The Evil Of Rapture Theology

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

The direct result of having lost sight of God’s true intent for imparting salvation to us has been a complete lack of positive impact by modern Christians on our society. No wonder people are saying that things aren’t getting any better, and that the rapture is near.

WHY THINGS ARE NOT GETTING BETTER

In the past decades, grace has been taught so much that many Christians have lost sight of God’s laws. Unfortunately, the act of following God’s commands has been labeled by some as legalism, a pejorative term that is simply an excuse to avoid obeying God’s enduring decrees. See Of Legalism and Christians for a detailed explanation of Superseded Commands and Enduring Laws.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” 1 John 2:1

Without the Almighty’s statutes there can be no kingdom of God on earth: they are the foundation on which Christian cultural dominion must be built.

However, mostly the “saved by faith not by works” mantra has been preached, while the last words of our Lord Jesus before He was taken up to heaven have been ignored:

“…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:20

When we Christians become doers of the laws wonderful things take place, and society is content; but when we don’t, we become quite ineffective and fruitless. Nothing feels right. Nothing is right. A malaise creeps in with the unsettling palpability that things are heading the wrong way.

All because the salt (i.e., Christians) has lost its flavor.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13

RAPTURE THEOLOGY

To cover its failure, the modern Protestant Church espouses an old heretical excuse: the erroneous futuristic and defeatist eschatology of dispensationalism, otherwise known by its nickname of rapture theology.

Said doctrine took its formative and twisted futuristic shape in 1590 with Francisco Ribera, a Catholic Jesuit priest. It was then picked up and transformed by the Puritan preachers Increase and Cotton Mather, popularized in the 1830s by John Darby, and propagated in the United States in the early 20th century by the wide circulation of the dangerous Scofield Reference Bible (never buy a bible with commentaries).

It is nothing more than a sickening anti-gospel heresy in which Christians become weaker and weaker and the non-believers stronger and stronger, while God has yet to fulfill all his land and third temple promises to Old Testament Israel: these particular angles were inserted by “Christian” scholars under the mammonish influence of Zionist Jews who wanted to paralyze Christ’s assembly of followers, demolish Christian enlightenment, cripple the march of God’s morality on earth, and prop up modern-day satanic Israel with its anti-Christ spirit of Hate Thy Neighbor.

Supposedly, as Christians slowly lose the spiritual and moral conquest entrusted to them, God will interrupt the course of history to rapture His vanquished bride – not a conquering one as He had promised – out of her great tribulation.

It follows that the earth will be given over to non-Christians for a thousand years, and finally Jesus will come back with His saints to judge the world and rule from earthly Jerusalem.

The believers in this doctrine do not realize that if the Saints are raptured, the earth loses its salt. Yet, strangely enough, they purport that non-Christians will manage to subdue the earth for a thousand-year period, when not even Sodom and Gomorrah survived one week once their salt (i.e., Lot and his family) was removed by the Angel of the Lord.

As their theory stands, the gates of hell will – contrary to Christ’s promises – prevail against Christ’s Church Assembly. With this eschatology in mind the Saints are on their knees, desperately wanting Christ to rapture them out this miserable place called earth.

Wow!

Such a belief system will never allow good to come about in society. It displays in sharp relief that the Bride of Christ, with all its morality, is bound to lose. So why should Christians bother? Why should they do anything at all?

Brethren, the rapture theology is pure fallacy.

The great tribulation was intended for the unbelieving Hebrews who had rejected and killed the Messiah.

“Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” Micah 3:12

It already occurred in 70 A.D. when God destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Hebrew nation.

“Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.'” Luke 23:28

“But he responded, ‘Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!'” Matthew 24: 2

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city.” Luke 21: 20,21

“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Matthew 24:34

“They will be killed by the sword when all of them are made captives by the Gentiles. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles is fulfilled.” Luke 21:24

“And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:8

Great Tribulation of the Ancient Hebrews in Jerusalem 70 A.D.

Thus the entire Hebrew race was wiped out, except for those who accepted Christ and fled beforehand.

