Simple Salvation Church of God

Posted by: Michael Stevenson on Fri, May 13, 2011

THIS could perhaps one of the most important questions that we have ever asked—will there really be a real rapture? Perhaps no other piece of literature will be as important and as valuable as this piece—knowing the truth about a “secret rapture” and whether or not this will occur! Why? Civilization is on a collision course with great trouble that has never before been seen. There is going to be more trouble than what we have ever witnessed before! There is a great amount of problems which are growing worse and worse and it will all result in the prophesied Great Tribulation and then the Day of the Lord—that final one year period prior to Jesus Christ’s return. The masses are all unaware—and therefore are unprepared for—any of what is going to take place. This also includes most people who think that they really are ready—but, the truth is that they are not ready at all for what is going to take place!

 But, you can know what to expect so that you can be ready!

 According to most fundamentalist “Christians,” there is a rapture which is going to take place. They claim that “believers” everywhere will be caught up secretly at the return of Jesus Christ—that they will just be “whisked away” no matter who they are and where they are. Millions of people have bought into this with films and books. They truly believe that the believers will be caught up and the unbelievers just “left behind.” Then they teach that there will be a period of seven years of tribulation—when war, disease, famine, religious deception all take place—just taking people by surprise. They teach that those left behind will go through this tribulation at Christ’s invisible coming they teach. The antichrist then will permit the Jews to build a new temple and then he will attack it and destroy it and then for three and a half years kill those who are “converted”. But, just what does your Bible really say about all this? Does your Bible really have an answer? You need to know—we are going to examine in this important booklet the precious truth about this and see just what our own Bible really says!

 We need to notice two major competing positions that are among those who claim the rapture theory. First, it occurs before, or in the middle of the seven years. But the sudden disappearance of millions, it is said, will take place and will shock the world. After the tribulation, they then claim that Christ will return in a visible return, thus saying that He will come in a “third coming” and will defeat the antichrist and his army.

 Try to imagine what the headlines would be after this widescale confusion that would be caused by Christ’s initial “rapturing” of the many “Christians” who are alive at the time. There would cars and busses that would crash, airplanes crashing, hundreds killed, schools in chaos, and many more things all taking place. Many have become greatly consumed by this doctrine that there have been millions made on selling books and movies devoted to the very subject. There are even games about it.

 One group even went to the point to create a “Rapture Index” it terms a “Dow Jones Industrial Average of end-time activity” and a “prophetic speedometer.” Imagine just how much all this has brought in. The speedometer supposedly can calculate the world’s conditions and then forecast when Jesus Christ will return. They claim that the higher the number, the closer we are to the “pre-tribulation rapture.”

 Then we have a group that has went on to create a program of a “post-rapture” email chain letter, which would be automatically sent to those who are friends and families of those raptured. The letter says that “Dear Friend, This message has been sent to you by a friend or a relative who has recently disappeared along with millions and millions of people around the world. The reason they chose to send you this letter is because they cared about you and would like you to know the truth about where they went. This may come as a shock to you, but the one who sent you this has been taken up to heaven…”

 The email goes on to further say that “I am sure that there will be a lot of speculation as to what happened to all these people. The theories of some scientists and world leaders will have so much credibility that most of the world will believe them. It will sound like the truth.”

 Have you also become one of the many who have accepted the “rapture” theory as biblical truth? Have you accepted it because it sounds so believable? Great numbers of sincere people have bought into the “rapture” theory and have paid out hundreds of dollars for material and videos about the theory—supposing that this theory is biblically based.

 But, what does God’s inspired Word—the Holy Bible—actually reveal to us about the subject and what will really take place when Jesus Christ really does return at His Second Coming? Much is actually at stake—the truth is needed because your life will actually depend on knowing the plain truth on this subject!

 So then, will Christ come one or two more times? What is the plain truth—let’s find out the answers that you need to truly know and under-stand!

The Real History of the Rapture Theory

 Most people just simply assume that the rapture is taught in their own Bible because they have heard their ministers say that it is there. They even have a few verses that they claim support the rapture. While millions genuinely believe this to be the case, the theory was actually unknown before the 16^th century.

 Some history needs to therefore be looked at in regards to the rapture theory. For the plain truth on this, let’s start therefore with the history on the subject and see what the history shows us.

