FALSE PROPHECY: "The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?" -David James

The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?

By David James 
The Alliance for Biblical Integrity 

DOES ISAIAH 9:10 REALLY CONTAIN AN ANCIENT MYSTERY THAT HOLDS THE SECRET TO AMERICA'S FUTURE?

Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn begins The Harbinger with these words:

"What you are about to read is presented in the form of a story, but what is contained within the story is real."

The author's real message is a warning and call for repentance to America based on actual signs he believes are to be found in Isaiah 9:10 and which he believes have been reappearing in America, beginning with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Cahn explains that this constitutes "an ancient mystery that explains everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy." He contends that the match-up between Isaiah and recent events in the United States is so precise that they are unmistakable evidence that God is trying to get our attention. This is ahead of God's final judgment because of America's departure from the Christian vision and values of the Founding Fathers.

True, the United States has broadly turned its back on God and there is a corresponding need for repentance from personal to the national level. And it could well be that God is already judging America or He may very soon if we continue on our present course. However, The Harbinger dramatically fails to demonstrate that Isaiah 9:10 contains "an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future."
The Harbinger falls far short of the biblical requirements for a message to be seen as from God. The arguments are based on the mishandling of Scripture, faulty theology, misleading statements, the selective use of historical facts and unsupported speculation. Cahn has departed from a biblical hermeneutic in favor of looking for hidden mysteries while in short, he has mishandled the Word of God.
Furthermore, the manipulation of both biblical and historical evidence reveals a sensational "connect-the-dots" approach to understanding and linking the prophetic Word of God and current events. A pattern of both overstating his case and misleading the reader through a very selective use of facts and figures quickly emerges as The Harbinger's foundation.

HERMENEUTICAL PROBLEMS

The Harbinger gives the distinct impression that although Isaiah 9:10 isspecifically to Israel, it is not exclusively to Israel and is also connected to America in some way. Although God gave a prophetic word to Israel as a warning of judgment, Cahn also believes that Isaiah's words have become a sign to warn America of impending judgment. However, his distinction between a prophecy and a sign is one of semantics, not substance. That the author sees the harbingers as having prophetic force is evident throughout the book.
Another serious departure from a biblical hermeneutic is the failure to mention the preceding verses in the chapter, which form a critical part of the context of Isaiah 9:10 and represent one of the most important messianic kingdom passages in the entire Old Testament. Isaiah 9:1-7 guarantees national Israel's future—that the kingdom will still be established and that Messiah will rule from the throne of David forever. It is impossible to correctly understand and apply Isaiah 9:10 apart from these verses.

AN AMERICAN COVENANT

Even though the author denies a belief that America is a new Israel or in covenant with God, the founders of America, whom he invokes, did believe this. The Puritans and Pilgrims believed that the prophecies given to Israel could be applied to the new nation, as well. In their minds, ancient Israel and America were connected.
In chapter 19, "The Mystery Ground," Cahn deepens the impression that the founders were right. One of the main characters has a dream about the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem under King Solomon. Then, in the middle of the dream, King Solomon mysteriously transforms into George Washington. The problems with this plot twist would be difficult to overstate.

THE ISAIAH 9:10 EFFECT

The direct prophetic connection between Isaiah 9:10, Israel and the United States could not be more clear as it forms the "factual" basis for the entire story. Cahn presents the "hidden mystery" in Isaiah 9:10 as if those words have been a driving force of events in America through the Isaiah 9:10Effect.
Arguing for a cause/effect relationship between the words of Isaiah 9:10and events in America while denying that it is a prophecy about America presents an essentially mystical view and application of Scripture. Once certain things happen or are said, the power of the words of the prophecy takes over, with each subsequent event becoming inevitable no matter when or where they occur. Such a view is characteristic of mysticism, but this is not how biblical prophecy works.

