How Will the World Explain the Rapture?

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

The Rapture of the Church. It is Christianity's most preposterous belief. The very idea that a Savior from the sky is coming to get a particular group of people, that dead bodies will be raised back to life, and those alive at that moment will be changed into a new body suitable for heaven before being snatch away from this earth seems more like the work of science fiction than unadulterated biblical truth. But this is exactly what the Bible teaches. Jesus promised His followers that he would return for them at some future time (see John 14:1-3). The Apostle Paul described this still future event when he wrote, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians4:15-17).

The purpose for this article is not to defend the doctrine of the Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church. I'll save that for a future article. In this musing I want to consider how the world might go about explaining the disappearance of millions of people worldwide. Some explanation will most certainly be offered and I suspect Satan will, in a very direct but deceptive way, join in on the explanation. If millions of people have disappeared and you are reading this article in your search to figure out what has happened, please don't let anyone deceive you. The explanation the world will offer you will not be true. And the deceptive intervention from those who might seem other worldly will be just as false, no matter how 'miraculously convincing' their explanation appears.

The Rapture of the Church will occur at some future time just prior to the Return of Christ to this earth. This earth-shaking event will occur at seven or more years before Jesus' Second Coming. Since nearly every prophetic trend pointing to the soon start of that seven year period the Bible calls the Tribulation is accelerating and converging, we can only conclude the Tribulation is near. This can only mean the Rapture is close at hand. No one knows the day or the hour of the Rapture but the season of the Rapture is undoubtedly upon us. When it occurs the world will naturally be thrown into utter chaos. This will be in addition to whatever chaos is already occurring due to the ever increasing, accelerating and converging trends that are already in play. Those left behind will be looking for answers. Below are some of the possible answers you can expect and the one I believe will be at the top of the list of answers and will be convincingly offered to a world in chaos. There may certainly be additional possibilities not noted below. My list isn't meant to be exhaustive, only thought provoking.

1. It wasn't the Rapture, because we're still here -- Many of those left behind will have heard about the Rapture from Christian loved ones and friends. They will immediately conclude it was the Rapture. But, among those left behind will be some pretty prominent "Christian" religious leaders and even pastors. They will opine the disappearances could not possibly be the Rapture because, after all, they are still here.

2. Secret military technology -- Kind of far fetched in my opinion but I can see world leaders suggesting secret military technology by a hostile adversary as the culprit behind the disappearances.

3. Quantum leap in the human evolutionary process -- I wouldn't be surprised if many, if not all of the New Age practitioners and gurus suggest this idiotic idea as the reason for all the disappearances. They may say something along the lines of the 'vibrations' of all those who disappeared were out of harmony with the rest (those left behind) and who will be leaping forward in the evolutionary process. Another twist could be that those who disappeared are the ones who have made a quantum leap in the human evolutionary process and those left behind will need to fall in line if they have any hope of catching up with their evolved loved ones.

4. UFO's, UAE's, aliens, and the alien mother ship -- Although I am listing this explanation last, I believe it will be at the top of the list of explanations for the disappearances. I believe world leaders will not only offer this as the explanation but they will be assisted by the appearance of UFO's and aliens which will be nothing more than demons masquerading as our alien brothers or maybe even our creators. They will 'arrive' via so called UFO's that will, for the first time, be clear and easily observable by those left behind. It will be one of the greatest deceptions pulled off by Satan--the father of lies. In fact, this may very well be the grand delusion God sends upon an unbelieving world or at least a part of it. The Apostle Paul writes, "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). God will use Satan and eventually the Antichrist as His instruments of judgment.

Let's consider option 4 a little further. Hollywood, for example, has produced numerous movies in recent years about visitors from outer space. I'm convinced some of Hollywood's movie producers are getting their scripts from unseen sources. Could it be that Satan is using a mostly godless Hollywood to prepare the masses? Even more convincing than Hollywood is news reports of government confirmation of UFO's (or what the government refers to now as UAE's -- Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon) that began to trickle out a few years ago and is now reported with regularity. Here are a few news reports that have capture my attention and indicate to me the Tribulation Period is soon to start which can only mean the Rapture is close at hand.