 During the 15^th and 16^th centuries, reformers John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Luther, and John Huss had all campaigned against the Roman Catholic Church. These men shook Catholic teachings to its very center—even calling the church the antichrist! Rome, previously had forced its own beliefs and traditions upon those who disagreed. They would even burn people at the stake for opposing it. However, support in favor of those who would become reformers, quickly grew and people began to convert to the reformers ideas and teachings. This undermined Catholic authority.

 Rome then called for a reconciliation, and then they convened the Council of Trent in 1545. From this came about the “counter-reformation” teachings of three Jesuit priests—Francisco Ribera, Luis de Alcazar, and Cardinal Bellarmine, these three priests being heavily involved at trying to get people to not convert to reformation ideas, but to stay firm to the Roman Catholic Church.

 Ribera had followed later on with a commentary on the book of Revelation. To dispel the church’s label of the antichrist, he then created a belief of what is called “Futurism” which declared that the prophecies of Revelation only applied to the last seven years that was preceding Jesus Christ’s Return.

 Remember that the Catholic Church has actually admitted openly that it creates beliefs—as well as traditions—which are all separate from what the Bible teaches us. This is why Ribera has invented a non-biblical theory. Notice what we read that “A rule of Faith, or a competent guide to heaven, must be able to instruct in all the truths necessary for salvation. Now the Scriptures alone do not contain all the truths which a Christian is bound to believe, nor do they explicitly enjoin all the duties which he is obliged to practise…”—Faith of Our Fathers, James Gibbons, pp. 111-112.

 Catholic leadership makes no attempt to hide their belief that tradition outweighs Scripture. In fact, this has become its own tradition. Yet, most people are complete unaware and often shocked at this. The Council of Trent had given tradition—in this case—the humanly devised futurism, equal authority with the Bible—stating that it had the right to determine that something which was not biblical was indeed a truth.

 It was Ribera’s idea that had opened wide the door to the theory of the rapture.

 Here then comes the irony of this. Almost 300 years later, the Protestants had adopted Ribera’s “futurism” invention. Thanks to the Roman Catholics, John Nelson Darby, the Anglican and the one with whom is responsible for the Darby Translation of the Bible—is often referred as to the founder and the inventor of the “rapture”—an idea which he certainly invented, but still, he had picked up just where Ribera had left off within his own creation—dispensationalism. Unlike anything that the Catholics had felt, the Protestants had, in this case, Darby had needed a way to get the Bible to say just what they wanted to believe about the rapture theory. Therefore, His way of interpreting the Bible had taught that Jesus Christ would first come to secretly take away His followers and then later return to defeat the antichrist. This teaching then continued through his disciple, Cyrus Scofield, who had put together the Scofield Bible.

 John A. Anderson had recorded in Heralds of the Dawn, that what was originally the “counter-Protestantism” “The Catholic Apostolic Church had its beginning in 1830. It was founded in Britain by…men and women who claimed divine inspiration [note also the founding of the Mormon Church in the same year who claimed prophets]. They said the Holy Spirit revealed to them that the last days had come [this was false], that the Lord was about to return [false], that first He would rapture the believers…at a secret coming…after which Christ would come in manifested power.”

 Since the 16^th century, there have been millions who have blindly followed the rapture theory—fearing what would happen if they would not follow it. But, understand this! The doctrine began in the minds of Catholic priests, then had continually been developed since then in the minds of the reformers—not within God’s own mind, nor was it ever revealed within the Bible! The Protestants had simply bought into this idea and picked it up later—claiming that it is a true teaching because the Catholic Church had made it a doctrine—and remember that anything that the Catholic Church says is doctrine, whether or not it is supported by the Bible then becomes truth!

 But, Paul in 1 Corinthians tells us that “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”—1 Corinthians 14:33. Further, Paul says “Let all things be done decently and in order”—v.40. What then could there be of orderly or peaceful about millions who have vanished from their beds, work places, automobiles, airplanes and so forth? It is obvious this would be much chaos and panic—that is NOT God’s ways—for God is not the author of confusion!

 Let’s make it very plain! The rapture doctrine is a doctrine that in all reality teaches chaos and makes God and Jesus Christ to be authors of confusion—this is something which is very false and is created by Satan to get people to follow a lie, thus showing to us that Satan has clearly blinded the eyes of the whole world (Revelation 12:9). So then, we should be asking ourselves at this point—would it make sense that we should follow something which promotes great chaos or confusion?

