Errors of Rapture Doctrine and the Left Behind Books of Fiction
I Corinthians (15:50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
True believers know that the Kingdom of God has come and that it dwells within us here on earth. We know that this Kingdom of God that dwells here in us will come to an end, as we know it.
When we sleep, or die laying down our earthy tabernacle, and go with the Lord Jesus the Kingdoms of this world are delivered up to our heavenly father. At that time God will become all in all. Paul teaches us this mystery as to how the body of Christ Jesus becomes one.
During our time here we are raised through the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which is the word that brings growth and life to us. We are raised and grow into trees that produce fruit unto God until the final harvest comes. This can take place at our natural death when we will sleep in the Lord or at his final coming when the ones that are still alive will be changed.
I Corinthians (15:51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Apostle Paul gives us revelation of how at the final coming of the Lord Jesus we all become one glorified body in Jesus Christ. The promise is that we will not all be asleep or be dead mortally but when the Lord’s final coming comes we will ALL be changed.
I Corinthians (15:52) 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.
This verse makes it plain that we will all be changed at the last trump. The ones that sleep or that has already died in the flesh stand in their glorified bodies. When we get to Thessalonians it will clarify this statement.
Remember at the last trump everything is finished.
(Rev 11:15 KJV) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
(I Corinthians 15:53 KJV) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
The corruptible carnal mind must be replaced by the perfect incorruptible mind of Christ Jesus our Lord. The spiritual body of the New Adam will replace the mortal body of earth or dust.
I Corinthians (15:54) 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.
When we have put on the Lord Jesus completely and have been recreated through the word of God then we are resurrected and death, which is sin has ceased to exist in us. Then sin or death is swallowed up through the word, which is Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus Christ gives us victory over sin or death.
I Corinthians (15:55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
When sin, which is death, is destroyed in us through Jesus our Lord then sin has no sting or hurt over us. We were dead in sin and in our graves, but the dead bones that we were full of have been made alive and received the spirit of God. New flesh has come upon them, which is the flesh of Christ Jesus; this flesh is the glorified flesh of our Lord.
(Eph 5:30 KJV) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
The Pharisees were walking graves. We also were dead while we walked upon our feet. We were dead in our sins but now have been made alive in Christ Jesus.
(Mat 23:27 KJV) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
(Col 2:13 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
Israel had become a valley of dead bones as Ezekiel foreseen. They had become religious and holy in their own eyes. In reality, in God’s eyes, they had become walking graves. They had become a valley of dry dead bones.
A great deal of what the rapture doctrine teaches comes from the First Book of Thessalonians Chapter Four. What must be done in order to understand this chapter is for one to read it for what it states verse by verse. We must not see it through the eyes and hear it through the ears of the false teachers. They do not interpret it for what it truly states.
We will take the scriptures that they use to teach the rapture but we will state it verse by verse by what it truly states. We will start with the thirtieth verse of Chapter Four.
(1 Th 4:13 KJV) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Paul always wants to impart revelation unto the saints about issues that the false teachers are ignorant about. Verse thirteen wants to reveal knowledge concerning the saints that are asleep or already mortally dead.
(1 Th 4:14 KJV) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Paul is saying the saints that have already died are going to come with Jesus Christ when he comes. These saints have already been changed and have received their glorified bodies. The Lord Jesus will plainly bring the ones that have died or laid down the earthy body with him.
Paul also reinforces this same knowledge about the Saints of God coming with Jesus Christ in the Third Chapter of the First Book of Thessalonians.
(1 Th 3:13 KJV) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Paul plainly and without doubt states that when Jesus Christ comes that he is going to return with ALL of his saints. They will not come out of any grave here on earth.
(1 Th 4:15 KJV) 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.
The ones that are alive will not keep the Lord from bringing these saints that have laid down the mortal body with him. These saints have now received their glorified bodies. This scripture is backed up by what was prophesied by Enoch.
(Jude 1:14 KJV) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.
It is plain to see that these saints are coming with the Lord Jesus and are not coming up out of any graves. When we die we go to be with the Lord Jesus, we are not in the grave. Only the mortal body or Tabernacle of earth that will return to dust is placed into the grave.
The ones that sleep in the Lord are the same ones that are dead in Christ Jesus. They are out of our presence and deceased from our world. They, being with the Lord, are alive in the spirit and have received their glorified bodies.
Sleep - 2837. koimao, koy-mah'-o; from G2749; to put to sleep, i.e. (pass. or reflex.) to slumber; fig. to decease:--(be a-, fall a-, fall on) sleep, be dead.
(1 Th 4:16 KJV) 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:
At the final coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the last trump the ones that come with the Lord or that are dead in Christ Jesus will stand up or rise and declare the glory of God. Look at what the Greek definition of rise means.
