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THE SECRET RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

When I first accepted Jesus as my personal savior, I believed in the secret
rapture of the Church. The reason why I believed this teaching was because the
good people at my church believed it. After all, they were the source of the
life-changing message of salvation. I assumed that the Church always believed
the secret rapture and that it was the only view. But I had made a commitment to
Jesus and His Word, not a denomination or a minister. As I searched the
Scriptures and talked with other Christians I learned something about the secret
rapture teaching which prompted me to rethink this important doctrine. Have you
ever wondered where this idea came from and why? I would like to share with you
what I have learned. (The following narrative is not original but has been
pieced together from many sources - books, pamphlets and Internet searches.)
During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and the other reformers used a
system of prophetic interpretation called the Historicist Method. Basically it
taught that the beast, of Revelation 14:9: Was active in the past. Is active in the present. And would be active until Jesus' second coming.
The Catholic Church became concerned over the success of the Protestant
Reformation. It began a Counter Reformation to meet the Protestant challenge.
The Counsel of Trent (1545-63) was called and, in one of its first decrees,
rejected the Protestant principle of "Scripture alone" as the foundation of all
doctrine. The Jesuit order (Society of Jesus) helped reconvert large areas of
Poland, Hungary, and southern Germany. Their method of operation was "subtle
casuistry" a specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or
mislead. In 1558, after 19 years of preparation, a Jesuit priest named Ribera
published a 500-page documentary on Futurism, which became the thrust of the
Counter Reformation. In response to the Historicist method of Luther, Ribera
taught that: The beast with the mark was not active in the past. It is not active in the present. It would not be active until the "end of the age."
Revelation chapters 4-18 would not be fulfilled until the "end of the age."
The Jews would be converted at the "end of the age."
The Jews were the remnant who would encounter the beast and the antichrist.
Ribera was the first to teach that all the events in the book of Revelation were
to take place literally during the three and a half years reign of the
Antichrist way down at the end of the age. Later, Emmanuel lacunza, also a
Jesuit priest, built on Ribera's teachings. He wrote a book, "The Coming of
Messiah in Glory and majesty." He used the assumed name of Rabbi Ben Ezra,
supposedly a Jew who had accepted Christ. He taught the novel notion that Jesus
returns not once, but twice, and at the "first stage" of His return he
'raptures" His Church so they can escape the reign of the "future Antichrist."
This book was first published in Spanish in 1812. It was accepted in the
Protestant world and even found its way onto the shelves of the Library of the
Archbishop of Canterbury in London, England.
A leading figure of the Catholic Apostolic Church of England and a most eloquent
preacher, Edward Irving, translated Lacunza's book into English in 1827. Irving
heard what he believed to be a voice from heaven commanding him to preach the
Secret Rapture of the Saints. He began to hold Bible conferences throughout
Scotland, emphasizing the coming of Jesus to rapture His Church. The question
remained as to when was the "end of the age." The answer came through Margaret
McDonald, a member of the Plymouth Brethren Church, in the 1830s. While in a
trance she supported Ribera's system of interpretation and added that an event
called the secret rapture would mark the "end of the age."
John Nelson Darby, a fellow church member of McDonald, borrowed from her
revelation. He modified her views and then taught them under his own name. He
developed and organized "futurism" into a system of prophetic teaching called
"dispensationalism" with the s0-called secret rapture at its center. He passed
his teachings along in later years to a friend named C. I. Scofield, a
Congregationalist preacher. In the early1900s these notes were published in the
Scofield Reference Bible, still used by many Protestants. They had a tremendous
impact upon the beliefs of many. Three million copies were published in the
first 50 years. Through this Bible, Scofield carried the teaching of the secret
rapture into the very heart of Evangelism.
It began as a Roman Catholic invention. The Jesuit priest Ribera's writings
influenced the Jesuit priest lacunza, lacunza influenced Irving, Irving
influenced Darby, Darby influenced Scofield, Scofield and Darby influenced D.L.
Mody and Mody influenced the Pentecostal Movement. The Assemblies of God, the
largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, had no publishing house in the
beginning. They bought their Sunday School study materials from the Mody Press.
Since the 1830s Ribera's system of prophetic interpretation has been making
inroads into America. After World War II the Protestant churches adopted this
teaching. Today it has almost universal acceptance, with movies and books
dramatizing its end time ideas. So what's the big deal? Does it really matter?
What happened in Christ's day is an illustration of the danger in false
prophetic interpretation. At that time there were two beliefs about the coming
of the Messiah:
The minority believed that the messiah would suffer as the Lamb of God.
The majority believed that the messiah would reign in power on David's throne
and break the Roman yoke.
Five hundred years before Jesus came; it didn't matter which view you held. In
fact, even 50 years before He came, it didn't matter, but when Jesus actually
came, it made all the difference in the world. People who held the wrong view
were the ones who ended up crucifying the Son of God. Jesus said to this group:
"Ye know not the time of your visitation." They were mixed up in their
interpretation of prophecy. Obviously, being alert when prophecy is actually
being fulfilled is a matter of life or death.
Because prophecy is being fulfilled today, we must make a very important
decision. Which method of interpretation. concerning the Second Coming of
Christ, will we accept?
Ribera's view (Futuristic) taught by the Roman Catholic Church and most
Protestant churches today.
The secret rapture comes first.
Beast with his mark is future (after the rapture).
The Jews will be the commandment-keeping remnant of Revelation 12:17.

