There is a story of a pastor who preached the same sermon over and over again until those listening grew tired of it and became upset. One person shared the story this way.” A few church members approached a group of deacons, “If he has the audacity to preach that sermon one more time – you’ll need to have a talk with him!” On the fourth Sunday, the pastor walked to the pulpit, read the same passage and preached the same sermon. After the service the deacons requested a few moments of the pastor’s time. He invited them into his office and asked, “What can I do for you?” They answered, “We are a bit concerned that you keep preaching the same sermon every Sunday. Our question is: Do you have another sermon?” The preacher took off his glasses, folded his arms and responded, “I do have another sermon. But this church hasn’t obeyed the first one yet.”
Now to be clear, this is just an illustration and it is not about obeying the message of the minister or whoever is speaking, as that can be dangerous as not all messages preached over and over are God’s word. It is about obeying the word of God. The gospel is not complicated and is supposed to be preached over and over. Again and again the prophets spoke to the people but they refused to listen. Jeremiah 11:6 “The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’ 9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape.” Jeremiah 35:15 “Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me.”
It is not thoughts of man that are to be repeated but the words of God and this is how satan works to destroy the truth. The church was supposed to do as Jesus did and proclaim the kingdom of God with power and authority just as Jesus did. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” The church was supposed to continue in that work. But like those Jeremiah spoke to, the church also did not listen to the simple message and very quickly the church grew tired of that and wanted something different. That is where satan comes in. Jesus told His disciples, Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Jesus then said that power would come at Pentecost. John 7:37 “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” He then told the disciples they would have power. Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” That power was described in Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” It was also described when Jesus sent out His disciples. Mark 6:6 “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Luke 9:1 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 10:1 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Acts 1:3 “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” After the power of God fell on those who waited at Pentecost, when Peter was preaching, he said Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
It is important to remember that the Jews murdered their own Messiah and King and to this day reject Jesus as their Savior and they remain corrupt, yet many any the church have adopted their beliefs. The problem is the church is also corrupt and this corruption happens because the church like the Jews refuse to listen to the word of God and are easily deceived. We know that right from the beginning, satan is a deceiver and is trying to turn you away from God just as he did with Adam and Eve. He has been doing that ever since and when God’s people rebel, God allows satan the power to decimate just as we saw with Job, Israel and Judah. God has allowed the abomination that causes desolation to destroy the church but thankfully not completely as God promised David there would always be a remnant. We know that satan was present when Jesus was preaching the gospel. The difference from the teachers of the church and Jesus is he refused to listen to satan when satan tempted him. Luke 4:3 “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.” Yes satan will use scripture to deceive and he does it very well. We also know that satan was present among the disciples because Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Paul said, 2 Corinthians 2:11 “in order that satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” Paul was told Acts 26:17 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
So we know that satan is always scheming and looking for ways to deceive God’s people. The gospel is simple; repent and the kingdom comes near, there is power to heal and cast out demons and as Jesus said the Holy Spirit John 16:13 “will tell you what is yet to come.” It won’t be complicated like it is now. When I say simple, what I mean is power and authority are given to the church, the gospel is preached, there is power to heal and cast out demons. people repent, and Jesus returns to take us into eternity. Like with the creation of all things, this takes faith and belief in God’s word and continuing to follow God’s word wholeheartedly. Can we explain everything, no and we do not need to. But this is where satan operates. He distorts scripture and brings the way of truth into disrepute. He has done this with salvation, repentance, healing, demons, marriage, sex, kingdom of God, the temple, the rapture, the return of Jesus and on and on. He does this by getting God’s people to turn away from God’s word and listen to his words.
