LEFT BEHIND AND THE RAPTURE
Amazing what is taught on this subject in todays church. Look at the basic beliefs of what these people called dispensationalists teach and lets go over them compared to the scriptures.
These are the main teachings of dispensationalism: Israel and the church is seperate people of God, Daniels 70 weeks are divided, Jesus returns two more times, he gathers the church in secret and leaves the lost behind, there are tribulation saints saved after he takes the church, Jesus returns and reigns for 1000 years literally fulfilling Davids throne prophecys, and there are two judgement days.
Is any of this in the bible? It is amazing to me as i studied this subject that not one of these points not only are false, but they are totally opposite from what scripture teaches. Lets examine these beliefs.
They teach that Israel and the church are seperate.
Really? The prophecys in the old testament say God will save the gentiles within the new covenant and that they will be one people. He also said the Spirit would be within man to let him live out the commandments. Isnt this clearly what the church is?
Jesus said at the Lords supper that this is the blood of the new covenant. What was he talking about? Everything Jesus did was a fulfillment of old testament prophecy and this is what proves he is the messiah. He is clearly speaking of the new covenant promised to Isreal. He even tells them he has another flock who will become one flock with them, the gentiles. Clearly the prophecys of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Joel are explaining the future body of Christ. Peter proclaimed this in his first sermon. Paul explains how this works in Ephesians 2, Galatians 2 thru 6, and Romans 9 thru 11.
No where did Jesus or the apostles point towards a future fulfillment. It was finished. It was fulfilled.
As far as seperating Daniels 70 week prophecy I think this one is also quite easy. No prophecy in scripture is ever divided for one. Two, if it isnt 490 years which is 70 weeks of biblical prophecy, then isnt this a lie? Of course.
Three, doesnt God determine the timeframe and that its not dependant on man following it.
Four, the whole point of the prophecy was that after the 70 weeks the new covenant was ushered in. This was the time frame of the end of the old covenant.
Five, Jesus is the prince of Daniel. No where is it an antichrist. The people who were to come were the church and by them the old covenant was destroyed. This happened when Stephen preached the history of the jewish church in the temple and they rejected it and then stoned him. Then the new covenant was begun because the gospel was then preached to the semaritans and gentiles, clearly according to Jesus, not considered the house of Israel (matthew 10) in the flesh. This is the only possible time when the prophecy was fulfilled since 34ad was the 490th year. It had to be fulfilled that year. The destruction of the temple in ad70 was the result of this rejection and is what is talked about in Daniel 9 as being on the wing of the abomination that causes the desolation. The prophecy is about the new covenant taking over the old one and this happened in 34ad. The result of it was the destruction of the literal temple which happened in 70ad, also prophecied by Christ.
Six, Jesus wasnt annointed in 27ad by happenstance. His annointing began the last week of the prophecy and in the middle of the week Jesus was crucified ending sacrifice and all observances in Gods eyes.
It isnt fulfilled in 70ad or 2070ad. It could have only been fulfilled in 34ad. God doesnt lie. 490 years is 490 years! The whole point of the prophecy is the beginning of the new covenant. Christs annointing began the last week of the prophecy.
Next is the teaching that Jesus returns two more times: one in secret and then he lands on earth. What? Didnt Jesus say to the disciples in private that he would not come in secret but that every eye would see him, the world would mourn, and the angels would gather the saints.
Matthew 24 is clear. It even says after the tribulation. It doesnt get any clearer (Matthew 24 clearly teaches against a pretrib rapture but more accurately is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70ad).
The bible is clear in every point that Jesus returns and destroys all the lost and gathers the elect at the last trumpet on the last day. It is elementary. Paul in 1 corinthians 15 is clear its at the last trumpet. Peter says he destroys the earth at his coming in 2 peter 3. Jesus says he returns and gathers us on the last day in John 6. Paul says in 2 thessalonians 1 that at Christs appearing he destroys the lost and and antichrist. He even says in chapter 2 of 2 thessalonians to be not deceived but our gathering is not until the antichrist is revealed and he isnt revealed until verse 8 when Jesus returns. No secret rapture anywhere and no two seperate gathers.
