Posted on 07/27/2016 8:46:41 PM PDT by NRx
By Fr. Anthony M. Coniaris
In this brief article, Fr. Anthony expresses with clarity the truth of the false teaching known as the Rapture and how much it distorts the teachings of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures.
As I was driving one day I encountered a bumper sticker admonishing me:
WARNING! In the event of Rapture, this car will be driverless.
The strange belief in the Rapture teaches that some day (sooner rather than later), without warning, born-again Christians will begin to float up from the freeway, abandoned vehicles careening wildly. There will be airliners in the sky suddenly with no one at the controls! Presumably, God is removing these favored ones from earth to spare them the tribulation of the Anti-Christ which the rest of us will have to endure.
Unfortunately the Rapture has been promoted widely by the Left Behind series of books that have sold over 70 million copies.
The Rapture represents a radical misinterpretation of Scripture. I remember watching Sixty Minutesa year ago and was appalled to hear the announcer say that the Rapture is an unmistakenly Christian doctrine. It is not!
It is a serious distortion of Scripture.
It is astonishing that a belief so contrary to Scripture and the tradition of the Church could be propagated by so-called Christians.
According to the Bible and according to the belief not only of Orthodox Christians but also of the Roman Catholic and most Protestant mainline churches, the true Rapture will not be secret; it will be the great and very visible Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world. That is the one and only Rapture. It will not be a separate, secret event but one that every eye shall see (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
The word rapture is not found in Scripture but hearkens to 1 Thess. 4:17 where St. Paul says that when the Lord comes again
we who are alive shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
This being caught up in the cloudsarpagisometha in Greek, is translated by some as raptured. The word itself is not found in Orthodox theology.
The notion of a rapture in which Christ comes unseen to take believers away secretly, and only later comes back again for everyone else publiclythis whole teaching is quite novel. It was almost unheard of until John Nelson Darby formulated it in the 1800s as part of a new approach to the Bible, sometimes called dispensationalism.
The purpose of the Rapture is to protect the elect from the tribulations of the end times. Yet Jesus said nothing about sparing anyone from tribulation. In fact, He said,
In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Nowhere did Jesus ever say that He would return secretly to rapture the elect. Rather, He promised to be with His elect in all tribulations.
Lo, I am with you always. I will never leave you or forsake you.
He even had something good to say about being persecuted:
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:10).
Those who espouse the Rapture claim that Matthew 24:40-41 refers clearly to the rapture of the just,
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
The entire passage, however, refers to Christs second coming where He will judge the living and the dead and separate the just from the unjust.
Darby taught as dogma that when the Scriptures reveal that the Lord will reign on earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4), this figure is to be taken literally, rather than as a symbol for eternity as we believe. The Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 condemned as heresy this teaching which is called chialiasmos (millenianism or 1000 years).
In fact, the Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787 A.D.) in which the essential truths of the Christian faith were defined never mention a rapture. Yet evangelical Christians and Pentecostals keep using obscure passages of the book of Revelation which purport to give a detailed timetable of what will happen at the end of the world, despite the fact that Jesus Himself warned that no man knows either the day or the hour when the Son of Man shall return.
A major problem with the Rapture is that it ends up teaching not two but three comings of Jesusfirst His birth in Bethlehem; second, His secret coming to snatch away (rapture) the born-again; and third, His coming at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead and to reign in glory. Yet only two not three comings of Christ are mentioned in the Bible. We have the clearest definition of this in the Nicene Creed when we confess that
the Lord Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. His Kingdom will have no end . I expect the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the ages to come.
There is no mention of a Rapture.
As already stated, most Christians, Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants do not believe in the Rapture. In fact, one Protestant pastor, John L. Bray, summarized magnificently what we Orthodox and most other Christians believe about the Rapture when he wrote these remarkable words,
Though many believe and teach this Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, they erroneously do so, because neither Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, nor any of the other writers of the Bible taught this. Nor did the early church fathers, nor any others for many hundreds of years . Did you know that NONE of this was ever taught prior to 1812, and that all forms of Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching were developed since that date? . If I were to preach something, or believe something, supposedly from the Bible, but cannot find that ANYONE ELSE before 1812 ever believed it or taught it, I would seriously question that it is based on the Bible.
