Appendix B
The Fallacy of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture
It is necessary to disprove an eschatology accretion which has
surfaced and become deeply entrenched within the Church over the last
two hundred years; for we cannot possibly reconcile its current assertions
with the Word of God, and remain Christians of integrity when it comes to
the honest approach to, treatment of, and rightly dividing of what we commonly
call today, scripture.
The current eschatological majority trend in Fundamental and
Evangelical circles, is to assert that the Church will not go through
the tribulation, but that it will be raptured out of this world prior
to the onset of the tribulation period, whether it be at three and a half,
or seven years prior. The supporting arguments rest upon the interpretation
of several portions of scripture which seem to state that God has not
appointed us to wrath, but unto salvation, which I basically have no argument
with. The problem I have is with the application of this doctrine, its
imposition upon scripture, and the fact that it is used to imply that
the Church will not go through the tribulation, and that it is plied accordingly
to bolster this argument which flies in the face of other passages of
scripture which clearly indicate the opposite. I believe the error is
in assuming that the events of the tribulation period are the wrath of
God, when for all intents and purposes they are the wrath of Satan, and
are actually occurrances used to sift and purify the people of God for
a Church without spot or wrinkle, and to prepare the Jews for acceptance
of their true Messiah. Part of the solution to this ostensibly unresolveable
dilemma is a re-examination of those portions of scripture relative to
the second coming of Christ, and in doing this, I believe that most of
the conflict and perplexing confusion will be eradicated.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter twenty-four, verse twelve,
Jesus states, ”And because sin shall abound, the love of many shall grow
cold.” The context is the tribulation period at the end of the age. Jesus
is the one making this statement as a part of his over-all picture of
the end times in answer to his disciple’s inquiry. The topic is persecution,
iniquity, betrayal, and deception in unprecedented quantity: And yes, there
will be believers in the world at that time. "The love (AGAPE) of the many
will grow cold" sets the reference of this passage to believers - probably
the same event as the great apostasy, or the falling away from the Church
of 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 - for only believers are capable of divine AGAPE
love; and it has caught the notice of God in order for it to be mentioned
here. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," Matthew
24:13. This is not salvation by works of love, but an indication of the
possibility and danger of falling away from The Faith under the pressure
of persecution as per 2nd Thessalonians 2:3. In the parable of the sower
and the seed, this factor is aptly indicated as a possibility for the people
of God (Mt 13:1-23). [See also Appendix "C" - "Falling Away from The Faith."]
In examining your Bible, note that the context of Matthew chapter
24, from verse four all the way to fourteen, clearly indicates that it
is directed towards those Christians who are in the tribulation. Jesus
warns against deception, vss 4-5 and 11; warns of persecution and betrayal,
vss 9-10; warns against losing one’s love and falling away, vss 12-13; and
tells that this Gospel of the kingdom (Jesus is the King, where the King
is there is the kingdom, therefore it is the Gospel of Jesus.) would be
preached to the whole world as a witness to all nations before the end comes
- and this is not Revelation 14:6-7. The apostle Paul says in Galatians
that if any, even an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than the
one he preached, let him be accursed. There is only one Gospel. The Evangelicals
would have you to believe that the Gospel mentioned there is of the kingdom
as opposed to the Gospel of salvation. Also they would have you to believe
that in Matthew 24, Jesus is addressing Jews who will be persecuted
during the tribulation, and not Christians; and some even say that they
are those who became Christians after the rapture during the tribulation
period; but what Jew will ever listen to Jesus unless he becomes born
anew? How can there be Spirit-filled born anew believers if the "Restrainer
(e.g. the Holy Spirit) that is taken out of the way" has left with the
Church? [2nd Thess. 2:7]. Would God allow them to face intense persecution
without indwelling empowerment? No, these are the Church, along with
Israel, concurrently going through the tribulation together until Jesus
comes and delivers them on the last day [John 6:54], and that which is
removed is not the Holy Spirit, but that which has impeded the coming
of the deceiving man of sin from making his debute. Jesus said, “If they
hated me, they will hate you also.” There would be no persecution and
betrayal without Spirit-filled, blood-bought believers to persecute and
betray. Verses fifteen to twenty-seven of Matthew are a recapitulation
concerning the preceding time that was just covered, and that interlude
is again followed by the resumption of the narrative in verse twenty-nine
as left off from verse fourteen.