OR

Luther's view (Historicist) - taught by the Protestant Reformers.
The beast with the mark is here now.
He is expanding his influence worldwide.
The remnant people are here now.
They keep the commandments and know what the mark of the beast and his image
is.
They are Christians with a message for the end time (Revelation 14:6 - 12)
False teaching regarding the manner of Christ's Second Coming is a dangerous
deception. It can prepare the way for unwitting support of the antichrist, and
enforcement of the mark of the beast. They may say "We can't be enforcing the
mark of the beast because it is a future event, after the secret rapture, which
hasn't occurred yet." The Bible teaches that such a counterfeit coming will take
place and that, "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
Matthew 24:24. Will you be deceived? Or will you be like the Bereans who
"searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11

APPENDEX:

[1] [1] 70 weeks = 490 DAYS = 490 YEARS AS A DAY EQUALES A YEAR IN BIBLE PROPHECY, NUMBERS 14:34, EZEKIEL 4:6, .SEE SIR ISIAC NEWTONS WRITINGS, REFER TO ALL THE REFORMENRS; MARTIN LUTHER, HUSS, WICLIFF ETC.,

[2] [2] FALSE CHURCHES WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE DOCTRIENS OF THE BEAST

[3] [3] TRUE CHURCH SAME AS THE FIRST CHURCH OF JESUS

[4] [4] YOU SEE WHEN GOD REJECTED THE NATION OF ISRAEL CORPORATELY HE DIDN’T REJECT THE INDIVIDUAL JEW AND IT WAS THE JEWS (ALL THE APOSTALS) WHO PRIMARLY MADE UP THE EARLY CHURCH. SO THE JEW INDIVIDUALLY HAS THE SAME OPORTUNITY AS THE GREEK AND THE GENTILE (re ROMANS 2).

[5] [5] SEE APPENDIX “BILLY GRAHAM”

[6] [6] II Timothy 3:14; “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works”. INCIDENTLY WHEN PAUL SAID THIS TO TIMITHY ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES, GUESS WHAT SCRIPTURES HE WAS IN REFERENCE TOO ? THE OLD WAS ALL TIMITHY HAD GROWING UP ! IN FACT THAT’S ALL PAUL HAD TO PREACE FROM AND WAS IN REFERENCE TOO HERE BELIEVE IT OR NOT. SO DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS FOR THE JEWS AND DONE AWAYS WITH ! RUNAS FAST AS YOU CAN FROM THAT RELIGION.

