Over the past few days, I've seen and heard the agitation stir up again over "when will the end of the world be?... Is Jesus coming back on October 21st, 2011?... when is the rapture?... will I be taken with Him?..." and so on. These questions are plainly answered in the Bible so that we do not have to be agitated. Here are two places where the events are clearly laid out, and the narrator in both cases says, "do not let any one deceived you about what will happen." The speakers should know - they are two of the most credible sources in the Bible. The first is Jesus - and if you believe that the Bible is true, there is not a more credible testimony in the Bible than Jesus'. The second is Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament. If you can't believe these two, then I don't know who you can believe. The passages are from Mark 13 and from 2 Thessalonians 2.
I will not add any interpretation to the narrative - their words are much better than mine, and I believe that the unaltered text speaks clearly for itself. I would like to point out a couple of facts about the narrative though. I hear people quote the "no one knows the day or the hour of His return" passage all the time - which is true! No one knows the time. However, we can't let someone spin that statement into "we don't know what will be happening at that time," because Jesus and Paul tell us clearly what will be happening. Second, some people may say that the description is too vague to get any meaning out of and that you should just take it with a grain of salt because it was meant to be intentionally vague. Do not believe them! During the course of the Mark 13 speech, Jesus uses terms that tell you to pay close attention to what is being said 12 times. 12 times. That's emphatically saying, "you pay close attention to this." I will underline these instances in the passage. Also, Jesus directly references scripture 7 times in Mark 13 (with many other indirect references) and 3 of those times are from the Book of Daniel. Paul is also citing Daniel in 2 Thessalonians. I will also mark the scriptural references below.
Mark 13
And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answering said unto him, "Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"
And Jesus answering them began to say, "Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in My name, saying 'I am Christ;' and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom [see Isaiah 19:2]: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents [see Micah 7:6], and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not [see Daniel 9:27], (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be [see Daniel 12:1]. And except that the LORD had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
And then if any man shall say to you, 'Lo, here is Christ;' or, 'lo, He is there;' believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken [see Amos 3:7]. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds [see Daniel 7:13] with great power and glory. And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: so ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
2 Thessalonians 2
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God [see Daniel 11:36-39]. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even our Father, Which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
There you have it. Do not be deceived. God bless.
Showing posts with label False Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label False Teaching. Show all posts
Friday, 23 September 2011
Friday, 9 September 2011
I Don't Believe in Rapture
Seriously, I don't believe in rapture. This is the first post that I've put on here where the title wasn't pulled from a Bible verse, and the reason for that is simple: rapture is not in the Bible. Nada. Zip. Nowhere are you going to find rapture in the Bible. It's a false teaching - plain and simple - and it's very easy to demonstrate if one is willing to listen to what the Bible says, and not to how man has muddied up the waters of Scripture.
I started out writing this post, and it bordered on becoming a novella - yes that's how much scripture there is that discusses what will happen in the end days, and that's how much there is that is against rapture theory. However, I scratched that so that each of those places may be tackled in more bite-sized portions in days to come. For now, I will just make three points that basically turn the most quoted rapture sources on their ear. You may be asking yourself, "Why come out against it? What's the harm in the teaching? Why stir up an argument over something that doesn't matter whether you believe it or not?" Well, it does matter - it matters very much - and that's the take-home from this by the time we get to the end of it.
Let's start with the infamous rapture verses, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
It's true. Every word of the passage is true; however, there is no "rapture" in these verses. This event - the returning of Jesus Christ - signifies "the end of the world", or rather the end of this age before the next age begins. How do I know? There are numerous numerous passages that explain what Paul is describing here, but the key point here is "the trump of God". If you read Revelation there are seven trumps that are described, and Jesus comes back at the seventh trump - that's the last one - and not before. The seventh trump happens after the infamous "tribulation" - not before. So where is the comfort in these words then? Knowing that God will protect you during that time is the greatest comfort that you can have. Jesus says that God will protect you in Luke 21:18. God protected those in Goshen during the first passover in the Book of Exodus (Goshen means "drawing near" and is a euphemism for those who draw near to God) just like He will protect those who draw near to Him during the tribulation.
