Matthew 24:29, “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 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.”
Respectfully, I disagree with Pastor Texe Marrs, Pastor Steven Anderson and
Radio Host Alex Jones, who all deny a Pretribulation Rapture, claiming that it
is an Illuminati hoax. May I say, I am firmly convinced that the precious King
James Bible teaches a Pretribulation Rapture, and I'll prove it with the Holy
Bible!!!
Matthew 24:24-31, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 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 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 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.”
Notice carefully in the preceding lengthy
passage of Scripture (which is the primary basis of Brother Anderson's
Pre-Wrath Rapture position in his popular film “After The Tribulation,” that the angels are commanded to gather the
elect (saved) “from the FOUR WINDS (earth), from one end of HEAVEN to the other.” The
angels are gathering the saints from HEAVEN and EARTH. You see, the saints
are returning WITH the Lord from Heaven, because they were CAUGHT UP 7-years
earlier at the Rapture! Jude 1:14, “And Enoch also, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh
with ten thousands of his saints.” This event mentioned in
Jude 1:14 is not the Rapture, but the Second Coming of Christ, which happens
7-years AFTER the Rapture. Matthew 24:24-31 is about the Second Coming of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth
Now, this can get confusing quickly if we don't “rightly divide” the Scriptures. 2nd Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” It is not difficult to properly divide (or dissect) the Scriptures in order to interpret them. The key is to never conclude a suggested interpretation of any particular Bible passage as being true, unless the whole of the Scripture are in agreement.
The passage that we are now dealing with in Matthew 24:24-31 is a classic example of what I am saying. Pastor Steven Anderson teaches that Matthew 24:29-31 speaks concerning the Rapture (which he understands to mean a PreWrath Rapture). A “PreWrath” Rapture means that the saints will be “CAUGHT UP” just before God's punishing wrath is poured out upon the earth. In his recent video work titled, “The Book Of Revelation,” Brother Anderson teaches that this PreWrath Rapture happens 75-days after “The Abomination Of Desolation” (the event when the Antichrist stands in the soon to be rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and blasphemes by claiming to be God).
The passage in Matthew 24:24-31 may seem confusing at first. Is this passage talking about the Rapture or the Second Coming? Since the elect (saved) are being gathered from Earth and Heaven, it seems like this passage could be referring to either event. To complicate matters, Evangelist Samuel Gipp teaches that this passage only applies to the Jews (Israel), and claims that it has nothing to do with the Church. By God's grace and wisdom, I believe I can help you understand this passage correctly using the Holy Bible.
Please understand that regardless of what you
believe concerning the timing of the Rapture, it has nothing to do with
receiving the free gift of eternal life. The Lord plainly said that NO ONE
KNOWS WHEN He will return. This can only mean a PreTribulation Rapture!
Why Matthew 24 Is Not About The Rapture Or Only Israel
Here are some key observations about Matthew chapter 24...
-
MATTHEW
24 IS ABOUT THE END TIMES AND JESUS CHRIST'S SECOND RETURN, NOT THE
RAPTURE! — We read in
Matthew 24:3, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the
world?” I respectfully disagree with Brother Samuel Gipp
that Matthew 24 refers only to Israel. The disciples came to Jesus and
asked Him when the world would end. They wanted to know what the signs
would be. Notice the disciples' question: “...what shall be the sign of
THY COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE WORLD?”
(Matthew 24:3). So Matthew 24 is for every Christian, regarding
CHRIST'S SECOND COMING AND THE END OF THE WORLD. The world does not “END”
at the Rapture, so this passage cannot be about the Rapture. Even if you
believe in a PostTribulation Rapture, the disciples' question was not
regarding the SAINTS LEAVING; but rather, CHRIST'S COMING. Regarding Dr.
Gipp's claims of Matthew 24 applying only to the Jews, the Antichrist and False Prophet are not going to
only murder Jews who refuse the
Mark of the Beast, but
also, everyone who refuses
to worship the Beast's image and receive the mark will be killed. Revelation 13:15, “And he had power to give life unto
the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and
cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed.” Clearly, the Mark of the Beast will be associated
with worshipping the Beast, which is why true Christians will refuse it. Jew or Gentile, it won't matter, you will be murdered if you
refuse the Mark of the Beast.