1. I've seen the saucers: Obama weighs in as US interest in UFOs rises. This CBS 60 Minutes report appeared on May 20, 2021. "Obama was asked about the issue of UFOs during an interview on Tuesday, the former president confirming 'footage and records' of unidentified objects exist... What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there's footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don't know exactly what they are, we can't explain how they moved, their trajectory,' Obama told CBS." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/20/ufo-obama-cbs-60-minutes-america-alienswww.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/20/ufo-obama-cbs-60-minutes-america-aliens

2. 'Something's coming': is America finally ready to take UFOs seriously? This article appeared on February 5, 2022. "Last year was a breakthrough time for UFOs, as a landmark government report prompted the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors to finally be taken seriously by everyone from senators, to a former president, to the Pentagon... In June, the Pentagon released a highly anticipated report on unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP), the now preferred nomenclature by some in the extraterrestrial community, which found ore than 140 instances of UAPs that could not be explained." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/05/ufos-america-aliens-government-report

3. Hundreds more UFO sightings included in latest report. It's not just 2022 and preceding years. 2023 has seen its fair share of UFO and UAE reports. On January 12, 2023, CBS News reported, "The office tracking reports of UFOs has added nearly 400 additional sightings to its catalog over the last year, either because of new sightings or older sightings discovered in existing files, bringing the total number of UFO sightings to over 500." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-more-ufo-sightings-included-latest-report/

4. Could aliens be investigating us? It's more likely than you think. "Aliens may be sending us very small 'dandelion see' probes to gather information, according to a news article appearing in the March 28, 2023 edition of The Jerusalem Post. "Pentagon officials wrote in a document released earlier this month that it is entirely possible that aliens are vising our solar system and releasing tiny probes to perform small-scale reconnaissance missions like the ones the National Aeronautics and Spaced Administration (NASA) conducts on other planets." https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-735664

Although UFO's and other worldly visitors have been described by humankind going back millennia, the real uptick in UFO activity seems to have begun in 1947 and has continued to what we have read about, heard about, and witnessed today. I find the 1947 date interesting as it is one year prior to the rebirth of Israel in sovereign fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8. The modern Zionist movement--a religious and political effort that brought thousands of Jews from around the world back to their ancient homeland in the Middle East and reestablished the nation can be traced back at least as far as 1894.

By 1947, I believe it had become obvious to Satan that God was about to fulfill His promises made in an everlasting covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Genesis 12, 13, and 15). Since Satan is probably well aware of the coming Tribulation Period and the Rapture of the church that precedes it, it's no wonder that he and his minions would ramp up their spiritually deceptive practices of misleading men and women to believe the foolishness of aliens from outer space arriving via flying saucers or something similar. I believe what we are seeing today is yet another prophetic trend that is accelerating and converging with other prophetic trends all pointing to the to the fact the Tribulation Period is coming upon an unsuspecting world. I am fairly convinced that when the Rapture occurs, Satan and Company will be ready to further deceive the masses with a deluding influence explaining away the sudden disappearance of millions of people worldwide.

I believe the Rapture will occur any moment. It could very well be the catalyst that catapults the world into the final form of the ancient Roman Empire with its 10 kings who ultimately give their authority to the Antichrist. But I also believe it's possible it may not occur until sometime after the world morphs into 10 geopolitical regions and the 10 kings begin to rise to power. The disappearances followed by the arrival of humanity's 'ancient space brothers' arriving to 'set things right,' might be the perfect scenario to bring in the "man of lawlessness" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)--the Antichrist himself--who rises from among the 10 kings and to whom the 10 kings give all of their authority.

Will things work out this way? I'll admit, I am doing a lot of speculating so I'm not dogmatic about it. As I mentioned in a previous article, as the fog continues to lift, things will come into sharper focus. We will see things more clearly. In other words, time will tell. Of course, we may not be around to see it as the Rapture may very well occur right now!

There is nothing in the Bible that supports a pre-tribulation rapture. That is why no Christians - not even those who left orthodoxy - no Christ believers had anything like the “pre tribulation rapture” as a belief system. It, the pre-tribulation rapture, is purely an invention of Darby in the early 1800s to get followers. There was John Smith, the founder of Mormons, then the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists, the found of the Jevhosah’s Witnesses etc. who all were around in the USA in the early 1800s and created their religions to get followers.