These things are beginning to fall upon us now. Jesus' disciples
asked, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?"
The signs in his answer from verse five to verse eight have been with
us since the beginning of this century - from false Christian teachers
coming in the "Name" of Christ claiming that he is the Christ, yet deceiving
many for gain or popularity, to those who claim to be Christ - even unto
WW I and WW II and terrorism. Many say we are entering the age of Aquarius
and that there will be no war. They are deceived. The Russians have duped
us into thinking the cold war is over by playing possum with Perestroika
and Glastnos, and we fools have been giving them our money for their economy
which they funnel into their war machine for newer and quieter submarines
which we presently cannot detect, while for the last fifteen years they
have been conducting exercises of bringing their nuclear subs close to
our shores underneath cargo ships to remain undetected, practicing for
a WW III decisive pre-emptive nuclear strike during the time of Ezekiel
chapters 38 and 39. There are also quite a few other wars going on at any
given time in the world today. We have also had our share of famines, such
as that in Ethiopia; pestilences, such as the AIDS epidemic, SARS, red
tide, physteria; and even earthquakes have been taking their toll all
over the world. In Luke 21:26 Jesus says that the powers of the heavens
will be disturbed. Our weather is no longer reliable nor accurately predicable.
Matthew chapter 24, verses nine to fourteen are even upon us
in that Africa, and China, are executing Christians because of their faith.
They are being beheaded in Africa, and shot in China. It is Muslim proactive
war and terrorism in Africa that says convert or die; and it is governmental
oppression and slavery in China that wars against the liberty which Christianity
brings, and treats it as a threat to the existence of that government.
The Christians there are imprisoned, enslaved for profit, and then executed
for the harvest of their organs, which are then sold to those willing
to pay for them. Then the government pockets the money for its war machine.
There are presently sixty-five countries in the world in which severe
presecution of Christians is taking place. We truly seem to be living
in the last days. Betrayal and hatred go hand-in-hand with persecution.
We are not to be surprised if men hate us [John 15:18], for they hated
our Lord first.
It is said that the blood of the martyrs (witnesses) is the seed
of the Church; and the Church is indeed fluorishing in these countries
in spite of the persecution. The comfy, cushy, lukewarm, unpersecuted
main-line churches of America are in decline because they have left the
true God and have a god of their own making. They have matriculated with
communistic ecological liberalism, the communistic attack on freedom
of speech called political correctness, and have embraced in compromise
those who retain their right to be in opposition to what God demands.
God cannot bless spiritual wickedness and compromise in his people and
those who have abandoned him. Man is to come to God on God's terms. The
Church says, “A queen I sit, and I shall know no persecution.” Of course
not! She is in bed with the devil! There is only one thing we can say about
most Western churches: “Ichabod” - the glory has departed. Jesus was a
bigot. He said that he himself is the only way to God - not one of many
ways to God. Those who preach toleration are intolerant of Christians who
cannot tolerate sin. The hypocrosy is that they themselves cannot tolerate
the intolerant. Satisfied justice is our point of contact with God. The
concepts of justice and toleration are mutually exclusive. We cannot promote
and practice biblical morality and enforce integrity, while at the same
time being tolerant of those who habitually practice deviant behavior.
Habitual sinners are not saved. To remain faithful to our God we must
discriminate between right and wrong, and good and evil. It is our job
as the Western Church of the last days to practice political incorrectness,
and to be intolerant of those who habitually practice a moral lifestyle
that is diametrically opposed to the biblical mores and standards we profess
to uphold - even if it means getting shut down by the government for refusing
to allow a moral reprobate to function within our facility in any capacity
whatsoever! Let God be true and every government a liar. Civil disobedience
is called for when the state dictates policies against the uncompromiseable
tenets of our faith. We can meet in our homes when we become marginalized,
as did the early church, until such a time as we are openly demonized and
get put into prison as enemies of the state for openly practicing our faith.