 Disagreeing theologians—remember rapture theorists do not agree-found different ways of interpreting the Bible to try to give their own presentations of the rapture. Which should one listen to? The answer? NONE! We should listen to none of the rapture theorists because they are all promoting a false doctrine. Inventing theologies such as that of the futurism doctrine or even the dispensationalism will never give us correct understanding of God’s Word! By letting the Bible give us its own interpretation—the greatest rule of understanding the Bible—then we will be able to understand fully that of biblical prophecy and the precious truth about Jesus’ real Second Coming!

What Will Really Take Place?

 We find in Matthew 24 a prophecy that describes for us the end-time events that will precede Jesus Christ’s Return and is often known as the “Olivet Prophecy.” Jesus in this tells us of a period of time when society is going to become “as the days of Noah were”—Matthew 24:37. That time was “filled with violence”—Genesis 6:11, but yet, people had been going about their daily business, pursuing their lusts, their violent ways, their pleasure and gain. This is when the disaster then fell upon them—while they were seeking their will, their own ways! This is a bit about like what is coming upon the whole of the world again—the world will be greatly involved in its own lusts, its own selfish desires, its own pleasures and its own worldly wants. It is going to not know God at the time that Jesus Christ returns!

 People will be great immersed in their own lives that they will forget about God and so then, the Tribulation—the worst time of trouble ever (Matthew 24:21)—will be a great surprise for the world. Jesus had warned us when He said that “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth”—Luke 21:35. Solomon also noted that “For a man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time [the day in which is just ahead—the very end-time], when it falls suddenly upon them”—Ecclesiastes 9:12.

 Yet, the Bible also warns us that “There shall come in the last days scoffers…saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers [the patriarchs] fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”—2 Peter 3:3-4. We need to be aware of these people are going to scoff, who are going to try to convince people that there is no God and that Jesus Christ is dead and will not Return! The Scriptures have never had a miss concerning what is going to happen and the Scriptures will not fail us at all in the near future!

 Further, as we go on to read Matthew 24, we find that it mainly deals with the final destruction of Jerusalem, possibly that which will include the restored Temple which will be rebuilt in the near future. This destruction is often said to be the “abomination of desolation”—Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14. While many of the prophecies have dual fulfillments, this particular prophecy of the “abomination of desolation” have actually three fulfillments.

 The first fulfillment took place around 167 B.C.E., when the king of Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes had went and sacrificed a pig to the Greek god Zeus on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. The second then was a type of Christ referred to in Matthew 24:15, when Roman armies had destroyed Jerusalem in 70 C.E. The third fulfillment, which is still yet future is the main fulfillment—the fulfillment of this prophecy which will be the huge fulfillment!

 Before Jesus Christ returns, the armies of the world will again surround Jerusalem. God’s own people are also told that they will need to flee into a place of safety (Matthew 24:16-22; Luke 21:20-27).

 We read that “Then let them which be in Judea FLEE into the mountains.”—Matthew 24:16. This third and final fulfillment which is immediately before the Great Tribulation, God tells us that His people will literally be fleeing (Revelation 12:14). This is the time which God’s people will have to leave all of their possessions behind and all of their friends and families that have not been called now into God’s Church behind and flee into the place of safety—a literal and real place here upon the earth. Thus, we will also be fulfilling Jesus Christ’s own words when He prayed for the Father to keep us from the hour of Tribulation.

 The coming Great Tribulation is very real—as is God’s promise that He will keep His own people safe from this. But, unlike the rapture theory is suggesting, the Bible reveals to us that there is a literal and real place of which exists on the earth—not in heaven—where His Church is going to be kept safe during these last three and one half years (not seven) years of Tribulation. Matthew 24 further goes on to reveal to us that the surrounding of Jerusalem by the armies of the earth is the event which will signal for us when God’s people are to flee into safety—not raptured into heaven (we will cover this in detail later on).

 Further, Jesus Christ was very concerned for His own people. He warned them of what was coming, and of the need for them to escape the invading armies and the war which will be escalating. He knew three problems would be great visible. First off, those who would be with the small children and also their nursing babies, would have great difficulty of leaving (v.19). Second, God’s people would have to pray that the time of their flight should not be in winter time—meaning the wintry conditions, because there is a related prophecy which indicates to a wintertime fleeing into the place of safety. The third had to do with the true Sabbath (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) (v.20). Obedience to the keeping of the Sabbath—which God’s people always are sure to observe and would therefore still be faithfully keeping at this time of the end—could also make flight even more difficult.

