# Pre-Tribulation Rapture Lie



## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

I really wish that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory wasnâ€™t a Lie. I really do. I wish that we didnâ€™t have to go through three and a half years of extreme persecution. I wish that being a Christian meant that life was a serene experience of clear skies and smooth sailing.

Unfortunately, those of us who wish to live holy and righteous lives in Christ, WILL suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). When Paul wrote that to Timothy, he wasnâ€™t thinking of the persecution that you and I have experienced â€" frowns, disapproval and lost jobs. No, he was referring to the persecution that Christians are experiencing right now in the Arab world â€" at the hands of those like ISIS. Or in Africa â€" such as with Boko Haram.

The persecution that THEY are experiencing now, is coming for us all too soon. We call it The Great Tribulation, but we would understand it better if we called it The Great Persecution. Unfortunately, that name has already been used to describe the horrible events during the time of Emperor Diocletian.

Well, Satan has had more than one thousand seven hundred years of practice since Diocletian, and this has given Satan the tremendous opportunity to perfect his skill at destroying Christians. And soon, he will have one final chance at destroying the church that Jesus built.

The good thing is that it will only last three and a half years, and there will be great reward for us, when it is all over.

However, we have many brothers and sisters in Christ who believe in a different story. They believe that we will NOT suffer the persecution of the Antichrist, and that belief has caused them to be careless. They arenâ€™t preparing for ANY catastrophe, WHATSOEVER. And, it is because they have put their trust in a lie.

We all have something that we believe to be true, but is a lie. When I stand before the Lord â€" after this life is over â€" He will show me all that I got wrong, and will forgive me of those sins. (And yes, the willful belief in a lie is a sin.) But, a lie that disarms us and makes us vulnerable to Satanic attackâ€¦ well â€¦that goes beyond mere falsehood and straight into vile, filthy and outrageous deceit.

Satan created this lie to put you to sleep, so that he could work unopposed. That plan has been an amazing success, and now Satan is ready to put his vile kingdom into place. The next set of catastrophes that come upon us will be horrifying and will leave hundreds of millions dead, then Gog and Magog will come against Israel. In response, God will send Ezekielâ€™s Fire.

These catastrophes will set the stage for the arrival of the Antichrist. Satan will bring out his false savior to â€˜rescueâ€™ the world from the disasters that he created â€" although his diabolical plans will be interrupted by God. These disasters will not be â€˜The Great Tribulationâ€™. They will only be what sets the world up for â€˜The Great Tribulationâ€™ â€" and, before the Great Tribulation comes, we will see Ezekielâ€™s Fire.

Unfortunately, I doubt that you will survive these initial catastrophes, unless you take steps to prepare. You might survive, but without preparationâ€¦ well â€¦the odds are stacked against you. Worse, once these disasters roll over us, you will be powerless to withstand the destruction that will come in the wake of such a massive solar flare, like Ezekielâ€™s Fire.

You must not allow this Pre-Tribulation Rapture Lie to rob you of the chance that you have, right now, to prepare spiritually and physically. We have been asleep for far too long. It is time to wake up and prepare for what is coming â€" so that we can serve the Lord.

Please remember that there is no pointâ€¦

â€¦if the point isnâ€™t about serving the Lord.
*
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Lie*
After talking so much about spiritual deception, you would think that I could be done with the lies and get back to the truth. However, God isnâ€™t letting me do that. There are a few more lies that must be dealt with, before I can move forward. One of those is:

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Lie

I keep calling it a theory, but thatâ€™s just because I am trying to be polite. Itâ€™s more than a theory. Itâ€™s a lie â€" from Satan, the father of lies. He is using it to put you to sleep, so that you will NOT prepare for what he has planned for you.

Please, if I have to beg, I will. You MUST wake up. There is so little time left.

*Starting With The Truth*
When judging a lie, you must always start with the truth, and you will find it in the Bible. Itâ€™s really quite simple â€" as the truth often is â€" and it wonâ€™t require lots of verbal gymnastics to say what isâ€¦ the truth.

