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The Rapture Myth=20
Many Christians today, mainly Protestants, have put their faith in a =
peculiar theory commonly called the 'Rapture'. This event, they are =
assured by televangelists, eschatological writers and their own pastors, =
is definitely promised in the Bible they claim, and will save them and =
their loved ones from the 'time of trial', the 'Great Tribulation', and =
the like. That, "in a twinkling of an eye", God will suddenly whisk them =
off the face of the earth and usher them into Heaven, and out of the =
clutches of the Antichrist, False Prophet, and from all the other =
dangers and trials in the days ahead.=20
To give as just one example of the typical Protestant take on the theory =
of the Rapture. I will quote from one of the most renowned Protestant =
writers in the field of eschatology today, Grant R. Jeffrey, in his book =
"The Coming Judgment of the Nations";=20
"The Imminent Rapture of the Saints"=20
"THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE SAINTS"=20
"The Rapture is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. =
However, many have avoided studying this subject because it is the most =
supernatural event in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, most discussions =
about the translation of the saints have focused exclusively on the =
question of the timing of the Rapture relative to the Tribulation. While =
the timing is very important, many Christians have lost sight of the =
true purpose of the Rapture. Although this event will remove the living =
saints to heaven to escape the Antichrist, its primary purpose is to =
provide all believers, living and departed, with their eternal =
resurrection bodies.=20
"The 'translation of the saints' will transform our mortal and =
corruptible body into a new resurrection body that will be immortal and =
incorruptible. Our present body is subject to disease, accident and =
death. The Scripture assures us that our present mortal and corruptible =
body is not suitable for heaven, nor is it suitable for us to reign and =
rule with Christ on the earth forever. In order that we may partake of =
all that Christ has promised His Bride, the Church, we must receive a =
new resurrection body. 'Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood =
cannot inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not =
all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of =
an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead =
will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.' (1 =
Corinthians 15:50-52).=20
"THE PROMISE OF THE RAPTURE"=20
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in =
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught =
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And =
thus we shall always be with the Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).=20
"Some who oppose the teaching of the Rapture declare that the word =
'Rapture' does not appear in the Bible. The original Latin translation =
of the Bible by Jerome, an early Christian scholar, used the word rapere =
to correctly translate 'shall be caught up.' This word rapere was used =
later as the derivation for our English word 'Rapture.' Since the phrase =
'to be caught up' is clearly in the New Testament and was quoted =
extensively by the early Church, we can safely use the word 'Rapture' to =
describe the translation of the saints as outlined in 1 Thessalonians =
4:16, 17."=20
(Grant R. Jeffrey, Chapter 4, 'The Imminent Rapture of the Saints', =
pages 93-95)=20
To begin with, note that, as Jeffrey admits, the primary purpose of =
whatever Saint Paul is describing is not to escape the Antichrist, but =
"its primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and departed, =
with their eternal resurrection bodies." He acknowledges as much, =
because virtually all of what Saint Paul is describing in those =
passages, the very same ones used by pro-Rapturists to bolster their =
theory, is primarily to assure his fellow brethren of the fact of the =
resurrection, not to specify as to its timing, whether pre-, mid- or =
post-Tribulation, or at any other specific point in God's Timetable. =
Again, as Jeffrey notes, Paul's intent is to primarily assure his =
readers of the fact of the resurrection itself. And let's call it just =
that, the resurrection, for that is precisely what Paul is writing =
about. We can thus discuss its particular timing in its proper light.=20
The Bible is very specific as to the timing of the two resurrections;=20
"The Thousand Years"=20
"1And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the =
Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He seized the dragon, that =
ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a =
thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it =
over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the =
thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short =
time.=20
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority =
to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of =
their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not =
worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their =
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a =
thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the =
thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and =
holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death =
has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ =
and will reign with him for a thousand years."=20
(Revelation 20:1-7 NIV)=20
As the Bible clearly states, the first resurrection involves all those =
who had been beheaded (or otherwise killed, one would imagine) "because =
of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God" during the =
reign of the Antichrist and False Prophet. "THEY CAME TO LIFE AND =
REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS...THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION."=20
At no point in the entire Bible previous to this passage does it ever =
specify as to the timing of this, or any other resurrection. Yet, here =
it is, in black and white. Clearly then, anyone equating the event that =
Paul describes with some supernatural 'escape' from the 'Tribulation', =
whether pre-, mid- or post-, or whatever, has simply read way too much =
into those words, and totally inaccurately. You can argue about all the =
trumpets, and shouts of the Lord all you want, in order to show that it =
happens at some certain point in the 'Tribulation', but no matter how =
many convincing-sounding arguments you can come up with, you still =
cannot take away from what the Bible clearly teaches above.=20
What I believe Paul was writing about is the second resurrection, at the =
end of the 'thousand years', also known as the Millennium. My main =
reason for believing that is because of his letter to the Thessalonians; =
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in =
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught =
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And =
thus we shall always be with the Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).=20
Here, we have the trumpet blasting, and the Lord descending from Heaven =
with a shout, both sounding very much like they should happen at some =
point at the end of the 'Tribulation', prior to His intervention at the =
Battle of Armageddon (to suggest that it happens anytime previous to =
that particular point is really stretching matters). Yet, even if that =
resurrection were to occur just prior to that final cataclysmic battle, =
why would Jesus deliberately end the lives of His true followers, just =
prior to setting up his seventh, sabbath millennium on the earth? Since =
Christ Himself stated that those in Heaven, in their resurrected bodies, =
neither marry nor divorce, there is no reason to assume that those =
resurrected bodies on earth do so either, since the purpose of marriage =
is procreation. The point is, the resurrected body is one not designed =
for procreation, but for eternal life; both on earth for the millennium, =
as well as Heaven afterwards. There aren't two different types of =
resurrection bodies, in other words.=20
"The Dead Are Judged"
"11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth =
and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I =
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books =
were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The =
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the =
books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades =
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according =
to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of =
fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not =
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." =
(Revelation 20:11-15 NIV)=20
Followed immediately by;=20
"The New Jerusalem"
"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the =
first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the =
Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, =
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a =
loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, =
and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself =
will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their =
eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the =
old order of things has passed away."=20
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" =
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and =
