I believe that Scofield Futurism is one of the main reasons Christianity has been so ineffective for the last 50-60 years. The unBiblical teaching of the Rapture, a Tribulation, an Anti-Christ, and that Matthew 24 and Revelation are talking about events in the future has, in essence, caused most Christians (as this Scofield doctrine has been shoved down our throats in every church and seminary for the last 100 years) to passively stand by while evil has been allowed to flourish massively...especially in the political realm.
This Dispensational, Scofield Futurism wasn't even a thing until about 100 years ago and the early church Fathers all believed...contrary to Scofield...that Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation had already occurred. This fundamental belief that Jesus had "actually" won the decisive victory 2,000 years ago when He "actually" rose from the dead was the cornerstone of faith back then. Onward Christian Soldier was the battle cry because Jesus had won the war and Christians were marching on to victory! The rest of history was just cleanup...working to spread God's Word, the message of the Gospel, and win souls for Jesus.
Most Christians today...attending 501c3 Zionist Scofield Churches...are so heavenly minded, they have become no earthly good. They are so enamored with a Rapture (being sucked up outta here before the bad stuff happens), and are so sure that an evil man called the Anti-Christ is going to actually win for a time and set up a global government that there's really no reason to fight. I mean, if the Bible teaches that a One World Government is inevitable and that the Anti-Christ is going to control the world for a 7 year period, why would you fight against something the Bible teaches is absolutely going to happen. I mean...who in their right mind thinks they are going to change Bible Prophecy...right? Hence...you have a Church that doesn't have the will to get involved politically and stop a march toward global governance.
The early Church Fathers believed that the beautiful, simple, message of the Gospel would eventually take over the world in the love and truth of Jesus Christ. This view of the end times was called "Dominion Theology," and was the pervasive belief that led to the spread of Christianity all through Europe and is the very reason why America exists today. Had the Church leaders followed the teachings of Scofield Futurists back in the day, there would have never been a Declaration of Independence or Revolutionary War! Scofield effectively "castrated" the Church...but the good news is that is changing! God is still in control and people are waking up to the Scofield hoax!
So what about Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation. Well, books have been written detailing the true meaning of each verse of these portions of Scripture and why they are not saying what Scofield says they say. A good resource for books on this subject can be found at Americanvision.org. However, if one simply pays attention to the time stamps in the context of both Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation, you can clearly see, in both instances, that the Authors are speaking of events that were going to occur very soon and in the time that Jesus disciples were living. Just read Matthew 24:34...Jesus plainly tells His disciples the following statement with regard to timing..."Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Jesus told His disciples that everything He said previously in the entire chapter of Matthew 24 would happen before their generation would pass. And it did happen when Rome sacked Jerusalem in 70AD. Christians who disbelieve how horrific this period was and that indeed everything Jesus said would happen...did indeed happen...needs to read the eyewitness account found in the writings of Josephus. Josephus was a first century Jewish historian who had a front row seat of this event. The great tribulation that is supposed to happen in the future, according to Scofield...well...that was it according to Jesus (read Matt 24:21-22). So do you believe Christ or do you belief a snake oil salesman like Scofield?
And John tells us plainly in the OPENING verses of the Book of Revelation..."The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Now do you think John would have use words like "shortly" or "the time is at hand" to describe events that are going to occur thousands of years hence? Again, the entire Book of Revelation (which was written about 66AD) was John's more detailed description of what was going to occur in Heaven and on earth when God's judgement fell on Jerusalem in 70AD. Christians today...again...in these anemic, 501c3 Scofield Futurist churches...are just not taught exactly what went on when God unleashed His wrath on Jerusalem through the armies of Rome. All I can say is that this event was the greatest, most horrific, and earth shattering event to ever occur in the history of man...and yes...that includes the Great Flood of Noah! Everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus should study exactly what took place when Rome laid waste to Jerusalem. I say this because you will come out the other end with a much greater appreciation for the New Covenant of Grace in which we now live and you will have a much greater understanding of where we are in the "real" timeline of God's plans for this earth and mankind.
As a Catholic who attended 12 years of Catholic Schools from 1970 to 1981, and had religion class every day for those 12 years, we were never taught anything like the modern version of Revelation. My Dad scoffs at things like the "Left Behind" series as revisionism and heresy. I call it psychological warfare.