But, let me summarize what the Bible is about to tell you:

- The Antichrist must come before the Rapture
- The Tribulation must come before the Rapture
- The Sun and Moon Must be Darkened before the Rapture
- The Lord Must descend from Heaven with a Shout before the Rapture
- Jesus Must Return before the Rapture
- The Resurrection must happen just before the Rapture (or, at the same time)
- There is only one resurrection for those who are Godâ€™s people
- God promised that Christians would suffer
- There IS a Place of Safety on this Earth
*
There IS A Safe Place If You Do Not Follow The Lie*
That last one should concentrate your mind. All of the arguments that the pre-tribbers make are based upon the idea that God would never allow His people to suffer â€" which is foolish, in the face of all the suffering Christians have undergone for two thousand years. But, I can tell you that there will be an opportunity to escape suffering, if you pay attention and follow the truth, and not lies.

Following a lie will ALWAYS lead to suffering. And THAT is what the pre-trib lie is setting you up for. Do not follow the lies of Satan. Do NOT twist the Bible. You must get this right, or you will die.

Yes, it really is a life and death issue.

After the first series of disasters rolls by, we can argue the finer points of eschatology. Until then, make ready for the worst moment in human history. But, letâ€™s get to proving the above points.

*Truth ALWAYS Trumps THEORY â€" ALWAYS*
The Bible cannot lie. If you believe otherwise, please stop here. If you do not believe that the whole of the Bible is truth, thereâ€™s no hope for you. So, if the Bible cannot lie, then each verse is a challenge to our theories.

We all have them. Some are right. Some are wrong. And, as you (hopefully) read your Bibleâ€¦ If you stumble across a verse that declares your theory wrongâ€¦

â€¦wellâ€¦

â€¦itâ€™s wrong, and you have to get it right.

Seriously, folks. If I tell you something, and the Bible disagrees with meâ€¦ well, Iâ€™m wrong. Itâ€™s that simple.

The Bible is ALWAYS right. Always.

http://www.ezekielsfire.com/chapter-one/the-pre-tribulation-rapture-lie/


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Please show me in Gods Word*

The phrase RAPTURE. It is NOT in there. However I CAN tell you where RAPTURE as a false doctrine came from --John Darby in 1830 began preaching this --

People just simply don't read Gods Word, neither do they ASK the Holy Spirit to guide their understanding..

A GREAT falling away of the church , such has never been seen nor ever will be again, as people who were FALSELY taught that the Good Spaceship Jesus would whisk them away before Tribulation starts.

I for one, and what the Spirit and the Word has revealed to ME, think, IF you are a Follower of Christ, and IF you are alive when seven years of Tribulation ends , you bodily will RISE to meet Jesus at the LAST Trump, transformed in the twinkling of an eye into your perfected state -- this at the end of SEVEN years, each more horrible than the preceding, the ONLY reason God shortens tribulation, is to end the suffering of CHRISTIANS. At the LAST Trump the TARES (anti-christs) will be BODILY removed by the Angel of Death from among the Wheat (Gods people)

God WARNS CHRISTIANS-- NOT PAGANS - Do NOT take the Mark of the Beast or else lose Salvation - God tells the faithful to remain so till the END , to work out that Salvation in reverence and respect to God.

Many Christians will take that mark - likely to survive - then to find later that they were warned --


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

Those who have embraced the Pretribulation Rapture Lie, are doing exactly what Paul warned against:

_For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables._
*â€" 2 Timothy 4:3-4*

Remember that Paul isnâ€™t speaking about non-Christians. No, heâ€™s talking about brothers and sisters in Christ.

Since the 1800s, weâ€™ve been taught a â€˜peace and safetyâ€™ fable. Weâ€™ve been taught that God would never allow us to suffer. Weâ€™ve been taught that we need never be concerned with watching and waiting. Yet, Jesus told us that we would suffer, and He commanded us watch and wait.


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

ONE OF THE DIRTIEST PIECES OF THE DEVIL'S DIRTY PROPAGANDA has been to deceive Christians into thinking that they're going to get rescued by Jesus out of this World before the Tribulation! They're going to be totally unprepared for it and shocked by it and it's going to shake some of their faith! A lot of Christians who are expecting to get raptured by the Lord and His second coming before the Tribulation are going to get the shock of their lives, because He's not going to do it! He Himself said so! He says right here in the 29th verse, as plain as day:

"IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from Heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven: and then shall all of the tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory!" ... "And then He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other."