THE NINE HARBINGERS

Cahn believes he has discovered an ancient mystery in Isaiah 9:10 hidden in nine signs or harbingers and a pattern of judgment which is repeating in America. Wittingly or unwittingly, the author has created an effective illusion that has mesmerized many because of what they think they see. However, study reveals that what The Harbinger presents as facts and truth does not correspond to reality.
The problems with the three harbingers noted here are representative of the problems with all nine:

• The sycamore. As part of their campaign against Israel, the Assyrian army cut down untold numbers of fig-mulberry trees. Although "sycamores" in English, they were a different kind of tree than the single American sycamore that was knocked over by the collapsing buildings on 9/11/2001.
• The erez tree. Israel determined to replace the fallen fig-mulberry trees with much stronger cedars of Lebanon. At Ground Zero, a single Norway spruce replaced the single fallen sycamore. Even though a conifer, it is a different kind of tree and with a completely different purpose than in Israel.
• The gazit stone. The buildings in Israel were constructed of bricks and easily destroyed when the Assyrians attacked. Israel would rebuild with much stronger quarried stone (gazit). When the tower was to be rebuilt at Ground Zero, a single quarried stone was to be placed as a cornerstone—but even that was later moved and never became a part of the new structure.

A FAULTY GOSPEL

Several crucial elements of the gospel are either missing or not stated clearly enough for it to be understood. The author never mentions "placing one's faith in Christ" or "believing in Christ" or "trusting in Christ" for salvation. In fact, the words believe, faith, and trust never appear in relation to salvation or to the gospel anywhere in The Harbinger.
Furthermore, the deity of Christ is indicated in only one place, but not clearly. Neither does the book make it clear that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. And finally, the resurrection is not to be found anywhere in the book—apart from which there is no gospel.
The Harbinger is a classic case study in precisely how not to handle, hownot to interpret, and how not to apply the Word of God. The warning signs are many, and most are in plain view, requiring just a little work to cut through the fog

PROPHECY FEASTS STUDY: "The Feast of Tabernacles" -Chuck Missler

The Feast of Tabernacles

By Dr. Chuck Missler 
Koinonia House 

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD... Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." –Leviticus 23:34, 42-43

The Feast of Tabernacles, or Succoth, begins on the 15th of Tishri and lasts for eight days. . The word Succoth (also spelled Sukkot) means "booths", and refers to the temporary dwellings that are built and inhabited during the festival. The Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths as it is sometimes called, is a joyous holiday and a time of feasting and commemorates the 40 years that the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.

It is fascinating to visit Israel at this time and observe the temporary "booths" built in the traditional way, leaving deliberate gaps in the branches to view the stars at night to let the wind blow through during the day.

At the end of the eight days, the Jews leave their temporary dwellings to return to their permanent homes. (This is one of the reasons some suspect that this feast, rather than the Feast of Trumpets, is suggestive of the Rapture of the Church.) This day, traditionally, is the day that Solomon dedicated the first Temple.

In the time of Jesus, Succoth involved a daily processional to the Pool of Siloam to fetch water for the Temple. This ceremonial procession is the setting for the events of John 7, where Jesus offers his listeners "living water." This procession involved four types of branches: the willow, the myrtle, the palm, and a citrus (Leviticus 23:40). The willow has no smell and no fruit. The myrtle has smell, but no fruit. The palm has no smell, but bears fruit. The citrus has both smell and bears fruit. This sounds reminiscent of the four soils of the first "kingdom parable" of Matthew 13.

As Christians we may not celebrate many of the traditional Jewish holidays, yet they hold great spiritual and prophetic significance. Colossians 2:16-17says, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come." [emphasis added]

Most observers note that the three feasts in the first month of the religious year - Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of First Fruits - are prophetic of the Lord's First Coming. They each were also fulfilled on the day they were observed.

Between these three feasts and the final three feasts is the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, which is predictive of the Church. (It is also the only feast in which leavened bread is ordained!)

It is believed that the last three feasts, in the seventh month, are prophetic of the Lord's Second Coming. Many believers are particularly watchful each fall in the hopes that "this" will be the year these final three feasts are fulfilled.

OPINION: "California : The Golden State’s Relationship with Big Lotto" -Bible Prophecy Blog

California : The Golden State’s  Relationship with Big Lotto

By R.J. Moeller 
RJMoeller.com 

All the leaves are brow
And the sky is gray.
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day.

I’d be safe and warm
if I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter’s day.