true." "=20
(Revelation 21:1-5 NIV)=20
It is at the end of the final battle, after Jesus again destroys all =
those rebelling against His authority and casting Satan into the same =
lake of fire as the Antichrist, False Prophet, and the then destiny of =
all not found in the Book of Life, that all the dead, Paul included, and =
ALL THAT ARE STILL LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THAT TIME, (JUST AS PAUL =
THOUGHT MIGHT APPLY TO HIMSELF AND HIS BRETHREN AT THAT TIME) are given =
their resurrection bodies. In other words, THIS IS THE SECOND =
RESURRECTION. And, depending on whether your name is found in the Book =
of Life or not, you will be either resurrected to eternal life, or an =
eternal (second) death.=20
No Virginia, there is no 'escape pod', no 'Hand of God' about to grab =
you, and whisk you off to Heaven in a 'twinkling of an eye' at any point =
during the coming 'Tribulation'. It is a myth, clear and simple, based =
upon poor Scriptural exegesis, hermeneutics, and plain old wishful =
thinking. What is about to befall mankind, is about to befall us all, =
righteous and evil, alike. So when you find yourself, your family and =
other loved ones being swarmed by the many forces of the Antichrist in =
the days ahead, as you stayed an open target for them all the while =
fantasizing about some miraculous 'rapture' when you could have used =
that time to prepare yourselves, and 'get the hell outta Dodge', =
remember that the Bible warned you as to what you could actually expect, =
being a follower of Jesus Christ, during this soon-to-come most awful of =
times;=20
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the =
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be =
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."=20
(Matthew 24:21,22 KJV)=20
Pro-Rapturists claim that these 'elect' are those who become followers =
of Jesus Christ after the Rapture, due to the testimony of the Two =
Witnesses, the 144,000 messianic Jewish 'evangelists', etc., who are the =
only true witnesses apparently 'left behind' to deal with the aftermath. =
That they do one terrific job of evangelizing the remaining human =
population, they say, is witnessed by the 'great multitude' standing =
before the Throne of God and before the Lamb;=20
"The Great Multitude in White Robes"=20
"9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no =
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing =
before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white =
robes and were holding palm branches in their hands"=20
(Revelation 7:9 NIV)=20
"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, =
and where did they come from?"=20
14I answered, "Sir, you know."=20
15And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great =
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the =
blood of the Lamb."=20
(Revelation 7:13-15 NIV)=20
These are the 'elect' for whose sake God will 'shorten' the days for, =
just as Christ promised. Yet Jesus also prophesied that it would be the =
'elect' who wouldn't be fooled by the 'great delusion' in the endtimes =
perpetrated by Satan, and his Antichrist and False Prophet. Here, I =
believe it's necessary to quote the bulk of the Olivet Discourse, so =
nothing can be taken out of context;=20
"Signs of the End of the Age"=20
"1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up =
to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do you see all these =
things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be =
left on another; every one will be thrown down."=20
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him =
privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will =
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"=20
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will =
come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many. 6You =
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not =
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation =
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be =
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning =
of birth pains.=20
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and =
you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will =
turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many =
false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the =
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who =
stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom =
will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and =
then the end will come." "=20
(Matthew 24:1-14 NIV)=20
Let's pause for the moment, while I make an important point. Every =
single one of the above 'signs' is 'general' in the sense that they can =
be described as occurring in any given century since the time Christ =
walked the earth. Whether it's earthquakes or apostasy, they all =
happened throughout the entire Church Age, for the past 2,000 years. Now =
Jesus gets very specific as to which sign to watch for;=20
"15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that =
causes desolation' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader =
understand-- 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. =
17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of =
the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How =
dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing =
mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the =
Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the =
beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22If =
those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the =
sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone =
says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not =
believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and =
perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were =
possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time."=20
(Matthew 24:15-26 NIV)=20
In chronological, sequential order then: first, all the 'general signs' =
mentioned above manifest themselves, probably in a very widespread and =
deep level throughout the earth; secondly the specific sign that is the =
'abomination that causes desolation'; and thirdly the 'shortening of =
days for the sake of the elect'. SO FAR, NO GATHERING OF THE ELECT.=20
"26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go =
out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as =
lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will =
be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there =
the vultures will gather.=20
29"Immediately after the distress of those days=20
" 'the sun will be darkened,=20
and the moon will not give its light;=20
the stars will fall from the sky,=20
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and =
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man =
coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he =
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will GATHER HIS =
ELECT from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."=20
(Matthew 24:26-31 NIV)=20
Ah, there it is, finally. And there's that trumpet blast to boot. =
Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. So tell me, unless you =
read words and paragraphs backwards, how the 'gathering of the elect' =
occurs anytime before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?? And don't try =
telling me that those verses describe Jesus coming back in secret, =
either. There's absolutely nothing secretive about the above arrival. He =
Himself warned us;=20
"27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the =
west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:27 NIV)=20
Jesus never said anything about gathering two separate groups of His =
'elect' at two separate points at the time of the end. IF HE INTENDED TO =
DO SO, HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US 'AHEAD OF TIME.' DO YOU FINALLY 'SEE' ??=20
Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to stop fantasizing, and face =
the facts of our collective present situation. The 'elect', whether =
Jews, Gentiles, Protestants, Catholics as well as the rest of humanity, =
will go through the terrible trials of the entire 'Tribulation', a =
'shortened' period of time yet still unequalled for its ferocity and =
sheer lethality in all the annals of human history. Think of it, if you =
can do so without losing the contents of your stomach. Of all the =
atrocities that man has perpetrated against man, and there are so very =
many instances since before and after His Words, Christ specifically =
points to this shortened period of time as being without equal, ever, =
and never to be equalled again. Not the Holocaust perpetrated against =
(mainly) the Jews of Europe during the Second World War, nor the various =
pogroms that either the Soviet or Communist Chinese government directed =
against their own people, each numbering tens of millions in each case, =
nor any other period of time in history, but only the still-to-come =
'tribulation' period of the Antichrist is mentioned.=20
So, after, hopefully and finally putting aside our childish, dangerous =
fantasies, let's consider the actual reality of our collective =
situation;
"7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. =
And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and =
nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose =
names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb =
that was slain from the creation of the world.