Oh, if I had a nickel for every time someone mentioned John Darby. Nothing you wrote is relevant. The Revelation came to me, as it did to many others, by meditating in the Word. But it all starts with KNOWING GOD, and KNOWING who you are IN CHRIST. Since you dismiss dispensationalism - believe that nothing has EVER changed, you will be lost when it comes to understanding the End Times. The Body of Christ is NEITHER Jew or Gentile, male or female, catholic or protestant. They are NEW CREATIONS IN CHRIST. This is TRUTH, not religious hooey. If you BELIEVE the Word, you will see it clearly. Believers are CHILDREN OF GOD. There is now NO condemnation. We are saved from the wrath to come. Our hope is to be with Jesus, not suffering during JACOB's Trouble.

IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] 2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.

The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), Col 3:1–4.

Note the conditional statement. Look at whom and where Believers are to be focused. This is not religion. This is RELATIONSHIP. No empty ceremonies and rituals, no hocus pocus, but spiritual intimacy with our Creator through Christ! And our hope is to appear with Christ in Glory. Israel's hope is the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth - as promised. Once the Body is removed, God will again deal with Israel, they will become the nation of kings and priests as promised to the nations. Its so simple it takes a theologian to misunderstand. But the Word is easy to those with eyes to see, and ears to hear.

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. Psalm 119:130 NLT

KandyAst When Paul's teaching was rediscovered, Again, someone has fed you lies. Paul's teachings were never "lost" - they were read in Church daily or nearly daily

Justification by faith, body of Christ, appearing with Christ - were effectively lost because folks were teaching salvation by works - some still do. You claimed below that nothing has changed - so rejecting the Body of Christ. It was Hidden In God until the proper dispensation, once Israel finally and definitively rejected their King - as Scripture reveals, it would seem to have been lost. I have history and the Word on my side.

This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

Even the so-called ECFs were not teaching Paul's Revelation. They were all over the place, but mostly teaching some form of Salvation by works. The people Paul mentioned were not returning to paganism, but they were not embracing Paul's teaching. Even Peter struggled understanding the Revelation.

15 And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul’s safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, 16 Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. 17 Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless and wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind]. 18 But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!
The Amplified Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1987), 2 Pe 3:15–18.

Just to be clear, in every age it was very likely a small handful of Believers kept the fire alive. I'm talking primarily about organized religion, who preferred their traditions over leadership of the Holy Spirit.

To answer a question you had earlier, about why certain Revelations may have been hidden for a time, I believe that was a choice of the HS. While Israel remained, the offer to receive their king and the start of the prophetic timeline remained. That is part of the reason for the confusion. Conditional statements were often used, as well an immediate fulfillment was suggested in many of the NT End Times prophecies. But Israel officially rejected Jesus, the Temple was destroyed and the people dispersed. The prophetic clock was paused, the time of the Gentiles would continue and God turned to Plan B - the Body of Christ, the Age of Grace. This was a time when the Word would be preached to individuals. The Blessing was spiritual, Believers are children of God, NOT servants. Saved by Grace, not works. Set FREE from religious bondage. You see this most clearly in Paul's later letters TO, FOR, and ABOUT the Church. Something definitely changed.

I quote Daniel because the idea might apply - But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” Dan 12:4 NLT

In short, there were other fish to fry. Jesus was the Head of the Body. But religion soon took over, decapitated the Body and created their religion, a blending of paganism, Judaism, and Roman pomp, greed and ruthlessness. The ideas of Grace and the simplicity of the Body, and the Joy of the Blessed Hope will not manifest in that atmosphere.

I found this explanation interesting. Its a paper on this very subject.

Why the Doctrine of the Pretribulational Rapture did not Begin with Margaret Macdonald

I find it amusing how some seem to have a "calling" to attack anyone who believes Jesus will retrieve His Body before the Tribulation. I guess it should be expected. Satan always attacks and attempts to undermine the Truth.