 So then, let’s consider why Christ would then instruct His people to take flight if His servants are going to be supernaturally taken from the earth during the Tribulation. Rapture theorists further ignore this by focusing incorrectly on “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house”—Matthew 24:17; Mark 13:15. Such misrepresentation of this bypasses any need for any personal duties to obey God.

 Christ wants for His Church to prayerfully be involved in their own escape—not self-assured, lazing back, expecting a heavenly place of safety along with a “rapture” to all the work for them! See through not only the false—but also the irresponsible—theories of this so-called rapture event!

Rapture “Proof Texts”

Now we have those whom try to take certain verses from their own Bibles to try to seek to “prove” the rapture to be biblical. Let’s examine these now and see what the truth really is—let’s see as to whether or not they actually hold water as being “proof” of any rapture!

Daniel 9:27: “And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Notice then, that to the muddled prophetic understanding of those who preach the rapture, they claim that this verse of “one week” refers to the last seven years, or the seven “prophetic days,” of mankind’s society here on the earth. This is false!

This verse actually is making reference to the abomination of desolation, which will take place when the surrounding forces stop the Jewish daily sacrifices at the Temple. It further addresses the final week of the 70 weeks of prophecy concerning the Messiah and that Jesus Christ would then be cut off in the middle of this week—the middle of time—that time when Jesus Christ would offer Himself for our sacrifice—thus, the time in the middle of God’s allowing mankind to go about their own ways. After three and a half prophetic “days”—three and a half years—of His earthly mission on the earth. Daniel 9:27 therefore is not any type of prophecy concerning about how the antichrist is going to turn on the Jews halfway through the Tribulation.

 Matthew 24:36, 40-42: “But of that day and hour knows no man, no not the angels of heaven, but My Father only…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. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come.”

 Here is another scripture which can be difficult to understand—without proper understanding of biblical prophecy! If we read it without really studying it, then it would be easy to think that it has to do with a rapture theory. Beginning within verse 40, Jesus here explains the conditions of which society would be in at the last days—our time! People will be within the fields and at the mill, doing their normal work as they do each day. They will also be eating and drinking and marrying and doing all sorts of things. In other words, life will be just as normal as it every other day of the week for the world—just before the destruction comes. Famine, pestilences and military invasion will together then claim about two-thirds of the people of the modern Israelite nations (including the United States and Great Britain) (Ezekiel 5:12 which talks of our enslavement—will take the remaining third)!

 John 14:1-3: “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

 Here then, we need to ask: Where will Christ be?

 One of the great problems that those of the rapture teaching hold is that heaven is not, and has never been, the reward for them whom are saved! Jesus taught that “The meek shall inherit the earth”—Matthew 5:5. He was quoting Psalm 37:11, which tells us the exact same thing—the meek will truly inherit the earth—in other words, God’s people will be given the earth! Now add further that “And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we [true Christians] shall reign on the earth”—Revelation 5:10. These verses tell us plainly why Jesus said that “No man has ascended into heaven”—John 3:13. Yet, the rapture theorists never pause to consider these verses at all—they just go on seeking to use verses that do not even actually apply to the rapture, they take verses out of context! So then, not only are God’s people not raptured to heaven before Jesus Christ returns, but, they are literally never going there later. Furthermore, no one has ever ascended to heaven!

 Christ’s Second Coming in John 14 will be to the earth—not a secret coming! He will be here visibly. The word translated “mansions” means “rooms, abode or residence.” The Temple held rooms for different priests who had administered there. Different rooms had signified differing degrees of positions of authority that they held. Christ’s parable of the pounds (Luke 19:11-27), makes these positions over cities easy to understand. “Mansions” therefore refers to various degrees or offices—positions of authority that true Christians will enjoy.

 The many millions of people who worry about being raptured therefore have NO NEED to worry because the rapture will NOT happen!

 True salvation is greater than going to heaven! John 14 further goes on to reveal that, after Jesus Returns, His faithful saints will work under His rule as kings and priests. Just the truth of salvation—rulership over cities beside Jesus Christ here on this earth now—reduces the rapture to a theory of nothingness and therefore, the rapture theory loses credibility because the proof against the rapture theory has built up more!