Indeed persecution will come to the West, and many who are now
standing in hypocrosy will fall. God allowed 9/11 to happen to show us
what he has been protecting us from. Suitcase nuclear bombs, terrorist
attacks, biological/chemical plagues, war, drought, political, social
and economic collapse are coming upon America for her sins. There will
be a great shaking and scattering, and only the faithful who know, trust,
love and sincerely serve their God will stand. We will learn quickly what
it means to be truly Christian and to take a stand for righteousness and
truth. Crisis will bring the end of the liberty we enjoy because people
will be sacrificing their freedom for security. Patriotism will be condemned
as a thing of the past; free speech will pass away; and there will be FEMA
prison camps prepared to house those who resist governmental tyranny through
executive orders activating the War Powers Act suspending our Constitution.
The military that will be used to pull this off ought to recall that their
primary order - their oath of office - dictates that they are sworn to
protect and defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC.
There are cults galore, and now they are even on the internet!
Sin is exponentially on the increase, and as a result the dividing line
between integrity and evil has become obscured, and the loving care of
Christians in Europe and America is a thing of the past. We are in the
post-Christian era, and the only vibrant Christianity I can see are the
millions of martyrs who have given their lives for their faith in the third
world countries. More have died for their faith in this century, than have
done so in all of the previous nineteen centuries combined. He that endures
to the end shall be saved; the sun will be darkened, and the moon will
not give its light, and then Jesus will send his angels to gather his elect
from the four winds - from the one end of the heavens to the other, and
we will meet him in the air at the last day. As described in Jesus' parable
of the net, when the net is drawn in full of the catch, both are dealt with
at the same time: the bad are thrown away, and the good are kept. In his
parable of the tares, both are dealt with at the same time: the bad tares
are first collected into bundles to be burned, and then the wheat is gathered
into his garner. According to Matthew, both are dealt with at the same time:
the sheep are herded to the right, and the goats are herded to the left.
There will be nobody "Left Behind."
In Matthew 24:15, we are warned of the Abomination of Desolation.
This is the same one as mentioned in Daniel 11:31. The Antichrist comes
first as a signal event heralding the soon coming of Christ for those
"in the know." The Antichrist will make his appearance, thus commencing
three and a half years of tribulation. The setting up of this Abomination
of Desolation will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation. You can
count 1290 days from that time to its end. Several things will at that
time start concurrently: The Abomination of Desolation will be set up
in Jerusalem (Dan 11:31), the Christians and Jews in the middle east
will be openly persecuted and oppressed (Dan 7:25), and the campaign
of Armageddon will commence.
As many of us now know, as a result of the atrocities against
Israel by the Palestinians, Israel has threatened war. Indeed, I don't
understand why war hasn't broken out already. I used to joke that all that
is needed to bring peace to the Middle East, is a street sweeper to clean
up all of the stones. Now we have to deal with fanatics who are willing
to blow themselves and others up for a lie. As I now understand prophecy,
all of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are now in place
as allies, tied together by the spectre of Islam, and a hatred of Israel.
The Arabic world owes Russia a whopping 30 billion dollars for arms. I believe
this is the hook in the jaw which draws Russia down against the mountains
of Israel in a show of support for the Arabs [Ezekiel 38:4]. Russia does
not want to lose that money. Putin has already made his rounds in the middle
east, strengthening Russia's ties with the Arab nations, and the one thing
they all have in common - the complete obliteration of the tiny nation of
Israel - seems to be the topic of the day. The only deterrent is that Israel
is allied with the United States.
I believe that the real trouble will begin at the northern
borders with Syria and Lebanon. Strangely, Syria is conspicuous by its
absence in the Gog-Magog list [Ezekiel 38:5-6]. The reason is Isaiah
chapter 17. Damascus is made a ruious heap. One of the oldest cities
in the world, Damascus has never been destroyed. This means that it
is yet future. I believe that when war breaks out, it will be with Israel,
Lebanon and Syria. Israel will go nuclear and nuke Damascus, and quite
possibly Ammon, Bozrah, and Baghdad [Zechariah 14:12; Jeremiah 49]. This
will then outrage the other Islamic Arab nations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,
Turkey, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Russia and the former Soviet republics
- all the other "stans," and they will all come against Israel with a
fury heretofore unknown to man [Ezekiel 38:9]. The United States and Russia
will have a nuclear exchange [Ezekiel 39:6], since Russia will attack
the U. S. first as an ally of Israel, to keep us out of the way, and naturally,
we will attempt to respond in kind, being an ally of Israel, and in defense
of ourselves. Thus the Lord will judge America for her sins [Isaiah 18].