—"California Dreamin'," The Mamas and the Papas (1965)

Having just recently passed the one-year mark as a resident of the state of California, almost nothing that happens in this state surprises me any longer. But I must admit that the first time I saw the following California Lottery Powerball commercial earlier this month, I almost choked on my ham sandwich.

Attached to this advertisement on YouTube is the following description:

Powerball comes to California on April 8th, 2013. With jackpots that start at 40 million dollars, it’s your chance to dream big, really big . . .

So, if you won Powerball what would you do? Post your #CAdream on Twitter and explore dreams here: dream.calottery.com

Here are some pertinent facts about The Golden State before I parse/eviscerate this asinine commercial:

The state of California is currently more than $20 billion in debt for making promises it could not keep and spending money it did not have. It has an unemployment rate of over 9 percent. It taxes its citizens at higher rates than any place outside of Western Europe. Major cities in California—my Los Angeles, for example—proudly tout their status as "sanctuary cities" and encourage more illegal immigrants to come and partake in state and federal entitlements. Speaking of entitlements, these collectively comprise the biggest expenditure of a state budget whose excesses are the primary cause of California’s impending fiscal calamity.

In 2012 California was also rated the worst state to do business in.
But who needs balanced budgets, small business growth, innovative entrepreneurial activity, or the rule of law when you have . . . the lottery! Huzzah!

"BELIEVE IN SOMETHING BIGGER"

Did you happen to catch the disgusting tag-line at the end of the commercial above?
"Believe in something bigger"

If you need something to believe in, what's bigger than the size and scope of California’s debt and deficits? I mean, besides the amount of cultural and moral decay encouraged by something like a state-funded gambling Ponzi scheme that specifically markets its "games" to low-income citizens (who are the same folks receiving the lion's share of the entitlements causing the aforementioned debt and deficits)?
These haunting Powerball commercials—which are, aesthetically and stylistically speaking, fantastic—run nonstop on every channel here in Los Angeles. There is a massive ad campaign behind the state's efforts to get you to believe in something bigger than your own work ethic, the love of a tight-knit family, or, I don’t know, GOD!

Millions of tax dollars California can't afford to waste were, in my opinion, wasted on visually stunning commercials in hopes that they might encourage people to throw what portion of their money isn't being taxed into oblivion at unearned fantasies with astronomical odds.

And for those who do miraculously win a giant sum of money from the lottery, studies show that they are more likely to report unhappiness in their lives and suffer from things like depression. As Henry Ford once put it, "Money doesn't change a person; it simply unmasks them."

The false messianic promise that the ultimate handout from Uncle Sam—orGovernor Moonbeam—will bring you peace and prosperity flies in the face of everything a parent, teacher, or coach would hope to instill in a young American. No one respects the friend or family member in their life who perpetually banks everything on pipe-dream schemes, only to return empty-handed and, yet again, in further need of assistance.

And speaking of the way mamas and papas rear their young, I thought it was regrettably appropriate that the good folks at the Lotto offices chose a song—"California Dreamin'"—that was written by a man (the late John Phillips) who, apart from being a drug addict, engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter (Mackenzie Phillips) for decades. And to have a chorus of young women sing the haunting rendition of the Phillips family tune was the imperfect final touch!

Too many good people in this state (and in states across the nation) sit back and smile when they see Powerball commercials run on their television screens. I'm guilty of it myself. For a few fleeting moments we let ourselves wonder what it would be like to pay off all our school debt or mortgage and purchase luxury items previously reserved for those dastardly 1-percenters California politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer heroically warn us about.

But the Lotto is the state's money, and the state's money is our money. It's an incestuous relationship of our own making, aimed at hurting that same low-income group progressives tell us are "the most vulnerable" among us.

Like all such unholy arrangements, the end results are long-term, far-reaching, and utterly disastrous.

