Reflections | How ancient Chinese sects have foretold Rapture-like divine ends for millennia
Christian groups prophesise paradisiacal new beginnings today, but similar visions existed throughout imperial Chinese history
In September, predictions that the “Rapture” would occur on the 23rd and 24th went viral. Convinced that the end was nigh, some Christians resigned from their jobs, liquidated belongings or skipped exams in preparation for the great ascent.
There were plenty of red faces all around when the days came and went without millions of people vanishing into thin air.
The Rapture, as conceived by certain groups of Christians, is a dramatic prelude to the end times, when the faithful are suddenly lifted heavenwards, leaving the rest of humanity behind to suffer the apocalypse.
Yet many biblical scholars dismiss the Rapture as a modern invention, originating in the 19th century rather than in early Christianity. They contend that peddlers of this questionable theology misread scripture, promote fear over faith and repeatedly spawn failed prophecies that discredit the religion.
At its heart, the Rapture embodies the same millenarian impulse found across cultures: a longing for divine intervention to end worldly suffering and inaugurate a perfect age. Like other millenarian visions, it reads the corruption of the times as evidence of imminent renewal, promising true believers escape and vindication.
Chinese millenarian traditions reveal a similar yearning for transcendence. Even in the ancient past, there was already nostalgia for the sage-kings of legend like Yao and Shun. The Confucian ideal of “great unity” envisaged a society of perfect harmony and equality, fed by the memory of an imagined golden age.