This
generation is full of scoffers, mocking the prophesied return of Jesus Christ
to Planet Earth. This is as the great Apostle Peter foretold it would
be
at the end of the age of grace (Church Age): “Knowing this first, that there
shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And
saying,
Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2
Pet.
3:3-4).
God’s
prophecies are 100 percent accurate, so it doesn’t surprise in the least that
there is the scoffing and mocking today, exactly as one of God’s prophets
said
there will be as time nears the Lord’s return. Many signals are occurring
simultaneously, and with phenomenal frequency and intensity, pointing to
where
we are on God’s prophetic timeline. Chief among these are all of the
geopolitical dynamic intrigues surrounding the nation Israel –God’s prophetic
timepiece.
The sneering at the thought that there could possibly be a rapture just throws
fuel on the fire of the end-of-days deluge –the end that is coming
in
with a flood of last-days indicators as foretold by Daniel the prophet: “And
after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of
the
war desolations are determined” (Dan 9:26).
Daniel
was foretelling what would happen from the time the Messiah, Jesus Christ,
would die for the sins of mankind until the very end of human history
at
Armageddon. Great, convulsing, prophesied issues and events would, near the
very end of the age, he forecast, gush through the generation alive at the
time
like a flood.
One
of those predicted events of the end-time flood is the level of anger that will
be against believers who proclaim that one of the most stupendous events
of
all human history will one day –perhaps very soon—take millions upon millions
from the earth’s surface in a fraction of a second.
We
receive in our e-mail each week any number of messages declaring that the truth
we champion regarding Bible doctrine and prophecies –particularly the
pre-trib
rapture of the Church-- are everything from ludicrous to heretical. This
criticism gets especially intense whenever the raptureready.com website
is
written or spoken about in a major media outlet. That is to be expected,
because there can be no spiritual discernment among those of the lost world.
Believers
in Jesus Christ can understand, while those who do not belong to God’s family
through belief in His only begotten Son cannot understand:
“For
what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now
we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things
also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural
man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”
(1
Cor. 2:11-14).
Trying
to explain or defend the rapture to the world of the lost is, therefore,
fruitless. There is just no way they can come to understand or believe this
doctrine,
unless and until they repent, ask for--and accept--God’s grace gift offer of
salvation through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary
nearly
two millennia ago. We can go through the vast body of scriptural text, laying
out the Bible facts as we are confident God’s Word presents truth
about
the rapture. But, unless and until one is capable of spiritual discernment from
the Holy Spirit, a person, no matter how intellectually brilliant,
can
never come to believe those facts. They might even come to understand the facts
in a purely cerebral sense, but never truly comprehend them to the
point
of knowing that the rapture is a cataclysmic event in the future of one
particular generation of earth’s inhabitants.
So,
our efforts to explain the rapture will meet with quite limited results, seeing
as how there is a great spiritual discernment disconnect, when explaining
to
those who don’t know Christ for salvation. This we accept, thus can move ahead
with limited frustration in putting the truth about prophecy and the
rapture
before these as best we can.
Dealing
with the Body of Christ--all born-again believers--is quite another thing, when
it comes to our frustration meter. It becomes a bit more disconcerting
when
our efforts to put out truth about prophecy, and the rapture in particular, is
met with the same arguments, no matter how thoroughly and how cogently
we
organize and present what God’s Word has to tell His children about these
matters.