If you read the verses that follow the passage cited above, Paul explains that he didn't feel that he had to go any further with the teaching. He had already told them and taught them what was to take place in person. Well... that's what he felt at the time he wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians. However, once he knew how that curiosity had arose about this statement of "being taken up in the air", he wrote a follow up letter that basically only deals with this one issue. You can read 2 Thessalonians in a short amount of time, it is only 3 chapters long. In it, he refers to the first letter, saying:
"... be not soon shaken in mind, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first [the word in Greek for falling away is "apostacy"], and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in this time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:2-10)." (emphasis mine)
What is Paul saying? He's saying the tribulation will come, just as the prophets foretold, and Jesus absolutely will not return until after this takes place. Not before. Not midway. After, and only after, this takes place. (How is he sure? There's not a prophet nor a parable that says otherwise - in fact, they quite confirm the order of events. And if someone tells you that there is something otherwise, they are pulling wool over your eyes.) Why is rapture theory so popular then? That's how good of a deceiver Satan is. He's already got much of the Christian world convinced that the person described above, that shows signs and wonders, is Christ... but that's not what Jesus said, and it's not what the Bible says.
In fact, in Matthew 24:26, Jesus says very plainly, "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 'Behold, He is in the desert;' go not forth: 'behold, He is in the secret chambers;' believe it not." (emphasis mine) The quote above talks about who should be saved, and Jesus also very plainly states this in Matthew 24:13, saying, "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
The 24th chapter of Matthew is the second most popular place that is quoted for rapture theory (at least, a piece of it is quoted). It's the part about "the one taken and the one left behind." Most times I've heard this, it's explained that the one taken is the righteous soul who is taken away in the rapture. But let's examine that passage in more detail, and not cut out the part that explains what "being taken" really means in this passage:
Jesus says in his speech, "For as in the days of Noah were, so also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and [they] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come (Matthew 24:38-42)."
The reason they didn't know when the Lord was coming, is because they weren't paying attention to what was being said and didn't believe that they had to wait until the very end... he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. It's pretty straight forward. But the flood "took them all away." Noah was kept on earth - safe and sound - not a hair harmed on his head, because he listened carefully to what God had said and was properly prepared for the tribulation that was to come.
The rest were unprepared; their pastors had not prepared them; their churches had not prepared them. And this makes God very angry, which is stated over and over again in the prophets. God says in Ezekiel 13:20, "I am against your kerchiefs [a safety blanket that you have covered my protecting hands with], wherewith ye hunt the souls to make them fly." The safety blanket is rapture theory. He calls it a kerchief over the eyes to blind people from the truth.
It's important to take a stand on this issue because not preparing people to know that an imposter will come, calling himself God, and having the ability to show great signs and wonders also leaves those people open to worship that person as God... which is the number one no-no in the Bible. Churches that do not prepare their members for what is to come - churches that teach that it is no consequence whether someone believes in rapture or not - are what I believe Jesus to be refering to when he tells the church of Laodicea, "because you are neither hot or cold, I will spew you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16)". And that is a sad state to be in.
So take comfort, know that God will protect his People. He will protect those that love the truth. As for me, I'm not looking to fly away before the end of the end. That's how I read it. God bless.
I started out writing this post, and it bordered on becoming a novella - yes that's how much scripture there is that discusses what will happen in the end days, and that's how much there is that is against rapture theory. However, I scratched that so that each of those places may be tackled in more bite-sized portions in days to come. For now, I will just make three points that basically turn the most quoted rapture sources on their ear. You may be asking yourself, "Why come out against it? What's the harm in the teaching? Why stir up an argument over something that doesn't matter whether you believe it or not?" Well, it does matter - it matters very much - and that's the take-home from this by the time we get to the end of it.
