Get Us Out of Here? The Rapture? Says Who?
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”Psalm 31:24, NKJV
Most likely every time there is a flare-up in nation against nation, hurricanes destroying everything in their paths, and evil arising without much opposition in government seats, many Christians are responding with the words, “The rapture is near. We are getting out of here.” They are looking for the escape route upward, and saying inwardly and outwardly, that we won’t be around for it all.
Is that you? Where did this concept originate? Is it true? Please read on, if you have a few minutes.
We all know the Scripture quoted far too often telling us of when “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound…” 1 Corinthians 15:22, NASU And the other most quoted as much is Matthew 24:29-31: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
If anyone considers themselves a student of the Bible, then they know that just one or two Scriptures cannot be used to build a solid biblical foundation. Theology uses the whole Bible on which to establish the truth. Not just one or two verses.
And yet…the “rapture” theology is just that. Built and proclaimed as the grand escape of believers from the earth before the God of heaven destroys most of it, along with much of mankind. It has been a much debated and actually troubling concept for many people, for years.
And so, I began a study of the origins. If you have any desire to know the truth, then keep reading.
Knowing already the very few verses, and even portions of verses so much put forth as the Gospel truth, I decided to check out what other sources said, which historically can give us a further framework from which to establish how it really came into Christian thinking. I was very much surprised.
It was not taught by the early church, nor the church of the first century. Neither did the Reformers teach it. Not until a few Roman Catholic theologians around 1830 do we find the beginning origins. The pre-tribulation idea wasn’t even subject matter until it come forth in the early or mid-1800s.
One such video, after having used the new FreeSpoke search engine (highly recommended by me!), forgoing the absolute restrictive Google, is “Origins of the Pretribulation Rapture”. There are many more that I could recommend for you, but do some research further on your own, should you be wise as the early believers did.
One scheme of prophetic interpretation came from a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest in 1830, to counter prophecy against Rome. Futurism took root. Using the pen name “Rabbi Ben Ezra” (a supposedly learned Jew who had accepted Christ), was born Emanual Lacunza in Chile and who later lived in Italy as a Catholic Jesuit, wrote in Italian a book in 1791 entitled “The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty”, later published in 1812. He used the “Jewish” name to have his book accepted among the unsuspecting Protestants, who would not accept anything from a Catholic Jesuit.
Edward Irving, born in Scotland in 1792, discovered Lacunza’s book, translated it into English, and published it in London in 1827. He then held Bible conferences throughout the churches in Scotland, emphasizing “the coming of Jesus to rapture His Church.”
Following this came John Nelson Darby, the proponent of futurism and prophetic teaching called dispensationalism.
The secret rapture teaching was then introduced between the years of 1840-1870 in the USA and Canada.
Then C.I. Scofield further expanded the promotion of Darby’s writings. Thus, the Scofield Bible’s inclusion of this “doctrine” into extensive evangelism. Through this Bible study version, many famous Baptist teachers and pastors carried on the teachings. Men such as D.L. Moody, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Adrian Rogers, and others, along with Assembly of God preachers (AOG) in the Pentecostal movement, one of the largest denominations in the world, taught the concept as biblical truth. The AOG, in 1914, got their Sunday School and study materials from Moody Press. So, the belief was widely spread further.
Deception?
I am not one to try to persuade anyone to believe something they feel is biblical. There is enough of that, and it is not my desire to further drive wedges between believers. But I do encourage you to consider that what you have been taught, what you know as “truth”, may not be all that you hope for and rely on in your Christian walk of faith.
Consider what Yeshua (Jesus) said Himself when He spoke these words. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 ” But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14, NASU
He makes no mention of believers being snatched out beforehand, as in a pre-tribulation or mid-trib moment, as if He came back halfway to get us, and then returns a 3rd time when in Revelation it is written for all times, as follows.
Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV): “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”
My main hope and prayer, should you have read this message thus far, is to make you think that possibly what has been so widely and strongly taught, including in the most popular novels of the Left Behind series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, beginning in 1995, may not be biblical. And I would want you to be best prepared as possible for going through the tribulation, in His grace and power, ready to proclaim and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, Who saves, delivers, and transforms any and all who will believe, even in the midst of death, disasters, and so many evil forces, both human and spiritual, that are destroying His planet and peoples, even now in an ever-increasing darkness.
These activities we know have come and are intensifying in these end times. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! Bo Yeshua!
Ahava and shalom, Steve Martin
Love For His People, Founder
P.S. I like this video shared this past week posted on YouTube and sent to me by a good Jewish friend in Israel. Check it out. It will inspire you as to what our Lord is doing, and will do, in the midst of “tribulation”. Recorded by a Florida resident after being hit by Hurricane Ian: You Have Authority Over Creation
Message #114 in this series – in the year of our Lord 10.01.2022 – “Get Us Out of Here? The Rapture? Says Who?”, Saturday, 9:23 am in Charlotte, North Carolina |
https://www.youtube.com/c/DerekPrince…