PROPHECY VIDEO: "Jack Van Impe (4.20.13)" -Jack Van Impe

Jack Van Impe 

(4.20.13)

 

PROPHECY RAPTURE TEACHING ( 1 of 8 ): "The Pretribulation Rapture Of The Church Explained:" -NTEB

The Pretribulation Rapture Of The Church Explained:

( 1 of 8 )

Understanding the Time of the Pretribulation Rapture Through End Times Bible Prophecy

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh"

The Pretribulation Rapture. NTEB has started a series making the historical and biblical case for the existience of the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church. We believe it is stated time and time again in the bible, in no uncertain terms, and we are proud to take a stand to defend this exciting End Times Bible prophecy. Does the bible teach a Pretribulation Rapture? Yes, we believe it does, and present evidence for proof of a Pretribulation Rapture.It Is Written

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Revelation 3:10

Evidence For The Pretribulation Rapture Part 1: An Overview of the Case For the Pretribulation Rapture - An overview of the case for the Pretribulation Rapture and historical anecdotes that people have put forth in an attempt to explain away and discredit this bible doctine.

Part 2: The Prophecy of Daniel's 70 Weeks Explained - The prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel is one of the main keys needed to unlock the 'mystery' of the timing of the Rapture.

Part 3: The Difference Between The Rapture and the Revelation. It has been well-said that "things that are different are not the same". In this next series we look at two very seperate and distinct doctrines, the Rapture of the Church, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Part 4: The 7-Year Tribulation period. Now we look at what the Old Testament calls the time of Jacob's trouble, the 7-Year Tribulation period.

Part 5: The Signs Of The End Times. The last "sign" that we would mention is the "sign" of the "Noah Days." As it was in the days of Noah, they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man.

Part 6: The Blessed Hope! The bible clearly teaches that if we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will keep His promise to come back and get us, then we should be looking for Him on a daily basis. Looking means to wait in fervent anticipation, like one who is preparing to go on a long trip..packed and ready to leave at any moment.

Part 7: The Two Witnesses of Revelation In chapter 11:1-3 we are given a description of "Two Witnesses" who are to prophesy during the greater part of the last half of the Week. Who they will be is very clear. One has "power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophecy." This can be no other than Elijah who was translated that he might come again before the "Great and Terrible Day of the Lord" (Mal. 4:5, Mal. 4:6), and who will shut up the heavens for 42 months, or 3 1/2 years, which is exactly the length of time he did it in the days of Ahab.

The Coming Third Jewish Temple: Daniel was given a vision of the rebuilt, third Jewish Temple that would exist during the time of the Tribulation. That time is almost here. Read the exciting new developments going on now in Israel that herald the return of the Temple.

The Fig Tree Prophecy: The Fig Tree Prophecy is the checkered-flag that officially started the End Times, and it is from the mouth of Jesus Himself. The timing of the Rapture could not have been possible before this very critical event which happened on May 14, 1948.

Did you miss the Rapture? At some point the Rapture will occur, and billions will be left behind. We created this page out of love for the lost who will be seeking for answers. Please bookmark this page and share it with anyone you know who you feel might miss the Rapture. They will desperately need the information contained on the page as the Tribulation starts. Ifyou think you might have missed the Rapture, click here to read what the next 7 years of your life will be like.

The Pretribulation Rapture "The Bible describes two separate and distinct future events, both of which are often described as the Second Coming. The first event is what Bible scholars call the Rapture. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the apostle Paul writes that "the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 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." In this passage, Paul is describing an event in which Jesus Christ will not physically, literally touch down on the earth but will first come "in the clouds" and snatch away His true followers from the earth in an instant of time. Those who have not chosen to follow Christ, those who have not been "born again," will remain behind on the earth and will have to go through a terrible time of wars, famines, natural disasters, and divine judgments known as the Tribulation. The second event occurs at the end of the Tribulation. This is when the Bible teaches that Jesus will physically, literally return to earth, destroy His enemies, and set up His own righteous government based in Jerusalem. He will reign on earth for one thousand years. In Revelation 19:11--20:6, the apostle John writes, "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. . . . He will rule [the nations]. . . . And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he threw him into the abyss. . . . And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God . . . and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. . . . Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. . . . They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." Taken from "ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RAPTURE AND LAST DAYS" by Joel Rosenberg

While there is more than one school of interpretation regarding the Rapture, NTEB holds to the position that it will be a Pretribulation Rapture. Having said that, we are here to educate, not indoctrinate..."Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Romans 14:5b

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture  This section is used by permission from RaptureReady.com The Unknown Hour When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later. The Pretribulation Rapture: The Marriage Supper of the Lamb In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it's time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14). The Pretribulation Rapture: What They Didn't Teach You in History Class Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I'm at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred. The Pretribulation Rapture: The Time of Jacob's Trouble In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people" (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception. The Pretribulation Rapture: God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world. The Pretribulation Rapture: Noah and Lot as Examples The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved. source - Rapture Ready

The Pretribulation Rapture: The Unknown Hour When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.