So, clearly, the persecution will not be limited to only Jews, but also Gentiles throughout the world. Jews and Christians will be martyred during the Tribulation period. The Christians who will be present and persecuted during the Tribulation, are those who will be saved during the Tribulation. The 7-year Tribulation is plainly called “The Time Of Jacob's Trouble,” which evidences that Israel will be prepared to meet her King, Jesus Christ, at the Second Coming. I do not believe that the Church replaces Israel; but rather, Gentiles believers have been grafted into the tree of God's kingdom by faith. Old Testament Israel was cut-off because of unbelief (Romans 11:15), but they can be grafted back in by faith (Romans 11:23). - SINCE THE ENTIRE WORLD SEES
THE SON OF GOD WHEN HE RETURNS, AND THEY MOURN BECAUSE THEY ARE HOPELESSLY
LOST, THIS EVENT IN MATTHEW 24 CLEARLY CANNOT BE THE RAPTURE! —
Also, notice in Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all 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.” This Bible verse teaches that everyone upon the earth will see the Son of God at the Second Coming. This cannot be the Rapture, when only the saints will see Christ. The world won't see Jesus at the Rapture, because He is not descending down to the earth; but rather, 1st Thessalonians 4:17 teaches that the saints will be “CAUGHT UP” into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Revelation 1:7 speaks concerning Christ's Second Coming, when “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” This event is NOT the Rapture of the Church. These two events are separated by 7-years! So, properly, first comes the Rapture; then comes the Tribulation period for 7-years; and then “After The Tribulation” comes Jesus' Second Coming! - A PREWRATH RAPTURE
PRESENTS DOCTRINAL PROBLEMS! — Pastor Steven Anderson teaches that Jesus
Christ will Rapture the Church 75-days after The Abomination Of
Desolation. The Bible teaches in Matthew 24:15 that as soon as “The
Abomination Of Desolation” happens, the inhabitants of Judaea should flee
for their lives into the mountains. Christians will be martyred, along
with anyone else, who refuses to accept the Mark Of The Beast; but Brother
Anderson teaches that the Rapture won't happen for 75-days after the
Abomination Of Desolation. I don't think the Antichrist is going to wait
75-days before he starts brutally murdering the Christians. Biblically,
every saved person will be Raptured BEFORE the Tribulation. So there will
only be a world of unsaved people at the beginning of the 7-year
Tribulation period. Ah, but then people will begin to be saved through
faith in the Gospel, in particular 144,000 Jews, who will become diligent
soul-winners, preaching the Gospel to the four corners of the earth.
Remember, the Church will be Raptured, but not God's Word in the Holy
Bible. So some people will read the seed of God's Word and BELIEVE the
Gospel, and they will be born-again.
- Another flaw in Steve Anderson's PreWrath theory is that he says only the first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week are the Tribulation. And then he says the last 3 1/2 years are called “Wrath” in the Bible. But it the saints are raptured 75 days into the time of Wrath, then wouldn't the remainder of that time in Daniel's 70th week also be a time of Tribulation? Anderson's entire theory is based upon Matthew 24:29, the little phrase, “IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS.” It just doesn't make any sense what he is teaching! Anderson downplays the term “Tribulation,” saying that it is not taught in the Bible as a 7-year time period. Yet, Jesus Himself referred to the time of wrath as “Great Tribulation” in Matthew 24:21. Please notice that this time of “Great Tribulation” precedes Steven Andersons PreWrath Rapture theory in Matthew 24:29-31. This alone exposes him as a false teacher on this issue. When the Bible speaks of “After The Tribulation Of Those Days,” it is speaking of THE GREAT TRIBULATION!!!
- Another flaw in Pastor Anderson's theory is that the Bible plainly tells us that “After The Tribulation Of Those Days,” the Lord Jesus Christ appears in the clouds of heaven in power and glory with His saints and angels. Clearly, this is NOT the Rapture! This is Jesus Second Coming to the earth!!! Please carefully read the following Bible verses, which is the entire basis of Stephen Anderson's heresy of a PreWrath Rapture. Look at is carefully and you will plainly see that THIS IS NOT THE RAPTURE!!!:
Matthew 24:29-30, “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 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.”