The Lord will then be enraged and destroy all of the hordes which come
against Israel in the valley of Megiddo [Ezekiel 38:18-23], and Israel will
be burying the dead armies for seven months [Ezekiel 39:12]. This, then,
is seen by all, that the God of Israel is still on the throne in heaven,
and all will know it [Ezekiel 39:21]. Then there will be a mass movement
of all the Jews in the world to Palestine - the land of Israel, as the present
threat will be no more, and confidence in God will be high [Ezekiel 39:27-28].
Israel will finally inherit the promised land.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter twenty-one, Jesus is again speaking
to believers. This is very clear, given the context, and the things that
are intimated. The signs of the end are enumerated in verse eight through
verse eleven, and again resumed in verse twenty-five through to verse twenty-eight.
The parenthetical passage of verse twelve to verse twenty-four, is what
has already occurred prior to and including the fall of Jerusalem and
the dispersion of its inhabitants in 70 A.D. The "times of the Gentiles"
is the interlude of the Church age. We are told that when we see all of
these things beginning to come to pass, to lift our heads, for our redemption
draws near. To me this sounds like it is directed to the Church at large.
At the end of this discourse by Jesus, we are admonished to watch and pray
always that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things which
are coming upon the earth, and to be able to stand in the presence the
Son of Man. We go through the tribulation. He is talking to believers -
Christians - the Church - who will be able to endure the tribulation without
falling away. He is not talking to Israel as the Fundamentalists and Evangelicals
would have you to believe. Jesus closes with these words: "Take heed to
yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting
and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you
unawares; for as a snare it shall come upon the whole earth. Watch ye therefore,
and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things
that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:34-36.
This alone states that saints (Christians) go through the tribulation.
It also implies that the control of the Antichrist is not universal and
global. If Christians worldwide cannot buy or sell without the mark of
the Beast - 666 - then why does Jesus tell us not to be engrossed in surfeiting
and drunkenness and that day come upon us in surprise? We could do nothing
without the mark of the Beast - let alone partying. According to Daniel
the Antichrist's territory will only be the Middle East.
The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter
fifteen, and verses fifty-one to fifty-two, says, ”Behold, I show you
a mystery; we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed, in a moment,
in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”
(cf 1st Thess. 4:14-18). This describes the rapture of those who are
in Christ. Paul clearly indicates that this rapture will occur at the
last trumpet. (I will now utilize Revelation solely because it serves
an immediate purpose of indication in order to refute the Evangelical
position.) Where is the last trumpet? - Inside the seventh seal of the
book of Revelation. In Revelation preceding this last trumpet are seven
seal judgements and six trumpet judgements. According to this book it
sure appears to me that it is well within the tribulation period. This
would place the rapture at Revelation chapter 11 verse 18, if not in chapter
seven - and not at the place where John is told to "Come up hither" [Rev.
4:1] as the Evangelicals would have you to believe as they subjectively
spiritualize when they should be literal. They always tell us to interpret
the scripture literally, but here they like to spiritualize their interpretation
in order to make it fit their pre-conceived idea of an inadequately "substantiated"
pre-trib position imposed upon scripture. There are also those who say
that there are two classes of trumpets and that these are not for the saints,
but for judgements against the lost. I believe the seals, and trumpets are
to at least be understood as wake-up calls upon humanity. It appears to
me the rapture occurs in Chapter 7 verse 9 (and14), and in other places
where indicated - not at “come up hither.” The multiplicity of indication
is probably due to the Bible phenomenon known as recapitulation.
In Revelation 10:7 we are shown that this mystery spoken of by
the apostle Paul in the above Corinthian passage will be consummated at
the blowing of the trumpet - the last trumpet - of the seventh angel.
The results of this trumpet blast are given in the following: In Revelation
11:18, it is stated, "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest
give reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints (believers),
and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them
which destroy the earth."
This passage is apparently consistent with 2nd Thessalonians
where Paul says, "We are constrained to thank God at all times for you,
brethren, as it is suitable, because that your faith grows exceedingly,
and the loving-care of every one of you all toward one another abounds;
So that we ourselves brag on you in the churches of God for your endurance
and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure: Which
is a manifest token of the just judgement of God, that ye may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a
just thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, WHEN the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; WHEN he shall come to be
glorified in his saints, and be admired in all them that believe (because
our testimony among you was believed) in that day." [II Thessalonians 1:3
-10]. Notice that in this passage of scripture we are told twice WHEN the
Lord metes out deliverance for his saints, and judgement for the ungodly.