[7]<![endif]> [7]MARK 7:7-13; Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” DON'T JUST THINK THIS ONLY APPLIES TO THE JEWS, THIS IS MY WHOLE POINT, VS. 7 AND VERSE 13 ARE APPLICABLE TODAY AND HE PROVES THIS BY WHAT HE GOES ON TO SAY. READ IT SOME TIME ITS GENERIC, ITS COUNSEL FOR MANKIND OR WE MAY AS WELL SHUT THE BIBLE UP AND WALK AWAY.

[8] [8] John 19:7; “The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die…”

[9]<![endif]> [9]BEING ABLE TO SAVE US BUT NOT CHANGE US WHICH IS REALLY MORE IMPORTANT. THE LORD SAID WHEN ISRAEL WAS WILLFULLY BREAKING HIS COMMANDMENTS; "IF ONLY THEIR WAS SUCH A HEART IN THEM THAT THEY WOULD LOVE ME AND WANT TO FOLLOW ME".DAVID SAID TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIOFICE. YOU SEE GOD WANTS THE HEART BUT OUR WORKS SHOW WHAT IS IN OUR HEART. THIS IS WHY WHAT COMES OUT OF A MAN IS WHAT DEFILES HIM. THINK ABOUT IT.

[10] [10]IT WAS THE SAME IN OLDEN ISRAEL. THE LAW POINTED OUT SIN AND THE SINNER WENT TO THE SANCTUARY WITH A LAMB (REPRESENTING JESUS) AND CONFESSED HIS SIN OVER IT AND BY THE DEATH OF THE LAMB HIS SIN WAS transferred TO THE LAMB AND THIS WAS THE PLAN OF SALVATION IN GRAPHIC FORM IT IS NO DIFFERENT TODDAY. SO YOU SEE THE LAW PLAYED A VITAL PART IN THE SINNER RECONIZING HE WAS A SINNER BUT HAD NO PART IN THE ACTUALL SALVATION THAT WAS AND IS ONLY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD. WE SING THERES POWER IN THE BLOOD...

[11] [11] REVELATION 13:15

[12] [12](re DANIEL 9:25) THE PROPHECY SAYS 483 DAYS BUT IN ALL PROPHECY A DAY = A YEAR. 483 YEARS (-) 457 BC = 26 AD HOWEVER WHEN GOING FROM BC TO AD YOU MUST ADD A YEAR BECAUSE THERE WAS NO YEAR "0", THUS 27 AD.

[13] [13]490 (-) 457 BC = 33 AD (+) 1 = 34 AD WHEN THE FULLNESS OF THE JEWS WAS MET WITH THE FIRST MARTER AFTER JESUS, STEPHEN.

[14] [14]MODERN DAY RELIGION SAYS THAT AFTER 3-1/2 YEARS OF THE INFAMOUS SEVEN YEARS THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL COME OR WHAT IS IT LEFT BEHIND SAYS ? EVEN BILLY GRAHAM PULLS THIS SEVEN YEARS OUT OF THE PROPHECY AND THROWS IT OUT IN THE FUTURE BUT FRIENDS IT HAS TO DO WITH THE MESSIAH AND HIS MINISTERY HIS DEATH AND THE PROBATIONAL PERIOD OF THE JEWS ENDING YOU CAN'T APPLY IT TO ANYTHING ELSE OR IT DOSENT FIT INTO TIME AND EVEN THIS PROPHECY WHICH IS ONLY A PIECE OF THE LONGEST TIME PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE (2300 YEAR) STRETCHING INTO THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE YEAR 1844 AD WHEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PRPHECY WAS FULLY REALIZED. SIR ISIAC NEWTON UNDERSTOOD IT TO THE DEATH OF JESUS BUT THAT WAS AS FAR AS HE COULD GO FOR THE BBOK WAS SEALED until THE FULLNESS OF TIME (THE END OF THE LAST TIME PROPHECY WAS FUFILLED) HAD COME. AFTER 1844 AD. PART FIVE OF MY "LEFT BEHINDS - LEFT BEHIND" SERIES I GIVE THE SCRIPTURAL BACKUP FOR THIS AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE MARK OF THE BEAST.

[15] [15]CLICK HERE (____________)FOR THE EVIDENCE OF THIS.

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