Folks, the whole earth sees the Lord Jesus Christ at this time, and they mourn. This same event is recorded in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” This is Christ's Second Coming TO THE EARTH. In sharp contrast, the saints are caught up into the clouds at the Rapture, to meet the Lord in the air, and Jesus DOES NOT set foot upon the earth at that time.
- MATTHEW 24:29 TEACHES THAT
CHRIST'S SECOND COMING HAPPENS 'AFTER THE TRIBULATION,' NOT 'AFTER THE
ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION'! —
Kindly, Pastor Anderson teaches in his video “The Book Of Revelation” that
Jesus will return at the Rapture 75-days AFTER THE ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION. In sharp contrast, the Second Coming mentioned in Matthew
24:29-31 comes AFTER THE TRIBULATION. The big problem here with Pastor
Anderson's reasoning and teachings is that He says the event in Matthew
24:29-31 is the Rapture. Clearly, this would be IMPOSSIBLE! If, as Pastor
Anderson claims, the Rapture occurs 75-days after the Abomination Of
Desolation (which Daniel 12:11 says will be followed by 1,290 more
days of Tribulation), then the event in Matthew 24:29-32 absolutely cannot
be the same Rapture as Brother Anderson teaches. It can only be Christ's
Second Coming!!!
I'm not trying to be unkind; but rather, show the inconsistency in Pastor Anderson's PreWrath Rapture heresy. How can Christ return at the Rapture 75-days after the 'Abomination Of Desolation,' and also 'AFTER THE TRIBULATION' in Matthew 24:29? If you carefully read Matthew 24:29-31, it plainly describes the Second Coming of Christ. This is not the Rapture. Clearly, God's wrath has already been poured out upon the earth, and now it is time for Christ's Second Coming and the Battle Of Armageddon. Remember, Jesus is answering the disciple's question concerning: “...what shall be the sign of THY COMING, AND OF THE END OF THE WORLD?” (Matthew 24:3). So the answer is regarding Christ's coming at THE END OF THE WORLD.
How “short” will the Tribulation be cut? Here is a helpful exegesis of the Days Of Daniel by Dr. Max D. Younce:
(1). The Tribulation will be cut short by 4 months, and 20 days. In Daniel 12:11, we have 3 years, 7 months. In Daniel 8:14, we have 3 years, 2 months, 10 days. Since both are in reference to the last 3 l/2 years of the Tribulation Period, we can see a difference of 4 months, 20 days; thus, illuminating Matthew 24:21,22.
“For then shall be (the) great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Verse 21).
“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (i.e., the saved of Israel) these days shall be shortened.” (Verse 22).
(2). Comparing Daniel 12:11 with Daniel 12:12, we have the difference of 45 days or a month and a half. The reason we divided this into 30 days and 15 days is because of the three feast days; which, prophetically, have not yet been fulfilled whereas the first four have. These seven feasts as recorded in Leviticus 23 and etc., are types of future fulfillments.
a. “The Feast of Passover” (Exodus 12) is fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion. I Corinthians 5:7 states “For even Christ our passover is sanctified for us.”
b. “The Feast of Unleavened Bread,” fulfilled in Christ’s sinless life and enjoins the Christian to lead a clean life as stated in I Corinthians 5:7a, “Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump…”
c. “The Feast of First Fruits” is fulfilled by Christ’s resurrection as stated in I Corinthians 15:20,23. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.”
d. “The Feast of Pentecost,” fulfilled fifty days after Christ’s resurrection by the giving of the Holy Spirit. “Pentecost” means fifty, as the Holy Spirit came exactly as promised—fifty days after His resurrection. (Acts 1:3,4),
This, therefore, leaves the last three feasts of “Trumpets,” “Atonement,” and “Tabernacles” to be fulfilled in type, as shown on our diagram. These three feasts cover a period of 15 days. The “Feast of Trumpets” beginning the 1st day of the 7th month (Leviticus 23:23-25); “The Feast of Atonement” beginning the 7th month on the 10th day (Leviticus 23:27); and the “Feast of Tabernacles” beginning on the 15th day of the 7th month, making a total of 15 days. “The Feast of Tabernacles” will continue on into and throughout the Millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).
