The Rapture & Scared Children

*WARNING: This contains material which may be triggering to some*

Rapture drills. Hell House. End-time revivals. The Y2K scare. Have you experienced them? Children have been left traumatized by these, scared to death they may be left behind while their parents and others are taken away to be with God. Even later as adults, some suffer from PTSD due to how these teachings were instilled in them.

For those unfamiliar with rapture drills, these would happen with the young people at a church or camp meeting. Sometimes there would first be a fear based message on the rapture and then the drill would be held. One explanation I heard was that they would hold a Bible or songbook and on the count of three everyone would drop theirs. This was to show how sudden and unexpected the rapture would be. Then it was emphasized the need to do certain things in order to be ready.

Several years back, I found on DVD the old series of movies from Mark IV pictures on the end-times. Remember A Thief in the Night, Distant Thunder, The Image of the Beast and The Prodigal Planet. They were shown at my former United Pentecostal Church. When I watched them once again, years after leaving, they left me feeling much different and with a bad taste in my mouth. I no longer cared for them.

I firmly believe adults and children should not be scared into following God. While there is a time and place to teach about eternity and unbelief, the message to those who do not know Jesus should be the Gospel – the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is about how God so loved the world and what this means to them. The message is about a new life in Christ. It is Good News; anything other than this is NOT good.

It is no wonder many have a distorted view of God when they hear more about hell, torment, and being lost than they do about God’s love and mercy and grace. Scaring people into believing isn’t the way, whether that be through end-time movies, rapture drills, threats concerning standards, tongues, or anything else.

I am going to share some excerpts of a blog that shows how this affected a young girl who was raised in the United Pentecostal Church.

The second coming of Christ was presented as a real and present danger of everyday life. Jesus could return at any moment, with one loud trumpet blast by way of announcement. If you were not saved you would be left on earth, which would become hell, complete with Satan, fire and demons, where you would burn forever and ever. Everyone who had followed directions would be whisked away to heaven and it was all going to happen in the blink of an eye. Let’s just say I had some anxiety as a child.

Anyway, I repented about a million times for my kindergarten sins and got baptized when I was six.

…Up until then, the fear of hell was real. I couldn’t go to sleep at night, especially after church. Preacher after preacher …would tell tall tales of untimely deaths and tragic accidents. …My dad said he didn’t believe we were going to get out without a scratch; meaning some of us would be tortured and killed for our beliefs before the rapture. So he was no help getting to sleep.

There was a traveling evangelist named Brother Richard Heard. He would visit the church, preaching nightly, sometimes for weeks at a time. The Rapture was his thing. He could scare the shit out of you before halftime. I distinctly remember him saying, “I don’t think we are going to see 1977.” It was 1976, I was 10 years old and had to sing myself to sleep with happy little tunes to shut out the voices.

Another former Christian has a very good article about his evangelical experiences.

One stormy night in the summer of 1992, I walked down the basement steps of my parents’ house to await the apocalypse. The Iowa air was thick with humidity, the ominous green sky prophesying a tornado. My 10-year-old hands trembled as I laid out my inventory: animal crackers, juice boxes, a Bible, and every sharp knife in the kitchen.

My parents were home late and my first thought was that they’d been raptured up to heaven. I was a sinner who had been left behind to face the Earth’s destruction.

Unfortunately, countless children have lived in fear that was caused by grown-ups. I think many do not stop and think before speaking to a child about something that even scares adults. How do you expect a young child to process teachings on the rapture, hell or the book of Revelation?

Please allow your children to be children and have a childhood. They already have more than enough to handle with how some things are in this world. Teach about the love of God, his mercy and goodness, and don’t tell stories that scare them half to death, causing them to live in fear. Some children are more sensitive, internalizing and taking these things very seriously and it can have devastating long-term effects.

If you were harmed by these, my heart goes out to you. It should have never happened.

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Author: Lois

I was a member of the United Pentecostal Church for just under 13 years and was a licensed minister during a short part of that time. I am the owner of the SpiritualAbuse.org website, which was started four years after leaving. I am originally from southern New Jersey.

27 thoughts on “The Rapture & Scared Children”

  1. This blog hit home for me. I must say that I may have sang Jesus Loves Me as a little girl but I didn’t believe it.

  2. That kind of teaching can be scary enough for adults let alone children. It also makes you feel guilty if you are not eagerly looking forward to the Rapture as that means, according to these teachers, you are either lacking in faith or too attached to “the world”.