PROPHECY RAPTURE TEACHING: "the Pretribulation Rapture" -Todd Strandberg

 

What is the Pretribulation Rapture?

The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess, 4:16-18).

"Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning--something Jesus used quite frequently--I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.
The word "rapture" comes from Paul's "caught up" remark in verse 17. The words "caught up" are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to carry off," "snatch up," or "grasp hastily." The translation from harpazo to "rapture" involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptusbecame the English word "rapture."

 

Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture

The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus' return, we find verses that tell us we won't know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase "neither the day nor the hour" to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it's time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride's house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father's house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father's house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev 19:14).

What They Didn't Teach You in History Class 
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I'm at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.

The People of the Millennium 
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.

The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He's already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?

"Come Up Hither"
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, "come up hither," as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to "come up hither," the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.

Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army's members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.

The Time of Jacob's Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase "Jacob's trouble" pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel's 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, "70 weeks are determined unto thy people" (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God's protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.

"He" That is Taken Out of the Way 
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain "He" must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the "He" that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.

War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He's rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.

The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn't fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they'll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.

God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God's anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God's promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it's impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died--both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God's promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.

The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supenly removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.

God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn't need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, "We're already in heaven."

Noah and Lot as Examples 
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.

Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture

The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, "Do you believe in the rapture?" If you answered "yes," your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.

That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don't Jehovah's Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don't know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.

We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist's mother's maiden name isn't the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-31).


---

COMMENTARY: "Tears in Heaven" -Nearing Midnight

Apr 22, 2013 

Tears in Heaven

Losing those we love is the deepest emotional hurt we can suffer, I believe most will agree. Those whose spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend betrays the relationship and rejects us leaves us devastated. Even more terrible is the loss through death of someone dear to us.

When those we love die, the break is final. We will never look upon their likes again in this earthly life. The ache eats at our very core; their every remembrance gnaws at our soul, even if the memories are among the best of our ability to recall.

It’s not manly to love felines is the general rubric of understanding between the males of our species. It’s okay to love canines if you are a guy, but it's not okay to love a cat.

I lost Stanley the other day when he was hit in the street in front of our home. Stanley came to us probably a year and a half ago. Somehow, this yellow and white, half-grown, cat knew that I’m blind. He instinctively knew… Stanley would hurry to get in front of me, from no matter where he had been, and would position himself in front of my left leg, making me bump against him all the way down the hallway.

He always led me into the bedroom –every time.

There was a food bowl in the bedroom, and he would always reward himself with a face full of cat chow at the end of his mission. It was a self-administered, Pavlovian response, no doubt.

This was still going on the last day of his life. We were amused and amazed. He did this for/to no other of the family –just me. I loved Stanley. I’m still hurting, and thinking about the many nuances of our relationship. I have his name on the tip of my tongue and just say “Stanley,” to try to assuage the hurting, I guess. I don’t know why the Lord so obviously put Stanley with me, then so abruptly took him. I do know that God knows why and all will be made perfectly clear some eternal day. I’m comforted by that assurance.

Now, I’m writing to perhaps thousands in Rapture Ready’s vast audience who have lost those very close to them. The loss of an animal seems ridiculously superfluous to those whose mother, father, or perhaps child is near death or has just passed away. There is no comparison will be the response--and I will agree—to my experience with this little yellow feline–which I, being a man, am–in the view of some of my manly peers--a little weird for loving, anyway.