My journey started because I could not square the God I now KNEW, and the teachings of the Body, with the Time of Jacob's Trouble. It was His tremendous love for me that made me dig deeper to understand. I HAD a REVELATION of Jesus Christ, so why would I go THROUGH REVELATION? Believers are free from condemnation, a New Creation seated in Heavenly Places, and a Temple of the Holy Spirit! The Tribulation is NOT for Believers. Its the final chance for Israel to become what God made them to be - a light to the Gentiles (Nations). And its the Nations last chance to recognize God as GOD. And its only by removing Believers, those with the authority to withstand the demonic forces, that allows them to be unleashed!

When people tell me that I got the Revelation from Darby or Jesuits, or some Scottish Lass - I truly laugh with the Lord. This is a spiritual Truth. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 1 Cor 2:14 NLT

From the Link: This is certainly an interesting thought.

"If the pretribulation rapture is taught in the New Testament, as this writer believes, why did it take 1,800 years for Christians to realize this doctrine? The answer lies in the fact that the timing of the rapture is more the product of one's theology than the prooftexting of specific passages. Thus the historical development of a certain theological climate led believers to give attention to this New Testament subject. The recovery of the pretribulational rapture as taught in the New Testament awaited the proper progress of dogma." - Why the Doctrine of the Pretribulational Rapture did not Begin with Margaret Macdonald - Thomas D. Ice 1990 Page 164

There was a time when Bible reading was discouraged, you do realize that is patently false, right? The Church has 2 readings from the Bible each day and 3 on Sunday. In the course of 3 years you would hear the entire Bible At no point in history has "Bible reading been discouraged" --> who told you such lies? translation to a common tongue worthy of death Again, this is a lie --> perhaps you don't know that many English versions of Scripture existed before Wycliff, and these were authorized by the Church. I’m not sure why you think it was the Catholic Church that sentenced Tyndale to death. That’s not historically accurate. Henry leaned on his ally, King Charles V, to in turn lean on the Magistrate of Antwerp to get Tyndale executed. Henry VIII wanted to be remarried and annul his previous marriage, but in 1530, Tyndale wrote The Practice of Prelates, a political tract opposing Henry VIII's political policies. hence his final words “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!”

You have been here a long time - even before me, so I respect you, and know you are a fierce defender of your denomination. So please, let's accept that many very bad things were done in the name of the Lord - Crusades against Believers, Papal Bulls against translations in the common languages, inquisitions, torturing and burning heretics for fun and profit - NONE OF WHICH was for God's Glory. Let's not play the game that the state was responsible, the church and state operated in tandem more often than not. That greatly influenced our Founding Fathers NOT to have a state religion. In an atmosphere of fear, where the state taxes and lords over you, and the church through fear of judgment or punishment takes what is left, faith will be tough. I am not going to waste time looking up every order, every crusade and every example of a denomination and/or state out of control. I read too many in college and its quite depressing. It happened. It was bad. It should NEVER happen again.

I do not appreciate being called a liar. I never mentioned Henry VIII or Wycliffe. Just made a general statement that is backed by truth. I may make a mistake, but when I post something, it usually is well documented, or at the very least well remembered from studies. But since you attacked my credibility:

At the Council of Toulouse (1229 A.D), papal church leaders ruled: "We prohibit laymen possessing copies of the Old and New Testament ... We forbid them most severely to have the above books in the popular vernacular." "'The lords of the districts shall carefully seek out the heretics in dwellings, hovels, and forests, and even their underground retreats shall be entirely wiped out." Pope Gregory IX, Council Tolosanum, 1229 A.D.

The Roman Catholic Council of Tarragona also ruled that: "No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days after the promulgation of this decree, so that they may be burned." D. Lortsch, Histoire de la Bible en France, 1910, p. 14.

The Council of Trent (1545-1564) placed the Bible on its list of prohibited books, and forbade any person to read the Bible without a license from a Roman Catholic bishop or inquisitor. The Council added these words: "That if any one shall dare to read or keep in his possession that book, without such a license, he shall not receive absolution till he has given it up to his ordinary."

"Since it is clear from experience that if the Sacred Books are permitted everywhere and without discrimination in the vernacular (in the common language of the people, D.R.) there will by reasons of the boldness of men arise therefrom more harm than good..." Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 274.

