(The Pre-Tribulation Rapture I)

Yah knows that I hate controversy. Yah knows that I dislike arguments and the complexities of most Scriptural debates. Yah is aware of all these things, and yet Yah says, “If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 33:8) I do not at all mean to imply by this that those who hold views in opposition to mine are being purposefully wicked, but certainly we are aware that any error in doctrine is the result of deception on some level or another (by man or demon), and therefore a result of some evil. That having been said, let my words also be judged by the Scriptures, for it is not my own wisdom I rely on, but a simple “Thus sayeth the Lord.”

One of the most deeply rooted deceptions present in professed Bible believers is that of a “vanishing.” In an instant, they declare, which could occur at any moment now, all who have sincerely accepted Christ into their hearts will be Raptured away. They will be taken to Heaven, and those left on earth will have to endure a period of seven years of the worst kind of violence and chaos in human history. I agree that these dark times are coming, but at the same time, the Scripture teaches that the followers of Christ will be “sealed” with the authority of Yahweh. These will triumph over the time of trouble until the blessed return of Yahshua to take us – at that point – to the heavenly kingdom for a thousand years before the final destruction of sin.

These three articles may well be the most important of those you read on this site. Not only does it put forth the fundamental errors of a pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, but also shows exactly WHY these errors came about, how they can be repaired, and what the Scripture truly teaches about the second coming of Christ. Even more to the point it ties in the two key concepts of the final message of the 4th Angel, that of the Victory over sin and the inviolability of Yah’s Law in both letter and spirit... Recently I bought a book which claimed to be the result of extensive research, the “strongest argument” to date for the pre-tribulation position, and undeniable support for this belief. Moreover, it was authored by today’s most prominent literary supporter of the teaching. I was terribly disappointed.

Not only were the same few verses used (erroneously) to back up the teaching, but even WITH this “scriptural evidence,” the publication was loaded with such comments as “I am convinced,” “I believe,” “I am persuaded,” and so on. Where is the conviction? Where is the mighty, “It is written,” and “thus saith Yah,” which is the trademark of all writers of true and profitable doctrine? As it stands, Yah has forbidden that I make direct statements regarding the individuals involved here (and I am sure everyone will thank Him for that). I was compelled at the same time to show exactly where the teaching itself falls far short of Scriptural accuracy and prophetic promise.

Few false beliefs have served to humble me as completely as the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. I see Christian television, and I am awed by the amount of funding that getting this message to the world has received. Famous names in Christian circles teach it from the pulpit, respected theologians work at hammering out the details, whole series of books are written, and movies are made... And who am I? Oh, will they not cite how few are those who believe the truth? Will they not say, as they have to so many of God’s servants, “How is it that HE claims to know His will, when we, who are great in knowledge and wisdom, believe differently?” Oh, I am sure they will say these things, yet “let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4) THUS saith the Lord.

At the same time, do not believe me because I am few. Do not believe me because I call you to obey Yah rather than men. Do not believe me because I would rather speak the truth in love than appeal to a reader’s (or viewer’s, in the case of the films) emotions. Believe me because you can read all I say for yourself in your Bible. Believe me because I am covenanted to Yah the Father by the blood of the Son. Believe me because I’m just like you, a human, but I’m also just like Him, a partaker of divinity. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

The pre-tribulation teaching declares that even if it isn’t true (and the author admitted this was a possibility, since even he didn’t see it as being fully consistent), it’s at least a reasonable thing to believe. And if they are wrong, there’s no harm in it, as long as we’ve accepted Christ. I applaud his attempts at diplomacy, to be sure, but after reading the issue from various sides, it’s fairly obvious that the belief itself espouses several issues, which are not only unscriptural, but also downright deadly to someone trying to live in the holy atmosphere of Heaven.