We were warned again and again that this would happen. We were told not to be deceived and warned about ferocious and savage wolves. We are told several times throughout scripture not to add or take away anything from the word of God. What did the church do? They listened to satan and like Eve ignored the word of God. Not only was God’s word ignored, but the church also added and subtracted to satisfy their own appetites. This is rebellion and as Daniel told us, Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” God is very clear about making changes to His word and we will feel His wrath for doing so and many will not see eternal life. Revelation 22:18 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” Deuteronomy 4:1 “Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.” Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” Every group who calls themselves the church have their own very distinct doctrines, yet it all comes from the same word. So what is being done is the word of God is changed to match doctrines instead of changing beliefs in order to adhere to God’s sound doctrines. As we talked about the other day, God has turned His face and now this is not happening in the church because truth has been thrown down. John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”
The abomination that causes desolation is already in the temple, the body of Christ. Even false teachers say this will happen in the future, but it will be according to their timeline, not God’s. God allowed this desolation because the church rebelled against His word and equated their own words with His. Many have placed their reason, tradition and experience equal to and above God’s word. For instance, with homosexuality, most churches have succumbed to the enemy and have accepted this abomination and the others are close to caving. Whenever you see the word diverse, they have already caved, and I am not talking about diverse cultures. Scripture is clear on this subject in both the Old and New Testament. (Leviticus 16:13; Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9) I have heard many say Jesus did not talk about homosexuality, so we must accept. Do they not know the word of God is Jesus, not just the red letters. Anyways that is another subject, but it explains how the church rejects God’s word to satisfy their own. This also shows that false teachers lead people astray, and not just with the end times as we have been discussing. I will add here that the love of God is more powerful than the demonic power of homosexuality, lesbianism and all the other letters. Saying homosexuality is an abomination is not hate. I believe the letters LGBTQIA2S+ are used as they are just not as in your face as actually saying the word out loud, as most if they were honest, have serious questions about this. But here is the power of God. I think this is one of the most powerful statements that describe the power and authority the church had and is supposed to have. After Paul said, 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Blackest darkness will be reserved for false teachers who are saying they will inherit the kingdom of God. Paul goes on to say 11 “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” As Paul also said 1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” That is the power the church is supposed to have when the kingdom of God comes near. Conversion therapy is just talk and not the answer.
Today the church does not have that power because the church has rebelled and followed other gospels. This is why you know the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church; there is no power. The gospel is not complicated and we see it in the four gospels but all saying the same thing. Then we see that same power and authority in the book of Acts. If you go back to king Josiah he said, 2 Kings 22:13 “Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” That describes the church, but the church is not supposed to be that way. The same gospel is supposed to be preached with power and authority and then those who accept it go out and do the same and so on and so on….. and then the end will come. Paul said 1 Thessalonians 1:6 “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.” The church was supposed to be a straight line, not the many schisms as we see the church has done. The Reformation was a complete failure, as the church did not turn away from the false teaching of the Catholic church but just introduced more false teaching and continues to introduce more and more doctrines and theology like the rapture and millennial kingdom, all the while the church remains powerless and in captivity.
First of all, Jesus told us not to be deceived but the church refuses to listen. Leaders and the those who follow them still do not like to be told. 2 Chronicles 25: 14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them. 15 The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” 16 While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” We would not be deceived if we stood firm on God’s word and listened but like the people Jeremiah spoke to, the answer is we will not listen. Jeremiah 11:1 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’” We are told 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Sadly, there are many in the church working for satan and promoting his words and many listen to them. Yet they say they are speaking God’s words, but they are not. False teachers came along and distorted the word of God and have led millions of people astray. Jesus described the severity of the abomination when He said, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive.” Peter said that the false prophets and teachers are already among the people, even then. 2 Peter 2:1 “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” Before Peter said this, he said 2 Peter 1:20 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Today many in the church are interpreting prophecy without the Holy Spirit and are being deceived by satan. The church did not stand firm on this gospel, was deceived and has believed in vain. There are false teachers everywhere in the church. What they are doing is no different than what satan did in the garden with Adam and Eve. He said to Eve, Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.” Adam and Eve decided to listen to satan instead of God and God’s people have been deceived ever since because they also refuse to listen.
Speaking of Eve, a few verses that I have shared over and over are these two. I really do not think most realize the magnitude of the delusion and deception that is going on in the church. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” The second verse is Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
Most people today have been deceived by a different jesus and other gospels and are not following the true gospel of Jesus Christ as we see laid out in the Gospels. Since there is no power in the church, the gospel that is being taught is not the same gospel that Jesus preached. Take the end times and any church today, if they are teaching the rapture, the third temple and the millennial kingdom, no matter how much you like your church, you are being taught to worship and different jesus and other gospels. And the end times is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to false teaching and other gospels that have infiltrated the church. The answer most will give is that we are not deceived, but they are. They strange thing as we saw yesterday is that people will totally disagree with each other but then say they all believe in the same Jesus and agree to disagree, which is ridiculous. It is interesting how two groups who are both following a different jesus and other gospels say the other is wrong. A while back John MacArthur talked about the strange fire of the charismatics and the two could not be further apart. The weird part of this is he is just as much a false teacher as the one he is saying is false except now MacArthur cannot repent for the lies he spread to many people who believed he was teaching God’s word. He was very convincing and has deceived many. We will look at him more next week when we talk about cessationists and healing. The lack of healing in the church show that a different jesus is worshipped and other gospels are being taught. Each group that believes in their own distinctions say the other is wrong, but the reality is that they are all wrong because there is no power and they are not repenting so that the kingdom comes near.
