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About This Quiz
Predicting when the world will end is something that humans have been doing at least since the Common Era (or AD). And these predictions had major consequences.
As far as we know, within the first millennium, it seemed that people mainly of Judaic or Christian backgrounds had these apocalyptic predictions. There were also mathematicians, astrologers, astronomers, and others who made end-time predictions.Â
Some of these predictions have caused riots, people fleeing their homes, people taking suicide pacts, and a mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem.Â
A few of these predictions were based off of current events, such as the Black Death in Europe during the 14th century and the bubonic plague which killed 100,000 Londoners in 1666. New England's Dark Day on May 19, 1790 was felt to be the end of the world because it was dark during the day. But that was caused by smog and cloud cover.
But the Rapture doctrine is not necessarily about death and destruction. It is unique because of its sudden nature, where millions of people vanish off the face of the Earth--but they don't die. They're taken up to Heaven.Â
This Christian doctrine sprung up in the mid-19th century and has become more widely believed by Americans. This event has been sung about, preached about, and has been portrayed in TV series, movies and books.
So let's see if you'll be caught up in this quiz about the Rapture or if you'll be left behind. Good luck!
Within the context of Christianity, what is the Rapture?
A song by Blondie
A British band
The doctrine that true believers will be suddenly taken to heaven when Christ returns
The Second Coming of Christ is the event that triggers the Rapture. Mainly evangelical Christians believe in this doctrine.
Intense pleasure or joy
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Who popularized the doctrine of the Rapture?
George Whitefield
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby was a British preacher who was a part of a movement called the Plymouth Brethren. He and the movement's ideas on the end-times influenced American Christianity.
Billy Graham
Dwight L. Moody
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Who was the 15-year-old Scottish girl whose vision likely helped to popularize the Rapture in Europe?
Bonnylee Urie
Jannet Bratten
Margaret McDonald
In 1820, Margaret McDonald had a vision of a fiery end to the world, yet there was a select few who would be saved. Her visions were considered to be demonic, but still influenced European views on the Rapture when they were published in her memoirs and in other books.
Nairne McCathern
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When was John Darby's theory on the Rapture first created?
1817
1827
It may seem like the Rapture just became popular within the past few decades. But this doctrine first came on the scene almost centuries ago.
1850
1866
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Published in 1909, this Bible was influenced by John Darby and helped to promote the Rapture?
Scofield Reference Bible
John Darby began teaching in North America about the Rapture and he met James Brookes, a writer and preacher in Missouri. Cyrus Ingerson Scofield was also an American preacher, writer and theologian who was influenced by Darby's teachings via his mentor, Brookes.
King James Version
New King James Version
New International Version
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What Bible verses are typically pointed to as the main description and prediction of the Rapture?
John 1:1
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
In verse 17, it says that "we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." In the context of other parts of the New Testament, "caught up" is interpreted to have a heavenly connotation to it.
Psalm 23
Psalm 151
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Who predicted Jesus' return would be 500 AD?
Hippolytus
Hippolytus of Rome was a theologian and local church leader. He was a follower of Irenaeus, a Greek cleric who also predicted Jesus' return for this date. Hippolytus wrote the book On Christ and the Antichrist.
Pope Sylvester II
Hilary of Poitiers
Beatus of Liébana
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Who predicted the second coming of Christ would be in 500 AD and then revised his prediction to 800 AD?
Simon bar Giora
Pope Sylvester II
Sextus Julius Africanus
Sextus Julius Africanus was a Christian historian and traveler from Jerusalem. He saw the world coming to an end after 6,000 years of existence. He then revised the prediction to 800 AD.
Thiota
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What co-founder of the Methodist denomination thought the Millennium would begin in 1836?
Peter Cartwright
Daniel Rowland
John Wesley
Theologian John Wesley thought Jesus would return between 1058–1836. He used Revelation 12:14 as the verse to calculate this period.
William Booth
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What is the date of the failed prediction of Christ's return, dubbed the "Great Disappointment"?
January 1, 1844
October 22, 1844
Baptist minister William Miller used the prophecy of Daniel 8 to calculate this date, which he called the Advent. Many of his followers, the Millerites, had given up all their possessions in preparation for this day, so many followers were disillusioned when nothing happened. Afterward, some Millerites founded the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Adventist Christian church.
October 10, 1844
December 25, 1844
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Who believed that the Rapture would happen in 1878, four years after Christ's secret return?
A.H. Macmillan
Joseph Rutherford
Charles Taze Russell
Russell, whose teachings are foundational to the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination, had other predictions connected to Christ's return. These predictions included the resurrection of the saints (1875) and the "day of wrath," which would end the world in 1914.
Nelson Barbour
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Who predicted the Rapture would happen four different times?