THAT'S WHEN JESUS IS GOING TO COME: *AFTER* THE TRIBULATION! It says it as plain as day in that 29th verse. Immediately *after* the Tribulation of those days. It says *after* the Tribulation shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heaven. *After* the Tribulation, then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn. *After* the Tribulation they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. *After* the Tribulation He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together His elect. That's when Jesus is going to come back for His elect, to rapture His Saints, to gather them together!

http://deeptruths.com/letters/matthew24.html


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

*The Rapture Theory - Its Surprising Origin*

Almost all Christians are interested in prophecy. This is especially true if the prophecies show what will happen to Christians themselves. There is nothing wrong in desiring such personal knowledge. Even our Lord gave a considerable amount of teaching about the circumstances to befall His people at the end of the age (Matthew 24:22â€"25). We all share a common concern in wanting to know about the participants, the chronology, and the geography of those prophecies. To comprehend the full knowledge of them it is obvious that all relevant statements of our Lord and His apostles must be properly interpreted and placed in a coherent order.

Many Christians have attempted to do this. As a consequence, the doctrine of the Rapture has arisen. So important has it become to many that the teaching is now sanctioned in some circles as the prime revelation from God to show what will happen to members of His ekklesia just before and during the Second Coming of Christ. Some of the greatest friends of the Holy Scriptures have accepted this teaching (and they teach this false doctrine even by mistranslating the phrase â€œfirst resurrectionâ€ as â€œthe former resurrectionâ€ in Revelation 20:5). If one translates the word correctly as â€œfirst,â€ then it means the resurrection of Christians occurs after the Tribulation, and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory is shown to be false. 1

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory, however, is a menacing doctrine that perverts the plain language of the text of the New Testament. Some preachers today look on the doctrine as the heart and core of present Christian expectations in regard to prophetic truth for the near future! Many believe this false teaching is the principle hope of the Body of Christ for their redemption and safety during the Great Tribulation. We need to look at this teaching carefully.

*The Doctrine of the Rapture*

First understand that the word â€œRaptureâ€ is not found in the King James translation. There is also no single word used by biblical authors to describe the prophetic factors that comprise the doctrine. Its formulation came about by means of inductive reasoning. Certain biblical passages concerning the Second Coming, and the role Christians will play in that event, were blended together inductively to establish the teaching.

The modern expression â€œRaptureâ€ has been invented to explain the overall teaching and the term suits the subject well. The basic tenets of the doctrine are simple. It purports that Christ will come back to this earth in two phases. He will first return secretly to rapture His church away from this world so that they might escape the Great Tribulation to occur at the end of the age. Christ then returns in a visible advent to dispense His wrath on the worldâ€™s nations. This is the general teaching.

Many details concerning these prime factors are hotly debated. There is especially much argument over the chronological features associated with it. Some think the time lapse between the two phases will be 3 Â½ years, others say 7 years. Some feel that the Rapture of the ekklesia occurs before the Tribulation, others about mid-way through. Many suggest that the saints of God will be taken to heaven for protection, while others suggest a geographical area on this earth (as I have shown in various articles). 2 Some feel that only part of the ekklesia will escape, while others say all will be rescued.

These variations and others have multiplied the interpretations among those holding the belief. But all are unanimous on one point: the central theme of the â€œRapture Theoryâ€ (as it is normally called in the theological world) shows that Christ will return to earth in two phases. They think Christ will come at first secretly for His saints and then He will come visibly with His saints returning with Him from heaven at the actual Second Advent. In this book, when I use the term â€œRaptureâ€ standing alone, I always mean the â€œRapture Theoryâ€ of the pre-tribulation theorists.