Some of these may surprise you, but the pre-tribulation Rapture position promotes at least 6 deadly concepts. I will examine these in detail in a moment, but for the record, they are: Spiritualism, Self-Interest, Twisting Scripture, Lack of Interest in Prophecy, False Security, Salvation in Sin. To be sure, the author makes it a point to declare he is against these things, but the errors have seeped in through the back door. Now, these three articles are by no means a “final copy.” I was unable to read certain parts of the book which defended the rapture. Large parts of it appeared to be personal attacks on certain individuals, and some were rebuttals of personal attacks on pre-tribulation rapture believers.

I skipped most of these sections, running the risk of having missed a couple points, and as Yah permits, I will tread carefully through these at some point and make additions to the three articles as I do so, if any alteration is required. As I stated before, I am trying with all my heart to avoid making personal statements, and to examine the pathogen itself – the erroneous doctrine. So let me start with the first of the six concepts.

1) Self Interest – The Pre-Tribulation Rapture supporters have a very easy task before them when it comes to appealing to emotions. “Can you imagine,” one author says, “having to watch your innocent children go through a time of trouble such as Revelation describes?” What an awful, awful God He would be to do that, he says; wouldn’t it be nicer to believe that some people will be spared the destruction to come? It surely would. But I find the insinuation that Yah would hurt ANYONE, believers or otherwise, unless it was ABSOLUTELY necessary, particularly insulting. Is He not the same God who was forced to deluge the earth in water because of the wickedness of its inhabitants? Were there not innocent children among those not in the ark? And yet, by their own admission, this coming time of trouble will be the worst ever seen – a result of spiritual decay even WORSE than that which caused the death of THOSE countless individuals.

Are we to believe that while those “Left Behind” are forced to deal with seven years of sheer horror, we who were taken first will be all “blissed out” with Christ above it all? This is one of the most self-involved teachings I have ever heard from a Christian source, for we have not been saved to enter into reward ourselves, but to minister unto others, and to have them in turn be spared from hell! Yah the Father will not remove those best qualified to reach the lost just when they would need us the most. Peter, in his second recorded letter, compares the tribulation to come with the flood of Noah’s day in 2 Peter chapter 2. It is a fitting analogy indeed. While the world was perishing in the natural results of its evil, Noah was preserved from the destruction, and at the END of it, was let out of the ark of safety to enjoy the refreshed world.

But note, Noah preached unto all who would listen until the very last moment! There was no opportunity to repent and be saved after the door of that blessed vessel was closed up. When the righteous were taken out of harms’ way, it was only because all who WERE righteous were declared exempt from suffering, all had made their decision, and this is what the Bible teaches will happen in the last days. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in ALL the world for a witness unto ALL nations; and THEN shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14) The Book of Revelation declares a time when indeed the “door of mercy” will be shut before the return of Christ. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Revelation 22:11) A right understanding of the scriptures misused to support a pre-tribulation view will show exactly when this time will be and WHY it will be.

Even dumb animals suffer the penalty of death for Adam’s sin. Our children will be saved if we teach them to love the Lord and if we ourselves are a Godly example, for even Noah’s daughters-in-law were preserved for his righteousness. Let not the least hint of selfishness be seen in us, and let us labor to bring the Gospel to all the world.

A friend of mine, who read some of the pre-tribulation material for herself with as objective a viewpoint as possible, simply to discover whether the doctrine held merit, came to the same conclusion as I did regarding the underlying spirit of the teaching. An excerpt from an email to me can be found here, reproduced with her permission.

2) Spiritualism. – I know this claim must come as a shock to some. But this teaching is implied in the Rapture believers’ most cherished passage. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Th 4:16-18) Yes, it is comforting, if taken as it was intended. There are at least two fundamental errors in waving these verses around as a banner for belief in the Rapture before the judgments, and I will examine the first of these here.

