   RAPTURE READY, RAPTURE MYTHSShocking False Ideas Many Christians Believe!This may be the MOST IMPORTANT Work a Christian can read outside the Bible!Where there isn't any Biblical proof of a doctrine, then it is a false doctrine, and we cannot use assumptions to prove a cherished belief. Recently, a major television teacher was honest enough to say: "There isn't any single scripture that specifically places the rapture before the tribulation, but we have to 'assume' that God will take us out of this event because: (1) God took Noah out of the flood; (2) God took Lot out of Sodom; (3) The three Hebrews were delivered from the fiery furnace;" This was the whole Scriptural basis upon which the Popular Rapture Theory:
>> of wanting to see billions DESTROYED rather than being saved! . . . (When Jesus declared "for the Son of Man is NOT come to DESTROY men's lives but to save them!); >> of wanting to SPEND our money on ourselves rather than sharing with our brethren world-wide: WE FEAST, THEY FAMINE!. . . (When Jesus revealed: Whatsoever you do to the LEAST of these my Brethren, you have done it unto me!); Furthermore, many who teach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture say these are examples in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant) that "Fore-Shadows", "Pre-Figures", and are a "Type" of the "Secret Rapture". The Secret Rapture, they say, is the Christian's "Blessed Hope" to escape "tribulation and persecution." Two of their greatest examples are 'Noah's Flood' and 'Lot escaping Sodom'. They are often good-hearted and well intended - including many friends and family members (getting converted to an obedient Great Commission Church that even HELL CANNOT PREVAIL AGAINST!), but often are shallow, and usually quite-unlearned Rapture Teachers, who superficially say as follows:
Rather all the greats, including all the Reformation leaders including Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, Arminius, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon (and THOUSANDS MORE) . . . . . .who ALL believed in a victorious Church, that obeyed Christ, converted the world, and made disciples of ALL nations, teaching them ALL THINGS that Christ taught. YOU HAVE AN INTERNET . . . Check it our for yourself. Only the last century, drowning in materialism and greed, with watered-down gospel - few tears for Jesus and much laughter; little fasting but much fat in the pulpit; The Rapture is the most destructive doctrine of all time as it cause Christians to believe they CANNOT win souls, convert millions and make DISCIPLES of nations themselves!!! END OF NOTE] The Escapist Rapturists, Increase my Wealth and Estate preachers claim as follows:
> > Before the flood, God raptured the good people out of the flood, > > > He will do the same for Christians in the Tribulation
> > Before the fire and brimstone, God raptured the good people out of Sodom, > > > He will do the same for Christians in the Tribulation
> > They were NOT delivered in advance, but were publicly found guilty and cast into the fire in the sight of sinners and scoffers; > > > Only when they kept OBEYED GOD and DISOBEYED PAGAN, AMERICAN-CANADIAN like anti-Christ Government, did Jesus appear and GO THROUGH THE FIRE WITH THEM! > > NOTE: Jesus neither RAPTURED nor RESCUED THEM! Jesus left them in the fire for unbelievers to behold! > When the evil Government saw Jesus in their presence, the sinners and persecutors let them out!
* IN NO CASE did they avoid persecution, prosecution, humiliation, job loss, disfavor of government, wrath of government; * IN NO CASE DID THEY AVOID the situation by a 'rapture type event!' * To the great contrary, they were FORCED TO CHOOSE:
or COMPROMISE! Jesus DID rescue them from martyrdom at that time! Jesus DID stop the fire from burning their flesh! Jesus DID NOT rescue them from prison or the situation of an evil oppressive government! They went through the WHOLE THING! Furthermore . . .Jesus never said these were pictures of any Secret Rapture. He only said, that as those judged in the flood knew not until the flood cam and destroyed them! His emphasis was upon those DESTROYED by the flood, not those saved through the flood, in the ark. Likewise said Jesus with the destruction of Sodom, that they knew not until the fire came: Again, His emphasis was upon those DESTROYED by the judgement of Sodom, not those saved through the prayers of Abraham . . . AND their obedience of NOT looking back!