Bob Jones Sr.
Jerry Falwell
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert Armstrong called himself an Apostle and founded the Worldwide Church of God. He predicted the Rapture would happen in 1936, 1943, 1972 and 1975. After those failed predictions, he lost followers and decided not to give exact dates anymore.
Billy Graham
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Who wrote the book "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988"?
Jerry Falwell
Timothy Dwight IV
Edgar C. Whisenant
Whisenant was a former NASA engineer who sold more than 4 million copies of his book. Based on this book, Trinity Broadcasting Network showed special programming of how to deal with the Rapture. Whisenant continued to revise this date between 1989 through 1997, after which no other predictions came.
James Harmston
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Who wrote the book "1994?" and gave various other predictions about Christ's return?
Harold Camping
Christian radio broadcaster Camping's book stated that Jesus would return on September 6, 1994. He then predicted the Rapture would occur on May 21, 2011, with five months of plagues and fire and brimstone millions of people dying, and October 21, 2011, as the last day of the world. These predictions and​ their failures received global attention.
Benjamin Creme
Rudolf Steiner
Joseph Morris
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What famous physicist predicted that the end of the world would be in 2000?
Albert Einstein
Richard Feynman
Sir Isaac Newton
Newton wrote in his book, "Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John" that the world would end in 2000. This book was published after his death. His religious views would have been considered as heretical because of his rejection of the Trinity (Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit).
Stephen Hawking
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Which pastor wrote the book,"The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000"?
Richard Brothers
John Wroe
Ed Dobson
Ed Dobson once lead the conservative political group, Moral Majority, which was dissolved in the late 1980s and was associated with Jerry Falwell. The book was published in 1997 and describes how Biblical prophecy applied to the current times.
Jerry Falwell
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Who founded the ​Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God and provided three occasions of when Jesus would return?
Herbert W. Armstrong
Ronald Weinland
Weinland, who went to prison for tax evasion, predicted Christ's return would happen on September 29, 2011, May 27, 2012 and May 18, 2013. He has published other books with apocalyptic predictions, and his latest predicted date is June 8, 2019, the eve of Pentecost.
Rudolf Steiner
Benjamin Creme
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What televangelist cited Mayan prophecy for his prediction Christ's return in 2012?
Benny Hinn
Joel Osteen
Kirk Cameron
Jack Van Impe
Van Impe has given many dates and predictions about the return of Christ. His TV show, Jack Van Impe Presents, focuses on his interpretations of the end times.
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Who conceptualized the Blood Moon Prophecy?
John Wimber
T.D. Jakes
Mark Biltz
Biltz is a pastor who focuses on Messianic prophecies, and he believed that beginning in 2014, four consecutive total lunar eclipses which coincided with Jewish holidays was the beginning of the end. This series of eclipses ended on September 27-28, 2015, which was when Jesus was to return to the Earth. Pastor John Hagee seized upon this idea and wrote "Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change," which became a best seller.
Joyce Meyer
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What branch of Christian theology studies concepts such as the Rapture, heaven, and hell?
Eschatology
Eschatology, in Greek, means the study of end things (the Greek word eschatos means last). Christian eschatology studies other topics, including millennialism, Judgment Day and the New Heaven and New Earth. These ideas come from biblical prophecies but also from prophecies of other people.
Cosmology
Hamartiology
Soteriology
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Some evangelical Christians view what teaching from Jesus as a prophecy of the end times?
Sermon on the Mount
Parable of the Sower
The Prodigal Son
Olivet Discourse
This discourse has some vivid imagery about natural disasters and celestial events (e.g., the sun and moon losing their light), called the Day of the Lord. Jesus also talks about the "Son of Man" coming after those celestial events. It's not totally clear if Jesus is referring to himself or some other entity.
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What doctrine states that Jesus will return before the millennium, the peaceful period lasting exactly 1,000 years on Earth?
Millennialism
Postmillennialism
Premillennialism
Premillennialism is the large umbrella doctrine that mainly evangelical Christians believe, which is under the larger umbrella of Millennialism, that there will be 1,000 years of peace before Judgment Day. Millennialism comes from Revelation 20, which talks about this golden age of peace. For premillennialists, the Rapture is something to prepare for, because premillennialists believe the Second Coming is imminent.
Amillennialism
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Which doctrinal perspective puts the Rapture occurring after the millennium?
Premillennialism
Postmillennialism
The millennium may or may not be a literal 1,000 years for a postmillennialist. At the heart of this doctrine is a social gospel perspective, where Christian values should be used to make the world a better place. So a postmillennial view of the Rapture is that this was something to work toward through good works, instead of something to prepare for like a premillennialist.
Amillennialism
Millennialism
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Which perspective has the Rapture happening on the Day of Judgment and also believes the millennium is more symbolic than literal?