9He who has an ear, let him hear.=20
IF anyone is to go into captivity,=20
into captivity he will go.=20
IF anyone is to be killed with the sword,=20
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and =
faithfulness on the part of the saints."=20
(Revelation 13:7-10 NIV)=20
The Book of Daniel reiterates that the Antichrist will first and =
foremost go after the 'saints', the very 'elect' of the Father and the =
Son;=20
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom =
that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other =
kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing =
it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. =
After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he =
will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and =
oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The =
saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.=20
(Daniel 7:23-25 NIV)=20
Like his Master Jesus Himself, the master endtime prophet Daniel doesn't =
mention anything about any supernatural 'catching up' of the saints to =
save them from the Antichrist either. What Jesus and His archangel =
Gabriel allowed that hapless prophet to see in the future, just like =
Saint John who wrote down the words of the Book of Revelation some six =
hundred years after him, made him sick to his stomach for days on end, =
even though he knew it wouldn't occur for a long time into the future =
from his vantage point. We have NO idea of exactly how bad things are =
about to get, very, very soon now.=20
Revelation 6:8 states that a full quarter of the human population will =
be killed by the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', by "sword, famine and =
plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." Three chapters later, we =
learn;=20
14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four =
angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four =
angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and =
year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the =
mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.=20
(Revelation 9:14-16 NIV)=20
At that time another full third of humanity is lost due to the westward =
march of the 'mounted troops' towards Israel, wherever they hail from. =
Personally, I think they're Chinese, their basic mission to take over =
the very same oilfields Nixon wished to take over circa 1974, but took =
the Americans about thirty more years to actually accomplish the task =
under George W. Bush. No matter, when the Americans (if they're still =
around at that time) see this army approaching, they will tuck their =
tails under their legs, and basically run like hell.=20
So, even before that cataclysmic battle even begins, the Bible predicts =
that at least three billion souls will have been lost, which is slightly =
under just half of the present world population. And in case you're one =
of those cretinous ogre types who would think or say that that's not =
such a bad thing, that the world is overpopulated as it stands and could =
use a good culling, then all I can say is let it begin with the likes of =
you.
Lest we imagine the bulk of these deaths occur in the poor =
underdeveloped and populous nations of the southern hemisphere, almost =
all of the evidence within the Bible appears to suggest that it is =
mostly the developed nations of the northern hemisphere, from the =
destruction in one hour of the rich city of 'Babylon' on, that are at =
least mainly involved. The Antichrist is almost bound to make either =
Europe and/or the United States his base of operations, using the =
military might of both to launch his goal of global domination. Which =
puts those nations that have obviously accepted (and worshiped) him at =
odds not only with the 200 million strong 'oriental' army, but with God =
Himself and His lethal Judgments.=20
Which puts the average citizen (Christian or not) of Europe, Asia and =
North America directly in harm's way of all that is about to occur, =
whether due to the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', those being 'sword, =
famine, plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth' (Revelation 6:8 =
NIV), or the subsequent devastating Bowl Judgments of God's Wrath, which =
includes the westward sweep of the 'oriental' army across Asia and the =
Middle East as only one of those seven.=20
I believe that we should all assume that, in all probability, we are not =
going to survive what is about to come upon us in the next eight months, =
whether we are followers of Jesus Christ or not. In fact, if we continue =
to call ourselves His followers in the face of all upcoming persecutions =
and not deny Him, we most assuredly will be killed,=20
If I have scared the HELL out of you, then that is my literal intention. =
To scare everyone straight;=20
"13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is =
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in =
thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto =
life, and few there be that find it."
(Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)
Assuming that you are a true Christian, with no intention of denying =
Christ no matter what happens in the days ahead, you should assume that =
you will most probably be going through that straight gate at some point =
in the next eight months. That's not fearmongering, that is the reality =
of the situation; that is Biblical endtime prophecy fulfilling itself to =
the letter.=20
What then should be your first priorities be? Obviously, it is to make =
sure that you do enter the straight gate, and not the wide one. Since I =
will be the first to admit that I am the least expert on how to do that, =
to be a good and total Christian, I will leave it to you and your =
Christian conscience to figure out how best to accomplish that most =
vital and foremost of tasks, not just for yourself and your loved ones, =
but also for all your neighbors, as our Lord commanded.