“And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste.” Jeremiah 7:34

“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up…” Daniel 12:11

“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” Matthew 23:38

Consequently, the Christian Hebrews who escaped those infernal LAST DAYS of the Old Covenant did not have the mark of the beast and embodied “all Israel shall be saved”‘ of Romans 11:26. Their symbolic number in Revelation is 144,000 (12 tribes squared/Father & Son x 1000/many or 12² x 1000). Those with the mark of the beast were annihilated.

In other words, there are NO LOST TRIBES of Israel roaming about. They’re all DEAD. Besides, if they’re lost, why don’t they pick up a cell phone and call someone. After all, this is the 21st century. 🙂

God then rebuilt the third temple in us, the believers, for we are now His temple.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

The land covenant is now with us Christians, the New Israel. We have been given the whole world, so our work can cause it to be covered with God’s glory and love.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15

The slaughter of the ancient Hebrews, along with the downfall of Jerusalem and the Old Temple in 70 A.D., was God’s way of releasing Himself from His marriage to them via the Old Covenant, thus legally permitting His marriage to the whole world via the New.

As per the law, God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11: 28-31). So God had to irrevocably kill all the remaining non-Christian Hebrews, otherwise he would have had to keep the Old Covenant alive, and thereby undercut and undermine His Son’s New Covenant.

God does not have both the Old and the New Covenants being enforced at the same time. He only has one. The New. And contrary to what many would have you believe, He’s not married to His bride, the Church Assembly, on the one hand while having an affair with his mistress, the modern state of Israel, on the other.

Modern-day Israel is comprised of converted Jews, and not of Hebrews with whom God had the Old Covenant; therefore it is a state that has nothing to do with God’s word in the Bible.

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete is outdated.” Hebrews 8:13

When Christ returns to end the world, it will be like a great harvest. This is how Jesus described it:

“…at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ” Matthew 13:30

The tares will be gathered first. Not the Saints.

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17

“We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15: 21,22

Then Christ will start everything over, and His redeemed will receive their inheritance.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” Revelation 21:1

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

THE EPISTLES

The Book of Revelation and all the other epistles were letters written by the Apostles to their contemporaries – many to their fellow Hebrews and not to the converted Jews of today – admonishing them, warning them of what was to come, and urging them to prepare by accepting Christ and living accordingly. They were all written prior to 70 A.D. See Addendum 1.

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

In essence, from the time of Christ’s crucifixion in 30 A.D. to 70 A.D., God gave the disobedient Hebrews 40 years to repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah. The reason God patiently waited was because:

“…they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” Romans 11: 28-31

But, in 70 A.D., after waiting 40 years, God dropped the hammer on all those who did not repent. Just like during Ancient Israel’s 40-year wilderness wandering, God was not about to lead the unbelieving ones into the promised land of the New Covenant. They all had to die so He could start anew.

“Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:33

That is why the Hebrew Tribes are no longer around. And they can’t and won’t be “found” either. They’re not lost. They’re all dead. See Jews are NOT the Hebrews of the Bible.

“The LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight… And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.” 2 Kings 17:18,20

Besides, has anyone ever written a letter specifically to be read only 2000 years or more from its drafting? Have you ever done so?

CONCLUSION

The heretic covenantal duality, coupled with a defeatist rapture mentality, is tearing the Church Assembly apart and making Christianity look like a sinking ship.  No wonder Christians are being trampled underfoot and are losing the battle for cultural dominion.  No one likes a loser.

The Church has lost sight of the kingdom doctrine, which envisions Christians as conquerors.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

That’s why God gave us all things for our edification, so we may build His kingdom of love, peace, and morality on earth as it is in heaven.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Let us go on and build a better world without fear, because the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14

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ADDENDUM 1

The Dating Of The Book Of Revelation

[This is an excerpt from Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.’s article The Book of Revelation and Eschatology]

I hold that Revelation was produced prior to the death of Nero in June, A.D. 68, and even before the formal engagement of the Judean War by Vespasian in Spring, A.D. 67. My position is that Revelation was written in A.D. 65 or 66. This would be after the outbreak of the Neronic persecution in November, 64, and before the engagement of Vespasian’s forces in Spring of 67. […]

Flavius Josephus, the Judahite contemporary of John, clearly points out that Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome and that he was followed in succession by Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, and Nero (Antiquities 18; 19). We discover this enumeration also in other near contemporaries of John: 4 Ezra 11 and 12; Sibylline Oracles, books 5 and 8; Barnabas, Epistle 4; Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars; and Dio Cassius’ Roman History 5.