(3). The remaining 30 days will be occupied with the Old Testament Saints receiving their resurrected bodies; Christ chaining Satan for a 1,000 years; Christ victorious in the Armageddon battle; and Christ judging the Nations in preparation for His Kingdom Reign. [emphasis added]
READ MORE: Pastor Max D. Younce, The “Days” Of Daniel 12:11-12.
Biblically, the Church will be Raptured out of the world before the Tribulation, and then God will deal with Israel during the Tribulation, which is called “The Time Of Jacob's Trouble.” Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Please listen to the MP3 sermon by Dr. Mark G. Cambron, “Israel's Future.” God is not done with Israel. Only born-again Christians (which includes all saved Jews and Gentiles - Galatians 3:26-29) will escape the damnation of Hell-fire and enjoy the Promised Land when Jesus Christ returns. There is much confusion in the churches today concerning who is a Jew.
Although Matthew 24 does teach some things
concerning Israel during the Tribulation, it is heresy to say that the
Second Coming taught here is only for the Jews. This common misunderstanding
comes from assuming that the “elect” refers to biological, ethnic or
national Jews. This is wrong in my opinion. I believe that the “elect”
refers to the saved (born-again, redeemed, Christians; which includes both
Gentiles and Jews according to Galatians 3:29). We are all one in Jesus
Christ. There is no difference between the Greek and the Jew (Romans 10:12).
God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). The nation of Israel is
special (holy) unto God, but Jews (unholy sinners) are no more special to
God than Gentiles, and to teach otherwise is bigotry and racism. It is
important for Christians to understand that
God's
PROMISE to bless the Jews was always CONDITIONAL. Israel, as a nation,
is God's holy nation. Unfortunately, wicked Jews ran Israel into the ground
through spiritual idolatry and adultery. So God cut off the Jews (in 586 BC
with the fall of Judah under Babylon) until this very day. Present-day
Israel is a counterfeit, established by the Illuminati as a means to
overthrow and conquer the Middle East. This will lead into World War III, as
foretold by Masonic cult leader, Albert Pike, in accordance with the plans
of the Illuminati. True Israel will be
established when Jesus Christ returns at the Second Coming.
Matthew 24:14-21, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth,
let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing
out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give
suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.”
There will be 144,000 Jewish soul-winners
during the Tribulation, saved at the onset of the Tribulation period. They
will preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the entire world, and
then the Bible says the end (i.e., last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation) will
come. The Antichrist will profess to be God, demanding worship from
everyone, or else they will be killed by his animated IMAGE (Revelation
13:15). Many Jews living in Israel will be slaughtered, as will billions of
people around the world. When the Antichrist claims to be God in the temple,
Matthew 24:16-21 instructs people living in Israel (not just Jews) to flee
into the mountains of Judaea. It will be a woeful time of Great
Tribulation.
Matthew 24 Teaches That 'After The Tribulation' Comes Christ's Second Coming
The following passage of Scripture is about the Tribulation period. The last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation period are called a time of “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). The following passage teaches that 'AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS,' that is, the end of the Tribulation period, the Lord Jesus Christ returns TO THE EARTH. Pastor Steven Anderson teaches that the Rapture happens 'After The Tribulation,' but that is not what the Bible says here. It says that Christ is coming back, not the Rapture...
Matthew 24:24-31, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 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 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 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.”
What happens “AFTER THE TRIBULATION”? As you plainly read for yourself above... JESUS CHRIST'S SECOND COMING!!! The saints in Heaven are gathered to return WITH THE LORD to the earth. Jesus came 2,000 years ago TO His own. The Lord is coming at the Rapture FOR His own. And then 7-years later AFTER THE TRIBULATION, Jesus is coming WITH His own to the earth.
We read in 1st Thessalonians that the unsaved world will be overtaken as a thief in the night. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 24:37-9, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” ...