“The dead in Christ shall rise first,” Paul writes, and HalleluYah! Yes, there is a resurrection of the righteous, and that is a comfort to me for all who have died with a pure conscience. But note that this will happen BEFORE the living are taken away! If it could happen any day now, are the dead already in Heaven, waiting to meet us in the clouds? Or is it as the Bible teaches, that they sleep in the earth, awaiting a resurrection which was like Christ’s, a bodily one like those certain saints which were resurrected when Yahshua died? “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept rose.” (Matthew 27:52) Read and see if this does not agree with Solomon’s view of death in Ecclesiastes, where he states, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. (Ecc 9:5,6) Read and see if it does not agree with David’s view of death, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Pslams 146:4) Read and see if it does not agree with the Creator’s view of death, when He explained to Adam the results of his transgression, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. For out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19) Read and see.

Belief in a Heaven filled with bodiless spirits either already in eternal bliss or waiting to return for their bodies when the Rapture DOES happen does much to distance it from what eternity is. Adam, the physical man, was created to live forever. That was the purpose of his body, to house his soul and his spirit. Christ, the physical man (in form) now lives forever and reigns with the Father. Enoch and Elijah, who were taken directly there, have no bodies rotting in the earth. They are physically in the Kingdom, as is Moses, who was the first human ever to be honored with the Resurrection of the just. Their bodies are different, that is true, they are “incorruptible,” as Paul describes it, but they eat and breathe and LIVE, just as Adam would have had he never fallen.

The dead in Christ shall indeed rise first, but on that day, the dead will be RAISED out of their sleep, out of their tombs, and will physically come forth. They are not already waiting, nor will they vanish out of their coffins along with the living. A commonly misquoted verse is in 1 Corinthians 15:52, where pre-tribulation believers say we will disappear in an instant. The ACTUAL verse says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” It does not say we shall vanish! It says we shall be “changed.” The next verse declares what this change will be, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Cr 15:53) And what manner of immortality is it? Isn’t it just like Christ’s? Isn’t it just like He who said, in His immortal, incorruptible body, “Have ye here any meat,” (Luke 24:41) because He was hungry?

Saul, believing in the soul’s awareness in death, was deceived by the enchantments of a medium, and was ultimately lost because of it. The lying spirit’s rebuke so disheartened the erring king that he lost the desire for repentance, and ultimately died in condemnation. His successor David and HIS son learned from the fallen monarch’s mistake, and were very clear in their own writings as to the state of the dead. I beseech you to take wisdom from them also.

3) Twisting the literal meaning of scripture – I need give only ONE example of this, but I will give two. There are others, but these are the most blatant. Let us look at the other thing wrong with using those verses to support the pre-tribulation Rapture. Looking at them again, they read, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Th 4:16,17) In describing this being “caught up together,” the proponents of the doctrine say it will happen “in a twinkling,” misapplying the verse from 1 Cr 15:52, and will just be a sudden disappearance, and they do this in the SAME BREATH as saying, “with a shout,” and “with the voice of the archangel,” and “with the trump of God.” Am I the only one who sees the problem with this?

How can a sudden and invisible disappearance of millions of people happen “with a shout” if all those who are left behind see are the empty spaces we used to fill? The surest way to undermine faith in the Bible is to look at it and say, “What it SAYS is this... and what it MEANS is that...” This is rarely necessary. As for me, I will stick with Peter’s explanation of the scene Paul is describing. Of the day of that “last trump,” he shows it is indeed “with a shout,” for even the earth is shaken by the Messiah’s return to take His children home. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10-12)

Yes, the day will come “like a thief in the night,” because “no man knoweth the day or the hour.” But while the Rapture supporters claim this also means it will be sudden and peaceful, leaving those around us to wonder where we went, that very same verse paints a very different picture. Those who are NOT taken will be “burned up” when the earth and the “heavens shall pass away with a great noise.” THIS is what the Scripture teaches the “voice of the archangel” and the “trump of God” will sound like.

