Reprinted with permission. Published by United Church of God, an International Association, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027. © 2012 United Church of God.
www.ucg.org/good-news-magazine
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The idea of a secret rapture was unknown to any christian group before the 16th century! At that time, the basic rudimentary belief was first proposed by some Jesuit priests (see McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, article “Antichrist”).
The whole theory of the secret rapture with its future Antichrist was manufactured by a Jesuit Priest Francisco Ribera (1537-1591), who was commissioned to come up with this false interpretation of Bible Prophecy. With the secret rapture theory, they claim that during the tribulation those who are not rapture will be given another chance to be saved. Fun, there is no Scripture speak of a second chance, nor does the Bible anywhere speak of people being saved after Jesus comes. This is just another manmade doctrine that is indeed pleasing to the carnal heart of man.
Later, around 1825, Samuel R. Maitland, the librarian to the archbishop of Canterbury, embraced the theory. Then, around 1830, the belief began to take on its modern definition when it was espoused by J.N. Darby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren. It was popularized in the Scofield Reference Bible.
Who is spreading this false secret rapture theory today?
Hal Lindsey’s book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” was largely theological, which limited its appeal, while “Left Behind” is a sequence of highly imaginative fictional novels. The television ministries of Jack Van Impe, Peter and Paul Lalonde and Pastor John Hagee have all worked together to produce “LEFT BEHIND: The Movie.”
This project even caught the attention of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, resulting in an interview with LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins on Larry King Live. Left Behind is now teaching much of the same Jesuit Futurism as Francisco Ribera, which is hiding the real truth about the Antichrist. Through Left Behind, Futurism has taken a very strong hold, unleashing a massive tidal wave of false prophecy which is sweeping over the world. Everyone believes movies and books, right? With all the false teaching already circulating on the secret rapture and seven year tribulation period, even though these books are fictional, many have taken them as being greatly truth. Satan continues to clap his hands in glee over just another one of his great deceptions on the Christian world. And as usual, many Christians and even Pastors will not entertain the idea of this being possible as they will not consider the majority could be wrong and so the lie continues to spread like a disease.
If Christians don’t start waking up to the devils many deceptions, a lot of good people are going to perish. Satan’s deceptions are strong and convincing, but Christ has given us ample information to help us discern truth from error if we will only diligently study His Word.
--Orrett S--
Please see the below links for more truth about the rapture:
The Truth About the Secret Rapture
The Seven Year Period and The Secret Rapture
The Seven Year Period
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My inaugural address at the Great White Throne Judgment of the Dead, after I have raptured out billions!
ReplyDeleteRead My Inaugural Address
My Site=http://www.angelfire.com/crazy/spaceman
Hal Lindsey's Pretrib Rapture "Proof"
ReplyDeleteIs Hal Lindsey's proof for a pretrib rapture "100 proof" - that is, 100 percent Biblical?
In "The Late Great Planet Earth" (p. 143) Lindsey gives his "chief reason" for pretrib: "If the Rapture took place at the same time as the second coming, there would be no mortals left who would be believers" - that is, no believers still alive who could enter the millennium and repopulate the earth.
We don't know if Lindsey's amnesia is voluntary or involuntary, but earlier (p. 54), while focusing on chapters 12 through 14 of Zechariah, Lindsey sees "a remnant of Jews in Jerusalem" who are mortals who will become believing mortals at the second coming and then become repopulating mortals!
During the same discussion of Zech. 12-14 Lindsey overlooks some of the final verses in Zech. 14. They reveal that some of the tribulation survivors "of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" will refuse to go there "to worship the King, the Lord of hosts." Here's what will happen to those "heathen" rebels: "upon them shall be no rain."
So the facts about the repopulating mortals, in unbelieving as well as believing ranks, cancel out Lindsey's "chief reason" for opposing a joint rapture/second coming - the ONLY rapture view to be found in official theology books and organized churches prior to 1830!
(See historian Dave MacPherson's "The Rapture Plot," the most accurate and most highly endorsed book on pretrib rapture history - available by calling 800.643.4645. Also Google "Pretrib Rapture Stealth," "Pretrib Rapture Pride," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty.")
Although Hal Lindsey claims that his "Late Great" didn't set a date for Christ's return, many of his followers - including copycats Bill Maupin ("1981") and Edgar Whisenant ("1988") - did view Lindsey as a date-setter, and his later book "The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon" (the sort of title that date-setters and their ga-ga groupies love) became another fizzle - unless we're still living in the 1980s!
In Old Testament days false prophets were stoned to death. Today they're just stoned!
[The piece you see above is something I saw on the amazing net. Skip]