The Curse of the Pre-Trib Rapture!
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by Paul Benson
Today the Church is being flooded with a tsunami of deception; and one of the greatest areas of false teaching is concerning the Return of our Lord Jesus to this world. It is the desire of the enemy of our souls that multitudes of Christians, seduced by deception, would enter the final 3 1/2 years of this age out of sync with God, and out from under his blessing, If you think this is not possible you are quite wrong; it is not only possible, this seduction is taking place right under our noses. A good many years have passed since the Lord opened my eyes to the fact the Resurrection of the Just, and our catching away, takes place at the Second Coming; and that the notion of a prior event called the Pre-tribulation Rapture is not correct doctrine. One of the most challenging aspects of teaching on this issue is to get folks to realize the enormous damage caused by embracing that error, and the great danger it presents to the end-time generation. Let me share with you some insights the Lord has given me concerning just how serious a matter this truly is. I have detailed in other writings some of the more often spoken of dangers connected with embracing the pre-trib rapture theory, and the damage it does. Such as: leaving folks unprepared spiritually and mentally to face what lies ahead, or the defiling nature of false teaching; and how words of error eat away at true faith (2Tim 2:17), and so on. But there has always been a nagging feeling in my spirit that there was so much more to this danger than I have been able to grasp and articulate. Knowing that great peril and persecution lies ahead for the followers of Christ, I have for some time been presenting myself before the Lord with this issue in mind; crying out from a heart burdened for the well being of the Body of Christ. Recently the Lord has been opening up to me a deeper understanding of the satanic nature of, and strategy behind, the pre-tribulation rapture teaching, And as I write these words I am asking God for the ability to effectively communicate what he is showing me. Many will not take kindly to what I say here. But they are words of truth. And you can mock me, get angry with me, or write me nasty comments and say whatever you choose; but one thing you will never be able to say is that I did not warn you! THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE
The Book of Revelation begins with the pronouncement of a blessing and ends with the pronouncement of a curse. For most of my life I acknowledged them both, as most others do, but saw no direct correlation between them. But now I understand there is a very specific vein of truth which ties this blessing and curse together; and that is the proper regard for, and preservation of, the Word of God. I had always considered the words of the blessing (they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things) in the sense of 'hear and obey', but that's not the proper rendering of the word keep. This word is one of those of which we have kind of lost touch with its proper meaning. Just as the word 'let' once meant restrain (as in 2Thess. 2:7) but now the English usage means allow; in our modern vernacular the word 'keep' would most often mean obey or hold on to, but in times gone by it had a more specific meaning of watching over and safeguarding (a 'keep' was a garrison or a fortress). With that understanding the words of Revelation 1:3 take on a fuller meaning.
With this additional light we can now clearly see the connection of the blessing to the curse. Whereas the blessing is for hearing, and also keeping / preserving the words of the prophesy; the curse is for hearing, and NOT doing so but instead adding to or stealing away from it, and thus doing injury to the prophesy. Before we delve into the ramifications of how this all applies to the pre-trib rapture doctrine let's take a look at another blessing / curse in the Word of God, and see how it has played out in the lives of God's people.
When Moses brought the people of God out of the wilderness, and they were about to enter into the land of promise, they paused there by the banks of the river Jordan and had a very serious chat. There were given to them by the Lord magnificent words of promise; a promise of blessing upon obedience, and also a promise of cursing upon disobedience (Deut. 27-29). These words were to be received and honored by the people, and set up as a standard to live by. The Blessing and the Curse were not to be taken lightly. The Lord was true to his words; and as the people of God moved into the promised land, and began to conquer and occupy the region, great fear and anxiety was upon those being bested by the armies under Joshua. And as we follow the narrative, as long as the Israelites obeyed God he blessed them, but when they strayed the curse was manifest. (SIDE NOTE; Previously the king of Moab had tried unsuccessfully to get Balaam the prophet to curse God's people; even offering him great reward for doing so. But Balaam refused and would only bless them (Numbers 22–24). But sadly we see later (Numbers 31:16, Revelation 2:14) Balaam gave in to the dark-side, and taught Balak how to get the blessing of God taken off of Israel. How? By getting them to move in disobedience to the commandments the Lord had given them. They sent whorish women among the men of Israel who seduced them into fornication and idolatry. The result was the blessing of God was lifted, and the people suffered greatly for it! Many lost their lives for moving in opposition to what God had spoken. God was teaching his people (even in the wilderness) about the notion of blessing and cursing. That God is the same God we serve today.) We see this promise of blessing and curse at work in the lives of God's people down through the centuries. When Jerusalem fell to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar it was once again God being faithful to his promises. What a horrible time of death, suffering, and bondage the disobedience of God's beloved Israel brought upon them. But it was exactly what God had said would befall them if they did not hearken to his words. That God is the same God we serve today. And once again in A.D. 70 the promise of blessing and cursing brought about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the deaths of well over a million Jews! But there was a remarkable aspect of this tragic time many are not aware of. History records that very few Christians, if any, were killed in that massacre! Those who took the words of Jesus seriously were forewarned by them and fled (Luke 21:20-22); and thereby escaped that destruction and carnage! Those who chose to give the words of Jesus proper regard, and move in accord with them, received great blessing for doing so. Those who disregarded his words did so to their own destruction. That God is the same God we serve today! Now let's go back to the promise of blessing and cursing found in the book of Revelation, and ask ourselves: 'are these words being given the proper regard by the believers of our generation?' THE TEMPORAL CURSE