  3. I understand what you are TRYING to say…

    I will keep this short and sweet

    🙂

    So much I could say…but…..

    If you simply read the Gospels-Jesus himself spoke of and WARNED against hell-three times MORE than He spoke of heaven . . .

    Once again, I understand what you are TRYING to say . . . but 🙂

    – – – –

    Scripture says ” The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10 )

    Respectfully~

    1. This is coming from someone who was fortunate enough not to be severely traumatized as a child by the evil “Thief in the Night” films. I say evil because they have led so many people away from God, and they have caused so many innocent children to not only live in constant fear in childhood, but to also carry it with them into adult hood. I won’t tell my story here, but I watched those films when I was 6 years old. I was left with lasting debilitating fear of God. I wanted to Him. I needed Him. But there was so much fear associated with Him that I couldn’t trust. In fact, I couldn’t even have a normal life. All I could do was try to cope. I ended up pregnant at 15, and nearly died due to toxemia. Thankfully, in my mid twenties, God (the real One) “saved” me. I hate that term. I know now how evil it is to program fear in children. God commands us over and over and over in His Word to fear not and to be anxious for nothing. He also says to trust Him. Children naturally want to do this. The bible also says that it would be better to hang a millstone around your neck and be cast into the sea rather than to offend one of these little ones. There sure have been a lot of “little ones” who have suffered mercilessly because of these movies, and many turned away from God because of them. Lord help us. I can definitely understand why someone would turn away. It’s the only way to cope with the pain and trauma.

    2. Man taught and communicated that. God is love, if that is true, then why have children to watch horrible movies where they literally chop off a young womans head with the guiluten behind the church. These movies twist the words into a visual trauma for many people. Lots of kids. Not like the movies we know are fake. The horrors are presented as factual.SHAME SHAME on these movies

    3. This is just not true… There are 1900 verses that Jesus spoke in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 60 (3%) of them were related to the topic of Hell or punishment. There were 193 (10%) related to heaven or eternity. The other 87% of his words were about God, Relationships and living a victorious life. Jesus spoke 3x more about Heaven. Read the book!

      Kids should know that “God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten son”. This is what resonates with them. That someone loves us so much that he would send is own son to die to have a relationship with us.

      I was one of the kids traumatized by fearful messages, but didnt come to the Lord because of it. I came to the Lord in spite of it. I wanted to know him because he loves me!

    4. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because you are seeking understanding. It is not unfounded fear based in lies about what is contained in scripture. If you seek, you find that out and in doing so, you have a better understanding of who God is.

      God doesn’t need people to be scared into obeying Him. That’s a sick concept. Something along the lines of Nazis and brown shirts.

  4. First of all, I am so sorry to learn that you and others had such a terrifying introduction to the Rapture (and other aspects of future things).

    I grew up in a liberal mainline church where the minister did not believe in the personal return of Christ. I never heard of the Rapture until after I came to faith although I expected Christ to return imminently. I didn’t even know there were more details to know. (In that liberal church, I didn’t even know I wasn’t a Christian.)

    When I did hear about it (I think I read about it in THE LATE, GREAT PLANET EARTH), it wasn’t scary. As a young believer (converted at 19), I was concerned about my parents, who I thought were not saved. I was curious whether it would be possible for them to come to faith after the Rapture. I wasn’t desperate for them or for anyone else beyond a normal urgency for all people.

    I never heard ANYTHING like this from the above: “If you were not saved you would be left on earth, which would become hell, complete with Satan, fire and demons, where you would burn forever and ever.”

    As a much older Christian, I now believe knowing about the Rapture and believing in it is helpful. The Apostle Paul used the Lord’s imminent return to spur his readers to faithfulness, good works, hope for rewards, and hope to see their Savior from heaven.

    It seems to me that as Paul told Felix (?) about sin and righteousness and judgment, we should also be candid about them in our ministries. In addition, the Bible speaks of so much more than a relationship with God–it gives details of God’s purposes to sum all things up in Christ, and then for Christ to hand His kingdom over to the Father. The Rapture is part of that, and He invites everyone to take part in it as part of our citizenship in heaven and in His kingdom.

