Dear Editor,
I would like to express my opinion on false doctrine taught in most churches. All denominations have their doctrine and that doctrine makes the true church in their eyes. The word “rapture” does not appear in any Bible dictionary that I have and is not in any of my Bibles, neither is it in my concordance. The rapture doctrine is not mentioned in any early church writings until after 1830 A.D. Though a sentence in Pseudo-Dionysius in the 500 C.E. could be interpreted so. No early writers nor preachers taught this doctrine until after 1830 A.D. If this doctrine was true the early writers would have wrote about this.
Origin of the word “rapture” shows this doctrine came by Margaret McDonald of Scotland who was sick and supposedly had a vision concerning his return in two stages, a first and second advent. The first to get the elect before tribulation and the second to get those alive and saved at his final coming along with the saved dead. Scripture teaches it is appointed once to die and then the resurrection.
The first to die will be the last to be resurrected and those who are alive at the end, will be changed into their mortal bodies before the first to die are resurrected. After resiting in the grave knowing nothing, one is resurrected in the blink of an eye to be with the Messiah. Rev. C.I. Scofield and a Presbyterian minister by the name of Edward Irving and Darby are the individuals responsible for this doctrine and all the Holiness church movements that began around 1700 A.D. The Bible taught men years ago that the Rapture doctrine was false. I left the assembly years ago to study for myself and believe in Yahusha Messiah, the Hebrew.
Gary Selph
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 ye may be also. (John 14:1-3 (KJV))
It takes a lot of work to twist and pervert this Divine proclamation from our "great God and Savior, Jesus Christ", but some manage to do
it. I guess now they will try to tell us that HE did not know what He was talking about?
"The LORD Himself shall descend from heaven..."
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Even so, come LORD JESUS!
Brett Jones
2 Peter/Kepha 3:15-17 "...as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, IN WHICH SOME ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, which those who are untaught and unstable TWIST to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures..."
Well, there you go again...
Have we not crossed this bridge before? The Apostle Paul preached on every day of the week. Sure, he preached on Saturday, who would not, if they had an opportunity to proclaim the wonderful Gospel of Christ to their own countrymen?
The fact of the matter is that the early church met on the LORD'S Day, Sunday, the day our Savior arose from the dead. Note: John 20:1 "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. (19) Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20 (KJV)
Acts 20:7 "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (KJV)
While believers today are not under the Law of Moses (Acts 15), nine of the ten commandments are found in the Law of Christ. The LORD certainly does not want His children to "lie, steal, or commit adultery and we are to love the LORD and our neighbor too, but the ONE command NEVER given to the believer in Christ Jesus following His resurrection is to "keep the Sabbath." IT IS NOT TO BE FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES.
Those who would like to make it mandatory on the children of God today have NO SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT to do so, in fact, the Apostle Paul states that believers should never allow them to do so.
Note Colossians 2:16 "So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ. Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.
So, then, if with Christ you've put all that pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? "Don't touch this! Don't taste that! Don't go near this!" Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic. But they're just another way of showing off, making yourselves look important. (MSG)
The fact that the Scripture declares that the "Law" was given to Israel, "Christ is the end of the Law to everyone that believes"; "believers are said to be not under the Law" ; that the Law was a tutor to bring us to Christ" and "after faith is come we are no longer under a tutor"; means nothing to those that place themselves above the Word of God.
They quote the Apostle Paul but refuse to acknowledge His teachings on the matter. Paul dealt with men who wanted to put God's children back under the Law of Moses and enslave them to man made rules and imposed Sabbath keeping. He denounced them, He even rebuked the Apostle Peter for waffling on the issue in Antioch. Consider his concluding words in Galatians 6:11 Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Galatians 6:11-14 (MSG)
Friends, the LORD has called us to live by faith....not the Law of Moses. How can this simple fact of Scripture be so very hard for some to understand?
"THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH"
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Concerning the LORD'S burial, there is no scriptural mandate that He had to be in the grave for exactly 72 hours. While some want to make that stipulation, the Scripture certainly does not. Good men differ on the day of Christ Jesus' crucifixion, but no one who holds to the authority of Scripture denies He arose on Sunday.
The rules of grammar do not mandate that a stop watch be used for the time Jonah was in the great fish, nor for the Lord to be in the tomb. If one wants to believe it, they certainly can. On issues like this, two can agree to disagree, agreeably.
The real issue is JESUS, His death, burial and resurrection! Those who make HIM the focus and subject of their message, faith and life will not chase dead end roads back into the Sinai desert.
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (KJV)
Personally, I have no one and nothing to brag about but JESUS! "WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN!"
"Let those who glory, glory in the LORD JESUS."
Sincerely, Brett Jones
The Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. While the word "rapture" is not in the Bible, it is certainly a biblical doctrine supported by numerous passages including this text in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
"And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master's word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18 (MSG))
One can call it what they want but the LORD JESUS will summon His "bride" the church home to heaven from the air and believers in Christ Jesus will be "caught up together to meet Him in the air"
In light of this great truth remember the Lord Jesus' words on the eve of His crucifixion.
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 ye may be also. (John 14:1-3 (KJV))
Friends, there is only ONE way to heaven, the LORD Jesus Christ. He died for ous sins on the cross of Calvary. He paid our penalty which is death, and rose again bodily from the grace. He alone can forgive us of our sin and make us the children of God. See John 1:10-13; 3:16-18; 20:30-31.
Those who refuse to see the great differences between "Israel" and the "bride of Christ, the church" will be confusing and confused concerning God's great plans and programs for the two groups.
"Even so, come LORD JESUS"
Brett Jones