John 5 says all that are in the graves are gathered together and so does matthew 25. Revelations 20 emplys the saved are also at the judgement since it states clearly that if you arent found in the book of life you will be thrown in the lake of fire. No where does the bible hint of two judgements. The dispensationalists use 1 corinthians 3 to show there argument but it never says only Christians are there. It only warns us what we build on Christ will be judged. This does not contradict the rest of scripture. Its just a warning to us as believers to live Godly which is Pauls whole point for the letter to the corinthians because they were carnal.
Daniel 12 says some at the judgement are saved and some lost. This flows right along with the rest of scripture.
Jesus even states in the last chapter of revelations that he is coming to judge ALL on their works. Jesus said as the days of Lot so will it be at his return for when Lot came out of the city that same day God destroyed Sodom and Gommorah so will it be when Christ returns. This is clear as it gets.
Now the millenium. Is keys, bottomless pit, chains, and the number 1000 ever literal in scripture or symbolic?
John wrote Revelations using biblical terms to explain what he saw. It was symbolic language in alot of his visions explaining a real event. Dispensationalists yell out that they always stay literal but clearly they are symbolic also when ever they want to be. are there 10 horns and a real dragon. How about a woman? They dont mind using symbolism as long as they want to teach their belief.
There are two teachings very vital in understanding scripture: 1 a prophet is subject to a prophet and 2 there is no prophecy of private interpretation. Using these guidelines you simply have to use these words in Revelations 20 just like it is in the rest of scripture. Keys clearly in scripture means having control of something. Chains means you are bound to something (Paul was bound to the gospel). Bottomless pit is a spiritual place on the earth everywhere else in scripture. 1000 is a number symbolic of God and his time or number of a specific thing like he owns cattle of 1000 hills and he promised Abraham 1000 generations. Clearly he owns all the hills and 1000 generations would mean we have still got at least 12,000 more years before he returns. Not likely since he said he would do a short work on the earth. The chapter is a symbolic chapter of a specific time and if we examine the subject matter we will see that this period is during the new covenant or church age.
The subject matter of Revelations 20 is that the ones that are part of the first ressurection will be saved from the second death. Clearly Jesus is the first ressurection as told in John 5 and colossians 1. Revelations 3 tells us to live Godly to escape the second death. It never talks about saints during a second ressurection or the fact that a second ressurection of saints ever occurs literally.
Satan is bound by the gospel which is why Jesus said you have to bind a strong man to pillage his house which is what Jesus is doing now.
Revelations says after Christ went to the thrown that he cast satan into the bottomless pit and this is where he is roaming the earth devouring souls because his time is short. This is clearly the age in which we are in now. Satan is bound from a position of authority not reigning over the earth and this is what this means. We are bound to the gospel Paul says but it doesnt mean we arent doing anything, it just means we are bound to do a specific thing. Satan is bound awaiting his judgement as are the angels he deceived in heaven.
Lastly after the 1000 years the lost are ressurected and satan is loosed (because we are gathered up-no church here on earth to be bound by). Like in heaven with Michael, we then have a spiritual battle between the lost and satan against the church in Jerusalem from above. It even says they went on the breadth of the earth up to Jerusalem. Its a spiritual war. The judgement is here where all the lost are destroyed by fire. Remember, Jerusalem is above in heaven according to God now, which we are a part of (Galatians 4, Hebrews 12), not on earth.
Be careful trying to read the bible without spiritual glasses or you will do like the jews in Jesus' day and miss what is really being said. We are a spiritual people, worshipping a spiritual God, with a spiritual body awaiting us (1 corinthians 15). If you try to literalize clear symbolic teachings you will miss understanding the word of God.
