Note: Find
additional information on this very topic with expansion of the main points
below at “The Rapture that Never Comes” Series ~ http://www.yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
The
Rapture that Never Comes! #1
One of the stupid and serious blunders
causing confusion and involving a great deal of false teaching is the so called
Rapture. Harold Camping set the beginning of the rapture for May 21, 2011. He
set it once before for Sept. 7, 1994. His wrongful dates leave him making up
alternate explanations for what supposedly happened, but all the more exposed
for his false prophesies (cf. De. 18:22, Eph. 4:14). Camping’s alternate
explanation for May 21of an invisible coming of Christ for an invisible
Judgment upon the world lands him flat on his face for second time! His rapture
chart set the “probable end” of the world for A.D. 2011--- but now he’s “for
sure” the end of everything is Oct. 21, 2011 --- “probable” hasn’t meant “for
sure” in my lifetime. Matt. 24:36, 2 Pet. 3:10, I Th. 5:2 state clearly he
hasn’t the faintest! Jeremiah said the
prophets prophesy false visions – the deceit of their own heart (Jer. 14:14).
Camping’s “invisibility” stunt corresponds
to the past where others have failed literal predictions that must be turned
into something invisible. Such a blunder reminds us of “The Great
Disappointment” of Oct. 22, 1844; Joseph Rutherford’s infamous “Millions Now
Living Will Never Die”; Hal Lindsey’s 1970 book “The Late, Great Planet Earth”
--- the world would end in the 1980s. The stupid, ignorant and gullible just
keep on callin’ those Rapture Hotlines for updates! Get it? Just keep on donating
your money to them, giving them your property, and by all means buying their
cheap dime a dozen books for that’s exactly what they know you are good for!
(cf. 2 Cor. 2:17; Rom. 16:18; I Tim. 6:5).
The Rapture that Never Comes #2
(The church of Christ Is No Afterthought)
The church of Christ began on Pentecost as
recorded in Acts 2 – those baptized into Christ were the beginning of Jesus
building His church as promised (Matt. 16:18). One fundamental error of premillennialism is the view where the church is presented
as sort of an “afterthought” --- they say the Jews rejected Jesus’ offer of the
kingdom thus He cut the “church age” deal with the Gentiles.
To
the contrary consider:
1.
Jesus was delivered up by His own, the Jews, according to the predetermined
plan of God (Acts 2:22-24; Isa. 53). The church began with the Jews first in
Jerusalem on Pentecost as planned in eternity by God’s eternal purpose (Eph.
3:10-11; 2:10; Acts 2; Rom. 1:16-17).
2.
Christ’s promise to build His church corresponds with the apostles being given
the keys of entrance into the Kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:18-19; 18:18). In
obeying the Gospel one is translated out of the power of darkness and into the
Kingdom of the Son of God (Col. 1:13). This takes place by obedience in being
baptized for the remission of one’s sins (Col. 2:9-12). This was Peter’s
command on Pentecost at the beginning of the church (Acts 2:37-28, 41).
3.
God’s plan was for Jesus to die on the Cross --- the church was purchased with
His blood according to God’s predetermined plan from eternity (Isa. 53; Acts
2:22-24; Acts 20:28). Premillennialism slights God’s
plan! The church of Christ is the saved here on earth. He is the Savior of the
body, the church (Eph. 5:23; 1:22-23).
For a fuller explanation
and additional important applications go to: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening:
6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
The Rapture that Never Comes #3
(“I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” Jo. 17:4)
In our last article we noted that contrary
to premillennial teaching the church of Christ is no
“afterthought.” The death of Christ and
His church purchased with His blood, being comprised of those who have been
translated into the kingdom of Christ, is God’s plan of salvation from eternity
for both Jews and Gentiles (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:22-24; Rom. 1:16-17; Col.
1:13; Eph. 3:10-12, 2:10). There is no such concept as the church age just
being given for the Gentiles’ benefit.
Jesus said in prayer to the Father, “I
have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was” (John 17:4-5). He was soon to be crucified and looked ahead to
His return to the Father. Jesus came for a specific purpose: “Even as the Son
of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). The Father’s will was
accomplished by His death upon the cross (Jo. 4:34, 5:36; Matt. 26:42; Phil.