How do the pre-tribulation believers reconcile this obvious misreading? They split the return of Christ to get the church and the return of Christ in glory to destroy the wicked into two events. To accomplish this, they first put their own words into the verse. Whereas the Scripture says “For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout,” the book I have read states “The Lord will shout from Heaven” and we, the true believers, will hear and respond by disappearing to meet the somehow already-risen dead.* They next say that He, along with we who were first taken, return with Christ a second time for all that “other stuff” Peter mentioned to take place. This is not what the Apostles taught. The voice of the archangel is NOT something only the elect hear! John himself describes the return of the Christ to take home His church thus, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev 1:7)

Please do note that Chapter 1 of Revelation is a section of the message directed to “the seven CHURCHES which are in Asia,” not to all the world. Every eye shall see Christ when He returns to take us into the Kingdom; these are not two events, but one. The churches are “Looking for that blessed hope, AND the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” If these are two separate events, and the Church is only on earth for the first, why does Paul teach us to look for both? Do not be deceived, His glorious appearing is when He descends HIMSELF to take us home, just as Scripture teaches: not when He SHOUTS from Heaven, but when He DESCENDS thus. Do not be deceived, His glorious reappearing IS our blessed hope.

The second great calamity they have twisted scripture into is this: they have made a travesty of the prophet Daniel’s writings. Had it not been for the natural flow of my writing, to examine the verses in 1 Thessalonians, I would have looked at this point first. This is THE error that initially and immediately showed me how wrong the doctrine is. I find it disturbing that people have not noticed this most obvious flaw before. When I bought the book I mentioned, I had high hopes that this interpretation of Daniel would be explained – there has to be SOME logic behind it, right? – but I didn’t find anything of the sort. Most people with whom I have spoken concerning this issue, if they have read Daniel for themselves and are willing to cast off tradition for truth, have seen the mistake.

The pre-tribulation rapture believers cite the following verse as that which speaks of the rise of the AntiChrist. “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27) This, they say, describes the antichrist making a covenant with Israel for seven years of peace, but in the middle of the week, he will be shot in the head and killed, but will be resurrected and will break the peace treaty.

This is absurd for so many reasons. First of all, the “He” in this passage can be none other than Christ, if one takes the time to read the few short verses just before. The one right above it describes exactly what the event “in the midst of the week” is. Dan 9:26 reads, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Yes, you read it right... the MESSIAH is the one who will be “cut off,” but not for Himself. This is Daniel’s prophetic vision of Christ dying for the sins of all the world.

I will make this even more clear, because if THIS central belief of the pre-tribulation rapture is rightly understood to be a falsehood, no further discussion is necessary. I have a detailed explanation of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel in a letter I wrote to a friend, and that can be read here but for now, I will share with you the basics of it.


The diagram above shows the breakdown of the Daniel prophecy regarding the 70 weeks. The key from 457B.C. to 34 A.D. is a period of 70 weeks. The diagram shows other things as well, but this first part (7 + 62 + 1 = 70) is what interests us now. The decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem which starts the 70 weeks (Dan 9:25) is shown to be the autumn of 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:7) We all agree on this point. 7 “weeks” later, as predicted, the temple was completed. Now, verse 26 says that after 62 weeks following, the Messiah was to be cut off. Indeed, 62 weeks brings us to 27 A.D. when Christ began His earthly mission. And in the “midst” of the following week, he was “cut off,” crucified, by His own people. The gospel did NOT cease to go primarily to the Jews after that, however, until the martyrdom of Stephen 3 and a half years later (34 A.D.). Christ had indeed confirmed the covenant with Israel for 7 years! It was Yahshua, not the antichrist, that is clearly spoken of in Daniel 9:27.

This is one of the most beautifully fulfilled prophecies in the Bible. Its mathematical precision is one of the wonders of Scripture, yet how diligently has Satan tried to wrap Yah’s most precious promises in obscurity? The pre-tribulation people must be forced to conclude that the word “Messiah” is translated from it’s original meaning, “anointed one,” for it to be applied to the antichrist; for he too was “chosen.” As plausible as this may sound at first, one need only read Daniel 9:24, where the anointed one is specifically referred to as “the most Holy.” This cannot possibly refer to the “man of sin,” spoken of in 2 Th 2:3. Were this possible, up could mean down, left could be right... and holiness would mean sin.

