Let me first say, I sincerely appreciate all Christians who do their part to share God’s Word.
It’s fantastic!
What I don’t appreciate are the constant calls of imminent doom. It’s not helpful, it’s fearful. Christians are called to live according to God’s Word, not according to fear and doom. Ahh, but doom sells, doom motivates, and it’ll get you to buy books and support causes.
Now, if you’ve been paying attention, since the Israel-Hamas war, we’ve seen numerous popular Christian figures state “The End” is upon us, as in, it’s imminent. In fact, these same popular figures even believe Gog and Magog are unfolding as I recently shared with you.
All of the Christian figures I’ve covered recently believe in the rapture doctrine. The doctrine that teaches any moment, Jesus Christ will appear to remove a select few from the earth before God’s Wrath. A doctrine that is counter to what Scripture actually says.
Nevertheless, these popular Christian figures are amplifying their rhetoric even more. Since Israel is surrounded by armies they claim, that means prophecy has been fulfilled.
According to these so called Christian experts, the rapture is now, even more “imminent” than it was before. These gents are telling us, we’re now imminently imminent to the rapture.
Ironically enough, these same chaps have always believed the rapture was imminent. They’re just ratcheting up their propaganda due to the events in Israel. Which I should add, are not Biblical signs the end is near.
No, the Israel you know — and may love — in the Middle East is not the reunited Israel God promised in Ezekiel. It’s truly unfortunate how many Christians do not realize that. It’s truly unfortunate that Christians get trapped into the idea of a secret rapture.
The fact of the matter is,
- The rapture is not Biblical…
- And God never joined together the two sticks in Ezekiel.
Some people are thinking,
“What two sticks in Ezekiel?”
Most popular doomsday pastors leave out those details, they leave out the part where David is supposed to be the king of Israel. Is David the king of Israel? No, Benjamin Netanyahu is, and David died thousands of years ago. So, Ezekiel speaks of the future, not the present.
Ahh, but cherry picking pastors only share the verses that fit their ideology, and rarely do Christians read an entire chapter to gain context. It’s just too much work.
So, we’re led to know more about a non-existent rapture, than what the Bible actually teaches.
Why?
We listen to men instead of just reading the Bible for ourselves.
Do we need guidance and direction?
Absolutely.
However, we don’t need indoctrination.
Now, in case you want to see what the Bible actually says on the matter, read the article about Gog and Magog that I mentioned above. It has all the relevant Biblical material, so you can decide for yourself. That means reading more than a verse or two. You need context my friends.
All right, so what did the Christian author in question say about the rapture with respect to the events unfolding in Israel?
“Nobody knows the day or the hour, not even the Son of Man. He (Jesus) didn’t know, so it’s sort of folly for us to try to predict the day or the hour. But also, I think all the prophecies have been fulfilled that need to be before the rapture, so it could be today.”
Christian Post
“Nobody knows the day … But”
These guys always do that.
They always open with, no one knows the day, but heck it could be today, this instant, this moment.
Give me a break already.
It’s this sort of talk that drives people away from our faith. People have heard about an imminent rapture for decades and decades.
- It hasn’t happened…
- and it won’t happen…
- as it’s not Biblical.
The author continues.
“Now that should be an urgent call for us to keep making sure that people aren’t left behind and telling them the truth.”
Ahh yes, if you don’t know “the truth,” you’ll be “left behind.”
This is what disgusts me about leaders within our faith.
If you don’t know “the truth,” which is really their truth, then x, y, and z will happen to little ol you. In this case, you’ll be “left behind.” In other cases, you’ll be left in the dark, and so on. Anyone telling you only they have the truth, has nothing at all.
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No one has a monopoly on God’s Word.
In fact, it’s the most widely circulated book in world history. It’s available in nearly every language on the planet. It’s there for you to read for yourself, its meanings are not intended to be kept secret from Christians.
In fact, look what 2 Peter 1:20 says,
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
So this secret “truth,” is bogus, it’s hogwash.
How I recall when that hogwash was on prime display many years ago. There was a certain pastor — now deceased — who said the rapture was going to take place on May 21st 2011. He was popular, certain, absolute, and commanded a big audience.
Many Christians sold everything they had, told their families it was about to happen. They told their families they were fools for not preparing for the rapture, which they would have no control over anyway. They even ensured their animals were cared for when they were, “raptured.”
However, to their sad dismay, they were played the fool.
The timeline for the rapture came and went.
This has happened numerous times.
Big wig Christian leaders talk about the rapture, and nothing ever comes of it.
Why?
It’s false prophecy.
It’s false doctrine.
And the non-believers just laugh and increase in numbers.
All the while, Jesus Christ Himself said,
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
Mark 13:32
Read that again.
Jesus Christ said even He doesn’t know when the end will occur.
Yet, Joe Bob pastor and Christian book author know?
Are they mightier than Jesus Christ Himself?
Come on my friends, you know better than that, and that’s my point.
We have people putting themselves on pedestals here, purposely or not. The sole purpose of the rapture doctrine is to scare people into believing in Jesus Christ. It’s been a fantastic tool to drive collection plate offerings, sell books, and movies.
That’s bogus.
People must accept God because they want to, because they believe there is more to existence than this life.
Not because they’re scared into it.
All these doctrines have ever done is drive people away from Christianity. If that were not true, Christianity would not be failing around the world and in this nation. Yet it is.
It’s way past time that we started holding our Christian leaders accountable. It’s time we put them in check concerning false doctrines like Israel being God’s Chosen, when the New Testament says, Christian’s are God’s chosen people, (Galatians 3:16, 28-29).
I mean, how can any pastor not see that?
It’s utterly astounding to me!