2:5-8). The great Premillennial lie is that Jesus was
rejected by the Jews therefore He is going to come again and give things
another try. This makes man’s human will and power greater than God’s will and
power to accomplish through Jesus what the Father sent Him to do!
For a fuller study with
additional important applications go to: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening:
6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
The Rapture that Never Comes #4
(Jesus’ Second Coming Is the End of His
Reign not the Beginning!)
Paul explains that Jesus’ second coming does
not mark the beginning of His reign but the “end” (I Cor. 15:20-26). Thus, speaking
of Jesus’ second coming he says: “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His
coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to
God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority
and power” (I Cor. 15:23-24). He follows this by stating that Christ must reign
until the last enemy death is destroyed (vss. 25-26).
At Jesus’ coming the dead are raised
imperishable and the living changed (I Cor. 15:42-54) --- that is the end of
death (vs. 26). The Hebrew writer says Jesus will appear the second time: “And
as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:27-28).
This is the “second” following the “first” time when He offered Himself in the
flesh as a sacrifice for sin. In the online study mentioned below, the
ridiculous claim that Jesus will come to this earth along with saints in their
glorified immortal spiritual bodies ---- while others will still be here in the
physical temporal body still subject to death and still dying throughout a
millennium is exposed as falsehood.
For
a fuller study with important additional applications go to: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening:
6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
The Rapture that Never Comes #5
(The So Called “Invisible” Secret Rapture)
What happened to Harold Camping’s Oct.
21, 2011 “END” of the world prediction? This series displays how the blind,
ignorant and gullible just keep on allowing themselves to be guided by blind
teachers (cf. Matt. 15:14). There is nothing invisible or secret about Christ’s
return. The so called “rapture” of believers is based upon an imagined secret
return with an unseen exit for the resurrected and raptured
faithful. Among the most cited scriptures for rapture proponents is I Th.
4:13-18. Yet there is nothing secret or invisible here about His coming.
Consider these points: (1) He descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God — that is NOT secret; (2) Both dead
and living Christians meet the Lord in the air to be with Christ forever. We
are told in other scriptures what will happen to the earth when He comes (cf. 2
Pet. 3:10); (3) Also there is nothing here about a millennial reign upon the
earth! Above all, I Thess. 4:13-18 is not proof of two resurrections i.e. the
righteous at the rapture and later the wicked at the end of the world. Just
because select verses describe the resurrection of the righteous that does not
mean they eliminate the simultaneous resurrection of the wicked dead. By
reading through and including I Thess. 5:1-6 you will see what happens to “the
rest who have no hope” --- the same theme continues --- His coming is the
Resurrection day and Judgment for all (cf. John 28-29; Matt. 25:31-46).
For a fuller study with important
additional applications go to: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening:
6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
The Rapture that Never Comes #6
(The 1,000 Year Reign in Rev. 20:4 is in
Heaven not on Earth)
There is no 1,000 years reign on earth
presented in Rev. 20:1-4. Those here who lived and reigned with Christ are the
“souls” of those who have been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the
word of God (Rev. 20:4). In Rev. 6:9-11 they are “under the altar” and have
been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held — they
being “martyrs” are told to rest for a little season until the rest of their
brethren who will be killed as they were is completed.
The altar is said to be before the throne (Rev. 8:3, 9:13). In Rev. 4:1-2 there
is the throne set in Heaven and One (Christ) who sets upon it. Thus you have
the souls of the martyrs who are saved and with Christ in heaven after death.
The point is there is no rapture – they
died! What happens to someone when their head is cut off? They die! When men
killed christians who were
faithful unto death as commanded in Rev. 2:10-11 they could not kill their
souls (cf. Matt. 10:28). These in Rev. 20:4 are said to be martyrs who are
saved and with Christ after death, and this is referred to in Rev. 20:5 as the
first resurrection. Some assume that this is referring to a coming of Jesus for
the so called premillennial rapture --- this is not
talking about the so called rapture but the salvation of the martyrs.
For a fuller study with important
additional applications go to: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening:
6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
Note: Find
additional information on this very topic with expansion of the main points
below at “The Rapture that Never Comes” Series ~ http://www.yumavalleychurchofchrist.com/articles/raptureone.html