While making that your top priority, making yourself and those around =
you spiritually prepared for the days soon ahead, being physically =
prepared to actually survive them wouldn't be such a bad idea either. =
And apart from telling you that food, drinkable water, fuel and other =
such necessities will be in scarce supply probably by the beginning of =
April 2004, there's not much else I can offer in the way of advice in =
that department, as I'm no expert in wilderness survival either.=20
But that it is to the wilderness you ought to be thinking of heading, if =
you wish to have yourself and your loved ones survive, there is =
absolutely no doubt;
"12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the =
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto =
you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short =
time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he =
persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she =
might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished =
for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the =
woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and =
swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with =
the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have =
the testimony of Jesus Christ."
(Revelation 12:12-17 KJV)
Notice that the woman has two distinct groups of 'children'. One group =
is basically protected from the wrath of the serpent, aka Satan, and =
those that clearly are not.=20
By the way, the Pro-Rapturists leap on that passage and say 'Aha! That's =
us!' referring to the first group, as they imagine that the 'wilderness' =
can somehow be equated with Heaven. But the text is clear that wherever =
this 'wilderness' may be, it is somewhere on earth during the time of =
the persecutions of the Antichrist, and nowhere else.
But what is it that separates the two groups in the first place? Who are =
they, these common followers of Jesus, and what is it that distinguishes =
the first group of Christians from the other? And what is this =
supernatural protection? Exactly how does it protect one from the reach =
of Satan, his Antichrist and their millions of followers in the days =
ahead?
I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying =
exactly who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be.=20
But since that involves offending everyone I can think of (including my =
own church), perhaps I should leave that for a later post.
Until then,
Dan
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B><U><FONT face=3DArial>
<P>The Rapture Myth</B></U> </P>
<P>Many Christians today, mainly Protestants, have put their faith in a =
peculiar=20
theory commonly called the 'Rapture'. This event, they are assured by=20
televangelists, eschatological writers and their own pastors, is =
definitely=20
promised in the Bible they claim, and will save them and their loved =
ones from=20
the 'time of trial', the 'Great Tribulation', and the like. That, "in a=20
twinkling of an eye", God will suddenly whisk them off the face of the =
earth and=20
usher them into Heaven, and out of the clutches of the Antichrist, False =
Prophet, and from all the other dangers and trials in the days ahead. =
</P>
<P>To give as just one example of the typical Protestant take on the =
theory of=20
the Rapture. I will quote from one of the most renowned Protestant =
writers in=20
the field of eschatology today, Grant R. Jeffrey, in his book <B><U>"The =
Coming=20
Judgment of the Nations";</B></U> </P><B><I>
<P>"The Imminent Rapture of the Saints"</B></I> </P><I>
<P>"THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE SAINTS"</I> </P><I>
<P>"The Rapture is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. =
However,=20
many have avoided studying this subject because it is the most =
supernatural=20
event in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, most discussions about the =
translation=20
of the saints have focused exclusively on the question of the timing of =
the=20
Rapture relative to the Tribulation. While the timing is very important, =
many=20
Christians have lost sight of the true purpose of the Rapture. Although =
this=20
event will remove the living saints to heaven to escape the Antichrist, =
its=20
primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and departed, with =
their=20
eternal resurrection bodies.</I> </P><I>
<P>"The 'translation of the saints' will transform our mortal and =
corruptible=20
body into a new resurrection body that will be immortal and =
incorruptible. Our=20
present body is subject to disease, accident and death. The Scripture =
assures us=20
that our present mortal and corruptible body is not suitable for heaven, =
nor is=20
it suitable for us to reign and rule with Christ on the earth forever. =
In order=20
that we may partake of all that Christ has promised His Bride, the =
Church, we=20
must receive a new resurrection body. <B>'Now this I say, brethren, that =
flesh=20
and blood cannot inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We =
shall=20
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the =
twinkling of an=20
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will =
be=20
raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.' (1 Corinthians=20
15:50-52).</B> </P>
<P>"THE PROMISE OF THE RAPTURE"</I> </P><B><I>
<P>"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice=20
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ =
will rise=20
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with =
them in=20
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with =
the=20
Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).</B></I> </P><I>
<P>"Some who oppose the teaching of the Rapture declare that the word =
'Rapture'=20
does not appear in the Bible. The original Latin translation of the =
Bible by=20
Jerome, an early Christian scholar, used the word <B>rapere</B> to =
correctly=20
translate 'shall be caught up.' This word <B>rapere </B>was used later =
as the=20
derivation for our English word 'Rapture.' Since the phrase 'to be =
caught up' is=20
clearly in the New Testament and was quoted extensively by the early =
Church, we=20
can safely use the word 'Rapture' to describe the translation of the =
saints as=20
outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17."</I> </P><I>
<P>(Grant R. Jeffrey, Chapter 4, 'The Imminent Rapture of the Saints', =
pages=20
93-95)</I> </P>
<P>To begin with, note that, as Jeffrey admits, the <I>primary</I> =
purpose of=20
<I>whatever</I> Saint Paul is describing is not to escape the =
Antichrist, but=20
"<I>its primary purpose is to provide all believers, living and =
departed, with=20
their eternal resurrection bodies." </I>He acknowledges as much, because =
virtually all of what Saint Paul is describing in those passages, the =
very same=20
ones used by pro-Rapturists to bolster their theory, is <I>primarily</I> =
to=20
assure his fellow brethren of the fact of the <I>resurrection, </I>not =
to=20
specify as to its timing, whether pre-, mid- or post-Tribulation, or at =
any=20
other specific point in God's Timetable. Again, as Jeffrey notes, Paul's =
intent=20
is to <I>primarily</I> assure his readers of the fact of the =
resurrection=20
itself. And let's call it just that, the <I>resurrection, </I>for that =