The Rapture doctrine teaches that the 7 years so clearly pointed to has not yet been fulfilled. The death of Christ, they teach, put Israel on “prophetic hold,” so that the church could be formed. Yet, was not the death of Christ predicted IN that very prophecy? How could the very event that was predicted cause the rest of the vision’s events to be delayed? The Bible teaches no such thing. All was fulfilled just as it was intended to, just as the numbers declare. The will of Yah will not be hindered, no matter what humans may try to do to stay His hand. To teach otherwise is treason against the Throne.

Would you like to hear something even more lamentable? The 70 weeks spoken of above, if referring to the antichrist, forces the doctrine to teach that the antichrist as an individual is the 10 horned beast in Revelation 13:3. Christ was indeed raised from the dead, but applying the prophecy to the antichrist instead has the pre-tribulation believers declaring that the antichrist is ALSO raised from the dead. How can this be? They claim that SATAN raises him back to life. I was speechless when I read this! As if Lucifer had ANY such authority! Christ says, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) The doctrine of the Rapture teaches that the fallen Cherub also developed this ability.

Yes, Lucifer has developed an arbitrary system of healing. Mysticism, which is his strong point, has indeed produced what seems to be a way to cure the body. Acupuncture, by using needles to destroy nerve cells, alleviates pain. Many prescription drugs suppress aches and symptoms, without treating the CAUSE of the ailment, and lead to diverse side-effects almost as bad as the original problem. Drinkers and drug-users deaden their minds to forget about their cares. These types of healing are indeed from the enemy of souls. But to bring the dead back to life? Yah has given Lucifer freedom only to destroy, so that his true nature can be revealed to the universe (see Job), but to heal? That is the privilege of Heaven and Heaven alone.

I may have gone on too long in this third point. There is just SO much more to tell. But for the sake of time, and for the ease of reading, I will move on.

4) Lack of interest in prophecy – This stems from the issue discussed above. By having the interpretations of Scripture handed to them, many who would rather be led by emotion and sensation will be swept away in a flood of deception. Those who study Daniel and Revelation for their own education find that the first book is speaking of Christ, not the antichrist, and the latter speaks of Him coming in glory and power, not to first call away the faithful. He sends an angel to SEAL the faithful ones, like Noah in the ark, like Moses and the Israelites in the desert, He protects and provides for them, but does not spare them from the task at hand. The trials of Job, Noah, Moses and countless others were a dramatic witness to the angels of Heaven about the mercy and justice of the Father. In this last great test, we are called to no lesser honor! The “great tribulation” is the end of the war between God and Lucifer, and not about us at all! Let emotional appeals be placed in their true light – an attempt to get humans to focus on self.

Yes, Scripture teaches we will be saved out of the hour of temptation (Rev 3:10) for we shall be provided for in every situation, and when Christ DOES return and the earth is purified by fire (2 Peter 2), we will be spared from it’s destructive power. Revelation clearly teaches that those who receive the Seal of the living God will be spared the judgments, but will be THERE when they fall. The rapture believers claim that the fact the word “church” is not used during this time is evidence that the church has been taken away. This is not so! The true church is “sealed” by the angel. To reconcile this, the doctrine claims that these 144,000 are Jews which have been converted after the Rapture, a return to faith of Israel.

They claim that Israel is not the church, to state it clearly. This is another obvious falsehood. Had Yah’s sacrifice in Christ been fully appreciated, ALL would have accepted Christ and been converted. Of course, there would still be Jews by nationality, (1 Cor 10:32) but not by religion. “For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Christ is the only way we can be saved. To claim that Yah had a purpose for another religious system is to state He did not wish all to be united, both Jew and Gentile, under the banner of Christianity. No prophecy was “put on hold.” Israel fell as a religion when they divorced themselves from Yahweh’s authority and declared, “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15).