These both occur at the same time - in one second coming - at the last
day [John 6: 39-40], just as depicted in Revelation 11:18, and obviously,
those being delivered are not the recipients of the wrath of God. Wrath
upon believers is only portrayed when one misconstrues the prophetic picture
with dogmatic preposessions - when the wrath of the Antichrist upon believers
is misconstrued as the wrath of God when going through the tribulation.
This passage in 2nd Thessalonians alone rings the death-knell
to the Fundamentalist/Evangelical doctrine of a pretribulational rapture
for the Church. This scripture says in definition, that Jesus comes a
second time only once, and at that time he will both deliver his believers,
and judge the ungodly. It agrees both with Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and
not with the Fundamentalist/Evangelicals. In the light of this, let me
pose this rhetorical question: Who are we to escape persecution and tribulation
by rapture, if the early saints had to establish our faith with their
blood, enduring loss of freedoms, possessions, property and life? According
to Revelation 13:10 and 14:12, the patient endurance of the saints under
the oppression of the Antichrist is an extolled virtue to be grasped,
and also indicates the presence of believers. We are told these saints
are Jews, but is not Judaism now invalid? The veil between the outer court
and the holy place has been torn asunder at the crucifiction. They are
Christians that are mentioned here.
The parable of the Wheat and the Tares is another example discrediting
the pre-tribulational rapture position. In it Jesus says: "The kingdom
of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But
while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went
his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said
unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then
hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants
said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said,
Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest
I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together FIRST the tares, and bind
them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." The point
is that wheat and tares look so much alike that they cannot be told apart
until time comes for harvest when the fruit is evident to distinguish the
one from the other. Both are respectively processed at the same time. In
Matthew 7:22-23, the pseudo-christians could not tell themselves apart from
genuine Christians.
It is said that John N. Darby realized the doctrine of the pre-tribulational
rapture around 1830 while studying 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-2. I don’t see
it. I see no separation between the coming of Christ and our being gathered
together unto him. I am tempted to make the Granville-Sharp rule of grammar
apply here. It appears to me that Paul here makes the day of Christ in
verse two to be one and the same with his coming and our being gathered
unto him of verse one. Then we are explictly told that that day will not
come until there is a great apostasy from the Church when the Antichrist
is revealed. So first, Israel had to be back in the land as the only country
ever in history to come back from the dead. And second, the Anitchrist
reveals himself to Israel and the Church. (The great apostasy comes because
those in the Church believed that they would not be here when Antichrist
appears on the scene.) These things alone demolish the doctrine of imminence
for the preceeding centuries, for these things must occur first. This agrees
with the prophecy of Margaret MacDonald circa 1830, that the trial of the
Church will come from the Antichrist. The Bible Code predicts that there
will be conflict in Lebanon and Syria in 2005; The big quake in 2010; A
comet or asteroid will collide with earth in 2012. We shall see if these
predictions that were found in the Torah are key to the seven year tribulation
period. At any rate, the Bible Code is not for us to predict the future,
but so that we can see God's omniscience, believe, and be saved.
I seriously question the doctrine of imminence in light of the
fact that Jesus could not come at least until Israel was back in occupation
of the land, and Israel had to be revived for Ezekiel 38 and 39 to come
to pass. That would make imminence impossible up until at least 1948.
Certain things had to be fulfilled before Christ could come again, and
this is the greatest. It would seem a sick Fundamentalist/Evangelical
joke upon those who held to an unrealized confident expectation of rapture
through all of their life, only to pass through death’s door unfulfilled.
They have been set up for a fall. Evangelicals are those that say "The time
draweth near" [Luke 21:8]. Jesus said, "Go ye not therefore after them."
It is true that Jesus said for us to watch because no man knows of that
day or hour - not even the Son, but only the Father; but we failed to take
into account the need for future restoration of Israel after its prophesied
and pronounced dispersion. But the blessed hope is in the resurrection of
the last day - not in escaping death or the tribulation.