is=20
precisely what Paul is writing about. We can thus discuss its particular =
timing=20
in its proper light. </P>
<P>The Bible is very specific as to the timing of the <I>two =
resurrections;</I>=20
</P><I>
<P>"The Thousand Years" <BR><BR>"1And I saw an angel coming down out of =
heaven,=20
having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2He =
seized=20
the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound =
him for=20
a thousand years. 3He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it =
over=20
him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand =
years=20
were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. <BR>4I saw =
thrones=20
on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I =
saw the=20
souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for =
Jesus and=20
because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his =
image and=20
had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. <B>They =
came to=20
life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead =
did not=20
come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first=20
resurrection</B>. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first =
resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be =
priests=20
of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."</I> =
</P>
<P>(Revelation 20:1-7 NIV) </P>
<P>As the Bible clearly states, the <I>first resurrection </I>involves =
all those=20
who had been beheaded (or otherwise killed, one would imagine) =
<I>"because of=20
their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God"</I> <B>during =
the=20
reign of the Antichrist and False Prophet. <I>"THEY CAME TO LIFE AND =
REIGNED=20
WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS...THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION."</B></I> =
</P>
<P>At no point in the entire Bible previous to this passage does it ever =
specify=20
as to the timing of this, or any other resurrection. Yet, here it is, in =
black=20
and white. Clearly then, anyone equating the event that Paul describes =
with some=20
supernatural 'escape' from the 'Tribulation', whether pre-, mid- or =
post-, or=20
whatever, has simply read way too much into those words, and totally=20
inaccurately. You can argue about all the trumpets, and shouts of the =
Lord all=20
you want, in order to show that it happens at some certain point in the=20
'Tribulation', but no matter how many convincing-sounding arguments you =
can come=20
up with, you still cannot take away from what the Bible clearly teaches =
above.=20
</P>
<P>What I believe Paul was writing about is the <I>second =
resurrection,</I> at=20
the end of the 'thousand years', also known as the <I>Millennium.</I> My =
main=20
reason for believing that is because of his letter to the Thessalonians; =
</P><I>
<P>"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the =
voice=20
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ =
will rise=20
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with =
them in=20
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with =
the=20
Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).</I> </P>
<P>Here, we have the trumpet blasting, and the Lord descending from =
Heaven with=20
a shout, both sounding very much like they <I>should </I>happen at some =
point at=20
the end of the 'Tribulation', prior to His intervention at the Battle of =
Armageddon (to suggest that it happens anytime previous to that =
particular point=20
is <I>really </I>stretching matters). Yet, even if that resurrection =
were to=20
occur just prior to that final cataclysmic battle, why would Jesus =
deliberately=20
<B><I><U>end</B></I></U> the lives of His true followers, just prior to =
setting=20
up his seventh, sabbath millennium on the earth? Since Christ Himself =
stated=20
that those in Heaven, in their resurrected bodies, neither marry nor =
divorce,=20
there is no reason to assume that those resurrected bodies on earth do =
so=20
either, since the purpose of marriage is procreation. The point is, the=20
resurrected body is one not designed for procreation, but for eternal =
life; both=20
on earth for the millennium, as well as Heaven afterwards. There aren't =
two=20
different types of resurrection bodies, in other words. </P><I>
<P>"The Dead Are Judged"<BR><BR>"11Then I saw a great white throne and =
him who=20
was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no =
place=20
for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the =
throne, and=20
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. =
The dead=20
were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. =
13The sea=20
gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead =
that were=20
in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. =
14Then death=20
and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the =
second=20
death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he =
was=20
thrown into the lake of fire."</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 20:11-15 NIV) </P>
<P>Followed immediately by; </P><I>
<P>"The New Jerusalem"<BR><BR></I>"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new =
earth, for=20
the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no =
longer=20
any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of =
heaven from=20
God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I =
heard a=20
loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, =
and he=20
will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be =
with them=20
and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will =
be no=20
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things =
has passed=20
away." <BR>5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making =
everything new!"=20
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and =
true." "=20
</P>
<P>(Revelation 21:1-5 NIV) </P>
<P>It is at the end of the final battle, after Jesus again destroys all =
those=20
rebelling against His authority and casting Satan into the same lake of =
fire as=20
the Antichrist, False Prophet, and the then destiny of <I>all </I>not =
found in=20
the Book of Life, that all the dead, Paul included, and <B><I>ALL THAT =
ARE STILL=20
LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THAT TIME, (JUST AS PAUL THOUGHT MIGHT APPLY TO =
HIMSELF=20
AND HIS BRETHREN AT THAT TIME)</B></I> are given their resurrection =
bodies. In=20
other words, <B>THIS IS THE SECOND RESURRECTION. </B>And, depending on =
whether=20
your name is found in the Book of Life or not, you will be either =
resurrected to=20
eternal life, or an eternal (second) death. </P>
<P>No Virginia, there is no 'escape pod', no 'Hand of God' about to grab =
you,=20
and whisk you off to Heaven in a 'twinkling of an eye' at <I>any</I> =
point=20
during the coming 'Tribulation'. It is a myth, clear and simple, based =
upon poor=20
Scriptural exegesis, hermeneutics, and plain old wishful thinking. What =
is about=20
to befall mankind, is about to befall us all, righteous and evil, alike. =
So when=20
you find yourself, your family and other loved ones being swarmed by the =
many=20
forces of the Antichrist in the days ahead, as you stayed an open target =
for=20
them all the while fantasizing about some miraculous 'rapture' when you =