The text of Revelation says of the seven kings “five have fallen.” The first five emperors are dead, when John writes. But the verse goes on to say “one is.” That is, the sixth one is then reigning even as John wrote. That would be Nero Caesar, who assumed imperial power upon the death of Claudius in October, A.D. 54, and remained emperor until June, A.D. 68.

John continues: “The other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space.” When the Roman Civil Wars broke out in rebellion against him, Nero committed suicide on June 8, A.D. 68. The seventh king was “not yet come.” That would be Galba, who assumed power in June, A.D. 68. But he was only to continue a “short space.” His reign lasted but six months, until January 15, A.D. 69.

Thus, we see that while John wrote, Nero was still alive and Galba was looming in the near future. Revelation could not have been written after June, A.D. 68, according to the internal political evidence. Read more here.

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ADDENDUM 2

The Apocalypse of 70 A.D., The Prophet Daniel, And The Apostle John

The entire New Testament – including the Book of Revelation – was written prior to 70 A.D. and must be read with that context in mind in order to understand many of its passages.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

“I think that in view of the present distress…” 1 Corinthians 7:25

Daniel’s prophecies, which were precursors and confirmations of John’s prophecies in Revelation, also pertained to 70 A.D. and not to a prophetic distant future that has yet to happen.

They foretold the destruction of Jerusalem which God subsequently delivered up to the Emperor of the Gentiles (i.e., the Roman Emperor) during a period that lasted 42 months = 1,260 days = 3½ years = Middle of 7 = Time (1), Times (2), and Half a time (½), and reached its full consummation in 70 A.D.

“In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Daniel 9:27

“They shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:25

“They will be killed by the sword when all of them are made captives by the Gentiles. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.” Luke 21:24

It was a period of wrath and judgment due to apostasy: earthly and wicked Jerusalem had become a spiritual abomination, or Babylon.

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Revelation 17:5

The Apostle John’s prophetic and apocalyptic warning was similar to Daniel’s.

“I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.  And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’ They are ‘the two olive trees’ and the two lampstands, and ‘they stand before the Lord of the earth.'” Revelation 11:1-4

The two Witnesses are spoken of in terms of the two great witnesses of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah – the Law and the Prophets.

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” Luke 16:16

Prior to the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the animal sacrifices, performed daily by the Judahites, were abolished by Rome, which then had the image or statue of its Emperor Caligula (Gaius) set up to be worshiped in the very temple which was later desolated by its army in 70 A.D., along with Jerusalem. Emperor Vespasian’s ruthless son, Titus, led the war that year, and for his achievement was awarded a triumph: the Arch of Titus.

“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up...” Daniel 12:11

The Apostle John actually called the Emperor of Rome the beast.

“The beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” Revelation 19:20

He also gave the beast the number 666.

“Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” Revelation 13:18

The significance of the number 6 rests in the fact that man was created on the 6th day. Therefore 6 is the number of man. And triple 6 or 666 is man puffing himself up from 6 to the third degree, 1 degree more than God’s duality of Father and Son: such was the Emperor of Rome’s hubris in positioning his might above God’s and above his created status.

That’s why the Caesar was nicknamed the Anti-Christ by Christians everywhere, because he was the agent of Satan the Dragon, placed himself above Jehovah and His anointed Jesus, and persecuted Christians throughout his empire.

“…every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Thus the Prophet Daniel and the Apostle John served as two prophetic witnesses of the Apocalypse of 70 A.D.

“Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1

Every prophecy in the bible has already been fulfilled, except for those concerning the end of the world as explained in the article Where Is Satan Now?

In addition, the Word JUDAHITE, not JEW, is in the Bible. The word JEW is a mistranslation and causes quite the confusion about the Book of Revelation, especially since Jews are NOT the Hebrews of the bible – all the Hebrews are irrevocably dead. Therefore, the bible is not talking about the Jews nor about modern-day Israel, but about the Judahite Hebrews of old.

“God is not the author of confusion…” 1 Corinthians 14:33

Read also: Jesus was not a Jew

Read also: Is America Cursed Because of Israel?