Thus the Rapture is foreign to the Bible and to the living tradition of the Church. It is what we call a heresy, a false teaching. False teachings, such as this, happen when peoplelike John Darbybelieve that they have the right to interpret the Scriptures individually apart from the Living Body of Christthe Churchwhere the Spirit of Truth abides and leads us to all truth.
I can think of no better words to conclude than those of Jesus when He speaks of the one and only Rapture, the Second Coming:
Be on guard. Be alert! You do not know when that time will come keep watch if he comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! (Mark 13:32-37).
Take it up with Paul. Or rather God.
That’s His saying it through Paul in Romans 6:14.
Try Paul in Romans 2, and John’s first epistle.
Then go to the Acts to see that all they did is preach Torah, and keep the Sabbath and the appointed times.
Then quit wresting with the scriptures!
Then quit wresting with the scriptures!
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses."
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 "'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'
18 things known from long ago.
19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
And I’ll raise you the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15.
Fine, put yourself under the law if you want and see where that lands you because it’s all condemnation.
The law was never meant as a means of salvation.
The Roodian Way is, when the vagaries are exposed, nothing but another demonically derived works based, pride system to blind people to the Grace of God in Christ. In these last days before the Rapture, the lost will wax louder with their works and rigid systems which stimulate their pride in self. Satan is stuck on Judaizing so the deluded followers of false religions will promote such things as ‘working to follow the Torah 24/7. It gives them that sense of pride in their self-righteousness. In such a state they do not recognize truth and are under strong delusion to believe the lies of the false leaders like Rood.
Those born from above have the spark of Holy Spirit LIFE in their human spirit> Without that spark, one is not in the family!No priest can control God, so only GOD can put HIS LIFE in a person. To believe in Whom GOD sent for our salvation is to be born from above.
That Holy Spirit spark is so very important when the Snatching away of the CHURCH, the TRUE BODY of CHRIST Believers happens. The presence of that spark of Holy Spirit Life will resonate to the Angel call and Trumpet sound, to instantly transform the believers into immortal, glorified beings who will disappear from the field of senses of the unsaved.
The believers will be as invisible as the being to whom the hand was attached in Daniel Chapter Five. So many will be snatched into the clouds that there may be a visible 'glow-trail' but individuals will no longer be in the same spacetime coordinates as those not raptured.
John wrote in one of his letters that when Jesus appears in the Air, we shall see Him as He really is, in His glorified state, because when He comes we shall be like HIM. We shall be in the same spacetime coordinate system as He is, as HE used to enter the locked and shuttered room, as He used to leave the stone tomb without rolling away the stone, as He used to disappear from view of the two disciples for whom He blessed and broke the bread.
Take note of the posts soon to arrive ...
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
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MHG, I agree with much that you posted.
There are some fine points though that are less than scriptural.
First, there is no “church” mentioned in the unadorned scriptures.
It is the ancient assembly, the Kehillah of the Hebrew scriptures mistranslated. That assembly began with Adam, and was always hopeful of the coming perfect sacrifice that would enable the salvation of those that had been faithful to the word delivered by Yehova at various times to his prophets.
There is no difference whatsoever between OT and NT members of that body.
As to the “invisibility” of a changed person, Yeshua explained that to Nicodemus in John ch 3. The ability to move as invisibly as the wind yet leaving audible evidence of their presence.
Yeshua’s message to Nicodemus was roughly the same as Paul’s message in 1Corinthians ch 15. We must be changed to survive in the relm of Yehova.
We must be changed, at the First Resurrection, because the Earth and Heavens are scheduled to “retreat from his face,” and burn with fervent heat, because there will be found no place for them. (or us if we are not so changed)
Where our Bibles say that Yeshua will come “in the air” it is more likely that the letters they had copied meant “in the spirit,” since in the Greek language the same word, Pnuema is used for both.