could=20
have used that time to prepare yourselves, and 'get the hell outta =
Dodge',=20
remember that the Bible warned you as to what you could actually expect, =
being a=20
follower of Jesus Christ, during this soon-to-come most awful of times; =
</P>
<P>"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the =
beginning of=20
the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.<BR>And except those days =
should=20
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake =
those=20
days shall be shortened." </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:21,22 KJV) </P>
<P>Pro-Rapturists claim that these 'elect' are those who become =
followers of=20
Jesus Christ <I>after </I>the Rapture, due to the testimony of the Two=20
Witnesses, the 144,000 messianic Jewish 'evangelists', etc., who are the =
only=20
true witnesses apparently 'left behind' to deal with the aftermath. That =
they do=20
one terrific job of evangelizing the remaining human population, they =
say, is=20
witnessed by the 'great multitude' standing before the Throne of God and =
before=20
the Lamb; </P><I>
<P>"The Great Multitude in White Robes" <BR><BR>"9After this I looked =
and there=20
before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every =
nation,=20
tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of =
the Lamb.=20
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their =
hands"=20
</P></I>
<P>(Revelation 7:9 NIV) </P><I>
<P>"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are =
they, and=20
where did they come from?" <BR>14I answered, "Sir, you know." <BR>15And =
he said,=20
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have =
washed=20
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 7:13-15 NIV) </P>
<P>These are the 'elect' for whose sake God will 'shorten' the days for, =
just as=20
Christ promised. Yet Jesus also prophesied that it would be the 'elect' =
who=20
wouldn't be fooled by the 'great delusion' in the endtimes perpetrated =
by Satan,=20
and his Antichrist and False Prophet. Here, I believe it's necessary to =
quote=20
the bulk of the Olivet Discourse, so nothing can be taken out of =
context;=20
</P><I>
<P>"Signs of the End of the Age" <BR><BR>"1Jesus left the temple and was =
walking=20
away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its =
buildings.=20
2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one =
stone=20
here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." <BR>3As =
Jesus was=20
sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. =
<B>"Tell=20
us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of =
your coming=20
and of the end of the age?" <BR></B>4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no =
one=20
deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the =
Christ' and=20
will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to =
it that=20
you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to =
come.=20
7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There =
will be=20
famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning =
of birth=20
pains. <BR>9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to =
death, and=20
you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will =
turn=20
away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many =
false=20
prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase =
of=20
wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to =
the end=20
will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the =
whole=20
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." "</I> =
</P>
<P>(Matthew 24:1-14 NIV) </P>
<P>Let's pause for the moment, while I make an important point. Every =
single one=20
of the above 'signs' is 'general' in the sense that they can be =
described as=20
occurring in any given century since the time Christ walked the earth. =
Whether=20
it's earthquakes or apostasy, they all happened throughout the entire =
Church=20
Age, for the past 2,000 years. Now Jesus gets very specific as to which =
sign to=20
watch for; </P>
<P><BR><I>"15"<B>So when you see standing in the holy place 'the =
abomination=20
that causes desolation' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the =
reader=20
understand--</B> 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the =
mountains. 17Let=20
no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the =
house. 18Let=20
no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be =
in those=20
days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight =
will not=20
take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For <B>then</B> there will be =
great=20
distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never =
to be=20
equaled again. <B>22If those days had not been cut short, no one would =
survive,=20
but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that =
time if=20
anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do =
not=20
believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and =
perform great=20
signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. =
25See, I=20
have told you ahead of time."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:15-26 NIV) </P>
<P>In chronological, sequential order then: <B><I>first</B></I>, all the =
<B><I>'general signs'</B></I> mentioned above manifest themselves, =
probably in a=20
very widespread and deep level throughout the earth; =
<B><I>secondly</B></I> the=20
<B><I>specific sign</B></I> that is the 'abomination that causes =
desolation';=20
and <B><I>thirdly </B></I>the <B><I>'shortening of days for the sake of =
the=20
elect'. <U>SO FAR, NO GATHERING OF THE ELECT.</B></I></U> </P>
<P><BR><I>"26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' =
do not=20
go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For =
as=20
lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will =
be the=20
coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the =
vultures will=20
gather. <BR>29"Immediately after the distress of those days <BR>" 'the =
sun will=20
be darkened, <BR>and the moon will not give its light; <BR>the stars =
will fall=20
from the sky, <BR>and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."</P>
<P><BR>30"<B>At that time</B> <B>the sign of the Son of Man will appear =
in the=20
sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.</B> <B>They will see =
the Son=20
of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. =
31And he=20
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will <U>GATHER =
HIS=20
ELECT</U> from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the=20
other."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Matthew 24:26-31 NIV) </P>
<P>Ah, there it is, finally. And there's that trumpet blast to boot. =
Straight=20
from the horse's mouth, so to speak. <B>So tell me, unless you read =
words and=20
paragraphs backwards, how the 'gathering of the elect' occurs anytime =
<I>before=20
</I>the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?? </B>And don't try telling me =
that those=20
verses describe Jesus coming back in <B><I>secret</B></I>, either. =
There's=20
absolutely nothing secretive about the above arrival. He Himself warned =
us;=20
</P><B><I>
<P>"27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the =
