it took place in AD 66, just prior to the Jewish-Roman War (66-70).
To learn more about the Jewish-Roman War, Click Here.
This is difficult for many people to accept. It was for me also. It was emotionally and spiritually challenging for me to believe the rapture actually occurred in AD 66. That was certainly not what I was taught.
Yet after much study, I am convinced the rapture occurred in the first-century.
Since this time, I have discovered there are others who hold to a first-century rapture. In the ten questions below, I have links to some of their teachings. In their teachings, they answer ten of the most commonly asked questions concerning a first-century rapture.
In the ten questions, I also have links to my own teachings concerning the rapture.
Because I have not studied all the teachings of those linked, I can’t endorse their other beliefs. I provide the links to their teachings on the rapture as resources for those desiring to study a first-century rapture.
As you study the possibility of a first-century rapture, I highly recommend Ed Steven’s excellent book:
Expectations Demand A First Century Rapture
Before reading the questions, I encourage you to listen to a series of teachings I have done on the rapture.
- Jesus Taken To Heaven And The Rapture - Part One
YouTube Notes
- Jesus Taken To Heaven And The Rapture - Part Two
YouTube Notes
- Jesus Taken To Heaven And The Rapture - Part Three (Available on 8-7-25)
YouTube Notes
Question #1 - Irenaeus
What about Irenaeus who wrote around AD 180 that John was alive in AD 90 and wrote Revelation? If John was alive in AD 90, then he was not raptured. Therefore, the rapture could not have taken place pre-AD 70.
Those who hold to a post-AD 70 writing of Revelation form their opinion based on one historical source and one unclear sentence written by Irenaeus. However, there is widespread disagreement among historical scholars on the meaning of this sentence. In the link below, I provide articles, books, and videos stating that Revelation was written around the time of AD 65. Many of these resources address Irenaeus’ controversial sentence.
Question #2: Polycarp
If John discipled Polycarp, and Polycarp was born around AD 69, then how could John disciple Polycarp if he had been taken in a pre-AD 70 rapture? Doesn’t John discipling Polycarp refute a pre-AD 70 rapture? And why doesn’t Polycarp mention the rapture in his writings?
Ed Steven has written extensively and taught on his podcast about a first-century rapture relating to John and Polycarp. The links are below.
- Did John Live Beyond AD 70? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Why Was Polycarp Not Raptured? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Additional Articles Relating To John And The Rapture (Ed Stevens PDF)
- John Wrote Between AD 60-63 (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- Rapture Questions Answered (Ed Stevens Podcast)
Question #3: Clement
Since Paul mentioned Clement in Philippians 4:3, and the Catholic church states this same Clement was a pope in Rome in AD 95, then how could the rapture have taken place prior to AD 70?
- Why Wasn’t Clement Rapture? (ED Stevens PDF)
Question #4: Barnabas
If the rapture was pre-AD 70, how do you explain the post-AD 70 deaths of the disciples of Jesus and others who we read about in the Bible such as Barnabas?
- PT1: Examining The Historical Problems Concerning A First-Century Rapture (Ed Steven’s Podcast)
- PT2: Examining The Historical Problems Concerning A First-Century Rapture (Ed Steven’s Podcast - Barnabas)
- PT3: Examining The Historical Problems Concerning A First-Century Rapture (Ed Steven’s Podcast - Barnabas)
Question #5: No One Saw The Rapture
Why did no one notice or write about a pre-AD 70 rapture, since many people would have been missing from earth or seen leaving earth and going to heaven?
- Why Did No One Notice The Rapture? (Ed Stephens PDF)
- Why Did No One Report On The Rapture? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Why Was There Silence After The Rapture? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Where Did The Christians Go? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Where Did The Christians Go? (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- How Many Christian Were Alive When The Raptured Occurred? (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- Why Didn’t History Record The Rapture (Jim Gallagher Video)
Question #6: Graves Opened At The Resurrection Of The Dead
Wouldn’t the graves of dead believers being opened at the rapture been seen and reported by many people?