J.A. Wylie, an authority on Romanism in the Reformation era, dedicated two chapters of his book The Papacy; Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects (London: Hamilton Adams, 1888) to Rome's attitude toward the Bible. Wylie states: "The Latin Vulgate is the authorized standard in the Church of Rome, and that to the disparagement of the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. These are omitted in the decree [by the Council of Trent], and a translation is substituted. All Protestant translations, such as our authorized English version, Luther's translation, &c. are prohibited" The Papacy; Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects, p. 181.

Rome's attempt to keep the Bible from men has continued to recent times. Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) denounced Bible Societies and expressed shock at the circulation of the Scriptures. This Pope declared, "It is evidence from experience, that the holy Scriptures, when circulated in the vulgar tongue, have, through the temerity of men, produced more harm than benefit."

Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) railed: "against the publication, distribution, reading, and possession of books of the holy Scriptures translated into the vulgar tongue."

Pope Leo XII called the Protestant Bible the "Gospel of the Devil" in an encyclical letter of 1824. In January 1850, he also condemned Bible Societies and admitted the fact that the distribution of Scripture has "long been condemned by the holy chair."

Pope Leo XIII declared, "As it has been clearly shown by experience that, if the holy Bible in the vernacular is generally permitted without any distinction, more harm than utility is thereby caused..." Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, pp. 412-413.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 KJV

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8 KJV

You must have COMPLETE access to the Word in a language you understand to build faith, please God, and succeed in life!

The Bloody Battle to Liberate the Word of God

BIBLE READING BY THE LAITY, RESTRICTIONS ON.

Foundations of Christianity: Questions for the Catholic Church

Medieval Geopolitics: Crusades Against Christians

The Cathars: Persecuting Heretical Christians In The 13th Century

Learn from the past, so you don't repeat the same evil.

Thank you for your response, Seven

Regarding 1 Thess 4:16-17

1 Thess 4:13-17 or rather the whole 1 Thess 4

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [k]in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [l]and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [m]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [n]and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

And very clearly in verse 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.

What does this actually teach?

St. Paul wrote to the Thessalnian Christians because they were worried about those who died before Christ's return. Many in the ancient world believed that a person simply ceased to exist upon death.

These was a rumor in Thessalonica at the time Paul wrote the letter that the dead Christians had lost out on any chance of a physical resurrection. St.Paul assures them that it was not so. In fact, "the dead in Christ will rise first" to meet Christ

Rapturists make the mistake of thinking "meet the Lord in the air" is about Christ not actually touching the earth.

The word St. Paul uses for meeting the Lord "in the air" is aer the Greek word for atmosphere

This SAME word is used in Ephesians 2:2

And you [a]were dead [b]in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the [c]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

yet no one would claim that, because of this word, Satan wouldn't influence people on the earth

A consistent rapturist reading of this wod here would mean that only airplane passengers are influenced by Satan's power

NO, when Christ returns to the earth's atmosphere, He has returned to earth

Rapturists trying to point to the "coming in the clouds" -- but this ignores the symbol of divinity in the clouds

The Bible uses three Greek words interchangeably

parousia - coming
epiphaneia appearing
apokalupsis revelation

Rapturists think that there is a different usage for each, but that is false - parousia is not used just for some fake "rapture" and the others for the 2nd coming

Paul doesn't mention this 19th century rapture idea as occuring before the appearance of the antichrist and before the second coming is simple: it never entered into his mind that anyone would believe Christ would rapture His Church before the final Eschaton

In the apocalypse, that is referred to as the battle with Gog and Magog, Christians will participate in that confrontation because there will be no secret rapture before it. Our comfort rests in Him who will emerge from that confrontation as the Victor.

THAT is the reassurance Paul offers, not the promise of an escape from the great Tribulation.

And very clearly Jesus DID teach that "as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man" (Matt 24:27). St Paul taught in 1 thessalonians 4:16 that "the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of comman, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God"

BOTH passages speak of the second advent as unmistakably obvious. There is nothing secret about lightning, cries of command, angel calls or trumpets -

2 Tim 2 - look at the verses before and after 14

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [b]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [c]idle babblings, for they will [d]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [e]Christ depart from iniquity.”