 1 Corinthians 15:50-54: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, i show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 Here now is another passage which they will usually try to claim speaks of the rapture. Yet, there is no proof or indication anywhere here that there is a rapture! Notice the phrase “last trump.” This actually is referring to the seventh trumpet, which will announce Christ’s Return to the earth! This trumpet will sound an alarm so that the whole world will clearly hear! This last trumpet is referred to in Revelation 11:15 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16. It sends out a loud, piercing and reverberating sound that all people on earth will take notice to!

 Notice what we further read: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man [there is nothing secret here] coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet [this has to be the last], and they shall gather together His elect [God’s people] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”—Matthew 24:30-31. This also refers to the saints wherever they may be at the time, either buried in the grave or alive on earth. This becomes even more clearer!

 There is nothing secret which has been described! This trumpet will announce Jesus Christ’s Return and it was then that He will gather His people! At this point, His true servants will be changed then into immortal, spirit beings. This is the time of the first resurrection—the time when the righteous will be raised literally from the dead and be given spirit-born immortal lives! They first will meet Him in the clouds, not a rapture—not so that they can go to heaven, but so that they can return with Him to begin the Millennium—the one thousand year rule of the earth!

 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMP OF GOD: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

 Again, notice: where will the saints “be with the Lord”? Zechariah had said that “And [Christ’s] feet shall stand in that day [not seven years later] upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east…and the Lord my God shall come [recall further John 14], and all the saints with [Him]”—Zechariah 14:4-5.

 What then could be more plain and simple?

 When Jesus Christ returns, He will literally down on earth, visibly, on the Mount of Olives, and it will be announced by the seventh and last trumpet blast—which takes place at the END of the Tribulation—NOT at the beginning! There can only be ONE final trumpet—only one seventh trumpet—NOT two! To state that He will return secretly would indicate that if He did, then He would be doing so against His own word! If Christ returns to earth a third time, then there must be another seventh trumpet to blow, which would then make an eighth trumpet and then seventh and final trumpet would not be the final trumpet at all! See how ridiculous that the rapture theory is sounding? The rapture would be making Jesus Himself out to be a liar—and the author of confusion!

 After seeing through these texts, it is clear evidence that the Bible does not really support the rapture—thus, making the proof against the rapture instead of in favor! Thus the rapture is proven here to be false and a doctrine which is taking God’s Word out of context!

“Astrape” and “Parousia”

 In Revelation 1:16, we have being described the appearance of Jesus Christ as “the sun [that] shines in his strength.” This is bright! Jesus says of His own Second Coming that “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”—Matthew 24:27.

 There are two Greek words which we need to understand here! These are altered and misapplied by those teaching the rapture so that they can change the meaning of Jesus’ own words.

 First, lightning really comes to us from astrape which means “lightning, glare, bright shinging.” Would any then suggest that people could not see lightning taking place worldwide? Some do suggest that this is the case when Jesus Returns, even though it is foretold to be as a glare and a bright shining light that “comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west.”

 So then, the word “coming” is parousia which means “being near, coming, presence.” Rapture supporters all claim that this does not really mean “coming” and that it rather, means a “secret nearness” or “invisible presence.” This is very absurd given what we have read already in all the many passages we have looked at! This is clearly dishonest to say that the Scriptures suggest Christ’s Return be secret and that He never meant what He had said! Had He meant “secret nearness,” then He would have said so to His own disciples—and to all those who could read it afterward. Therefore, we are now seeing more false misinterpretations of the many rapture theorists!

 Then when we look at parousia, we find that it is used in many other scriptures such as Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Corinthians 15:23, 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:6-7, 10:10; Philippians 1:26, 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:15. In all of these various scriptures, they refer to the same exact meaning—not any sort of mysterious, invisible Return of Jesus Christ to rapture His people away, but rather, to a visible and literal Return to earth. The secret Return and rapture is all fiction, fantasy and a hoax! It may be real to those who invented, to the many authors and filmmakers who make money on it—but, it is NOT real to the Bible!

The REAL Second Coming—the Final Coming of Christ!

 As we have noticed, the rapture theory may have some truth—but that truth is mixed with great error, more error than there is truth! The difference between what God has said about the Return of Jesus Christ and what the rapture theorists say are two different things!