Millennialism
Postmillennialism
Amillennialism
Also known as now-millennialism and realized millennialism, amillennialism asserts that this more symbolic millennium is currently happening. This perspective is more popular in Orthodox, Catholic and mainline Protestant churches.
Premillennialism
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In the timeline of the Apocalypse, what is the Great Tribulation?
A period of suffering, war, false prophets and natural disasters that comes in the end times
Jesus spoke about the Great Tribulation at great length in his Olivet Discourse and it is also mentioned in the Book of Revelations. This period is supposed to last seven years.
A day when God judges everyone
The time when all sinners go to hell
Any day on which ou're having a tough time
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Which perspective of the end times puts the Rapture occurring before the Great Tribulation?
Mid-tribulation
Pre-tribulation
The pre-tribulation perspective is a popular one, with prominent evangelical leaders, such as John Hagee, Jimmy Swaggart, and Jack Van Impe, preaching and teaching this position. In 1827, John Darby introduced this viewpoint. Pre-tribulation premillennialists believe the Second Coming of Christ comes after the tribulation period.
Post-tribulation
Prewrath
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What viewpoint has the Rapture occurring at the end of the Great Tribulation but before the Day of the Lord?
Pre-tribulation
Prewrath
The prewrath viewpoint is tied to the timeline of the opening of the seven seals, part of the vision described in the Book of Revelation. Specifically, the Rapture will occur after the opening of the sixth seal (which has the events of the Day of the Lord and the outpouring of God's wrath). This also means the chosen ones would escape the subsequent seven bowls full of plagues.
Mid-tribulation
Post-tribulation
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Who co-authored the popular "Left Behind" book series?
Tim LaHaye
Tim LaHaye created the concept of the best-selling "Left Behind" series which depicts life in a pretribulation, premillennialist world after the Rapture. His co-author, Jerry B. Jenkins, wrote the books from LaHaye's notes. The "Left Behind" series contains 16 novels and four movies.
Bill Moyers
John Hagee
Russell Doughten
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Published in 1970, what book examined biblical prophecies with current events?
The Omega Trilogy
Rift in Time
The Late, Great Planet Earth
Hal Lindsey and Carole Carlson's book sold 35 million copies by 1999, initially sold in Christian bookstores and then in secular bookstores. This book was adapted into a film in 1977, narrated by Orson Welles. Although it sold millions of copies, the book was highly criticized by scholars as being theologically incorrect.
We All Fall Down
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Who created the "Thief in the Night" film series of the 1970s and 1980s?
J.B. Simmons
Jack Chick
Hal Lindsey
Russell Doughten
Russell Doughten created this influential series of movies: "A Thief in the Night" (1972), "A Distant Thunder" (1978), "Image of the Beast" (1980), and "The Prodigal Planet" (1983). Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, authors of the "Left Behind" series, said Doughten's film series was the main influence for their book series. "The Battle of Armageddon" was planned to be the fifth film, but it was never made. Doughten died in 2013.
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Who sang the Rapture-inspired song which was featured in "A Thief in the Night," 'I Wish We'd All Been Ready'?
Jim Bakker
Larry Norman
Larry Norman was a controversial but innovative figure because he fused Christian lyrics with rock music. 'I Wish We'd All Been Ready' was one of the first Christian rock hits.
Clifton Davis
Kirk Cameron
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What 1981 movie focuses on living in a cashless society and people having to accept a mark?
The Mark-Up
Time Bandits
Years of the Beast
"Years of the Beast" is an obscure film that seems to be about life living under the Antichrist, who is called the Prince of This World. The movie is based on a novel by the same name, written by Leon Chambers.
Wolfen
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What 1991 film starring Mimi Rogers told the story of a woman and her experience with Christianity and the Rapture?
Sleeping with the Enemy
Dead Again
The Rapture
After the big boom of apocalyptic movies in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a bit of a lull until "The Rapture" was released. The movie has more of a non-religious point of view about religious beliefs.
Once Around
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Which 2001 film stars Corbin Bernsen and Mr. T, where a lawyer puts God on trial?
The Others
Apocalypse IV: Judgment
This film was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures (a company which had produced the first "Left Behind" movie and the next two sequels). "Apocalypse IV: Judgment" is part of the 4-part Apocalypse series that explores the Rapture, a unified world with an Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast.
Enemy at the Gates
K-PAX
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Based on a novel, which HBO show explored a Rapture-like event and the aftermath?
The Walking Dead
Jeremiah
Terra Nova
The Leftovers
"The Leftovers" is another work that explores a world where 2 percent of the population vanishes. It's not clear why the people in this TV series vanished, although some viewers and fans speculate it was because the Rapture had happened.
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