I’m coming to the point of this essay, so bear with me. Jesus knows our every hurt. He experienced them all during His short time on this planet. He wept over the death of Lazarus, feeling the depth of the kind of hurting you and I experience when a loved one dies. Our loved ones who die, whether human beings we love or the pets many love dearly, all have names. We have them on the tips of our tongues and only the passing of time pushes their cherished memories to somewhere in the middle of our very spirit. The Heavenly Father, however, thinks without ceasing about every creature He creates. --Even the sparrows, we are told.

Those of us who constitute fallen mankind, on the other hand, are more often than not substantially unmoved by the loss of those who aren’t directly, or at least indirectly, linked to us, individually. We have no attachments to those who don’t directly relate to our lives; we make no place for their names in our cerebral or emotional centers of concern. Of course I realize that this is the nature of the human condition.

This fact of life–that we can’t find or make time to concern ourselves beyond our own orbit—we justify by pointing to our torrid pace in America today. But, no excuse justifies the incomprehensible blind eye turned from the horror of the abortion industry which the news, finally, brought to our attention this past week.

America’s greatest sin should burst with convicting fire into the concern center of every person made aware of the story. There are reasons, however, that the horrific information needed to prick the consciences of every American will not be forthcoming. The reasons are summed up in two words–mainstream media.

This unbelievably reprehensible lack of accountability for what has been going on can be laid at the feet of the nation’s news organizations. The reason they’ve gotten away with such journalistic malfeasance can be laid at the feet of the American public. Fifty-plus million abortions that have anesthetized U.S. citizens to the reality and horror of this holocaust have been willfully accepted with only moderate resistance since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade on January 22, 1973.

The nameless children who have been murdered in their mothers’ wombs by the multiplied millions are screaming in deafening silence. Now it is learned just how heinous have been the murders of the aborted little ones outside their mother’s wombs as well as inside. Still, mainstream media remain silent for the most part about this infanticide that has taken place under their supposedly superior reportorial investigative noses.

The grisly abortion activities of Dr. Kermit Gosnell in his Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, abortion horror chamber--which, incidentally, has been known since 2011--have finally reached the trial stage, thus is forcing some degree of reporting by reluctant news media organizations. Gosnell is charged with the murder of one woman and seven born infants, in which he allegedly “snipped” with scissors the babies’ spinal cords once they were outside their mothers’ wombs.

The liberal champions of the woman’s right to choose are hard pressed to look upon the things being uncovered in that horrendous murder factory. All the agenda-driven pundits on the left can come up with is that Gosnell’s unsanitary, non-professional clinic shows all the more reason for increased federal funds and regulations to assure clean, “safe” abortions.

The above is almost precisely what I heard Alan Colms, the liberal pundit for Fox News, say in response to Gosnell’s trial. Here’s what one angry journalist against legalized murder of babies had to say in regard to Gosnell and the reporting of the atrocities involved.

Thus far, Gosnell’s wretched clinic, with its filthy speculums, jars filled with severed baby feet, and photos of female genitalia, has had a hard time piquing the interest of major news outlets. After all, racy, sexy murderess Jodi Arias is much more intriguing than some twisted biracial abortionist carrying out Margaret Sanger's eugenic ministry on vulnerable people of color. Isn't she? (Jeannie DeAngelis, "Kermit Gosnell: Secret Hero of the Left," American Thinker)

So, the big-time news men and women are being dragged kicking and screaming into covering this vile representation of the industry of infanticide they so fervently champion.

The little ones who have died since Roe v Wade have no names. They have been treated as inconsequential refuse to be flushed or sent to the garbage dumps of America. But, just as I have the name of my little Stanley forever etched in my memory, and each of you who has lost a loved one have their names stamped indelibly upon your hearts, the God of Heaven has a name for every one of the little ones who are now safely with Him, carved in His omniscient memory.

While the Word of God tells us that tears will one eternal day be wiped from every eye in Heaven, the Heavenly Father must at the present time shed tears of sadness for what continues to be the most severe child abuse possible–abortion. More than that, He must have hot tears of anger as He watches this nation He blessed so mightily shed innocent blood by more than 3,700 babies per day –something those who sacrificed their children to Molech in ancient times came nowhere near matching. Jesus made it inescapably clear what would be the fate of those who dealt so egregiously with little ones:

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

--Terry