This is not about "division" into dispensations but about communicating the word of God

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One can only guess why the KJV translators chose the phrase “rightly dividing” instead of “rightly teach” or “cutting straight”, I would suggest that in 1611 “rightly dividing” might have had a different meaning than how we use it today. Given the context of this verse and the surrounding text, I think that it is appropriate that we closely examine the true meaning of this phrase.

a similar message was given by John the Baptist when he quoted Isaiah by stating “Make straight the way of the Lord” in John 1:23. John used the word G3588 euthunó, which means:

to make straight, level, plain to lead or guide straight, to keep straight or direct: A of the steersman or helmsman of a ship B of a charioteer

The idea of separating or parsing scripture is not in context.

If the word orthotomeō truly meant to parse or separate, we should expect to find it, or a word of the same common root when the words divide, divided or dividing are used elsewhere in scripture --> it isn't

The Word of Truth Is Not Divided

I find it hard to believe that if Paul had meant that scripture is to be divided, that he would have made this statement, especially within the same letter to Timothy that he wrote All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness - 2 Timothy 3:16

There are numerous biblical texts that indicate both justification and salvation to be future and contingent realities, in one sense, as well as past completed realities in another sense: Romans 2:13-16: For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified… on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. Romans 6:16: Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness? (Gr.dikaiosunen- “justification”) Matt. 10:22: And you will be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. Romans 13:11: For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. I Cor. 5:5: You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

First off, thanks for the responses. And I will be glad to share my thoughts. I will also use your questions above to respond to your comments on 2 Timothy 2:15 - Rightly Dividing the Word.

There cannot be verses in God's Word that are repugnant to another. There needs to be a reason why the plan of Salvation might be different. And if they are, then the explanation is obvious. When Jesus walked the Earth, He was teaching primarily Jews about the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul's Revelation of the Body of Christ was "Hidden in God" - not revealed yet to man. That should explain many differences between Paul's letters and Gospel/Acts/early Paul letters.

Look carefully at the Scriptures you posted. Who are they for? When were they written, and to whom? How do they compare to Paul's later letters written TO, FOR, and ABOUT the Body of Christ, which was revealed after these verses? If you don't "rightly divide" you will be confused, and worthless to the Body. Observe the following.

As a starting point, can we at least agree that the OT is written FOR us, but its not TO us or ABOUT us. It was written for Israel. Forcing the Church into OT is like forcing it into the Tribulation - it just doesn't belong.

25 But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).
26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
27 For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.
28 There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:25-29 AMP

The entire chapter is germane, showing the transition from the Gospel of the Kingdom, towards the Gospel of Grace. The Jewish Law is replaced by the Law of Love, the religious divisions, and sex divisions are gone IN CHRIST. The idea of Gentiles being "grafted" into Judaism has been set aside. This is something new.

Look at how the message changes, from works, doubt, endurance - to absolute assurance!

Romans 8:1 ESV
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:16 ESV
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Romans 10:9-10 ESV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 KJV
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Ephesians 1:3–4 KJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

-->Note the sphere of Blessing and that they are IN CHRIST. Chosen BEFORE - so before you even had a chance to sin, God had a plan to transform you into a child of God!--<

Ephesians 1:9–10 KJV
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

-->Nothing by chance. Everything happens as God planned and in the appropriate dispensation.--<

Eph 2:1-10 KJV
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

-->The absolute pinnacle of the Gospel of Grace message. During the times of Acts, there was a conditional promise for the immediate return of Jesus, Israel's king, had the nation believed in Jesus. But they rejected Him. And by AD 70, the Temple was destroyed and the people scattered to the wind. The prophetic clock for Israel was put on hold.

But Hidden In God, He had a plan. The Age of Grace - or dispensation of Grace if you prefer. The Word would be taught to individuals, Blessings spiritual, and the offer of Salvation absolute and based on faith in Jesus.

Note the passage - we were DEAD. Jesus made us ALIVE. NOT by works - FREE GIFT - so we cannot boast. No room for pride in the Body of Christ. And look where we are - sitting in Heavenly Places IN CHRIST! And also, Believers are HIS workmanship. Hallelujah!

