|
Rapture:
The Millions
Missing Theory
Millions Missing
The sermons, books, flyers, and the movies all start with something similar to
a headline that reads:
MILLIONS MISSING:
World in Chaos
When it comes to the subject of Rapture, there are as many views as there
are denominations and MOST of them are NOT BIBLICALLY based. That is both
unfortunate and tragic for the church of today (or any day for that
matter). When men would rather grasp the sensational than the truth
of the written Word, it is a sad day indeed.
The “Rapture” or rather the modern day concept of Rapture was NEVER taught
by the early church nor by any church prior to the mid 1800’s. Even
a very brief study of church history shows there was no such teaching.
Some attribute the teaching to a young 15 year old girl named Margaret
MacDonald who had a vision. Some say it was John Darby who started
the teaching, others have differing views.
Regardless of where today's viewpoint came from, I think it is imperative
that we get the truth of the scriptures FROM THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES,
not from a vision, nor from any other source except the BIBLE itself.
Let’s Examine Revelation 4:1-2 again:
Revelation 4:1
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be
hereafter. "
Revelation 4:2
"And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne."
After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven:
The “After this” statement is often used to claim that it means “AFTER THE
CHURCH AGES”, or "after the church is gone". We’ve covered some of this
already in the first 3 chapters of revelation, but the main problem with the “church
ages teaching" is that those who teach such a thing believe there were 7
dispensations of the church, all divided into uncertain time
periods (which by the way, have no symbolic meaning at all, even if you
believe in biblical numerology).
A Brief note on the following link: I do not now, nor have I ever
endorsed, supported, believed or held in any form or fashion, the
teachings of William Branham.
The link is provided in order for you
to see for yourself what he taught and what his followers claim of him.
This teaching comes mainly from
WILLIAM BRANHAM, who also taught such things as the Serpent Seed
doctrine which states that Eve had physical intimacy with Satan and
conceived a child named CAIN. He also states this is where black
people come from. There is NO biblical basis for EITHER of those
claims and it is DAMNABLE and Heretical to believe those teachings.
Examine just one of Branham's "predictions" in his own words: "The
reason that he called John Elijah was because the same Spirit that was
upon Elijah had come back upon John, even as that Spirit had come back
upon Elisha after the reign of King Ahab. Now once again that Spirit
will come back upon another man just before Jesus comes. He will be
a prophet. He will be vindicated as such by God. Since Jesus
himself, in the flesh, won't be here to vindicate him, (as he did John),
it will be done by the Holy Spirit so that this prophet's ministry
will be attended by great and wonderful manifestations."
Whoa! He said "...that Spirit will come back upon another man just
before Jesus comes..." Is that a true statement? Where does
one find this in the Word of God? Especially since Jesus already
said in Matthew 17:12 that John the
Baptist WAS "...That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but
have done unto him whatsoever they listed..." Note: Jesus was
speaking in PAST TENSE here. He was saying that ELIAS was already
come and that John the Baptist was that Elias that was coming.
The next verse:
Matthew 17:13
"Then the disciples understood
that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
Matthew 11:13-14, Mark 1: 2-8 and
Luke 1:17 also confirm this.
Matthew 11:13-14
"For all the prophets and
the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias,
which was for to come."
There is absolutely NO mention of any other "Elias" or any other person
coming in the "spirit of Elias" before Jesus comes ANYWHERE in the Word of
God. To believe that requires a stretch of the imagination to say
the least. The fact is that Mr. Branham attempted to use these
scriptures to describe himself as that "Elias" and as a Prophet to the
Gentiles. This is just one example of the many things Mr. Branham
taught that were clearly against the Word of God.
If a “prophet” (or any other person) teaches false doctrine, what does
that make him? I'll let you determine that one on your own.
Let's examine the Church Age theory as some believe:
Mr. Branham taught that there were 7 church ages divided in the following
manner (it is quite interesting that he also includes what he says was the
"angel" ... as mentioned in Revelation chapters 1-3 ... to each "age":
Ephesus (53-170 AD), The Apostle Paul
(Paul had been dead by more than 30 years at the time John wrote
this to the Angel of the Church.)
Smyrna (170-312 AD), Irenaeus
Pergamum (312-606 AD), Martin
Thyatira (606-1520 AD), Columba
(He died in 596…10 years before he was to be the “Angel” to the
church)
Sardis
(1520-1750 AD), Martin Luther
Philadelphia
(1750-1906 AD), John Wesley
Laodicea
(1906-Present), William Branha m
* Although Mr. Branham did not identify
himself by name as the Angel to Laodicia, he strongly implied it
and allowed his followers to believe it and they STILL believe it and
teach it today.
The teaching of these so called "ages" of the Church is simply NOT
true. The writings of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 to the churches
are exactly what is recorded. They are letters to the PRESENT
CHURCHES in existence at the time of the writing.
Let's go back to Revelation 4:1 as we continue to the next page.
Α Ω
|