Jesus used these two examples, with each having the same "character trait" - that those being judged were blind to what was coming, and ignored any preaching teaching that may have given them warning. However, neither Jesus nor anyone else gives anyone authority to try to make every detail of the example of one Character trait, by trying to make every other related detail represent another similar detail in event. We declare indisputably, that God did save the lives of some in these judgements, but we also declare indisputably,He did NOT rapture anyone to Paradise in heavenly, eternal bliss AVOIDING the tribulation of the times! Quite the contrary, He did the opposite: Please read and decide for yourself:
Noah and family lived through the sin and decadence leading up to the very day of destruction. God did NOT rapture them to Heaven where all was beautiful and wonderful. God did keep them safe and guaranteed their life, but rather did as followed:
* Hearing the cries of family and friends as they drowned in the raging flood, * Imprisoned on a crude, unfurnished Ark, * Darkness, * Dampness, * stench of the animals, * Hard labor of feeding and cleaning, * Coldness - (The water vapor barrier from 40 days of rain would have lowered the temperature to the point of the whole Earth suffering a cold winter) * Severe rains, thunder and lightenings, * The uncertainty of not knowing how long as months rolled by, * The uncertainty of not knowing what the future held, * A lonely future, * A new world . . . with all of the charm of being forever shipwrecked on desolate, muddy, recently flooded island, in complete and permanent isolation with no help from anyone, and no hope of ever bring rescued, * Trapped with the memories of every friend and family member destroyed by the horrid judgement, If this is a picture of the "Rapture's Blessed Hope" . . . many will say: "No Thanks!" It seems quite clear, to any intellectually honest reader, that though God spared them alive, they did go THROUGH THE FLOOD'S TRIBULATION, while being delivered from the full judgement upon the unbeliever!
Jesus also never said this was a picture of any Secret Rapture. If people make this to be a "Type" and "Shadow" of the rapture it cause some real problems: The first and foremost is a doctrinal problem. In shallow, Rapture Teachers superficial patter of "making every detail mean something" many of them say:
> > Even though they chose to live in sin and sodomy; > > So we can live in sin and sodomy as well, > > And God will send angels to drag us out in time; > > Lot's wife looked back and lost her life; > > Likewise, if a Christian looks back during the Rapture, they will lose Eternal life In spite of such foolish and shallow interpretation that simply substitutes and plugs in whatever fits a point they want to make, the truth with Lot is as follows:
> > God did NOT rapture him in Heavenly bliss! > > God DID allow Lot to suffer much pressure and persecution, as Peter tells us his soul was "vexed" every day. > > God did NOT give him "blessed peace" - but severe persecution and vexation. (re-rad the story in Genesis 19) > > Lot's home was physically attacked, > > Lot's personal safety was at risk, > > Lot's anguish was so great to "quiet the mob" that he offered his 'virgin daughters to them to abuse sexually as they would for appeasement, > > > . . . "IF" they'd just go away and not beat down his doors! > > Lot's wife and daughters seem to devoid of all spiritually;
> > Rather God had Lot taken to cold, crude, dark, damp, cave - literally, > > Isolated in the mountains, > > Mourning the loss of his wife, > > Mourning the loss of ALL his Earthly life, > > (Lot LOST all earthly treasures, livihood and ALL he had worked hard for over the deacades . . you may as well!!!) > > Left without a single amenity or comfort of any kind, > > Left with his sinful daughters in hopeless despair, > > We find the Scripture leaves Lot as follows: > > Committing adultery/fornication, > > Committing incest with his own daughters, > > Giving birth to a future generation and nations of heathen-pagan people, . . . > > Whom God eventually had to destroy off the face of the Earth as He did Sodom and Gomorrah (not as in brimstone, but as in the same totality); If this is a picture of the "Rapture's Blessed Hope" . . . many will say: "No Thanks!" It seems quite clear, to any intellectually honest reader, that though God spared them alive, they did go THROUGH great tribulation, though not the full judgement!