I believe that Scofield Futurism is one of the main reasons Christianity has been so ineffective for the last 50-60 years. The unBiblical teaching of the Rapture, a Tribulation, an Anti-Christ, and that Matthew 24 and Revelation are talking about events in the future has, in essence, caused most Christians (as this Scofield doctrine has been shoved down our throats in every church and seminary for the last 100 years) to passively stand by while evil has been allowed to flourish massively...especially in the political realm.
This Dispensational, Scofield Futurism wasn't even a thing until about 100 years ago and the early church Fathers all believed...contrary to Scofield...that Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation had already occurred. This fundamental belief that Jesus had "actually" won the decisive victory 2,000 years ago when He "actually" rose from the dead was the cornerstone of faith back then. Onward Christian Soldier was the battle cry because Jesus had won the war and Christians were marching on to victory! The rest of history was just cleanup...working to spread God's Word, the message of the Gospel, and win souls for Jesus.
Most Christians today...attending 501c3 Zionist Scofield Churches...are so heavenly minded, they have become no earthly good. They are so enamored with a Rapture (being sucked up outta here before the bad stuff happens), and are so sure that an evil man called the Anti-Christ is going to actually win for a time and set up a global government that there's really no reason to fight. I mean, if the Bible teaches that a One World Government is inevitable and that the Anti-Christ is going to control the world for a 7 year period, why would you fight against something the Bible teaches is absolutely going to happen. I mean...who in their right mind thinks they are going to change Bible Prophecy...right? Hence...you have a Church that doesn't have the will to get involved politically and stop a march toward global governance.
The early Church Fathers believed that the beautiful, simple, message of the Gospel would eventually take over the world in the love and truth of Jesus Christ. This view of the end times was called "Dominion Theology," and was the pervasive belief that led to the spread of Christianity all through Europe and is the very reason why America exists today. Had the Church leaders followed the teachings of Scofield Futurists back in the day, there would have never been a Declaration of Independence or Revolutionary War! Scofield effectively "castrated" the Church...but the good news is that is changing! God is still in control and people are waking up to the Scofield hoax!
So what about Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation. Well, books have been written detailing the true meaning of each verse of these portions of Scripture and why they are not saying what Scofield says they say. A good resource for books on this subject can be found at Americanvision.org. However, if one simply pays attention to the time stamps in the context of both Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation, you can clearly see, in both instances, that the Authors are speaking of events that were going to occur very soon and in the time that Jesus disciples were living. Just read Matthew 24:34...Jesus plainly tells His disciples the following statement with regard to timing..."Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Jesus told His disciples that everything He said previously in the entire chapter of Matthew 24 would happen before their generation would pass. And it did happen when Rome sacked Jerusalem in 70AD. Christians who disbelieve how horrific this period was and that indeed everything Jesus said would happen...did indeed happen...needs to read the eyewitness account found in the writings of Josephus. Josephus was a first century Jewish historian who had a front row seat of this event. The great tribulation that is supposed to happen in the future, according to Scofield...well...that was it according to Jesus (read Matt 24:21-22). So do you believe Christ or do you belief a snake oil salesman like Scofield?
And John tells us plainly in the OPENING verses of the Book of Revelation..."The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Now do you think John would have use words like "shortly" or "the time is at hand" to describe events that are going to occur thousands of years hence? Again, the entire Book of Revelation (which was written about 66AD) was John's more detailed description of what was going to occur in Heaven and on earth when God's judgement fell on Jerusalem in 70AD. Christians today...again...in these anemic, 501c3 Scofield Futurist churches...are just not taught exactly what went on when God unleashed His wrath on Jerusalem through the armies of Rome. All I can say is that this event was the greatest, most horrific, and earth shattering event to ever occur in the history of man...and yes...that includes the Great Flood of Noah! Everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus should study exactly what took place when Rome laid waste to Jerusalem. I say this because you will come out the other end with a much greater appreciation for the New Covenant of Grace in which we now live and you will have a much greater understanding of where we are in the "real" timeline of God's plans for this earth and mankind.
As a Catholic who attended 12 years of Catholic Schools from 1970 to 1981, and had religion class every day for those 12 years, we were never taught anything like the modern version of Revelation. My Dad scoffs at things like the "Left Behind" series as revisionism and heresy. I call it psychological warfare.
You were taught lies about Mary.
Lies about Mary? Enlighten us fren.
The way I see it, basically every denomination is going to have some degree of lies incorporated into it.
Part of our job is to take what’s good and leave the rubbish, and be very careful about it.