Ephesians 3:1–6 KJV
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

-->A couple of things to note - The Mystery of the Body of Christ was hidden, and not revealed until the time was right. And that time is the dispensation of Grace - what are the other dispensations?--<

This is getting long and that was not my intent. Some call dispensationalism a theology. I never took it that way. I simply noticed in the Bible that things changed. For instance, compare life before the law, and after when Israel put themselves under the Law and started the sacrifices and priesthood. And then what happened after Jesus, in the transition time of Acts. And then note how things changed as Paul preached the Revelation of the Body. And finally note what is planned prophetically for Israel and the Earth. Call them ages if you prefer, but those are clearly different periods of time, or sometimes Covenants.

Bullinger saw the dispensations this way.

A. The Edenic State (Innocence)
B. Mankind as a whole (Patriarchal)
C. Israel (under Law)
D. The Church of God. The Secret. The Dispensation of Grace.
C. Israel (Judicial)
B. Mankind as a whole (Millennial)
A. The Eternal State (Glory)

Note 7 dispensations, the connections/similarities between the first 3 and last 3. And the perfection of 7, as in 7,000 years. I find this very reasonable, and helpful.

Others have come up with their own plans - and that's ok. What matters is the Believer understand where they are, and when studying the Word, place the verse/passage in the right age. Also, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us to Truth.

I have two funerals this weekend, so I am short on time. If interested, I will add two scholarly links - both short. One is on dispensationalism, the other showing how the ideas have grown from the early church until now. I think both will be more helpful than me when short of time.

What is Dispensationalism?

A Short History of Dispensationalism

Can either of you give me a list of all the Protestant Reformers that taught the PTR/Futurism? You won’t find any, because the theory came from the counter reformation of the Catholic Church (Jesuit division). It is antibiblical and satanic, as are the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is the Antichrist power/Little Horn. The Reformers all saw it. Congratulations on being successfully counter reformed.

Faith comes from Hearing the Word. And the Holy Spirit leads you to Truth. And THE TRUTH makes you free. When you rely on men, even religious men, you often land in the ditch. With that said...

All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.
From Pseudo-Ephraem, On the Last Times - Pseudo-Ephraem claims that his sermon was written by Ephraem of Nisibis (306-73)
The Rapture in Pseudo-Ephraem

In 1995 Frank Marotta and John Bray brought to light the pretribulation rapture teaching of Morgan Edwards, a Baptist theologian of the 1700’s and founder of Brown University. In a treatise entitled Two Academical Exercises on Subjects Bearing the Following Titles; Millennium, Last-Novelties written between 1742 and 1744, Edwards taught that three and a half years before the Antichrist will kill the two witnesses of Revelation 11, the Son of Man will appear in the clouds to raise the dead, change the living, and catch them up to Himself.

It has all the elements of the rapture story, only the length of the Tribulation is different.
This author also mentions Brother Dolcino of the 14th century.
A Rapture Citation in the Fourteenth Century

John Walvoord’s assessment is likely close to the truth: any careful student of Darby soon discovers that he did not get his eschatological views from men, but rather from his doctrine of the church as the body of Christ, a concept no one claims was revealed supernaturally to Irving or Macdonald. Darby’s views undoubtedly were gradually formed, but they were theologically and biblically based rather than derived from Irving’s pre-Pentecostal group.

Myths of the Origin of the Rapture

It is NOT from deceptive Jesuits, or from the imagination of a Scottish lass. Its in God's Word, clearly visible when you rightly divide the Word, understanding the clear differences between Israel, and the Body of Christ. If it was never mentioned until Darby, I would be fine, because I see it CLEARLY in the Word. And its no surprise that eschatology was not high on the agenda for religious scholars - a very small number - for 1800 years until the modern era. And any idea that deviated from what Rome declared, often ended in a fiery display of religious displeasure. Once printing was available, better translations in the original languages were accessible, and folks had more freedom to read and meditate on the Word, suddenly there is an explosion of people who see the same - or very close to the same things.

I also believe that a basic understanding of dispensationalism is quite helpful in understanding the Bible. These ideas have been percolating some time going back to its primitive roots around the 2nd century. Wikipedia actually has a decent summary of this.

Dispensationalism

A Short History of Dispensationalism

Seven_0: Do you think that because something was discovered recently it is not valid?