west, so=20
will be the coming of the Son of Man."</B> (Matthew 24:27 NIV)</I> </P>
<P>Jesus <B><I>never</B></I> said anything about gathering two separate =
groups=20
of His 'elect' at two separate points at the time of the end. <B><I>IF =
HE=20
INTENDED TO DO SO, HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US 'AHEAD OF TIME.' DO YOU FINALLY =
'SEE'=20
??</B></I> </P>
<P><BR>Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to stop fantasizing, =
and face=20
the facts of our collective present situation. The 'elect', whether =
Jews,=20
Gentiles, Protestants, Catholics as well as the rest of humanity, will =
go=20
through the terrible trials of the entire 'Tribulation', a 'shortened' =
period of=20
time yet still unequalled for its ferocity and sheer lethality in all =
the annals=20
of human history. Think of it, if you can do so without losing the =
contents of=20
your stomach. Of all the atrocities that man has perpetrated against =
man, and=20
there are so very many instances since before and after His Words, =
Christ=20
specifically points to <I>this shortened period of time </I>as being =
without=20
equal, ever, and never to be equalled again. Not the Holocaust =
perpetrated=20
against (mainly) the Jews of Europe during the Second World War, nor the =
various=20
pogroms that either the Soviet or Communist Chinese government directed =
against=20
their own people, each numbering tens of millions in each case, nor any =
other=20
period of time in history, but <I>only </I>the still-to-come =
'tribulation'=20
period of the Antichrist is mentioned. </P>
<P>So, after, hopefully and finally putting aside our childish, =
dangerous=20
fantasies, let's consider the actual reality of our collective =
situation;</P><I>
<P>"7<B>He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer =
them</B>. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language =
and=20
nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose =
names=20
have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was =
slain=20
from the creation of the world.<BR>9He who has an ear, let him hear.=20
<BR><B><U>IF</U> anyone is to go into captivity, <BR>into captivity he =
will go.=20
<BR><U>IF</U> anyone is to be killed with the sword, <BR>with the sword =
he will=20
be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part =
of the=20
saints."</B></I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 13:7-10 NIV) </P>
<P>The Book of Daniel reiterates that the Antichrist will first and =
foremost go=20
after the 'saints', the very 'elect' of the Father and the Son; </P><I>
<P>23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth =
kingdom that=20
will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms =
and will=20
devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten =
horns are=20
ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will =
arise,=20
different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will =
speak=20
against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set =
times and=20
the laws. <B>The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and =
half a=20
time. </P></B></I>
<P>(Daniel 7:23-25 NIV) </P>
<P>Like his Master Jesus Himself, the master endtime prophet Daniel =
doesn't=20
mention anything about any supernatural 'catching up' of the saints to =
save them=20
from the Antichrist either. What Jesus and His archangel Gabriel allowed =
that=20
hapless prophet to see in the future, just like Saint John who wrote =
down the=20
words of the Book of Revelation some six hundred years after him, made =
him sick=20
to his stomach for days on end, even though he knew it wouldn't occur =
for a long=20
time into the future from his vantage point. We have <B><I><U>NO</U>=20
</B></I>idea of exactly how bad things are about to get, very, very soon =
now.=20
</P>
<P>Revelation 6:8 states that a full quarter of the human population =
will be=20
killed by the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', by <I>"sword, famine and =
plague,=20
and by the wild beasts of the earth." </I>Three chapters later, we =
learn;=20
</P><I>
<P>14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four =
angels=20
who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15And the four angels who =
had been=20
kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released =
to kill a=20
third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred =
million. I=20
heard their number.</I> </P>
<P>(Revelation 9:14-16 NIV) </P>
<P>At that time another full <B><I>third </B></I>of humanity is lost due =
to the=20
westward march of the 'mounted troops' towards Israel, <I>wherever</I> =
they hail=20
from. Personally, I think they're Chinese, their basic mission to take =
over the=20
very same oilfields Nixon <I>wished </I>to take over circa 1974, but =
took the=20
Americans about thirty more years to actually accomplish the task under =
George=20
W. Bush. No matter, when the Americans (<B><I>if </B>they're still =
around at=20
that time)</I> see this army approaching, they will tuck their tails =
under their=20
legs, and basically <I>run like hell. </P></I>
<P>So, even before that cataclysmic battle even begins, the Bible =
predicts that=20
at least three billion souls will have been lost, which is slightly =
under just=20
half of the present world population. And in case you're one of those =
cretinous=20
ogre types who would think or say that that's not such a bad thing, that =
the=20
world is overpopulated as it stands and could use a good culling, then =
all I can=20
say is <B><I>let it begin with the likes of you.</P></B></I>
<P>Lest we imagine the bulk of these deaths occur in the poor =
underdeveloped and=20
populous nations of the southern hemisphere, almost all of the evidence =
within=20
the Bible appears to suggest that it is mostly the developed nations of =
the=20
<I>northern </I>hemisphere, from the destruction in one hour of the rich =
city of=20
'Babylon' on, that are at least mainly involved. The Antichrist is =
almost bound=20
to make either Europe and/or the United States his base of operations, =
using the=20
military might of both to launch his goal of global domination. Which =
puts those=20
nations that have obviously accepted (and worshiped) him at odds not =
only with=20
the 200 million strong 'oriental' army, but with God Himself and His =
lethal=20
Judgments. </P>
<P>Which puts the average citizen (Christian or not) of Europe, Asia and =
North=20
America <B><I>directly</B></I> in harm's way of all that is about to =
occur,=20
whether due to the effects of the 'Four Horsemen', those being =
<I>'sword,=20
famine, plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth' </I>(Revelation 6:8 =
NIV),=20
or the subsequent devastating Bowl Judgments of God's Wrath, which =
includes the=20
westward sweep of the 'oriental' army across Asia and the Middle East as =
only=20
one of those seven. </P>
<P>I believe that we should all assume that, in all probability, we are =
not=20
going to survive what is about to come upon us in the next eight months, =
whether=20
we are followers of Jesus Christ or not. In fact, if we continue to call =
ourselves His followers in the face of all upcoming persecutions and =
<I>not</I>=20
deny Him, we most assuredly <B><I>will be killed,</B></I> </P>