So now we finally get to the title of this blog, the rapture. I have to tell you it is mind boggling listening to the nonsense out there about the rapture. Not everyone believes but there are many who do and many are just not sure. I talked about going down a rabbit hole, but this is ridiculous, yet everyone says, thus saith the Lord and the differing views are many. Ezekiel 22:27 “Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.” So many people have been extorted by these false teachers. There is always a book to buy. There are lots of gullible people listening and buying the books these false teachers are selling, even though Paul said. 2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” You will see this in an example that is coming up. It is interesting that you have to buy the books and watch all the videos just to get a picture of what they are trying to say because what they are saying is not sound doctrines, even though they say it is.
I changed the title this time from deception to delusion because teaching about the rapture is delusional, even though both are still happening. The rapture is not going to happen and it is not found in scripture. God’s people always seem to want to follow other gods over the true God, gods they had not known. Deuteronomy 28:26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” Jeremiah 7:9 “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 5:12 “They have lied about the Lord; they said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.” You will never be safe following other gods / gospels. This passage shows just how serious false teaching is, yet many are doing this in the church, hence the deception and delusion. Deuteronomy 13:1 “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.” This is how serious it is not to follow those teaching to follow other gospels. 12 “If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.” Obviously, we are not putting to death, but we must purge the evil by not listening to these false prophets. Yet people do listen to them and they choose other gods and the curse. Paul said this for a reason. Galatians 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
Not everyone believes in the millennial kingdom, the third temple or the rapture but the rapture has done a real number of people. We saw this as recently as last year when a false prediction went viral. Many believe in the millennial kingdom but not the rapture. Baptists and Pentecostal could not be further apart, yet they both believe in the rapture. (most) It does appear that some are turning away from this false teaching, but they still believe a third temple will be built and that Jesus will return to earth and reign for 1000 years. The rapture is a doctrine of demons, another gospel you have never known until recently. This doctrine is so ridiculous if it was not making the news, as we saw just last September, it is hardly worth talking about but sadly many have been infected by this doctrine of demons. Basically, the timeframe in a nutshell is John Darby, (1800-82) – “Darby formulated the pretribulational rapture.” Scofield Study Bible (1909) Dallas Seminary (1924) DL Moody played a pivotal role in the propagation of this nonsense. On the Moody Media site, they say “they are building on the legacy of our founder, Dwight L. Moody, we’ve been proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ since 1864.” They believe this, from their site, to be true. “This distinction plays a role in our conviction that the coming of Jesus Christ will be in two stages: first the rapture (the church will be taken to heaven) and then at the glorious return, the Millennial Kingdom will be established.” They are not proclaiming the gospel but a different jesus and other gospels.
As I looked into all this nonsense, you have to go to other sources other than scripture because what they are saying is mostly man made and driven by the lies of satan and since they are not scriptural, they are doctrines of demons. Basically, those who believe in the rapture have come to believe (literal translation of prophecy which is a serious problem without the Holy Spirit) that the church will be taken from the earth at some point during the tribulation and again a literal translation which says the tribulation is 7 years. Literal translation of prophecy as we have seen is very dangerous. Jesus then bounces back and forth from earth to heaven. Then after the seven years comes back to earth and reigns on Davids’s throne for a thousand years. That’s after the earth and everything in it has been decimated. The problem they seem to miss is that we were given armor for the fight. The early church faced intense persecution as we saw with the death of Stephen, but they were not taken away. I shared this before, but Ruth Graham said in a letter (1975), “The news from around the world of Christians suffering unbelievably is bound to make a "pre-tribber" do some serious thinking. Of course, I am sure they would say that the tribulation they have undergone is nothing to be compared with the "great tribulation" and they may be right. However, I would rather prepare myself to go through the tribulation and be happily surprised by an unexpected rapture, than expect to be raptured only to find myself going through tribulation. Perhaps not a very scholarly way of approaching the problem, but true none the less. I was talking recently with an elderly missionary from China who told me that her greatest regrets now are not having prepared the Chinese Christians for the tribulation they would undergo. She said in her years in China she went everywhere teaching the pre-tribulation rapture and getting Christians to believe that they would not have to suffer for the Lord in that sense. The "great tribulation" may absolutely stagger the imagination, but still there is only so much one person can suffer.” Many will be called to account for their false teaching. As I said Billy Graham did not always share everything he believed. The assumption that the tribulation is only seven years is false and that the church is nowhere to be seen, yet people will be saved is just as bizarre. Salvation is impossible if the church is gone since the church is part of god’s plan for salvation. If the church is nowhere to be found, that means God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also nowhere to be found.