Cronos: Firstly - no, the pre-tribulation rapture is invalid because it is neither found in the Bible, nor in the 1800 years of Christian life and teachings

Secondly, this was “discovered” in the sense that Darby made it up, out of whole cloth

No, Darby tweaked it. The PTR was already known as “FUTURISM”, a concept developed out of the Catholic Counter Reformation to deflect criticism that the Catholic Church was the Antichrist power (which they are). It was developed by Francisco Ribera, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, Michael Walpole, and Manuel De Lacunza, all JESUITS. Lacunza took points from the previous three, and wrote a book called “The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty”. Edward Irving discovered this book, originally written in Spanish, and translated it into English, titled “The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty with a Preliminary Discourse”. He began to preach on it. Then, Margaret Macdonald, one of his church members, had visions/utterances on the topic. Then enters John Darby:

John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), a Church of Ireland clergyman, later with the Plymouth Brethren, also promoted Futurism and a secret rapture. Darby attended the series of meetings on Bible Prophecy that began in 1830 at Powerscourt, Ireland, and at these conferences Darby apparently learned about the secret rapture as revealed by vision to Margaret McDonald, and promoted by Edward Irving, and he soon visited Margaret MacDonald at her home in Port Glasgow, Scotland. Darby later visited America several times between 1859 and 1874, where his Futurist theology was readily accepted.

The PTR theory came from nowhere else other than the Roman Catholic Church, in an attempt to hoodwink Protestants into believing that they are not the Antichrist power. It would appear to be working, as most don’t believe it.

https://www.biblelightinfo.com/antichrist.htm

Regarding Brother Dolcino:

Thomas Ice confronted me after our debate at BIOLA (February 2002) about Francis X. Gumerlock’s statement in his book The Day and the Hour (2000), a book published by American Vision and edited by me, that “The Dolcinites held to a pre-tribulation rapture theory similar to that of modern dispensationalism” ((Day and the Hour, 80)).

If Ice and other dispensationalists want to claim the Dolcinites as proto-dispensationalists, they can have them. According to Gumerlock, Brother Dolcino and his followers “believed that they were the only true church of the latter days…. Believing they were living in the last three and a half years of End-time tribulation, Dolcino and his followers, motivated by certain Bible passages, fled ‘Babylon’ for the mountains of Piedmont. In the mountains they armed themselves for conflict with the papal forces of Clement V, in 1307 a bloodbath ensued in which four hundred of them were killed. Dolcino was burned at the stake.” ((Day and the Hour, 80)).

If Dolcino believed in a pre-trib rapture, why would he and his followers escape to the mountains and arm themselves?

As far as I can tell, Dolcino does not make a biblical argument for his views.

There are more problems with using Dolcino’s views to support a pre-trib rapture. The fourteenth-century text, The History of Brother Dolcino, “was composed in 1316 by an anonymous source,” ((James F. Stitzinger, “The Rapture in Twenty Centuries of Biblical Interpretation,” TMSJ 13/2 (Fall 2002), 159. See Francis X. Gumerlock, “A Rapture Citation in the Fourteenth Century,” Bibliotheca Sacra 159 (July-September 2002), 354–355.)) meaning that this text was not written by Dolcino. The original letters of Dolcino are not in existence.

Dolcino and his Apostolic Brethren were a violent cult hell bent on the purification of the Roman Catholic Church through violence that ended in their destruction. ((Gian Luca Potesta, “Radical Apocalyptic Movements in the Late Middle Ages,” The Continuum History of Apocalypticism, eds. Bernard McGinn, John J. Collins, and Stephen J. Stein (New York: Continuum, 2003), 300–302.))

Dolcino justified the actions of his followers by appealing to Titus 1:15: “To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.” “As reported by the Anonymous Synchronous, Dolcino maintained “[…] that it was legitimate for him and his followers to hang, behead, […] people who obey … the Roman church and burn down, destroy, […] because they were acting to redeem them and thus without sin.”

Even after all that we know of Dolcino and his cult, Thomas Ice still wants to claim him as someone who taught a pre-trib rapture before Darby.

This is typical of dispensationalists who will enter almost any source into evidence if it can be used to prop up their system.

https://americanvision.org/22451/is-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-found-before-the-19th-century/

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