 Let’s remember that God’s Word reveals to us a real future that will include the fulfillment of the “abomination of desolation,” when the religious-political-economic-military power that aligns itself stops the daily sacrifices that will be taking place at the Temple in Jerusalem. This very destruction will be on of the two aspects of the sign for God’s own people to flee and go to the place of safety, again, as you are going to learn in much more detail in the next section of this booklet. Soon thereafter, the Tribulation will take place and the world will be caught off guard—to the complete surprise of all the world’s inhabitants will the Tribulation take place! They will not know what has started, they will be greatly shocked!

 This is further explained by Paul as we read that “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night”—1 Thessalonians 5:2. The apostle Peter also said that “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”—2 Peter 3:10.

 So then, with these two passages, do you really think that anyone is going to know what is happening? Do you really believe also then that there is going to be a “secret rapture” as we have been showing therefore in all the different passages we have looked at already? The plain truth is that those who teach the rapture are just purely misled!

 While no one actually knows when a thief is going to be breaking into their homes, then homeowners do know when he has entered in and they will usually do something about it. This worst time of trouble in the history of the world will last for three and one half years—the duration of the reign of the Beast and the False Prophet. No one will—or could—miss it!

 We further read that “Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him [again, a very visible Return of Jesus Christ]…and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him”—Revelation 1:7. So then, how can anyone miss this verse and not see clearly that Jesus Christ is going to Return very visibly? Yet, many have not paid attention to that very verse! It almost literally jumps off the page at a person! Jesus also has further confirmed in Acts 1:9-11 that He is going to return visibly!

 Sadly though, most people will not actually take the time to prove from their own Bibles in regards to the precious truth of all this! They rather choose to allow themselves to be deceived by false teachers and preachers!

 Let’s then go back to Matthew and see what more Jesus Christ has said. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn [this would be closely tied in with wailing], and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds [the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected—not raptured—from their own graves], from one end of heaven to the other”—Matthew 24:30-31. This then is literally hard to misinterpret! It tells us right plainly that Jesus Christ will return visibly—that there is nothing secret about it! He will return visibly and He will reign on earth for 1,000 years as He establishes with His people the Kingdom of God. This is plain to see when we really look at the truth behind the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

 You do not have to be misled by those false teachers of the rapture—you can know this plain truth! You can know that Jesus Christ has warned that “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets [what follows should wake a person up], and shall show you great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [God’s true people]. Behold, I have told you before [thus Christ repeated the warning]. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”—Matthew 24:23-27.

 All the various events of which will take place before Jesus Christ returns will be truly horrible to understand. How to get through them will be a great challenge for many—it begets great fear upon people. So, it is also natural to want to escape what is going to be happening. The rapture is merely a humanly devised traditional belief of “Christianity” that is just a real fable and a way for people to think that they will escape the Tribulation. The problem has always been that it does not in reality align itself with God’s Word!

 Jesus then warned that many false teachers will come to be. There will be great deception about His Second Coming along with other important doctrines and issues. Peter told us that “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables [Greek: a tale, fiction, myth], when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”—2 Peter 1:16—rather, the apostles and disciples have taught plainly what was going to actually take place, at no point have the ever said one word to deceive us!

 While this verse speaks of Christ’s First coming, it also talks to us of His Second Coming. The rapture is one of those myths and fables which has been invented to lead people astray and into a false hope of a false security—one which is debunked by Scriptures.

 The Bible has recorded for us that Jesus’ Second Coming is going to be a very visible and literal Return—it will not be a “secret” Second Coming. It will take place at the end of the three and a half years of Tribulation—the Great Tribulation—and the Day of the Lord (that last one year period of the three and a half years) will usher in Jesus Christ’s reign on earth as King for a thousand years!

 Jesus Christ built His own Church—the true Church of God—the ONLY Church with which actually keeps and understands all the true biblical doctrines such as the Sabbath, the Holy Days, the need to avoid the pagan holidays, and all other important doctrines which pertain to our understanding the truths of God. The people of this very Church have always understood the Bible—they are true students of the Bible and they understand God’s real promises for us and for the whole of the world!

 Therefore, the truth is this—YOU NEED to reject the rapture theory and accept the truths of God if you want to have real salvation!

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