<P>If I have scared the <B><I>HELL</B></I> out of you, then that is my =
literal=20
intention. To scare everyone <B><I>straight; </P></B>
<P>"13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad =
is the=20
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in =
thereat:<BR>14=20
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto =
life, and=20
few there be that find it."</P></I>
<P>(Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)</P>
<P>Assuming that you are a true Christian, with no intention of denying =
Christ=20
no matter what happens in the days ahead, you should assume that you =
will most=20
probably be going through that straight gate at some point in the next =
eight=20
months. That's not fearmongering, that is the reality of the situation; =
that is=20
Biblical endtime prophecy fulfilling itself to the letter. </P>
<P>What then should be your first priorities be? Obviously, it is to =
make sure=20
that you <I>do </I>enter the straight gate, and <I>not the wide one. =
</I>Since I=20
will be the first to admit that I am the least expert on how to do that, =
to be a=20
<I>good and total </I>Christian, I will leave it to you and your =
Christian=20
conscience to figure out how best to accomplish that most vital and =
foremost of=20
tasks, not just for yourself and your loved ones, but also for =
<I>all</I> your=20
neighbors, as our Lord commanded.</P>
<P>While making that your top priority, making yourself and those around =
you=20
<I>spiritually prepared </I>for the days soon ahead, being physically =
prepared=20
to actually <I>survive</I> them wouldn't be such a bad idea either. And =
apart=20
from telling you that food, drinkable water, fuel and other such =
necessities=20
will be in scarce supply probably by the beginning of April 2004, =
there's not=20
much else I can offer in the way of advice in that department, as I'm no =
expert=20
in wilderness survival either. </P>
<P>But that it is to the <I>wilderness </I>you ought to be thinking of=20
heading,<I> if </I>you wish to have yourself and your loved ones =
survive, there=20
is absolutely no doubt;</P><I>
<P>"12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to =
the=20
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto =
you,=20
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short =
time.<BR>13 And=20
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the =
woman=20
which brought forth the man child.<BR>14 And to the woman were given two =
wings=20
of a great eagle, that she might fly into the <B>wilderness</B>, into =
her place,=20
where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the =
face of=20
the serpent.<BR>15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a =
flood after=20
the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the =
flood.<BR>16 And=20
the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and =
swallowed up the=20
flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.<BR>17 And the dragon was =
wroth=20
with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which =
keep=20
the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus =
Christ."</P></I>
<P>(Revelation 12:12-17 KJV)</P>
<P>Notice that the woman has two distinct groups of 'children'. One =
group is=20
basically protected from the wrath of the serpent, aka Satan, and those =
that=20
clearly are not. </P>
<P>By the way, the Pro-Rapturists leap on that passage and say 'Aha! =
That's us!'=20
referring to the first group, as they imagine that the 'wilderness' can =
somehow=20
be equated with Heaven. But the text is clear that wherever this =
'wilderness'=20
may be, it is somewhere on earth during the time of the persecutions of =
the=20
Antichrist, and nowhere else.</P>
<P>But what is it that separates the two groups in the first place? Who =
are=20
they, these common followers of Jesus, and what is it that distinguishes =
the=20
first group of Christians from the other? And what is this supernatural=20
protection? Exactly how does it protect one from the reach of Satan, his =
Antichrist and their millions of followers in the days ahead?</P>
<P>I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying =
exactly=20
who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be. </P>
<P>But since that involves offending everyone I can think of (including =
my own=20
church), perhaps I should leave that for a later post.</P>
<P>Until then,</P>
<P>Dan</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_00AA_01C3EFFB.E64C5DA0--
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| User: "jha_amin" |
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| Title: Re: Truths behind Rapture Lie |
11 Feb 2004 11:13:50 AM |
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"Dan" <twotrickpony@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<6BfWb.455117$JQ1.84045@pd7tw1no>...
The Rapture Myth
I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying
exactly who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be.
Dan
--
That 'woman' would be sUSAn, glasshoppa! ;)
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| User: "Saint Isidore of Laytonville" |
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| Title: Re: Truths behind Rapture Lie |
11 Feb 2004 09:58:16 PM |
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We DO get to keep our clothes on as we accend
at 'The Rapture'. I know it for a fact. Jesus and
God both told me so, just NOW!
The Psychedelick Pope
Saint Isidore of Laytonville
^Ö^ Patron Saint of the Internet ^Ö^
°°^Ö^ °°
http://apple2.org.za/gswv/me
AOXOMOXOA and ENESSA QUA ONNICA
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| User: "Leigh_Bee" |
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| Title: Re: Truths behind Rapture Lie |
11 Feb 2004 04:36:08 AM |
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"Dan" <twotrickpony@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<6BfWb.455117$JQ1.84045@pd7tw1no>...
The Rapture Myth
Many Christians today, mainly Protestants, have put their faith in a
peculiar theory commonly called the 'Rapture'. This event, they are
assured by televangelists, eschatological writers and their own pastors,
is definitely promised in the Bible they claim, and will save them and
their loved ones from the 'time of trial', the 'Great Tribulation', and
the like. That, "in a twinkling of an eye", God will suddenly whisk them
off the face of the earth and usher them into Heaven, and out of the
clutches of the Antichrist, False Prophet, and from all the other
dangers and trials in the days ahead.
To give as just one example of the typical Protestant take on the theory
of the Rapture. I will quote from one of the most renowned Protestant
writers in the field of eschatology today, Grant R. Jeffrey, in his book
"The Coming Judgment of the Nations";
"The Imminent Rapture of the Saints"
SNIP
I believe the key to resolving those questions lies in identifying
exactly who the 'woman' being spoken of in Chapter Twelve might be.
But since that involves offending everyone I can think of (including my
own church), perhaps I should leave that for a later post.
Until then,
Dan
--
So do you reckon the Grady lie [Rapture] is a lesson in gullibility?
I cannot wait for Sony to bring out a remote model, funny it is an American belief.
LB
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