To the Jews Christ declared, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, ‘Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:35) Christ WAS the glory of the Jewish temple, and Judaism, as a religion, will not see Christ again until He returns. Spiritual Israel is now the Church of Yahshua, the Bride of Christ. At Christ’s death, the veil to the Inner Sanctuary was blasted in two, and shortly thereafter, the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles in great measure. What clearer evidence is needed than this – that the promises to the “people of God” was transferred in their entirety to those who accepted the Son?

I plead for all people to read for themselves and understand the prophecies of Daniel, John and the others who were blessed of Yah with the gift of predicting future events. Do not be led by what others are persuaded of, but “let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5) Read the book of Leviticus and understand how the “Day of Atonement” sacrifice parallels Christ’s death for us, and how His work in Heaven at this very moment mirrors the ministration of the High Priest in the earthly sanctuary described in ancient Israel. Again, I offer you the information here. See if you do not rejoice in the harmony and beauty of the system of Yah’s symbols.

5) Setting people up for disaster – This is my answer to the claim that it is harmless to believe in the pre-tribulation rapture despite all the Scriptures which refute it. When people see the time of trouble begin, which they will, as the Bible declares in both the records of Moses, Job and Noah AND Apostolic works, imagine the disappointment! Imagine the uncertainty, the doubts and the disillusionment. How many will throw the baby out with the bathwater that day and cast off their faith entirely? How many, who had been led by traditions and not personal conviction, will be so shaken that they will utterly reject the light of mercy which has been flowing to mankind from Heaven for 6 thousand years? Are the people who are “convinced” and “persuaded” against the plain, written Word willing to answer for the blood of all those souls who will be lost on that day?

They had better be VERY sure of their beliefs, and from what I have seen, even the self-proclaimed “strongest arguments” in support of the pre-tribulation removal of the church from the world is wavering and doubtful of its own validity. The churches that teach the rapture do not understand the validity of the Law of Yah, they do not understand the Day of Atonement or what the “Cleansing of the Sanctuary” spoken of in Daniel means. They are unaware of the Victory over sin, and are wholly ignorant of the import of the 3 angels’ message to all the earth. In short, they are not READY to meet the Lord in the air. But the answers are in the Bible, for all who care to look. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Any who take the word of human teachers above the written Word of Yah and the interpretation of men above the interpretation of the Holy Spirit will have no way to guard against the many deceptions that all false teachings enshrine. What I have shared with you thus far is no opinion or “private interpretation,” but the plain and simple words of the Scriptures. If I have pulled anything out of context, I urge any and all readers to point out this error. If I have said, “I believe” or “I am convinced” once too often, let me know, and I will hasten to replace it with the Scripture which states the same from the mouth of the Father. But before I leave this section of the Rapture discussion, there is one fatal concept yet to go. It is perhaps more controversial than the previous five, but it is nevertheless essential truth for all who will so perfect the Christlike character that they WILL be ready when Yah calls us into His perfect kingdom.

6) Salvation IN Sin – The concept of salvation in sin is the foundation for every false teaching, whether it be they which claim that by works man can gain the favor of God, or those which teach that faith alone (unrevealed by a sanctified life and unadorned by good works) saves. The pre-tribulation believers expect to be gone any minute now, even as they still struggle with committing known transgressions on a fairly regular basis. They are still where Israel was in the days of the Judges, they are not where the Apostles where when they were filled with the Spirit and teaching, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remained in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9) Apparently this scripture is either ignored or trivialized by those who seek to justify themselves before the Judge.

Only those who are SEALED, only those who “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth” (Rev 14:4) are equipped to stand before the Father on that day. Moreover, Rev 14:4 goes on to say, “These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” They are the FIRSTFRUITS, those who are FIRST presented to the Throne as having been purified by the blood of the Son. No church which has been Raptured prior to the sealing of that mighty angel can be thus presented. Read what the term “firstfruits” means in the Old Testament. Lev 2:12, Num 18:12, Deu 26:10, Eze 44:30. Read what it means in the New Testament. 1 Cr 15:20,23. These all declare that the firstfruits are the very first and best of the harvest. Christ first, and then all whom He claims when He returns (not when He “shouts from Heaven”) are these holy ones.