The rapture is often referred to as the secret rapture because Jesus will suddenly and without notice take the church from this world. Some believe that the rapture has already happened. If you look at the condition of the church, I may just agree with that as the church as it was supposed to be is nowhere to be found. What people call the church is a building with powerless people inside who think that coming week after week is the church and have happily adapted to there being no power. So just maybe the church is already gone. Ok just kidding because then my fears as a child would come into play and I was left behind. When you look at the timeline you also had Hal Lindsey and his book the Late Great planet earth. This infected many Christians because “10 million copies were in circulation by 1979, by 1990 it had sold over 28 million, with later estimates reaching 35 million.” “The impact of The Late Great Planet Earth cannot be overstated. The New York Times called it the "# 1 non-fiction bestseller of the decade." For Christians and non-Christians of the 1970s, Hal Lindsey's blockbuster served as a wake-up call on events soon to come and events already unfolding—all leading up to the greatest event of all: the return of Jesus Christ.” He also made a prediction about the rapture. “A generation in the Bible is something like 40 years. If this is a correct deduction, then within 40 years or so of 1948, all these things could take place.” It did not obviously. This had a huge impact on people looking for hope. At the same time of his prediction, you also had a multiple failed predictor named Edgar C. Whisenant who said, “Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong; and I say that to every preacher in town.” He was wrong but the bible remains true. He wrote “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988” plus he made other failed prediction, 88, 89, 93, 94. He should have read the book “why no one knows the date” by Jesus. Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Yet people continue to predict. There is a good chart in Wikipedia (List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events) that gives all these failed predictions about the rapture and the end of the world. Harold Camping had four predictions but then went all out for his end of the world prediction of May 21, 2011. I think I remember one of his billboards in the town I lived. Many people believed him and lost everything. One writer said, “it is easy enough to write off Camping as just another manipulator in a very long line of cult figures. But as is the case with most cults, there is a human tragedy behind these billboard signs of the times. Though Camping and Family Radio are credited with these billboards, they only pay a portion, if anything at all, for this advertising. Most of the ads are paid for by followers who have been sucked in by Camping's predictions.”
Along with Hal Lindsey, you had one of the most detrimental descriptions of the rapture, a 1973 American evangelical Christian film in the genre of horror. I saw it when I was ten and to this day I continue to read stories of how deeply affected people were by this movie directed by satan. What a great idea to show this movie to kids. They did this because they actually believed the movie to be true or didn’t know better. Then you had the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. One review said, “This is the most successful Christian-fiction series ever,” and “has sold over 65 million to 80 million copies worldwide as of 2016.” Movies were made and even Nicolos Cage got in on it. David Jeremiah wrote this about Tim LaHaye when he died. “"Tim LaHaye and I have been friends for over forty years. For thirty-five of those years I have been his pastor. I followed him to the pulpit of what is now the Shadow Mountain Community Church in 1981 and from the very beginning, he has encouraged me, and I have honored him. Tim was one of the most godly men I have ever known. Almost every conversation I had with him ended with his praying with me and for me. He wrote me extended letters of appreciation for what God was doing in our church. We shared long lunches together talking about ministry and praying for our nation. When I look back over Tim LaHaye’s life, I am reminded of Paul’s words concerning King David. “He served his own generation by the will of God” (Acts 13:36). Tim’s ministry will continue for many years through the books he wrote, the organizations he founded and the people that he influenced. But I will miss him when I look out from my pulpit next Sunday."