1st Thessalonians 5:1-5, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
As Christian believers, the Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 5:1-5 that we will not be overtaken with the wicked; but rather, praise the Lord, we will be “CAUGHT UP” (1st Thessalonians 4:17) to be with the Lord, and we won't be here for the Tribulation. We are the ones who will be gathered “and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of HEAVEN to the other” (Matthew 24:31), and from the four corners of the earth. Revelation 7:1 identifies the FOUR WINDS as being upon the earth. So that we can return with Jesus Christ at the Second Coming as Jude 1:14 teaches (also, see Zechariah 14:5). Mark 13:27, “And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” This Scripture from Mark 13:27 speaks of Christ's Second Coming. The elect are the saved.
Pastor Anderson teaches that the Day Of The Lord and the Rapture happen at the same exact time. Or, in other words, Pastor Anderson teaches that the Church will be CAUGHT UP, and then God will pour out His wrath upon mankind. I do agree that the Church must be removed from the world before God's judgment is poured out upon the wicked; BUT, I believe that God will remove the Church BEFORE the Tribulation period begins, not sometime AFTER the Abomination of Desolation.
And may I say, although Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (the writers of the four Gospels) weren't aware of the “mystery” (1st Corinthians 15:52-57) of the Rapture, Jesus understood all things, which is why He was able to prophecy in vivid details about conditions which will exist during the Tribulation period. Although the Lord didn't know the timing of the Rapture (Mark 13:32), He certainly knew that it would occur (Mark 13:33-37). The following Scripture speaks of the Rapture. 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
In Mark chapter 13, Jesus is teaching His disciples about
future events, but then in verse 33 He makes a personal appeal to them to be
on their toes, and WATCH, because they don't know when the Rapture may
happen, lest they get caught off guard not faithfully serving their Lord and
Master. The only prophetic event which happens without warning is the
Rapture, which irrefutably can only mean that it happens BEFORE the
Tribulation period (otherwise we'd know exactly WHEN Christ is returning,
down to the very day). Pastor Anderson even sets a date (a big no no), for
75 days after The Abomination Of Desolation). I respectfully disagree with
Pastor Anderson, although I respect anyone's right to disagree with me.
Why Do I Promote Those With Whom I Disagree?
Some of my web visitors may wonder why I promote the ministries and works of those with whom I disagree (and vise versa). The reasons are simple:
- Because I promote things that I believe will help my web visitors. I weigh everything in the balance and then decide if I believe something will be more beneficial to promote, or not. I regularly pray for God's Holy Spirit to give me wisdom in this area.
- Because I want you to make your own decisions. I'm not afraid that by promoting Pastor Anderson's or Texe Marr's sermons, you might choose to deny a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. I am here by God's grace to influence you for God, but my desire is not to indoctrinate you by sheltering you from opposing views. I want you to hear all sides, and then form your own conclusions based solely upon SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES. Acts 17:11, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Someone said that truth is like the sun and moon, that is, their light can only be hid for so long by the clouds.
- Because I don't write somebody off just because they disagree with me or criticize me. I learned this precious philosophy from Brother Hyles. Please read, Dr. Jack Hyles, the Friend. I've had fellow believers get upset with me over doctrinal issues and stop promoting my website, but I still promote them, because I want to help my web visitors. My goal is not to satisfy my selfish desires with my website ministry; but rather, to help OTHERS in the Lord. My websites are God's websites. My preaching is none of my business. God impresses upon my heart through the Holy Spirit's leading in the Scriptures what to share, preach and promote. You don't have to agree with me to be my friend. Brother Hyles wonderfully teaches this great philosophy in his sermon titled, “Make Room For Grief” (I give others room to be imperfect, because we're all just struggling human beings). I choose as Brother Hyles taught, to see people as BROKEN rather than BAD. Or as Mrs. Hyles wisely says on her website, “In dealing with people who have inflicted hurt, would it not be wise to go to extra lengths to understand that 'hurting people hurt people.'” Yes, that is so true! So I don't keep an eye on what people think or say about me; but rather, I look upon the needs of my web visitors. YOU are my ministry, and I love you in the Lord.