Its not what Hal Lindsey, Tim Lahaye or the local baptist church teaches, its what Gods word says.
These are the main teachings of dispensationalism: Israel and the church is seperate people of God, Daniels 70 weeks are divided, Jesus returns two more times, he gathers the church in secret and leaves the lost behind, there are tribulation saints saved after he takes the church, Jesus returns and reigns for 1000 years literally fulfilling Davids throne prophecys, and there are two judgement days.
Is any of this in the bible? It is amazing to me as i studied this subject that not one of these points not only are false, but they are totally opposite from what scripture teaches. Lets examine these beliefs.
They teach that Israel and the church are seperate.
Really? The prophecys in the old testament say God will save the gentiles within the new covenant and that they will be one people. He also said the Spirit would be within man to let him live out the commandments. Isnt this clearly what the church is?
Jesus said at the Lords supper that this is the blood of the new covenant. What was he talking about? Everything Jesus did was a fulfillment of old testament prophecy and this is what proves he is the messiah. He is clearly speaking of the new covenant promised to Isreal. He even tells them he has another flock who will become one flock with them, the gentiles. Clearly the prophecys of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Joel are explaining the future body of Christ. Peter proclaimed this in his first sermon. Paul explains how this works in Ephesians 2, Galatians 2 thru 6, and Romans 9 thru 11.
No where did Jesus or the apostles point towards a future fulfillment. It was finished. It was fulfilled.
As far as seperating Daniels 70 week prophecy I think this one is also quite easy. No prophecy in scripture is ever divided for one. Two, if it isnt 490 years which is 70 weeks of biblical prophecy, then isnt this a lie? Of course.
Three, doesnt God determine the timeframe and that its not dependant on man following it.
Four, the whole point of the prophecy was that after the 70 weeks the new covenant was ushered in. This was the time frame of the end of the old covenant.
Five, Jesus is the prince of Daniel. No where is it an antichrist. The people who were to come were the church and by them the old covenant was destroyed. This happened when Stephen preached the history of the jewish church in the temple and they rejected it and then stoned him. Then the new covenant was begun because the gospel was then preached to the semaritans and gentiles, clearly according to Jesus, not considered the house of Israel (matthew 10) in the flesh. This is the only possible time when the prophecy was fulfilled since 34ad was the 490th year. It had to be fulfilled that year. The destruction of the temple in ad70 was the result of this rejection and is what is talked about in Daniel 9 as being on the wing of the abomination that causes the desolation. The prophecy is about the new covenant taking over the old one and this happened in 34ad. The result of it was the destruction of the literal temple which happened in 70ad, also prophecied by Christ.
Six, Jesus wasnt annointed in 27ad by happenstance. His annointing began the last week of the prophecy and in the middle of the week Jesus was crucified ending sacrifice and all observances in Gods eyes.
It isnt fulfilled in 70ad or 2070ad. It could have only been fulfilled in 34ad. God doesnt lie. 490 years is 490 years! The whole point of the prophecy is the beginning of the new covenant. Christs annointing began the last week of the prophecy.
Next is the teaching that Jesus returns two more times: one in secret and then he lands on earth. What? Didnt Jesus say to the disciples in private that he would not come in secret but that every eye would see him, the world would mourn, and the angels would gather the saints.
Matthew 24 is clear. It even says after the tribulation. It doesnt get any clearer (Matthew 24 clearly teaches against a pretrib rapture but more accurately is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70ad).
The bible is clear in every point that Jesus returns and destroys all the lost and gathers the elect at the last trumpet on the last day. It is elementary. Paul in 1 corinthians 15 is clear its at the last trumpet. Peter says he destroys the earth at his coming in 2 peter 3. Jesus says he returns and gathers us on the last day in John 6. Paul says in 2 thessalonians 1 that at Christs appearing he destroys the lost and and antichrist. He even says in chapter 2 of 2 thessalonians to be not deceived but our gathering is not until the antichrist is revealed and he isnt revealed until verse 8 when Jesus returns. No secret rapture anywhere and no two seperate gathers.