The concept of Victory over sin, which I discuss in some length in other places, such as here, are VITAL for the sanctity of the true Bride. The true Gospel states, “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The word “from” is the Greek “ek” our “out of.” It is used to describe a TOTAL separation from willful (deliberate) sin in such verses as 2 Chronicles 6:26, Psalms 51:2, Romans 6:7, 6:18, 6:22, 1 Peter 4:1, 2 Peter 2:14 and 1 John 3:8. Solomon, in his wisdom, asks, “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?’” (Proverbs 20:9) John, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy One, has the answer. “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

The pre-tribulation rapture believers rightly point out two clear examples of a translation into heaven. Enoch and Elijah. But these two translations support the BIBLICAL version of translation, not the fable of an instantaneous vanishing. Enoch “was not” because no one was around to see him go. Elijah, the ONE translation (or Rapture, if you prefer) which was witnessed, was accomplished with fire and majesty, as is befitting the full redemption of a fallen being. “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.’ And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.” (2 Kings 2:11,12) This is what the glorious Rapture of the faithful will be like when Christ shall return.

But the method isn’t the most important thing here. Not as important as HOW it happens is WHY it happens. Enoch “walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Gen 5:24) Elijah was rewarded for a life of unparalleled service by being spared the grave. These two individuals, like Christ, were SANCTIFIED. They were free from sin in every sense of the word, and for THIS reason alone, they were spared the “wages of sin” which is death. (Romans 6:23) They were so Christlike in character, they were so close to the Father that their biographies were lives of unbroken communion with Heaven, and it was reflected in their very nature. With all the heresies that have seeped into the church since the days of the Apostles, the only way to regain this exalted status before Yah and men is to cut away all human error, cast off all lying doctrines and return firmly to the faith that Christ taught.

Believing that human beings will be suited for Heaven without vowing to divorce themselves completely from known, habitual sins; teaching that the Rapture could happen at “any moment,” even to those who have not purified themselves fully in the blood of the Lamb... This is the SAME argument that the devil gave to Eve, the first bitter deception that human ears have ever been burdened with, “And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die.’” (Genesis 3:4) It is not to “steal hope” that I speak the truth, but to warn those who are called by the Father against committing this first, grave mistake yet again. The covenant for life eternal is to believe in the Son of God and to REPENT (turn away) from sin. Be justified by faith, and be sanctified by the naturally resulting good works.

THIS commitment to a holy life... this CAN happen at any moment and in a twinkling! That is a blessed hope in itself. Christ is willing to say to everyone, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” “Sin no more,” He said to all those He healed. And those who believed that His touch could instantly heal their bodies of disease believed also that His very word gave them back the power of free will, to choose each and EVERY time to abstain from “fleshy lusts” and to remain “unspotted from the world.” Instantly. If we have full faith in Christ’s ability to speak things into being, and to bestow forgiveness into hearts, we should never doubt that He is able to keep us also from doing a known wrong. By our faith, so it shall be done unto us, and THAT is the Victory over sin – That is what readies us to be taken from the world directly into Heaven when the Lord shall return.

I have been HEALED as surely as the paralytic in John 5:14 and the woman caught in adultery in John 8:11. To both of these, and to myself, Yahshua has said, “Sin no more.” It is my blessed hope that you also will come to the well and draw this living water, which will be in you “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14. Do not limit the power of the Gospel to change your life. Do not thus deny our Lord; for that is my prayer in His holy name.

Even with what I have shown so far, the teachings of the Apostles and prophets have already been thrown into stark contrast with this teaching of human (or worse) origin. There is more to come, however. May Yah guide thy studying, as we all continue to draw closer and closer to Him, learning His ways and principles. May we ever apply them to our lives so that we WILL be ready to face the trials ahead, and be purified to stand unashamed in the presence of the Most High when He returns to take us home.

David.

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