- The Resurrection of the Dead and the Rapture (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
- Resurrection Out of Sheol/Hades (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
- Why Were Bodies Not Raised From The Grave? (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
- Who And Where Were The Dead (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
- Giving Life To Mortal Bodies, Romans 8 (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
- Resurrection And Change (Ed Stevens - Podcast)
Question #7: Evangelism After The Rapture
If all believers were taken to heaven in a pre-AD 70 rapture, then how did people hear about Jesus following the rapture?
- How Did People Hear About Jesus After The Rapture? (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Some Objections To An AD 66 Rapture Answered (Tom Riggle-Article)
- Additional Rapture Articles (Tom Riggle-Article)
- Why Didn’t History Record The Rapture (Jim Gallagher Video)
Question #8: The Writings Of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
If Matthew, Mark, Luke, And John were written after AD 70, doesn’t this refute a pre-AD 70 Rapture?
- Dating The Four Gospels (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- Apostolic Canonization — PT 1 (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- Apostolic Canonization — PT 2 (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- Apostolic Canonization — PT 3 (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- The New Testament Canon Was Complete By AD 70 (Ed Stephens PDF)
Question #9: John 17:15
Didn’t Jesus Ask The Father Not To Take The Disciples Out Of The World?
In his prayer, Jesus acknowledges he is coming to the Father now. His prayer was asking the Father to protect the disciples once he was taken out of the world.
Jesus confirms to the Father that he is not asking the Father to take the disciples out of the world at the same time the Father takes Jesus out of the world.
Prior to John 17:15, Jesus stated that he (Jesus) would come back and take the disciples to be where he is…in heaven, the Father’s house (John 14:1-3). Based on what Jesus said directly to the disciples, we can reasonably conclude Jesus himself would come back and take the disciples to be with him in heaven.
In context, John 17:15 is a reference to the Father not taking the disciples out of the world when he took Jesus out of the world, while the statements of Jesus to his disciples were about Jesus coming back later to take the disciples to be where he is…with the Father in heaven, the Father’s house.
- John 17:15 - Don’t Take Them Out Now (Ed Stevens PDF)
- John 17:15 - Responding To The Critics (Ed Stevens PDF)
- Jesus Taken To Heaven And The Rapture - Part One (Brad Robertson Video)
- Jesus Taken To Heaven And The Rapture - Part One (Brad Robertson Notes)
- John 14 In My Father’s House Are Many Dwelling Places (Ed Stevens)
- John 17:15 In Context (Tom Riggle)
Question #10: Church Fathers
What About The Church Father’s Not Writing About the Rapture?
Before answering this question, let’s define early church fathers. The early church fathers were church leaders and writers, starting around AD 96 with Clement of Rome, whose writings were preserved through manuscripts. No one has the original writings. However, manuscripts (copies of the original written documents) of their writings exist. The question is: Should the writings of the early church fathers be fully trusted as accurate in everything written?
Because there was much disagreement among the early church fathers, it is impossible to trust the complete accuracy of everything they wrote. If they were completely accurate in everything they wrote, they would all be in agreement.
These writers were fallible humans, capable of being wrong about some things, while at the same time being right about other things.
Though they were sincere in their writings, sincerity doesn’t automatically produce accuracy. Many sincere people have been wrong over the course of history. Yet it doesn’t mean they were wrong about everything.
It is much like today, many church and ministry leaders write books; yet there is widespread disagreement among them. Therefore, everything written by these leaders is not accurate. Modern-day writers may be sincere. However, it does not exclude them from being wrong nor does it mean everything they have written is wrong.
How do we determine what is accurate and not accurate?
The standard of accuracy is the Bible, not the writings of those outside the Bible. The accuracy of people’s writings, no matter what period of time written, must be measured against the Bible. Therefore, the accuracy of what was written by the Church fathers must be measured against the Bible.
- Rapture Questions Answered (Ed Stevens Podcast)
- New Testament Eschatology: What The Early Church Believed About Eschatology (Gary DeMar)
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