*The Newness of the Doctrine*

It may come as a surprise but the doctrine of the Rapture is not mentioned in any Christian writings, of which we have knowledge, until after the year 1830 C.E. Whether the early writers were Greek or Latin, Armenian or Coptic, Syrian or Ethiopian, English or German, orthodox or heretic, no one mentioned it before 1830 (though a sentence in Pseudo-Dionysius in about 500 C.E. could be so interpreted). Of course, those who feel the origin of the teaching is in the Bible would say that it ceased being taught for some unknown reason at the close of the apostolic age only to reappear in 1830. But if the doctrine were so clearly stated in Scripture, it seems incredible that no one should have referred to it before the 19th century.

The lateness of the doctrine does not necessarily mean the teaching is wrong (only the plain statements of the Bible can reveal that). It does show that thousands of eminent scholars over seventeen centuries (including the most astute â€œChristian Fathersâ€ and those of the Reformation and post-Reformation periods) must be considered prophetic dunces for not having understood so fundamental a teaching. This lapse of seventeen centuries when no one elaborated on the doctrine must be viewed as an obstacle to accepting its reliability.
*
The Beginnings of the Doctrine*

The result of a careful investigation into the origin of the Rapture was published in 1976. This was in an excellent research book that deserves to be read by all people interested in the subject. Its title: The Unbelievable Pre-Trib Origin by Dave MacPherson. 3 He catalogs a great deal of historical material that answers the doctrineâ€™s mysterious derivation. I wish to review the results of his research.

In the middle 1820â€™s a religious environment began to be established among a few Christians in London, England which proved to be the catalyst from which the doctrine of the Rapture emerged. Expectations of the soon coming of our Lord were being voiced. This was no new thing, but what was unusual was the teaching by a Presbyterian minister named Edward Irving that there had to be a restoration of the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapters 12â€"14 just before Christâ€™s Second Advent. To Irving, the time had come for those spiritual manifestations to occur. Among the expected gifts was the renewal of speaking in tongues and of prophetic utterances motivated by the spirit.

Irving began to propagate his beliefs. His oratorical skills and enthusiasm caused his congregation in London to grow. Then a number of people began to experience the â€œgifts.â€ Once this happened, opposition from the organized churches set in. It resulted in Irvingâ€™s dismissal from the Presbyterian Church in 1832. His group established themselves as the Catholic Apostolic Church and continued the teachings of Irving. These events were the beginnings of what some call present day Pentecostalism. Some church historians referred to Irving as â€œthe father of modern Pentecostalism.â€

What does this have to do with the origin of the Rapture doctrine? Look at what happened in the year 1830 â€" two years before Irvingâ€™s dismissal from the Presbyterian Church. In that year a revival of the â€œgiftsâ€ began to be manifested among some people living in the lowlands of Scotland. They experienced what they called the outpouring of the Spirit. It was accompanied with speakÂ­ing in â€œtonguesâ€ and other charismatic phenomena. Irving preached that these things must occur and now they were.

On one particular evening, the power of the Holy Spirit was said to have rested on a Miss Margaret Macdonald while she was ill at home. She was dangerously sick and thought she was dying. In spite of this (or perhaps because she is supposed to have come under the â€œpowerâ€ of the spirit) for several successive hours she experienced manifestations of â€œmingled prophecy and vision.â€ She found her mind in an altered state and began to experience considerable visionary activity.

The message she received during this prophetic vision convinced her that Christ was going to appear in two stages at His Second Advent, and not a single occasion as most all people formerly believed. The spirit emanation revealed that Christ would first come in glory to those who look for Him and again later in a final stage when every eye would see Him. This visionary experience of Miss Macdonald represented the prime source of the modern Rapture doctrine as the historical evidence compiled by Mr. MacPherson reveals.
*
The Influence of John Darby*

Many people have thought that John Darby, the founder of the Plymouth Brethren, was the originator of the Rapture doctrine. This is not the case. Darby was a brilliant theologian with outstanding scholarly abilities. Even those who disagreed with his teachings admit that he, and many associated with him, helped cause a revival in biblical learning throughout the evangelical world which has perpetuated down to the present day. All who love biblical research ought to be thankful for what Darby and especially his associates accomplished for biblical scholarship. These early men helped pave the way particularly for the renewal of modern lexical studies in the biblical languages.

