Presents
Pamphlet 1452 Rapture kc 1
The
day, of our gathering back to Christ,
will
not happen until AFTER the spurious messiah has reigned.
Presents
Pamphlet 1452 Rapture kc 1
The
day, of our gathering back to Christ,
will
not happen until AFTER the spurious messiah has reigned.
There is no more fitting way to begin an examination of the Rapture theory than with the words of the great scholar, E.W. Bullinger, in his Introductory to "How to Enjoy the Bible", pg. 6, American Christian Press, New Knoxville, Ohio.
"When we come to ask ourselves, and say, 'Where did I learn this?' 'How did I get this?' 'Who taught this to me?' it is astonishing to find out how much we have imbibed from man, and from tradition; and not directly and for ourselves, from the Word of God."All that we have learned from our youth up must be tested and proved by the Word of God. Where we find it is true we must learn it over again, from God. And where it will not stand the test of His Word we must be not only content, but thankful to give it up; and receive Divine revelation in the place of man's imagination."
What makes it so popular?
And why is it a major doctrine in the majority of the Christian churches?
Today there is considerable
disagreement among Bible theorists
(those
are people who develop their own doctrines and
then
look for scriptures to support them) as to when this Rapture occurs.
We have the Pre-trib, Mid-trib, and Post-trib theorists ("trib" is short for tribulation).
The Pre-trib theory is
the most prevalent
and states that Christ
returns before the tribulation of the false-christ
and "takes away" His
church.
Furthermore, this event
could occur at any moment
(which is the reason
my Grandma said I should always wear clean underwear).
The antichrist is then
left free to wreck havoc and destruction upon the earth,
something akin to a WW
III.
Sound
reasonable to you?
Hey,
sounds great!
We
just fly up in the air before the battle and save our own "skins"?
Do
you for one moment think that men and women of God are afraid to take a
stand
and
face losing their lives (in the flesh) if need be to defend their loved
ones?
They
have proven time and again they are not afraid, else we would not be free
today!
To make matters worse,
many Christians are told
that when Satan is here
they are going to be flown to a place of safety!
It is embarrassing that
our brothers and sisters want to "flee into the wilderness"
(most are told they are
going to Petra) to be protected by a bunch of rocks.
They've been listening
to people with rocks in their heads, promoting a sick woman's dream.
We
don't need sheltered caves to protect us!
We're
men and women of God, Christians!
Our
ROCK is around us at all times.
Besides,
Satan is not going to be firing bazookas and bullets at us anyway...
he's
going to firing lies at us,
those
fiery darts of deception (Eph 6)!
We need to wake up and quit listening to the uneducated!
Remember what E.W. Bullinger suggested in the opening of this study.
Put this Rapture theory to the test of common sense and scripture.
If
you can document it in God's Word then by all means hang onto it.
But
if it comes up short then forget it!
Be
thankful to drop it like a "hot potato".
YOU
must decide for yourself based upon your consultation with the Word.
I
suppose what is most amazing about the Rapture theory
is
that the Bible is not unclear at all about when Jesus Christ returns.
He
returns at the seventh trump, the last trump,
after
Satan has been standing in Jerusalem claiming he is God.
Paul explained this so
thoroughly and simply
that there is no way
we can misunderstand who comes first.
The subject is "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering unto Him".2 Thes. 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
This
will happen at the sixth trump,
BEFORE
Christ returns.
[5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
In other words, the Holy
Spirit will be taken away in the Rapture
along with the saints
and then Satan will be
left to do his destructive thing.
Sorry!
That's such poor scholarship they ought to be ashamed.
But they are not.
They are blind and they are leading the blind.
They have a theory and they twist a poor translation to make it fit.
It won't fit.
If you are fortunate to have a Companion Bible it will document the subject and the transitive verb used here, which requires that an object be supplied. For simplicity sake, and if you do not have a Companion Bible, just know that it will document that the following translation (though not recommended as a regular study Bible) is correct and quite accurate concerning these verses.
2 Thes. 2:6 (Living Bible) And you know what is keeping him from being here already; for he can only come when his time is ready.
Satan, the son of perdition.
He is the subject being discussed.
This is so simple.
[7] As for the work this man of rebellion and hell will do when he comes, it is already going on, but he himself will not come until the one who is holding him back steps out of the way.
[8] Then this wicked one will appear, whom the Lord Jesus will burn up by his presence when he returns.
The
day, of our gathering back to Christ,
will
not happen until AFTER the spurious messiah has reigned.
That's a "no brainer".
It's Michael, the archangel, the prince of Israel.
Rev. 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, [8] And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. [9] And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Well that's where he is right now and Michael and his troops have him restrained.
Yes,
Satan
was here, in person, in the garden of Eden and at the time of Job.
But
the last time he was here, in person, was when he tempted Christ,
who
upon overcoming his temptation, put him behind Him.
And that's where he is now.
Satan's
evil spirit is here,
just
as the Holy Spirit is here,
but
neither Satan nor Christ are presently here, in person, yet.
They
are both coming soon and Satan,
as
Paul explained in Thessalonians, will arrive first.
When
he and his angels are let go
(cast
out by Michael and his angels)
"then
will that wicked one be revealed".
Make no mistake!
Let no man deceive you!
Believe our Father's Word.
For
that day, of our gathering back to Christ,
will
not happen until AFTER Satan, as the false-christ, has reigned.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
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