  5. At a young age I was exposed to the movie series “A Thief in the night” and it left me traumatized. I would constantly live in fear that the rapture had happened and I was left behind. I would wake up in the middle of the night and was convinced that it happened, I would go to my parents room and see if they were still sleeping, once I saw they were in their bed I could go back to sleep. This happened often, and caused a lot of anxiety. I was raised Pentecostal and the preaching of hell and fire/brimstone was done often. We had a play come through our church called Heavens gates and Hells Flames….another scare tactic. This was my upbringing and now at 40 years I still suffer from Rapture anxiety and I think a form of PTSD. When I was about 20 years old my husband (then boyfriend) wanted to see the Arnold Swarzenegger movie End of Days… I went with him to see it and ended up freaking out because it brought up so many traumatic feelings about the rapture. So here I am and as someone who has been a Christian her whole life (baptized at age 11) I am having a crisis of faith and don’t even know what to believe anymore. I believe in Jesus and I want to believe in God but have a difficult time with his wrath and the teachings of hell. for the most part I avoid conversations that have to do with the “end times” as my stomach gets all twisty and knotted. I’m confused and hurt by how I was raised.

    1. I am so sorry you were subject to all of that as a child. I am very opposed to using scare tactics like this on adults and it should never happen to children. The message in the Gospels was that “God so loved the world…” It was not you will be left behind. If you feel you would like a private safe place to discuss things, you may want to consider joining our support group. The one on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/groups/813830865371192/ We also have one not part of FB.

  6. I was raised Pentecostal and I used to be afraid to be alone because I was afraid the Rapture happened and I was about 7 8 9 years old

  7. Hi.
    I’m 18 years old and this past year has been an absolute anxiety hell (pardon the phrase) for me.
    I was exposed all growing up in Sunday classes about how the mark of the beast/antichrist/end days was all playing out before our eyes.
    I was about 7 years old when I was first introduced to all of this, and in hindsight I fear I was scared into wanting to be baptized at such a younge age.
    My parents thankfully never went into it with us at home, but I couldn’t escape the disussion I’m my kids church classes.

    Most of my fears were on the back burner for the past decade, and i had only ever struggled with social anxiety issues, but then around this time last year all of a sudden it all flooded back. Every single thing that paralyzed me as a child hit me ten fold, and I’ve been dragging myself over the finish line of each day emotionally.
    I have ZERO idea what to do.
    My pastor is a prepper, it’s all anyone seems to be talking about right now. Everything that’s going on in the political climate seems to be spiraling in that direction and everyone is so welcoming of disaster and human suffering.
    I’ve DREAMT my whole life of getting married, having a large family and have always felt called to adopt and foster children, but with the way the world is it seems there’s no time. Certain things I felt promised as a teenager seem they will not have any time to come to fruition.
    I’m in such suffering and I feel its driving me away from Christ, for fear and such a feeling of disparity. Anytime I’m given advice it’s people telling me I’m not close enough to Christ, and that I’m not doing good enough if I’m not “longing for Armageddon.”
    So I thank you for this article, and would ask for any prayer and advice you could possibly give me.
    I feel like I’m the only one in the world right now feeling like this.

    1. If your church is pushing this thought right now, I would suggest you consider taking a vacation from attending there for awhile so you are not constantly being exposed to it. Consider that many churches and groups have been claiming this is all right around the corner for many, many years- decades of fear. They jump at any turmoil in the world or new war and run with it. It’s also a big money maker for some- there are entire ministries based upon scaring people that ‘end times’ are right around the corner. Then that crisis/bad event comes and goes and nothing happens and then they run with the next event, attempting to tie it in with ‘end times.’ Since this has hit you so hard and is affecting how you live, I would strongly suggest seeing a professional therapist who can help guide you through it all and how you are processing it. We also have a Christian based support group on Facebook that you may wish to consider, though it does not involve professional counseling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/813830865371192/about/

    2. I pray all of that hasn’t left you with a lack of trust in the Bible, Emma Giesecke, because what they have done is corrupted the Scriptures – NOT interpret them.
      That said, if you will read Scripture through the lens Adam might have had before he turned his back on God (“My Father loves me. He’s with me and we live our lives together.”) and that, just as you can relate to other people – one individual to another – you can have a relationship w/ Jesus.
      Here’s to your success in becoming free FROM religion (which teaches He is a doctrine, denomination &/or series of ideas & rules) and free IN the perfect love & acceptance Jesus has for you. God bless

  8. When I was 12 I went to an evangelical church. It was the harvest fest and they showed a video of what the world would be like after the rapture. Everyday I was scared. I lived near train tracks so whenever I heard a train horn blow I thought I was left behind and I would die a horrible death. It’s nice to know I’m not alone about being scared of this… when I tell older people at church about my fear, they say the rapture is good for us Chirtians! It is a time of rejoice and happiness!” So how come I cant but be sad that if the rapture happens now I’ll never be able to experience life the way I always wanted? Fall in love, lose my virginity, start a family and have kids?… I’m only 19 now but I know that’s something I wanted for my self in the future…my feelings are just torn cause of this… What if I accidentally sin and dont even know it and then the rapture happens?? I cant help but to be scared…