There
are, of course, the die-hard preterists (believing that most all prophecy has
been completed or should be spiritualized) and the reform replacement
theological
enclaves (those who declare God’s promises have been taken from Israel and
given to the church). These make their livings throwing mudballs
–usually
with stones at the centers—at those of us who proclaim the truth that Jesus
will come for His Church –all born-again believers—BEFORE the tribulation
era
–the last seven years of human history that culminates at Armageddon. These,
who refuse to see two programs of God’s dealing with mankind, Israel ,
and
the Church --these two dovetailing into one magnificent prophetic culmination--
castigate us who believe that God deals with His creation called man
dispensationally
(the ages of Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, the Church, Tribulation,
Millennium, etc.). Sometimes, it seems fruitless to try to break
through
the thick spiritual iron wills of these, in trying to present truth about the
rapture. But, these are not the most troubling that seem to fit the
2
Peter 3: 3-4 description, so far as scoffing is concerned. The more concerning,
to me, at least, are those who, despite being given, time after time,
the
same tremendously in-depth explanation from God’s Word about the rapture and
the truth that it will be a pre-trib one, continue to come to us with
the
same arguments to the contrary. This, despite the fact that they visit the
Rapture Ready website, and can read more than 15,000 articles on matters
of
God’s truth, many dealing specifically with eschatology.
These
are Christians who just seem to have it in their determination that they must
go through –endure—the tribulation, the time about which Jesus foretold
the
following: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21).
The
Tribulation, if we can imagine, will be worse than the concentration camps,
torture chambers, crematoriums of Hitler, or the most terrible days of the
inquisitions
with all of the devilish methods of torture. Yet, there seems to be a need
–they deludedly think—for some Christians to go through that time,
during
which Antichrist will do his dead-level best to kill every person who refuses
to worship him.
I’ve
chosen one letter from such a Christian. It is a simple and mild letter; no
mud-ball throwing. But, it represents the most troubling of all of the
critics
of the rapture of the Church, in my view. It is most troubling that these types
think as they do, because it shows an almost willfulness against
accepting
God’s promises, summed by this passage: “For God hath not appointed us to
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess.
5:9).
Here
is what she wrote, in part:
“I
know that the Tribulation is going to be extremely bad and even worse than I
can imagine but I sincerely believe I along with you and other Christians
that
are living at the time, will be going thru the bad. I am prepared mentally and
will do whatever comes my way to either get thru or stand up and say
no
when needed. If I am one that is to [be] beheaded then so be it. I know GOD
will be holding my hand and whatever comes my way, HE will see me thru.
If
I can be of any use to GOD to help save people then I am prepared to do as HE
wants. I have many family members that are not believers now and pray
daily
that will change. I do believe that many souls will be saved. I know that I am
a sinner and do not like verses of the Bible taken out of context.
The
whole book or at least the chapter needs to [be] read and understood not just a
verse here and now to prove a theory that did not even come into being
until
a couple of hundred years ago. How is every eye going to see JESUS return if HE
comes back in secret. Just don't believe any are going to be "raptured
away".
The Bible states that HEAVEN will be coming down here not us going up there.”
The
Christian sister makes a number of statements of misconception that are dealt
with through hundreds of the thousands of articles on the RR website.
This
is my problem. Many criticisms of us who hold to the pre-trib rapture are
issued forth by those who obviously have never mined the rich resources
available
to them, before making their criticisms/argumentations.
She
writes that she is sure that she will be going through the tribulation, in
order to stand for Christ and help God save people out of that horrendous
time.
She charges that she has disdain for those who twist Scripture out of context,
with those (like us, I presume) using scattered and sporadic Scripture
passages
to make our points.
She,
at the same time, provides no Scripture for any of her criticisms of the
rapture “theory,” as she puts it. However, most who make this charge do so,
using
Scripture from Revelation that they declare shows saints in the middle of that
time of Tribulation. Thus, they conclude, the Church is right there,
taking
the brunt of Antichrist’s rage and God’s wrath.
Indeed,
believers will populate that era by the millions. It will, many who study that
period believe, be a time of the greatest coming to Christ in the
history
of man. What the writer of this letter–and others—fail to recognize, or even
consider, is that God deals with man, including His children, in dispensations.
There
are saints of the Church Age at present, and there will be saints during the
tribulation. Neither will be together in the same dispensation.
Jesus
told us that He would build His church upon the gospel message the apostle
Peter had just given, telling Jesus that he believed Jesus was the Christ,
the
Son of the Living God: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou,
Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but
my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall
not
prevail against it” (Matt. 16:17-18).