This renewal of language studies was not the only thing they produced. The doctrine of â€œdispensationalismâ€ was also a teaching they brought to the attention of the Protestant world. And then, there was this new doctrine termed the â€œRapture.â€ While many Christians long thought the Rapture doctrine originated with John Darby, it is now known that this was not true. Darby did popularize it. Scofield and others took it over. But Darby provided the intellectual mantle that helped make it respectable. Many of those in the evangelical sphere of Christianity today are so certain of its veracity that it is accepted as the absolute truth of God. The fact is, however, John Darby received the knowledge of the doctrine from someone else. His source was Margaret Macdonald.

The studies of Mr. MacPherson show that her sickness during which she received her visions and revelations occurred sometime between February 1 and April 14, 1830. By late spring and early summer of 1830, her belief in the two phases of Christâ€™s coming was mentioned in praise and prayer meetings in several towns of western Scotland. In these meetings some people were speaking in â€œtonguesâ€ and other charismatic occurrences were in evidence. Modern â€œPentecostalismâ€ had its birth.

These extraordinary and strange events so attracted John Darby that he made a trip to the area to witness what was going on. Though he did not approve of the ecstatic episodes that he witnessed, it is nonetheless significant that Darby, after returning from Scotland, began to teach that Christâ€™s Advent would occur in two phases. MacPherson shows good evidence that Darby even visited Miss Macdonald in her home. There can hardly be any doubt that the visions and spiritual experiences of Miss Macdonald are the source of the modern doctrine. But belief in such paranormal experiences is dangerous, especially when they are contrary to scriptural teachings.

*Visions and Dreams*

While it is possible that visionary revelations can come from God, it is always prudent to be cautious in such matters. Near the same time Miss Macdonald was receiving her visions, Joseph Smith in America was experiencing his apparitions that brought Mormon doctrines to the world. John Wilson also had his dreams that were the spark that started the false teaching of British-Israelism. Not long afterwards, Ellen G. White received her visions that resulted in many Seventh Day Adventist teachings. And remarkably, all these individuals received revelations of doctrines supposedly from God that were much at variance with one another and contrary to biblical teachings. Such incidents bring to mind the warning that God gave to Moses.

*â€œIf there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, â€˜let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve themâ€™; you shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord proves [tests] you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.â€

Deuteronomy 13:1â€"3*

In regard to the teachings of visionaries, recall what the apostle John commanded Christians.

*â€œBeloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.â€ 4

1 John 4:1*

And though some refer to the prophecy of Daniel that â€œknowledge shall be increasedâ€ (Daniel 12:4) as proof that the revival of doctrinal truths will occur at the end of the age, this is not what Daniel meant. If you read the prophet carefully you will find Daniel was speaking that â€œthe knowledgeâ€ of his prophecies will be increased, not the revival of general doctrines. In the original text of Daniel, the definite article occurs before the word â€œknowledge.â€ Daniel said â€œTHE knowledge will be increased,â€ and the text shows he meant â€œthe knowledge of his prophecies.â€ Daniel was in no way speaking about a renewing of doctrines at the Time of the End.

A further admonition is necessary concerning the origins of visionary teachings that might emerge near our own time. It is by the apostle Paul and we should pay close attention to it.

*â€œNow the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.â€

1 Timothy 4:1*

These warnings from Godâ€™s word are a reminder that we should exercise caution in accepting the truthfulness of visionary revelations, particularly those near the end of the age, and which are contradictory to one another and to the Bible. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory is such a doctrine; a teaching with no scriptural warrant. After all, the Holy Scriptures makes it plain that the first resurrection (when Christians from the past have their resurrections and we are caught up to heaven with Christ) occurs after the Tribulation is over (Revelation 20:5). And though a number of people within the Body of Christ have taken up with this false doctrine, it is time to jettison it from Christian belief.

The truth is, we will be protected from the evils of the Antichrist system (and the judgments of the Great Tribulation) by a mantle of safety from God that will protect us on earth. There is only one Second Advent of Christ and that is the moment (for all of us then living) we will be changed into immortality and the resurrection of the dead takes place. That is when all of us will meet Christ in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:13â€"18). We can believe this teaching with full assurance and faith. Remember, God cares for you and all the Body of Christ.

http://www.askelm.com/essentials/ess025.htm


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