As much as our government has been infiltrated by the enemy, so has the church. Maybe even moreso.
This is a dangerous doctrine. IT IS NOT FROM SCRIPTURE.
I do realize some big lofty names in the bible scholar community are big time rapturists. Moody - for example. But I've been on a quest for a week or so to find anyone of them making solid arguments with actual scriptural foundation to support the dubious claims of the rapture doctrine - and they just simply cannot support it in the scripture.
If you want me to explain further I'll be happy to. But what you should do is go to the bible and find where it makes any claim that Christians will be removed from earth BEFORE or in the middle of the tribulations described in prophecy.
The oft cited verses in Mathew are literally right after Jesus warns you not to be deceived and explains how not to be deceived by knowing the signs of the season of His return. In Luke he even says that "two men will be lying in one bed, one will be taken the other left behind." I don't know why there are two dudes in one bed but I want the rapturist to question why someone sleeping in bed would be raptured (I notice many claiming that you must be alert and watching at the special time).
In Thesolonians 4: Paul clearly teaches that the dead in Christ will be resurrected before the beloved verse about we who are alive at the time going to meet Jesus in the air. I don't have a problem with that - just don't misunderstand that the dead in Christ go "FIRST".
In Rev 20 - Jesus gives us more clarity and explains that in the "First resurrection" people who refused the mark of the beast unto death would rise in that "First resurrection" too.
The rapture doctrine is dangerous for our generation. We appear to be appointed for this time, please do not be deceived.
You think the great white throne judgment is only for those who live in the thousand year reign?
THAT is pretty weird.
It is for all those whose names are not written in the book of life.
And yes, there will still be sin in the thousand year kingdom.
https://davidjeremiah.blog/what-is-the-millennium-7-answers-to-7-questions/
I don't appreciate the attitude or the fact that you intentionally twisted what I said in order to scoff at me, and even so your argument is wrong.
I guess my tone is flippant but I'm not trying to attack you. I am attacking a doctrine that I realize many have grown up believing or have been impressed by experts to believe. But there are so many plain and simple problems with the doctrine. I wanted to call your attention to the way Jesus is talking about how the tares will be removed BEFORE the gathering of the Wheat "to shine forth ... in the Kingdom".
You say this parable is not about rapture. Well I suppose I agree, but it is definitely about "the end of this age" when the "Son of Man will send out His angels". This matches his language in other places where he is clearly talking about the establishment of His Kingdom.
It's okay, I forgive you. We just need to always try to have love and grace when discussing biblical issues with our brethren.
I was drafting a reply to describe what I believe and why, but it was lost so I have been forced to rewrite my reply (which has now taken most of my day). I will post links to some things that I think should be compelling if you are at all interested.
So far I have only addressed the issues you had brought up and I have yet to make any arguments regarding a pretribulation rapture.
I want to express that I grew up in a church that taught pretribulation rapture and in fact I did not accept this idea and refused say dogmatically when I thought the rapture would occur because I could not find any verses that I believed showed definitively when the rapture was supposed to occur. Therefore I had prepared my heart to suffer through the tribulation.
It wasn't until a couple years ago (I am in mid thirties now) that I came to believe in a pretrib rapture after watching a study on 2 Thessalonians and the meaning of the Greek word ἀποστασία. I am now convinced that "falling away" is incorrectly translated, and that the original meaning for the word ἀποστασία was "departure", which could have been translated as either spiritual departure or physical departure depending on the context in which it is used.
It would appear, in my opinion, that the context in 2 Thessalonians favors a physical departure interpretation, in which case our gathering together to him would have to occur before the man of sin is revealed.
I don't really want to spend any more time discussing these things or going back and forth as I have already spent too much time on this. Although I do not intend to convince you that this is the correct interpretation, if you are interested you can study it for yourself and come to your own conclusions as the Lord leads you.
Here is a link to the study I referenced in case you are interested.
Here is a link to a document on the same topic
He has some other videos on rapture typology that I would suggest watching.
Rapture Proof & The Ancient Jewish Wedding
Rapture Typology Pre-Tribulation Rapture Proof
1 Thessalonians rapture study (starts at 44:00)
Finally here is a link to a document disseminating pretribulation rapture myths.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=symp_grad
If you don't want to watch many long videos I understand. I used to avoid long videos, but now all I do is watch bible studies, prophecy videos and lectures all day every day because I have become very passionate about prophecy.
Anyway, never stop seeking the truth and God bless.
Thank you for putting in the time and effort here. I will get around to checking those things. Understand I've already searched not just for weeks but for years for justification of this doctrine. I cannot find anyone reconciling the problems of placing a resurrection before the first resurrection or inserting a return of Christ before the the second coming that He taught about.
This is Rev 22:18-19 (Something to think about soberly)
I'm sorry. Pastor J.D. seems like a nice guy but this teaching is awful. I'm only recently learning about the rapture theorists confusion about the word apostasy.
I don't think they even get the irony (people teaching this) ... but anyway we STILL use the word "departure" in a spiritual sense. For example - emotional departure. It seems we're now confirming false prophecy based upon our own limited knowledge of our own language - as if departure must only be understood as physical - absurd!
The Catholic church didn't change the meaning of the word, they just lied about who it applies to. That's kind of like people claiming that God's commandments are just for the jews. Or for that matter, that only protestants are spared from tribulations. It's a splinter in the eye situation.
Once again, thank you for sharing. Genuinely, I love this interaction. Every time I watch another rapturist preacher I'm more confident the rapture doctrine is wrong and dangerous and possibly the motivation behind the warnings from Jesus "Do not be Deceived". And I just pray that they start taking their own advice about context, context, context, and letting Jesus and scripture be the authority.
About rapture doctrine being dangerous, I think that a lot of people who argue against pretribulation rapture are a little overly obsessed with thinking that some will become apostates if they have to go through tribulation, but I would urge you to consider this passage:
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. Romans 14:1-4
We all have to make sense of scripture for ourselves, and whether we are taken up before, during, or after the tribulation will make no difference to those who truly belong to Him. If anyone's name is written in the book of life, God will make him stand.
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” John 10:25-30
Anyway, thanks for indulging me and watching the study. We might disagree about certain things, but we are still brothers in Christ. God bless.