> > Not for 7 years . . . but for 400 years . . . as God's "Called, Chosen, and Blessed descendants of Abraham, suffered severely: persecution, pain, beatings and pain.
> > Not for 7 years . . . but for 13 years . . . as the very "Best" of God's "Called, Chosen, and Blessed descendants of Abraham, he was betrayed by family, sold into literally slavery, and suffered severely: persecution, pain, beatings, and pain.
[6] Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace![7] Israel losing all,God's Peolple were conquered, captured, taken into slavery; sexually and physically persecuted, and oppressed as slaves for 70 years - NOT 7! > > We sing little songs and talk of God's great deliverance - and it was - but we fail to see the great anguish of facing government accusation, persecution, blame, threatening and capital punishment by the worst possible means:
> > Burned to death by a furnace 7 times hotter. . . . and sadly, have had far too many Christian Pastors who "closed their Christian School or Bible College at the "first threat" of persecution, court, or fine - MUCH LESS capital; punishment. Show me someone who has lost their job, been imprisoned, lost their home and wealth, livelihood and business, and beaten and threatened to be put to death in a brutal manner . . . and let me ask them if they call this:
> > An escape from persecution and tribulation? > > Or > > Is it standing VICTORIOUSLY before Jesus, having surrendered ALL, sacrificed ALL, suffered ALL, and perhaps even martyred for His Cause! If this is a picture of the "Rapture's Blessed Hope" . . . many will say: "What a FALSE DOCTRINE!" It seems quite clear, to any intellectually honest reader, that though God spared them alive, they did go THROUGH tribulation,
> and INTO the Lion's Den - NOT raptured to Heaven to escape it!
Again, Jeremiah was as follows: > > Persecuted, > > Suffered physically > > Put in a dungeon, > > Threatened with death, > > Forbidden by God to have a spouse and family > > Suffered war and loss of all homeland > > Captured by heathen armies > > Served as a slave in Babylon > > Spent his adult life in servitude, 70 years
In each case, God's finest people suffered persecution, and in many ways, though God supernaturally delivered each of them in some way If God didn't spare these greatest saints persecution, suffering, and tribulation, we really don't see why He is going to spare the selfish, cold, dead, unevangelical, complacent, appeasing, compromising, worldly Modern Church who claims His name: Do you? Others say, "Because the word 'Church' is not mentioned in the Book of Revelation after the third chapter, this proves that the Church is raptured." What a desperate attempt to devise a cherished belief. Using this same logic we could also say that "marriage: isn't mentioned after the third chapter until the Lord comes back in chapter 19, so this proves none of these people were married? In fact, all of Revelation is directed to the church, go to the end of this book and Jesus says, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things unto the Churches..." Rev. 22:16. Why would Jesus say these things to the Churches, if there weren't going to be any Churches around anywhere during the whole scenario?
Do you? All who are saved are part of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and The Revelation speaks as follows:
the Worshipers in chapter 5, the multitudes praising in Heaven and in Earth, the Martyrs of the Church, under the Heavenly altar, the Believers sealed with the Spirit of God, believers on Mt. Zion, And so much more! These are ALL part of the Church.
Shockingly - though you have never heard it, been taught it or even though about it - The word "Church" - to the surprise of many - is not mentioned . . . not even used ONE TIME in all of Mark, Luke or John! Read it yourself!!! Does this mean it wasn't on Earth?Does this mean there were no Christians, and Jesus said nothing to the Church He called His Own?? Scripture makes it CLEAR the Church was doing well way back in the wilderness of Moses, as the New testament GUARANTEES US in Acts 7:38.
We beg of you to base your beliefs on clear, straight-forward Scriptures and abundant teachings - not silly word and mind games and words not used or missing. If you want a FULL TEACHING in Scripture on the whole time of Christianity - ALL in one place taught by ONE teacher at ONE time, This is the singular great prophecy of the whole Church age, the whole time of Salvation!
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