    1. Certain groups have been yelling for decades that the end is near and the rapture is about to happen. In every single case, it did not happen. I know that the time we live in now, due to COVID-19, some are once again using a world event to spread doom and gloom and scare people into remaining or becoming Christians. It is wrong and I am sorry that you are being affected by this. This isn’t the end time and there’s no rapture about to happen. In fact, the majority of Christians that have lived never believed in a rapture teaching as is taught in many churches today. John Nelson Darby is credited as starting and spreading this.

    2. “What if I accidentally sin and don’t even know it and then the rapture happens?? I cant help but to be scared…”

      I’m sorry you have tormenting thoughts like that Bre. Thankfully it’s not true, God is not looking to get us on a technicality. None of us are good, we all have mistakes and that’s why scripture refers to our own righteousness as filthy rags…we all fall short (if perfection was what it took to get saved and “stay saved”, we’d all be doomed). That’s why the gospel is such good news. When Christ died, He took the penalty for our sins and gave us his righteousness. Now when we stand before God, if we’ve put our trust in Him, we stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus (perfection). If you have put your faith in Christ, you have nothing to fear from a mistake that you made (especially one you didn’t even realize). I hope you will have more peace in the future about this. I do understand, I too grew up afraid of the rapture and being “left behind”. It’s also perfectly normal to want all the things you mentioned. I remember having the exact thought you mentioned and being afraid I would never get married and have a family. I’m 43 now, I’m happily married, my girls are all grown up and I worried for nothing. You’re young and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. I wish you much happiness and success.

    3. I see a common thread in these posts. If a person is secure in their salvation and knows that it is our trust in Christ, and the promise of God that he will never leave or forsake us that makes us secure. If I believed that simply because I sinned I could loose my salvation, I would indeed fear the rapture. I would spend every waking moment terrified not only the rapture, but death. Paul taught that we should comfort one another with the promise of the rapture and that we are not appointed unto wrath. I am beginning to understand that the real issue here is that there has been no teaching of the security of the believer! As for wanting to experience life’s joys before the Lord returns, I think that’s normal, and is part of how God made us. But maturity and perspective will show us that “eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for them that love Him.”

    4. Please also keep in mind that the article is about how hearing and seeing these things affects CHILDREN. They will not process it as an adult.

  9. I grew up in the Conservative Holiness Movement. (lots of rules and standards, but not tongues) I heard about the rapture/tribulation enough as a child that I was SCARED. When I was 19, going into my second year of Bible college, my whole life ahead of me, wanting so much to have a meaningful life, marry, have a family, etc, I was subjected to a horrible book called 88 REasons why the Lord will return in 1988. (something like that). It was 1988. Many preachers in the holiness movement were falling for it. The rapture was supposed to happen in September over a particular weekend that was the same as the feast of trumpets in the Jewish calendar. My Father was a wise man and didn’t believe it, but so many other people did. Thankfully, the president of the Bible college also didn’t believe it and said so. After that weekend passed and we were all still here, I started to learn something about believing this type of rot. I have become more skeptical and yes, one of my friends is caught in rapture stuff and thinks it’s about to happen. I appreciate what Lois has said in the comments of this post. If I understand scripture correctly, we have been in the last days since Christ. And, what about the grasshopper plagues in the US in the 1800’s? What about the Bubonic plague in Europe? I bet these times and events were very dark. I wish I understood better what the church believed about the end prior to Darby. He seems to be the Father of much of this stuff.

    1. I was also in my former unhealthy church when that stupid 88 reasons book was out. Some in my church got caught up in it. I could not wait until those days passed that the book proclaimed would be when Jesus would return. Later, in 1993, my former pastor decided that the rapture was going to take place that year because seven years of tribulation would bring us to the year 2000. Of course that never happened, either, and he has been dead for several years.

    2. Read 1&2 Thessalonians to find out what the early church thought about it. Also 2 Peter 3. It’s not a new doctrine. Darby didn’t invent it. Do we think that somehow we are owed a certain future? If we are dismayed at the thought that Christ might return before we experience a certain milestone, are we not insisting on our will over Gods will? Don’t get me wrong, I do that in countless ways every day, but isn’t that what we are actually doing? I mean no harm here just asking an honest question.

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