There are lots of wars and conflicts going on in this world, and the ONE theme that I hear often is about rapture.
That we are going to escape this.
But not only is rapture unbiblical, but also the emphasis becomes:
- Leaving the earth
- Escaping judgment
- Being taken away
And slowly, without realizing it, our hope shifts from restoration… to evacuation.
What the Resurrection Actually Means
According to N. T. Wright in his book Surprised by Hope, the resurrection of Jesus was never about escape.
It was about new creation beginning.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t abandon the world—He stepped back into it, in a transformed body.
Hmm. Interesting.
The resurrection is not:
“This world is over, let’s move on”
It is:
“This world is broken… and God has begun fixing it”
God Is Not Scrapping Creation
Wright puts it simply:
God doesn’t say, “Creation was decent for a while—let’s throw it away.”
He says:
Creation is so good… that I’m going to redeem it.
This means:
- Heaven is not the final destination
- New creation is
Not us going up to heaven forever…
But heaven and earth being brought together.
“Heaven Coming to Earth”
This is the language of Scripture:
- “New heavens and new earth”
- “The dwelling of God with man”
- “All things made new”
The Christian hope is not:
“We are leaving the earth”
It is:
“God is renewing the earth—and we are raised into that reality”
Every tree.
Every river.
Every broken system.
Every injustice.
Not discarded—restored.
What Happens When We Get This Wrong
When the story becomes about escape, something subtle happens to how we live. I remember back in 2010 when I heard about the imminence of rapture I remember stepping out of my hostel, and walking around the whole college, really amazed that all of this is going to “destroyed”.
I began to think:
- “Why care? It’s all going to burn anyway.”
- “This world isn’t really my home.”
- “Let’s just survive until the end.”
And that led to:
- Disengagement from society
- Apathy toward injustice
- Neglect of creation
- Fear-based thinking about the future
But for resurrection, it isn’t about escaping, but about restoration.
Final Thought
Are we living like resurrection is the goal… or escape is?
Because the Christian hope has never been:
“God will rescue us from the world”
It has always been:
“God will raise us—and restore the world with us.
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