Yes, this false teaching will continue and it continues with David Jeremiah as he is a huge proponent of the doctrine of demons called the rapture. This is what Shadow Mountains website states. “One of the coming great events in the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the church is the personal, bodily return of the Lord to remove from the earth His waiting church and to reward them according to their works. (John 14:2-3; Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11-15, 15:51-53, II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:11-13; Revelation 3:10) Another event yet to come is the seven year period of tribulation during which the judgements of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving world. These judgements will climax with the return of Christ in glory to the earth. He will destroy His enemies and restore Israel to her land. (Daniel 9:27, 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-31, 25:31-46; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16:1-19, 21, 19:1-21) Christ will then establish His thousand-year kingdom in which the saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 11:1-16, 65:17-25; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Revelation 19:11, 20:1-6) At the close of the thousand year reign the unsaved dead will be raised and committed to eternal punishment and the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God. (Mark 9:43-48; I Corinthians 15:24-28; II Thessalonians 1:9; II Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-4, 22:5, 11)” Just because there are lots of scripture references does not mean this teaching is true. Nor does it mean their prophecy timeline is true. “David Jeremiah teaches that the rapture is an imminent event, meaning it could occur at any moment, and believers should live with the expectation that it could happen within their lifetime. He believes the rapture is the next event on God's prophetic calendar, preceding the tribulation, and encourages constant readiness.”
David Jeremiah is one of those I would describe as a grandfatherly figure with a calming voice. One day I came out of Home Depot and sometimes I tune into the Christian radio station to see who is speaking and there he was talking with certainty about the rapture. Here is another false prophet talking about identifying satan but in reality is talking about the dangers of his teaching. He said, “satan's incognito is very clever. He hides in the most unbelievable places. He hides in religion. one of his favorite hideouts. He's got his own church, his own gospel, his own ministers, his own doctrine, his own communion. He's got his own religion. satan has always done his best work in religious circles.” satan is very arrogant and will tell you he is present. That description by Jeremiah was a very good description of his church. As he describes the rapture, he too says the Holy Spirit is removed. Then he says there will be a great revival. He said, “People say, "Well, if you're in the tribulation, you can't be saved." But that's not true. God is going to do something in the tribulation. This is hard to believe. It's going to have the greatest revival that's ever taken place on the earth is going to happen in tribulation.” So yes, it is hard to believe! All during this interview on the video is a book sale. The book he was selling is called The Great Disappearance (2023) and he said the book would touch 300 million people around the world. You too can get this book with a gift of any amount but the suggestions on their website suggest $40, 50 or…. You too will now have 31 ways to be rapture ready. One person’s review said, “To be honest this book contains the most truth I've ever read in one book besides the Bible.” The problem is it is in the book, not the bible. Someone said one time, you can make the bible say anything you want it to with scissors and paste. That was before cut and paste. Plus, you have the deception by satan and the delusion by God at work.
This quote from Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz shows just how ridiculous the teaching about the rapture is, aside from how unbiblical it is. They all say how America is falling apart but there is a church on every corner. Christians are already missing. She even prayed this prayer, but it should apply to the church, not the government or world. She said, “We are in a spiritual and moral free fall,” Lotz prayed. “A great darkness of lies, unbelief, ignorance, and evil covers the world. People are living as though You do not exist. I shudder to think of what future generations will face, the generations of my children and grandchildren. Unless they rebuild the foundation of authentic faith, our nation will crumble. It is crumbling now. In the midst of political turmoil, racial division, social upheaval, financial uncertainty, virus pandemics, and worldwide chaos, I earnestly pray for my children and grandchildren.” This is how she describes the aftereffects of the rapture. It is pretty much straight out of a movie, not the bible. She said, “I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in what is referred to as The Rapture. While this will be deliverance for His people, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears? Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger… judgment.” It is interesting that she wrote this in 2015 but she also wrote about it on the Billy Graham associations site in 2017 but was very vague. “The Bible teaches that all followers of Jesus are to plan and prepare for a “trip.” The trip is not only undertaken when we move to Heaven following death, but it is also a very unique one that will take place at the end of human history as we have known it. We are told that believers in the last generation will not experience physical death, but will be caught up in what is called the “rapture”… the “snatching away”… to meet Jesus in the air and be reunited with loved ones who have died in Christ and have gone before us. It will be the trip of a lifetime—a trip that is out of this world. Are you ready?” A lot of the time it is confusing as to whether they are talking about the end or the rapture. The rapture is not in the bible, but the end is. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
I listened to an interview and thankfully most YouTube videos have a transcript. I thought her words summed up what we are talking about. This is how she started. “Jesus said not one jot or tittle (not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen) would pass away until all comes to pass so read your Bible and you'll know the truth and the Holy Spirit within you will resonate and you'll know when you hear something wrong coming from the pulpit or on television or through some spiritual, the holy spirit in you will just say uh-uh you know you may not be able to explain why it's wrong, but the holy spirit will give you a warning, heed the warnings because there's a lot of false teaching out there about the Rapture and we've used that term which is not biblical or not in scripture but the event is.” satan is arrogant and will tell you he is present but most are not listening. Here is a false teacher warning you of his presence and then she slips and says the rapture is not biblical, which is true. Her description from above is basically out of a fictional movie. She has a pretty high view of the church and its effect on society but in the same breath she talks about the disintegration of the country. In this interview she also talks about those left behind and how they can be saved. She said, “I believe after the Rapture there's going to be a worldwide awakening and revival, people have been left behind suddenly get it and they put their faith in Jesus.” So stop and think about this; the church, which is God’s plan for salvation, which is Jesus the Holy Spirit and God Himself, disciples are now gone from the world, yet by God’s grace they will be saved. Bizarre!
