At AllFaith.com I share numerous studies into the world's religions based on my personal quest for Truth. Over the years this research has led me to embrace Judaism. That is now the main focus of the domain.
On my blogs I share many of these studies and invite your questions and comments.
Also see my Xanga Blog.
Todah veShalom,
~ John of AllFaith
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Rupture of the Church!
The Rupture of the Church!
"The Earth Belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."
Is the Rapture a Biblical Doctrine?
By Ben Ruach ha Kodesh (John of AllFaith) � 4.16.08
The Doctrine of the Rapture of the Church is the popular Christian belief that at some point in the future HaShem will extract all true Christians from the earth, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," leaving everyone else here to suffer under the reign of the coming Antichrist or Rex Mundi. The notion gained popular support through the teachings of Dr. Clarence Larkin ("Dispensational Truths"), Rev. Charles Scofield ("the Scofield Bible"), a plethora of "Second and Third Great Awakening" Evangelists (see my study The Great Awakenings for more on these religious developments), and most recently from the unbiblical works of fiction by Tim Lahey known as The Left Behind Series in which the Antichrist is depicted as a Transylvanian Dracula-type Liberal do-gooder gone bad!
This is a new doctrine, not historically held by any segment of the Church.
Christians can't agree on the question of timing: Pre, Mid or Post Tribulation, so it's obviously not that clear at best. If this earth shaking event were truly a biblical prophecy it would be made clear.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture (the most commonly held view) is directly and repeatedly contradicted by the clear teachings about who will be opposing the Rex Mundi and when. According to the prophets, Believers will be present throughout the Seven Years.
At certain points in the Tribulation, including during the second half, the Great Tribulation, Believers will receive certain protections from certain of the coming plagues and so will obviously still be on the earth.
A reason often given for why the Rapture must occur is that Holy Spirit must be removed during the reign of the Beast. Were this so, no one post Rapture could be "saved" or have report with God yet the Prophets show Divine intervention and inspiration will occur throughout the period and the oft stated presence of Believers on earth.
Master Y'shua does not discuss or even reference the Rapture in his important Matthew 24 list of signs for, "When will these things be."
Master Y'shua's Matthew 24 reference to 'those in the field' being "taken" is clearly speaking of the Jews of Jerusalem who will flee the City once the Rex Mundi declares his divinity and the "abomination of desolation spoken of by Prophet Daniel" occurs, and not to a Rapture when read in context.
Master Y'shua does not discuss or even reference a Rapture in his prophetic presentation to John in the Book Revelations
Modern Christians do not honor the Sabbath (as commanded in the Bible) and so the Master's concern that this fleeing not take place on the Sabbath has no meaning for modern Christians. Master Y'shua would surely have known the Church would abandon the Sabbath three hundred years after his death.
'Those in the field,' 'on the roof tops' etc. are encouraged to run rather than return home for their belongings. Such options would not exist in the Rapture as taught and so the reference can not be to it.
Believers are advised to stand firm against the Antichrist. To do so they must be present on the earth during his reign.
The "Last Trump" is blown to announce the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth. The reference therefore to Paul in I Cor 15 specifically refers to the time that trumpet is blown. The Rapture, as conceived, would have taken place years before this horn is sounded. It is sounded when the Jews are ALL gathered back to Jerusalem for the inauguration of the global theocracy.
God never granted this type of protection to the Jews, His Elect, even during the Russian Pogroms and Nazi Shoah and there is no biblical evidence that He will do so for the Christians.
Revelations 6:9 makes it clear that during the entire seven year period those martyred by the Antichrist and his New World Order must patiently wait, "until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." This clearly shows there will be no Rapture to rescue their fellow Believers from martyrdom.
The prophetic word about the future of the Church: Through the Seven Church Ages the Church draws progressively farther and farther away from the God of Israel until, in the End Times, it will embrace the Antichrist and God will "vomit it from His mouth" and 'sever the Church from the 'Tree of Israel' and cast it into the 'fire'. If the Church deserves to be vomited out how and why would God rapture it away to safety and bliss?
The foretold Church of the Last Days is a lukewarm, hypocritical body that has abandoned the teachings of Master Y'shua and become largely irrelevant in the world (surrendering its position to Secular Humanism and eventually to the Rex Mundi as Babylon the Great and her daughters). Portions of the Church are even now being "vomited out of God's Mouth" as is obvious in the various sex and money scandals, the lack of Christian opposition to the New World Order, the practice of abortion, etc. The fallen Church of today will not be raptured away for its protection.
The Jews, the Elect of God, were not raptured away from the Shoah (Holocaust), but many Christians believe they will be protected from this coming leader and his plans of genocide:
For great information on what the Jews and others suffered at the hands of the Nazi precursors of the New World Order I highly recommend the Holocaust Chronicles website and book:
Interesting blog, to say the least. Readers who like the unusual might enjoy reading "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" on the "Powered by Christ Ministries" site!
1 comment:
Interesting blog, to say the least. Readers who like the unusual might enjoy reading "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" on the "Powered by Christ Ministries" site!
Post a Comment