Let's start with the infamous rapture verses, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
It's true. Every word of the passage is true; however, there is no "rapture" in these verses. This event - the returning of Jesus Christ - signifies "the end of the world", or rather the end of this age before the next age begins. How do I know? There are numerous numerous passages that explain what Paul is describing here, but the key point here is "the trump of God". If you read Revelation there are seven trumps that are described, and Jesus comes back at the seventh trump - that's the last one - and not before. The seventh trump happens after the infamous "tribulation" - not before. So where is the comfort in these words then? Knowing that God will protect you during that time is the greatest comfort that you can have. Jesus says that God will protect you in Luke 21:18. God protected those in Goshen during the first passover in the Book of Exodus (Goshen means "drawing near" and is a euphemism for those who draw near to God) just like He will protect those who draw near to Him during the tribulation.
If you read the verses that follow the passage cited above, Paul explains that he didn't feel that he had to go any further with the teaching. He had already told them and taught them what was to take place in person. Well... that's what he felt at the time he wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians. However, once he knew how that curiosity had arose about this statement of "being taken up in the air", he wrote a follow up letter that basically only deals with this one issue. You can read 2 Thessalonians in a short amount of time, it is only 3 chapters long. In it, he refers to the first letter, saying:
"... be not soon shaken in mind, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first [the word in Greek for falling away is "apostacy"], and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in this time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:2-10)." (emphasis mine)
What is Paul saying? He's saying the tribulation will come, just as the prophets foretold, and Jesus absolutely will not return until after this takes place. Not before. Not midway. After, and only after, this takes place. (How is he sure? There's not a prophet nor a parable that says otherwise - in fact, they quite confirm the order of events. And if someone tells you that there is something otherwise, they are pulling wool over your eyes.) Why is rapture theory so popular then? That's how good of a deceiver Satan is. He's already got much of the Christian world convinced that the person described above, that shows signs and wonders, is Christ... but that's not what Jesus said, and it's not what the Bible says.
In fact, in Matthew 24:26, Jesus says very plainly, "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 'Behold, He is in the desert;' go not forth: 'behold, He is in the secret chambers;' believe it not." (emphasis mine) The quote above talks about who should be saved, and Jesus also very plainly states this in Matthew 24:13, saying, "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
The 24th chapter of Matthew is the second most popular place that is quoted for rapture theory (at least, a piece of it is quoted). It's the part about "the one taken and the one left behind." Most times I've heard this, it's explained that the one taken is the righteous soul who is taken away in the rapture. But let's examine that passage in more detail, and not cut out the part that explains what "being taken" really means in this passage:
Jesus says in his speech, "For as in the days of Noah were, so also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and [they] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come (Matthew 24:38-42)."
The reason they didn't know when the Lord was coming, is because they weren't paying attention to what was being said and didn't believe that they had to wait until the very end... he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. It's pretty straight forward. But the flood "took them all away." Noah was kept on earth - safe and sound - not a hair harmed on his head, because he listened carefully to what God had said and was properly prepared for the tribulation that was to come.
The rest were unprepared; their pastors had not prepared them; their churches had not prepared them. And this makes God very angry, which is stated over and over again in the prophets. God says in Ezekiel 13:20, "I am against your kerchiefs [a safety blanket that you have covered my protecting hands with], wherewith ye hunt the souls to make them fly." The safety blanket is rapture theory. He calls it a kerchief over the eyes to blind people from the truth.
It's important to take a stand on this issue because not preparing people to know that an imposter will come, calling himself God, and having the ability to show great signs and wonders also leaves those people open to worship that person as God... which is the number one no-no in the Bible. Churches that do not prepare their members for what is to come - churches that teach that it is no consequence whether someone believes in rapture or not - are what I believe Jesus to be refering to when he tells the church of Laodicea, "because you are neither hot or cold, I will spew you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16)". And that is a sad state to be in.
So take comfort, know that God will protect his People. He will protect those that love the truth. As for me, I'm not looking to fly away before the end of the end. That's how I read it. God bless.
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