What DId Christ Say About It? Part 1
All of what the pre-tribulation “Left Behind” crowd says about the rapture come from the pen of the Apostle Paul (apart from I Corinthians 15:51-53, which harms their theory), and several other early church authors. Here are some examples:
1 Corinthians 1:7 - "awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus
Christ,"
Philippians 3:20 - "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we
eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"
Philippians 4:5 - "The Lord is near."
Hebrews 9:28 - "so Christ . . . shall appear a second time for salvation
without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
The problem here is the hope that was written to those who believed that they were experiencing the end-times tribulation has been confused with a biblical theology. Christ taught about what would occur prior to His coming in Matthew chapter 24, and it was easy for the early church to believe that they were living through what He spoke about.
First of all, Jesus told His disciples regarding this second-coming:
Matthew 24:4- “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
This is important, because what HE says is the final authority. This simple message is what Christ’s sermon to His disciples rests upon. He speaks to those who identify themselves as His followers, and it is the context of what follows:
5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8: All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Verse 5 affirms that “many” will be deceived, and since this is said in context with the words preceding it, it must mean that many “Christians” will be deceived (indeed, unbelievers are already deceived, so he's not speaking to them). While this is happening, Christ says there will be wars, rumors of national conflicts, people rising to slaughter other people, and natural disasters will occur at an accelerated rate. However, these things will only be the beginning of the trouble believers will face.
In verse 9, Christ says THEN believers will be delivered to affliction, death, and all nations will hate them. There is a progression of events occurring here. Take note of what happens next:
10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Again, Christ is talking to and about Christians. Those who are “offended,” who will betray each other, and will hate one another are all “Christians.” “Many” of US (Christ-followers) are going to fall away from our faith. “Many” will apologize for their shallow faith, and will become traitors to the church. They will cease to live as believers of and for Christ, and rather will live like the rest of the world.
However, what does Christ say about those who remain faithful? Verse 13 gives the answer:
13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
It will take more than surface-faith to endure all that Christians will face, and indeed what Christians have faced and are facing today in many parts of the world. The point of what Christ is talking about is a universal, intense persecution of His church, and we will have to remain faithful servants to Him, no matter what.
At this present time, I do not see a universal, holocaust-like affliction upon all of the Body of Christ. Our country has Christian colleges and universities, Christian publishers, openly Christian politicians and lawyers, 10,000-member mega-churches, and the like. Only in an environment like this could the idea flourish that Christ is going to come again to take His church before a universal tribulation begins.
Frankly speaking, I do not see Tim LaHaye “enduring” anything, other than the construction of his own legacy. I do not see Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson suffering for their faith either. What I do see are people like this pouring millions of dollars into propagating the heretical teaching of ‘pre-tribulation,’ which might do more to set-up believers for their inevitable fall than anything else. These men are also profiting greatly from the selling of their books, audio tapes and CD’s, videos, and course studies in “Bible Prophesy.”
Millions of Christ-followers expect that He will deliver them before they will have to face any real trouble, due to their faith. “Let no man deceive you.” It will be required of you, as a servant of Jesus Christ, to “endure unto the end” prior to His coming. Do not be deceived by the false prophets of ‘pre-tribulation.’
I will follow-up this message with “What did Christ say about it? Part 2”
1 Corinthians 1:7 - "awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus
Christ,"
Philippians 3:20 - "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we
eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"
Philippians 4:5 - "The Lord is near."
Hebrews 9:28 - "so Christ . . . shall appear a second time for salvation
without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him."
The problem here is the hope that was written to those who believed that they were experiencing the end-times tribulation has been confused with a biblical theology. Christ taught about what would occur prior to His coming in Matthew chapter 24, and it was easy for the early church to believe that they were living through what He spoke about.
First of all, Jesus told His disciples regarding this second-coming:
Matthew 24:4- “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
This is important, because what HE says is the final authority. This simple message is what Christ’s sermon to His disciples rests upon. He speaks to those who identify themselves as His followers, and it is the context of what follows:
5: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8: All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9: Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Verse 5 affirms that “many” will be deceived, and since this is said in context with the words preceding it, it must mean that many “Christians” will be deceived (indeed, unbelievers are already deceived, so he's not speaking to them). While this is happening, Christ says there will be wars, rumors of national conflicts, people rising to slaughter other people, and natural disasters will occur at an accelerated rate. However, these things will only be the beginning of the trouble believers will face.
In verse 9, Christ says THEN believers will be delivered to affliction, death, and all nations will hate them. There is a progression of events occurring here. Take note of what happens next:
10: And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Again, Christ is talking to and about Christians. Those who are “offended,” who will betray each other, and will hate one another are all “Christians.” “Many” of US (Christ-followers) are going to fall away from our faith. “Many” will apologize for their shallow faith, and will become traitors to the church. They will cease to live as believers of and for Christ, and rather will live like the rest of the world.
However, what does Christ say about those who remain faithful? Verse 13 gives the answer:
13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
It will take more than surface-faith to endure all that Christians will face, and indeed what Christians have faced and are facing today in many parts of the world. The point of what Christ is talking about is a universal, intense persecution of His church, and we will have to remain faithful servants to Him, no matter what.
At this present time, I do not see a universal, holocaust-like affliction upon all of the Body of Christ. Our country has Christian colleges and universities, Christian publishers, openly Christian politicians and lawyers, 10,000-member mega-churches, and the like. Only in an environment like this could the idea flourish that Christ is going to come again to take His church before a universal tribulation begins.
Frankly speaking, I do not see Tim LaHaye “enduring” anything, other than the construction of his own legacy. I do not see Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson suffering for their faith either. What I do see are people like this pouring millions of dollars into propagating the heretical teaching of ‘pre-tribulation,’ which might do more to set-up believers for their inevitable fall than anything else. These men are also profiting greatly from the selling of their books, audio tapes and CD’s, videos, and course studies in “Bible Prophesy.”
Millions of Christ-followers expect that He will deliver them before they will have to face any real trouble, due to their faith. “Let no man deceive you.” It will be required of you, as a servant of Jesus Christ, to “endure unto the end” prior to His coming. Do not be deceived by the false prophets of ‘pre-tribulation.’
I will follow-up this message with “What did Christ say about it? Part 2”
posted by yohannbiimu at 1:51 PM
1 Comments:
I appreciate your words, and might I add that you have contributed the very FIRST comment. I'm glad (relieved really) that it is one that is in agreement with the message; however, I am not going to assume to be so persuasive that I won't get some harsh responses from time to time. Also, I do not REALLY know what I am doing with this--being a first-timer at blogging, so I'll take constructive criticisms too.
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