According to 1st Thessalonians 1:10, we are delivered from the
wrath of God that is to come upon the ungodly - not from the wrath of
the Antichrist. The Antichrist’s wrath will be no different than that
suffered by saints persecuted throughout the Church age. According to
1st Thessalonians 3:13, the hearts of the believers Paul is writing to
on earth will be established at the time when Christ comes the second
time with all his saints - presumably those of chapter 4 verse 14.
Now with regard to the Lord's second coming, the Greek word PAROUSIA
is always used in the singular, which signifies only one second coming
of Christ - not first a secret rapture, and then seven years later another
second coming, which in all actuality would be a third. There is no valid
justification to say that his second coming is in two stages. 2nd Thessalonians
1:7 and 10 tell us WHEN the Lord will come. Jesus said himself, that he
would raise us up at the LAST day - not 2,520 days before the last day,
[John 6:39, 40, 44, 54] - and the Gospel of John is the only truly apostolic
Gospel. The Catholics understand and teach that. Even Martha understood
that, and Jesus did not correct her [John 11:24]. Paul says that it is
at the last trumpet that we meet Jesus. There is only one second coming
and it is laid out in Matthew 24:1-44; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 17:20-18:14,
21:1-36; 2nd Thessalonians 1:3-10; 1st Corinthians 15:20-27, 50-57; 1st Thessalonians
4:13-18. Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45; 7:13-14, 22, 27; 12:1-4; (and in Revelation).
Let this suffice for demonstrating the fallaciousness of the
Fundamentalist/Evangelical doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture. To
continue to hold to the pre-trib position, one must successfully refute
all of the above. I have heard of a prophecy from a greatly annointed man
where the Lord expresses great anger at the audaciousness of his people
who think that they will be yanked out of this world before the trouble
starts, when saints throughout history have suffered for The Faith. Utilizing
the traditional interpretation of Daniel 9:25-27, if we have seven years,
there will be 1260 days from the time a peace treaty is signed with Israel
to when the treaty is then annulled. From that time there will be 1260
or 1290 days left of the tribulation, from the time of the breaking of
that treaty and the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation, to when
we will meet our Lord in the resurrection - the rapture at his second coming
- at the end of that tribulation. If we have three and a half years, the
1260 or 1290 days commences upon setting up of the Abomination of Desolation
until that same resurrection and rapture. Nothing else fits, and unbiased
examination of scripture supports these things. There is no room for subjective
bias, personal prejudices, and dogmatic prepossessions in the interpretation
of scripture, for our very lives and well being are based upon what is
written by others, read, and summarily believed and understood. This is
serious stuff! People make adjustments in their lives according to their
beliefs! Those who will fall away from the faith in the Great Apostacy
will do so because they will feel that they have been lied to by Fundamentalist
Evangelicals and were seemingly "Left Behind" as not measuring up to heaven
when they see the Antichrist come on the scene. The "Left Behind" series
is setting up believers for a fall away from The Faith; for when they see
the Antichrist come on the scene, they will feel they were lied to, or that
they were not good enough to go up in a premature rapture, and will fall
away from the faith because of this insipid deception. A good book to obtain,
where Bob Gundry successfully refutes John Walvoord (the king of the pre-trib
rapture position) is: "First the Antichrist."
The colleges are teaching young preachers dogma that needs to
be re-examined and tossed out! The eternal well being of those who are
being taught is at stake, and I think that the severest rebukes will be
reserved for those who willfully propagate false teaching in the Name of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe that many of those who hold
to the pre-trib doctrine are not intentionally misleading the flock, but
are merely repeating the errors with prejudice which they themselves have
been taught in our conservative academic institutions. What they need
to do is re-examine the scripture, unlearn the error, and have the humility
to adjust and go on. They have much that is good to offer. I just don't
want to see our precious saints fall away from The Faith when they find
themselves in the presence of the Antichrist, thinking that they were
not good enough to go, and as a result, "Left Behind" in a rapture that
had not yet occurred. I firmly believe that this will be the basis for
the Great Apostasy of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3. The current movie
series is setting people up for this fall. Those who know they are teaching
error are held accountable, and as such are liars, if they continue in
it without the courage to stand up against the tide and lead the charge
against these errors. Jesus said to beware of those who come in his Name
and say that he is Christ, and that the time is at hand [Luke21:8].