John 5 says all that are in the graves are gathered together and so does matthew 25. Revelations 20 emplys the saved are also at the judgement since it states clearly that if you arent found in the book of life you will be thrown in the lake of fire. No where does the bible hint of two judgements. The dispensationalists use 1 corinthians 3 to show there argument but it never says only Christians are there. It only warns us what we build on Christ will be judged. This does not contradict the rest of scripture. Its just a warning to us as believers to live Godly which is Pauls whole point for the letter to the corinthians because they were carnal.
Daniel 12 says some at the judgement are saved and some lost. This flows right along with the rest of scripture.
Jesus even states in the last chapter of revelations that he is coming to judge ALL on their works. Jesus said as the days of Lot so will it be at his return for when Lot came out of the city that same day God destroyed Sodom and Gommorah so will it be when Christ returns. This is clear as it gets.
Now the millenium. Is keys, bottomless pit, chains, and the number 1000 ever literal in scripture or symbolic?
John wrote Revelations using biblical terms to explain what he saw. It was symbolic language in alot of his visions explaining a real event. Dispensationalists yell out that they always stay literal but clearly they are symbolic also when ever they want to be. are there 10 horns and a real dragon. How about a woman? They dont mind using symbolism as long as they want to teach their belief.
There are two teachings very vital in understanding scripture: 1 a prophet is subject to a prophet and 2 there is no prophecy of private interpretation. Using these guidelines you simply have to use these words in Revelations 20 just like it is in the rest of scripture. Keys clearly in scripture means having control of something. Chains means you are bound to something (Paul was bound to the gospel). Bottomless pit is a spiritual place on the earth everywhere else in scripture. 1000 is a number symbolic of God and his time or number of a specific thing like he owns cattle of 1000 hills and he promised Abraham 1000 generations. Clearly he owns all the hills and 1000 generations would mean we have still got at least 12,000 more years before he returns. Not likely since he said he would do a short work on the earth. The chapter is a symbolic chapter of a specific time and if we examine the subject matter we will see that this period is during the new covenant or church age.
The subject matter of Revelations 20 is that the ones that are part of the first ressurection will be saved from the second death. Clearly Jesus is the first ressurection as told in John 5 and colossians 1. Revelations 3 tells us to live Godly to escape the second death. It never talks about saints during a second ressurection or the fact that a second ressurection of saints ever occurs literally.
Satan is bound by the gospel which is why Jesus said you have to bind a strong man to pillage his house which is what Jesus is doing now.
Revelations says after Christ went to the thrown that he cast satan into the bottomless pit and this is where he is roaming the earth devouring souls because his time is short. This is clearly the age in which we are in now. Satan is bound from a position of authority not reigning over the earth and this is what this means. We are bound to the gospel Paul says but it doesnt mean we arent doing anything, it just means we are bound to do a specific thing. Satan is bound awaiting his judgement as are the angels he deceived in heaven.
Lastly after the 1000 years the lost are ressurected and satan is loosed (because we are gathered up-no church here on earth to be bound by). Like in heaven with Michael, we then have a spiritual battle between the lost and satan against the church in Jerusalem from above. It even says they went on the breadth of the earth up to Jerusalem. Its a spiritual war. The judgement is here where all the lost are destroyed by fire. Remember, Jerusalem is above in heaven according to God now, which we are a part of (Galatians 4, Hebrews 12), not on earth.
Be careful trying to read the bible without spiritual glasses or you will do like the jews in Jesus' day and miss what is really being said. We are a spiritual people, worshipping a spiritual God, with a spiritual body awaiting us (1 corinthians 15). If you try to literalize clear symbolic teachings you will miss understanding the word of God.
Its not what Hal Lindsey, Tim Lahaye or the local baptist church teaches, its what Gods word says.
posted by Stacy at 9:06 PM
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