Do
you see that? The gates of hell –Satan—will not prevail against the Church.
That’s all about the Church Age saints.
The
Revelation tells quite another story for God’s saints. The following Scripture
is speaking, of course, about Satan’s great tyrant, Antichrist, during
the
Tribulation era: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to
overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues,
and
nations” (Rev. 13:7). The Church will not be “overcome” by Satan, because it
won’t be here. The tribulation saints (those who accept Christ after the
rapture)
will be overcome to a large extent –lose their physical lives for the cause of
Christ.
Our
Christian critic-friend proves that she has at least done some study, but not
from God’s Word. She has read the books and literature of those who incessantly
and
speciously claim that we who believe in the pre-trib rapture have learned our
“false” doctrine from a 19th-century witch, who somehow influenced John
Darby
to later perpetrate the hated rapture theory.
The
most ludicrous of the criticisms is that we base our view that there will be a
rapture upon Margaret MacDonald’s vision in the 1800s. It makes me almost
nauseous
to have to even address this –for the thousandth time, when, if the critics would
just read what is already written on the subject on the site,
it
should quell their proclivity to make such ridiculous claims. But, I will
briefly answer again, those who are so intellectually and spiritually lazy.
The
rapture, the "catching up" (harpazo) was revealed by Paul the
apostle. It is a mystery he gave us through Holy Spirit inspiration, as
recorded in 1
Corinthians
15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18. The Rapture was not the concoction of
John Darby, who picked up this teaching, and gave it improved
order
of presentation centuries after the doctrine was believed and taught by the
early church fathers (first two centuries AD).
The
rapture isn't built on one or two verses, but on the entire body of Scripture.
When viewed in totality, and in context, the doctrine flows with prophetic
signals
we observe occurring in the world today--i.e., the world isn’t getting better
and better as the "kingdom-now" people believe (that the Church will
make
the world better until Christ can return to set up His throne). The pre-trib
rapture view puts forward that the world will grow worse and worse. The
Church
will be removed from earth, then God’s judgment will begin to fall on
rebellious earth-dwellers.
Which
do we see happening today? The world getting better and better –or- are things
looking worse and worse for Planet Earth? Read the daily headlines,
or
watch the hourly news, and you will have your answer.
Again,
Paul shows us the mystery --i.e., he reveals the mystery of the rapture in 1
Corinthians 15: 51-55. The mystery he is expanding upon is the wonderful
promise
Jesus made as shown in John 14: 1-3. Jesus is coming for us --before God's
wrath must fall.
A
foreshadowing of that principle is seen in Genesis, chapter 19, when God said
that He could do nothing in the way of sending judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah
until
Lot was first removed. Lot represented the only righteousness God recognized.
It was Lot 's faith --as puny as it was-- that kept him and the other
few
believers of his family from the time of God's wrath--again, Revelation 3:10.
Our
critic asks how all eyes can see Christ return, if He comes secretly in some
rapture. She declares she just doesn’t believe anyone is going to be raptured
away,
and she states Christ will be coming down to earth, not Christians going up to
Him. Again, she, and those who fill her head with anti-rapture rhetoric
fail
to, or willfully refuse to, see God’s dispensations in dealing with man. In the
case of the return of Christ, Scripture makes it clear there are two
separate
returns. These are at least seven years apart, one from the other.
Jesus
will return at some unknown time in the rapture. Jesus, himself, likens that
coming to a thief-in-the-night experience for those on earth. They won’t
know
what has happened, and certainly won’t see Christ. Paul says it is a moment in
time when all believers (the Church) will meet Jesus in the air: “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” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Jesus
will come the second time, following at least seven earth years, at the close
of the tribulation era, known also as “Daniel’s seventieth week.” This
time
He will come all the way to the planet, and every eye will behold Him. There
will be absolutely no doubt about this re-entry and landing: “And I saw
heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes
were
as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name
written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture
dipped
in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies, which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white
and
clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite
the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth
the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev. 19:11-15).