Jesus Plainly Taught That 'After The Tribulation' Comes His Second Coming
Jesus never said in Matthew 24:24-31 that the Rapture follows the Tribulation; but rather, the Lord said that the sun and moon would be darkened (which will no doubt adversely affect the earth's weather systems), and the stars will fall from the heavens (asteroids/meteorites), and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, “and then shall all 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” (Matthew 24:30). Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Clearly, this event is not the Rapture, because all the earth shall see Him.
In sharp contrast, at the Rapture, only the saved (i.e., born-again Christians) will be “CAUGHT UP” (1st Thessalonians 4:17) to meet with the Lord in the air. When Jesus bodily raised up from the dead, only the saved saw Him. 1st Corinthians 15:6 teaches that over 500 brethren saw Jesus at once. Wow! Likewise, at the Rapture, only the saved (who will all be CAUGHT UP) will see the Lord Jesus Christ. The world will not even know what happened.
In Luke 18:8 the Lord asked a rhetorical question if there would be any faith remaining upon the earth when He returns. The implied answer is a resounding “No,” just as in the days of Noah, when only eight people boarded the ark before a catastrophic flood destroyed all human and animal life. The world today errantly views unsaved Roman Catholics, Mormons, Church of Christ, Lutherans, Lordship Salvationists, Greek Orthodox, Church of England, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witness, Calvinists, Amish and other heretical groups as being true Christians, but they aren't. So when the Rapture happens, 95% of the religious world will be LEFT BEHIND. The heathen world will rule out the possibility of a Rapture, since ALL the religious denominations will still be here, and they will attribute the few disappearances to some other cause. This scenario seems plausible to me.
Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:37-39 that the world in the end times would return as it was IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, when the heathen ate, drank and lived in adultery until the flood came and took them all away without warning. Christianity is quickly becoming unpopular in America. The Lord inferred that when He returns, there won't be hardly any faith left in the world. In March of 2015, a contemptible 20,562 Presbyterian ministers in 10,083 churches embraced the homosexual agenda, approving of same-sex marriages. Truly, there is little faith in the churches anymore. The Bible foretold that in the last days “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2nd Timothy 3:13). Mainstream evangelicalism is apostate today. Satan has infiltrated the churches with hundreds of counterfeit Bible versions. Satan has infiltrated the churches with the heresy of Lordship Salvation, which is a half-truth, requiring discipleship for salvation under the pretense of still being a free gift by God's grace. Lordship Salvation is a satanic fraud; it is religion (living the Christian life) without being born-again.
Some people allege that the pretribulation Rapture is a hoax fabricated by the Illuminati, intended to compel Christians to become lackadaisical, refusing to fight against the New World Order. From my own research, it appears that Cyrus I. Scofield was an imposter, who was made wealthy by promoting the heresy of Zionism (idolizing present-day Israel). Albeit, neither John Darby not Cyrus Scofield invented the doctrine of the Rapture. 1st Thessalonians 4:17 plainly teaches the Rapture. And as far as timing, the Lord's admonition in Mark 13:32-37 that NO MAN KNOWETH the time of His return can only mean that the Rapture occurs BEFORE the events of the Tribulation period. It's quite simple.
Although I have found no evidence to support the claim that the Illuminati created the doctrine of the pretribulation Rapture, I have experienced firsthand the pathetic indifferent attitude from some professed Christians, who didn't feel that there was any reason to fight against the NWO, since the Church is going to be Raptured out before it happens. Such an attitude is unbiblical, irresponsible and totally appalling. The Bible teaches that our battle is AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD!!! Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” I like what author Ralph Epperson said: Although we may not be able to stop the New World Order, we can certainly fight against Communism! Christians don't care until tyranny gets in THEIR FACE, and steals THEIR CHILDREN, and afflicts THEM! When the tyranny of the rising police state stomps its boot on YOUR FACE, then for the first time you will get angry, start paying attention, and YOU WILL CARE!!!
Certainly, we ought to form our beliefs and convictions based solely upon the truths taught in the Word of God. The doctrine of the pretribulation Rapture is solely based upon the Holy Bible. Thankfully, America has been blessed with many faithful men of God in the past, brilliant Bible scholars like John R. Rice (1895-1980), Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951), and Curtis Hutson (1934-1995), who all concluded a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. END