RISE - 450. anistemi, an-is'-tay-mee; from G303 and G2476; to stand up (lit. or fig., trans. or intrans.):--arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up (-right).
When I state for everyone to rise when we pray does not mean to go flying through the air. Neither does it mean in verse sixteen of Thessalonians that anyone is coming out of any grave to fly through the air.
The saints that are dead in Christ Jesus rise or stand in their glorified bodies before the ones that are alive or still in their mortal bodies. When the mortal are changed they receive their glorified bodies. Remember it plainly states that these dead ones or the ones that sleep in Christ Jesus are coming with him. These saints are clouds of glory.
(Rev 1:7 KJV) Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
(1 Th 4:17 KJV) 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.
We that are alive shall be changed and receive our glorified bodies and join the ones that come with Jesus and that are standing in their glorified bodies. To be caught up in the clouds does not mean the natural clouds. The saints are the clouds of glory. Carnal minds do not understand spiritual things.
As there are clouds with water there are carnal clouds without water.
(Jude 1:12 KJV) These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Cloud - 6049. 'anan, aw-nan'; a prim. root; to cover; used only as denom. from H6051, to cloud over;
I will address the clouds in another writing.
(1 Th 4:18 KJV) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Praise God! This should comfort every saint that knows what is in store for them. When we die the mortal death we go to be with the Lord. We are dead to the world but alive in Christ Jesus.
Paul states:
(Phil 1:23 KJV) For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
(2 Cor 5:6 KJV) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (2 Cor 5:7 KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2 Cor 5:8 KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Paul makes it plain to be absent from the mortal body means to be present with the Lord Jesus in the spiritual body. We know that when our spirit leaves our body that it returns unto the creator.
These are words of comfort at the mortal death of a loved one. Saints know that the mortal death of a beloved saint is only the beginning of eternal life in the spiritual body for that beloved saint.
We know that the saints that die in the Lord are with the Lord Jesus and not in the grave. We receive a glorified body. We will never return to the mortal body that was placed into the earth.
(Eccl 12:7 KJV) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
When people go to funerals the preachers preach that the love one has gone to be with the Lord Jesus. They preach the love one is not laying in the casket and will not be in the grave. They nullify this preaching when they say these dead will be raised out of their natural graves during the first resurrection or second coming of Christ Jesus.
Paul makes it very plain that when we die we go then to be with the Lord Jesus.
In the Book of Thessalonians Paul is talking about what will take place during the finished or first resurrection of Christ Jesus. There is one thing that we are assured of and that is that we will all be changed. Every saint will not be mortally dead or asleep at the coming of the Lord Jesus but all will surly be changed.
(1 Cor 15:51 KJV) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Other scriptures that are used by the ones that preach the rapture are in these verses.
(Mat 24:37 KJV) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
This is a warning unto all that no one knows when the Lord God is going to come for him or her. Everyone is suppose to watch at all times for no one knows when the Lord is going to come for them. In the last two thousand years God has taken millions of mortal lives. Millions have been taken by surprise not having any idea that it would be their last day alive.
(Mat 24:38 KJV) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
These things have been taking place for thousands of years. Many that have been feasting, drinking, and partying were killed and taken in that state of sin.
(Mat 24:39 KJV) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Many die not expecting death at that time. God can come for anyone at anytime. No one knows in what hour that the Lord may come for him or her.
(Mat 24:40 KJV) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Two can be working side by side one can mortally die and one will be left mortally alive. People die at different times. Some married couples have been in bed sleeping and one has died and been taken, but the other remained alive.
(Mat 24:41 KJV) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
When Katrina hit and in many other situations some lived and some died. No one knows when the Lord will come for them. Also no one knows when his final coming will be.
(Mat 24:42 KJV) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
This verse speaks to everyone that we are to watch because no one knows when the Lord will come for them. He can come for us on any day and at anytime. When it states, “YE” it means you.
Many Christians are not aware that the rapture was not mentioned in any Christian writings until after 1830 A.D. In the year 1830 Miss Margaret Macdonald that lived in Scotland had spiritual visions and from these visions the rapture doctrine was developed. The rapture doctrine has only been preached for around 177 years before that it never existed. It still does not exist in the Word of God.
The writers of the book, “LEFT BEHIND,” plainly state that it is fictional doctrine. It truly is antichrist doctrine and has deceived many. These false prophets of Baal have made millions of dollars in the sell of these lying books.
The Lord Jesus has not changed his mind. There will always be saints here upon the earth to preach to the unbelievers until the final coming of the Lord. Jesus never prayed for the saints to be taken out of the world but to be kept from the evil of it. The Lord has not changed his mind by inventing any rapture that will leave ones left behind.
(John 17:15 KJV) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
daniel