As
stated before, each of these things intended to deny the validity and credence
of pre-trib rapture are dealt with at great length, and in tremendous
depth
throughout the RR website. All opposing views are carefully dissected, and with
Scripture given at every point along the way in addressing any and
every
question. But, it DOES take determined research to seek out truth found in the
articles –truth that is God’s Word, not merely ours.
And,
here is the main crux of this dear lady’s problem in not discerning truth about
Christ’s coming for the Church –for her. She presents not one Scripture
to
back up any of her assertions, declarations, or suppositions/postulations. She
simply parrots things critical of the rapture doctrine she has read or
heard
from those who mock, without anything of spiritual substance to back her/their
criticisms.
My
intention is not to pick on her. I want only to used her method of criticism –a
method used in almost every instance by those who listen to the anti-rapture
crowd--
as an example to show there is no foundation to her/their argument/denial that
the rapture is a doctrine taught in God’s Word. This is our answer
to
such critics. Study the Word of God. Make your criticisms from His Word –as the
dear woman says—not from just a Scripture here or there, but from the
whole
context of the matter, whatever the matter happens to be.
I
have studied most all of the positions and variations thereof involved in these
arguments for decades --which gives away my age, I guess. The pre-trib
view
of prophecy yet future is absolutely the only one that makes sense in the
totality of scriptural context, and in terms of what we see unfolding today
in
things of geopolitics, global socio-economics, and religion.
The
Rapture is an issue incontrovertibly linked to salvation --something Jesus did
on the cross, which puts us in God's family when we truly believe. That
faith
keeps us from the time of God's wrath --both in the coming tribulation, and in
eternity. Wrath and judgment must fall upon rebellious mankind, because
of
sin. Jesus paid the price for that sin. He said on the cross "It is
finished." Sin was forever paid for at that moment, for those who would
accept his
sacrifice
--the only sacrifice that God will accept --the precious blood of His Blessed
Son.
We
are told we as Christians, while in the flesh, will have tribulations
(troubles). Certainly Christians have had troubles down through the years.
Persecutions
--genocide,
martyrdom, etc. These horrors are still happening in some places around the
world. But, this was not, and is not, God's wrath and judgment,
but
was, and is, satanic rage against God's people. The tribulation will include
satanic rage, but it will be within the horrific storm of God's wrath
and
judgment.
Christians
(those who have been --as our critic says-- saved following the rapture-- will
certainly suffer satanic rage, but not God's wrath. Many will
be
martyred, as in the times of the early persecutions --like Christians are being
martyred in some nations today. But, we are told that we (Paul denotes
the
difference between Christians of the Church Age and those who aren't in God's
family by the use of pronouns) we aren't appointed to wrath, but to salvation
through
our Lord Jesus Christ. We are told by Paul to "comfort one another with
these words"--not look to fear, but to comfort (read 1 Thess. 4:18, and
5:9-11).
We will be kept out of "the time of testing (the apocalypse or
tribulation), John was told by Jesus (Rev. 3:10).
Now,
you might not agree, and that's fine. If you know Christ you are going
instantly to Him anyway, when Jesus says "Come up hither," as He did
to John
in
Revelation 4:1-2. You will have no other choice, if you are in God's family.
But, please don't ever think --or claim--that there is only scattered verses
here
and there, or that there is no tremendously deep body of scriptural evidence
and proofs beneath the truth of the pre-trib rapture.
Again,
you can disagree, but, please don't accuse us of not knowing about the other
views, and, don't just blindly accept what opponents falsely say when
they
lie, proclaiming that we just believe in something a 19th-century Englishman
said, or that we follow some woman who dabbled in the occult. That isn't
true,
and you should look more deeply into the evidence upon which we base these
understandings, than just to take the word of those who make such shallow
and
deceptive accusations.
Put
this Scripture in a place you can memorize it –and make it your model truth for
avoiding the pitfalls of intellectual and scriptural laziness: “Study
to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).