We do know that that event will not be in any way secret, since Yeshua told us in several places that he would never come in secret, and that there would be great dread among those not taken at that time.
Yeshua is not a part of any “space - time” system at all. It is that space-time illusion that will be expiring.
He exists outside of time and space, and has full control of that illusion. We will be joining him when we are changed.
Belief is indeed the key, but it is in no way intellectual belief.
It is belief in the sense used in the Eastern languages and cultures, which requires total emulation of the one to whom one is discipled.
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>> Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” <<
They were called Pharisees.
Unfortunate that you lack understanding of Yeshua’s ministry, and what it set forth.
There is no condemnation in Torah, only love.
Faith is the only path to salvation, faith in the path to Yeshua that Yehova provided: Torah.
Forgiveness of sin is our means of salvation, granted only to those that love his Torah.
1John!
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Do you have that in caramel flavor? :o)
Today's Pharisees say...
How about green Jello®?
You KNOW nothing. Mind reading is not permitted on the RF.
The be-attitudes were not just good suggestions. They are requirements. This emphasized in Matt 25:34+
Which not ONE. SINGLE. PERSON. in the entire history of the human race except for Jesus has ever met or ever can meet.
The problem is, it's not the good outweighs the bad nonsense. The standard of God is absolute perfect. ONE sin, and you have blown it.
It doesn't matter if one sin is all you ever commit in your entire life. That one sin is still enough to condemn you for eternity.
And we can't live the beatitudes because in them Jesus is dealing with the heart and there/s not a single one person on the planet who is also pure enough of heart with pure enough motives to produce works good enough to merit salvation.
Forgiveness is freely granted. Salvation is a GIFT of God, without cost or obligation.
Forgiveness, mercy, and grace can only exist where they are undeserved. The minute they become deserved because of works performed, they become wages due, putting God in obligation to mankind.
God owes mankind NOTHING.
A Christlike nature is the FRUIT of salvation, not something we strive for to ensure salvation. God judges by the heart, not the outward appearance. If He judged by the outward appearance, He'd have not condemned the Pharisees.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This eliminates every person ever born, except for those of us who were given the FREE GIFT of salvation in the church age...
There's not been a person born who will exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees...They obviously pick and chose which one of these statements applies to them (and none of them do except in a spiritual sense)...
So it's comical when these people run to Matt. 5 to show us how they got saved...
This is one that they constantly use that I particularly find humorous,,,
Mat 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Who is the judge??? Who's the officer??? And the prison is purgatory???
1Co_6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co_6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
We are the saints...We will do the judging...And we will even judge angels when we are in that realm...
And here's the funny one...
1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
So who's the judge??? No pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons...Get the janitor...
So, then Yeshua was just dangling the impossible to taunt us? Not the Yeshua I know.
>> “The standard of God is absolute perfect. ONE sin, and you have blown it.” <<
Not according to the Beloved apostle:
1John 1:
[4] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
[5] This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
[6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
>> “Forgiveness is freely granted. Salvation is a GIFT of God, without cost or obligation.” <<
Nowhere does the word of Yehova say that.
John said that forgiveness is for those that confess their sin, repent of their sin, and walk it out in righteousness.
Yehova provided his definitions of sin and his path to righteousness: Torah.
His Son told us that that yoke is easy; did he lie?
Nicolaitans have “Christianity” in bondage. They lie from the pulpit every Sungod Day, and the sheep willingly accept these gilded untruths.
The truth is there in the word, for those that read it without Sungod bias. All of the Messianic writings from Matthew to Revelation, even with their translational flaws, tell us of his disciples, the Netzerim, following his Torah day by day, keeping his Sabbath, and his appointed times, and teaching all they encounter to do so.
Acts ch 15 explains the smooth path to learning, starting with the critical taboos for the newcomers, and telling them to hear Moses preached in their synagogue every Sabbath day, so that they may learn Yehova’s path to righteousness over time as the disciples themselves learned it.
Nowhere does the word say that grace will be offered undeservedly. To the contrary, the fate of the undeserved is exemplified many times but ignored in the teaching of the nicolaitans that control christianity.
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