Many people have been deceived and deluded by these false teachers teaching about the rapture. Many also live in the fear of uncertainty. These false teachers are playing on the hopes of God’s people but the problem is that in their hope they do not test the spirits. David Jeremiah’s book was called “The Great Disappearance” but it should be called “The Great Disappointment” as people continue to be deceived and the event just never seems to happen as they want it to. Not everyone gives a date, but they will say, especially lately that they will see the rapture in their lifetime. There was a group referred to as the Millerites who were deceived into believing the world was ending.(not the rapture) One writer said, Miller would ultimately make three inaccurate predictions about the date of Christ’s return. His first was March 21, 1843; his second was March 21, 1844. Although there were individuals who left the movement after these days passed without incident, a remarkable number soldiered on. The British Whig and General Advertiser highlighted the role of cognitive dissonance, writing in July 1844 that “instead of renouncing such humbug, the people seem to embrace it the more readily.” October 22, 1844, came and went, soon becoming known as the “Great Disappointment.” Many had given away their possessions.
Today many in the church continue to embrace false teachers and the other gospels they teach. You would think people who call themselves Christians would know not to listen to these false teachers, even if they do not give a date. But that isn’t the case and now the rapture had gone viral. We have yet another false prophet giving dates. Joshua Mhlakela, a South African man who describes himself as only a believer with no religious title, says God allowed him to see the future. In a widely viewed YouTube video published three months ago, he recounts seeing Jesus on a throne and hearing him say that he is coming soon: "He says to me: 'On [Sept.] 23rd and the 24th, 2025, I will come to take my Church.'" The date came and went but like others did not repent. The two women who interviewed him give a picture of just how gullible the church really is. I saw their interview after the failed prediction and it was pathetic. The false prophet did not repent but kept changing the story. It appeared that the interviewers believed him. This even hit the late shows. Here is a quote from Stephen Colbert who said in his show September 23, 2025 that Jimmy Kimmel who show had been cancelled was starting again. Colbert then talked about the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah and then said, “That's not the only major religious event going on because a lot of folks are pretty excited about how the rapture and end of the world are coming tomorrow, September 23rd. Ooh, tough break, Kimmel. So close. So close. What are you going to do? It's not up to me. It's the big man. I'd delay it for a day. So, how do we know tomorrow is humanity's big finale? Well, it's a divine prophecy from Joshua Mhlakela, a South African preacher. Yes. As it says about the return of Christ in Matthew 25:13, "You shall know neither the day nor the hour unless you're some random dude in South Africa." Anyway, anyway, uh, see you tomorrow, maybe.” Although funny, this is not a laughing matter as millions of people are being deceived. 2 Peter 2:1 “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
Today the church continues to be deceived. The deception and delusion in the church is not just about the end times. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Many have accepted the teaching of these false prophets and continue to walk down the path they are been led, but if you are being taught these end time doctrines of demons, don’t ignore it, get off that path because you are following a different jesus and adhering to other gospels. When you have someone like David Jeremiah telling you how right it is, remember we are told, Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Our journey during Lent is about waking up yet many remain asleep and refuse to turn from these wicked ways. Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? Repentance puts us on the right path and the kingdom of God comes near. If you do not repent and continue down a path led by satan and false teachers, what is waiting for them is not what they have been told. Proverbs 9:18 “But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.” Matthew 25:41 “‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
There is hope but not the blessed hope people refer to when talking about the rapture. Again, satan takes verses like these and distorts their meaning. Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” 1 Corinthians 15:51 “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Jesus will return and the world we know will be over and eternity will begin and we had better be ready. Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. Even though the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church, we have hope because God promised David there would always be a remnant. Jeremiah 33:11 “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord. 19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” The sun is still shining. This means the church will once again do as Jesus did, with the same power and authority and then the end will come. Matthew 24:11 “Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Psalm 146:5 “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever.”
