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.
Even if we are taken up, God will raise up strong leaders for those who come to faith during the tribulation. I do think a lot about the people who will go through it.
As someone who believes in the rapture, I have asked myself many times - what are we leaving behind for those who will come to faith during the tribulation.
Yeah also, what's the worst that can happen, you suffer a fraction of what Christ suffered? You die? Like everyone else since the beginning? Why are today's Christians thinking that their faith won't even be tested if they are so lucky to be awake and looking up at the right time? It has never been about rescuing the flesh.
There are underground churches all over the world that are experiencing tremendous persecution right now, China, Iran, Lebanon, etc. I've seen beheadings and all sorts of terrible things happening to the church. America is caught in a normalcy bias thinking it can never happen to them.
Even aside from the Great Tribulation, things are going to get MUCH worse. Soon people wont be able to get food, even here in the US. It's gonna get bad. Really bad. Nothing is going to stop the antichrist system. It is coming upon the world even as we speak, and we don't have any more time.
Spot on. Imagine how our churches would be preaching if they hadn't taken the black pill of rapture. But be were instead declaring the power of Jesus to sustain us through the wilderness ahead.
https://youtu.be/QPISpAasD3M?t=1490
Here's a video that I had just watched where they are discussing why the economic situation is going to be much worse than anyone realizes. (James Kaddis and Monkey Werx)
If you watch the 10 minutes or so from where I timestamped the video you'll get the gist of it. There's an annoying audio bug partway through, but its worth hearing what they had to say. Basically the shutdowns in China are about to make all the incoming economic problems much, much worse.
I should have probably made a post about it because it is significant.