As I have clearly shown in other writings the pre-trib rapture theory both adds to AND takes away from the Word of God in general, and the Book of Revelation in particular. The seriousness of this seems to escape those involved in the promotion of that falsehood; but I assure you it has not escaped the God who is absolutely faithful to the promises of his Holy Word. God does not lie; nor does he give idle threats. The curse as well as the blessing recorded in Revelation will without fail be visited upon those who qualify for each; just as assuredly as history shows the words of Deuteronomy 27-29 were faithfully fulfilled time and time again. Among other things the pre-trib theory adds another Coming of Jesus and another resurrection which are not native to the teachings of God's Word. In adding these elements they deceptively promise God's people they will not see the time of great tribulation. This perverting of the end-time narrative is a violation of the clear-cut warning NOT to add to this prophesy! Those who teach the pre-trib error will not only NOT escape that time but will enter it under a curse for violating that warning! The conditions of that curse will cause to come upon them the very plagues their false doctrine had them convinced they would never be around to see, let alone experience! If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: These words are not an idle threat. They are the promise of a God who cannot lie! Just as the enemy wanted Israel out from under the blessing of God as they entered in to occupy the promised land (so they would be vulnerable to attack), so Satan desires to remove the blessing off of God's chosen as they enter the final confrontation with him! This is the satanic scheme behind the pre-trib rapture doctrine. It is more than just an errant theory. It will curse you! It is a cunningly devised seduction designed to bring God's people into the time of great tribulation under a curse of disobedience (so they will be vulnerable to attack). Once again a large segment of God's people have been seduced into moving in opposition to what has been commanded them; and once again God will be faithful to his Word, and allow the promise of the curse to be manifested!
In examining this passage I notice two things relevant to this discussion;
SATAN'S WAR WITH THE SAINTS
Some questions need to be asked here: WHO gave Antichrist permission to war against the Body of Christ and (seemingly) overcome them during the tribulation, and more importantly: WHY? Could this have anything to do with the curse of Revelation 22? Does the Church 'give place' (Eph. 4:27) to the Devil by their lack of regard for the warnings against abusing God's Word? Have they set themselves up for a purging? Rapture theorists refuse to acknowledge the great tribulation as a time of sifting and purification for God's people, but the Scriptures clearly put forth that concept.
I have noted before that it is quite easy to discern in Daniel's writings two companies of believers in the time of tribulation. One a weak and faltering group being tried, sifted, and purified (of the which many will not endure to the end). The other a group full of wisdom and strength doing great things in the name of their God. Although not exempt from persecution, and quite likely to suffer martyrdom, they will be about the Fathers business; not desperately seeking 'lamp oil' they thought they'd never need. It is my sincere goal to be a part of that second group!
THE ETERNAL CURSE
As frightful as the first part of this curse is, the second part presents a horror almost beyond the grasp of the human mind. To have a part in the Book of Life and then to have your name taken out; all for the sin of 'taking away from the words of this prophesy'. To lose your eternal soul along with all the promise of inheritance provided us through the sacrifice of God's Son on that Cross. Words fail me here. What words could ever adequately describe such an eternal nightmare? Of all the ways the dispensational / pre-trib rapture theory takes away from the book of Revelation, let's look at just one. Those who teach that doctrine are telling the Body of Christ they will not be on earth to face the challenges involved in refusing the 'mark of the beast', and the horrible time of persecution to come as a result of Antichrist's war on the Saints. This literally rips a large chunk right out of the heart of the teachings of the book of Revelation! It is plainly a 'taking away from the words of this prophesy'. To tell the Church they will NOT face the 'Mark of the Beast' is a satanic deception! It astounds me that people could state such a thing with no fear of consequence. In doing so they endanger not only themselves, but also everyone they convince to embrace that error!
The serious nature of editing and altering the Words of the Holy Bible is why I harp on all the time about basing our beliefs only upon what we can find clearly and plainly written in its pages; not on hopeful theories and cunningly devised fables. The truths we are to believe and live by are plainly stated in the Scriptures with the safeguard of multiple witnesses. Doctrines based upon presupposition and implicit reference (like the pre-trib rapture theory) should be viewed as extremely dangerous, and given a wide berth. So there you have it. The curse associated with believing and promoting the Pre-Trib Rapture falsehood is a reality! But sadly, the thought of being cursed through deception will be pondered by only a meager portion of those who have been seduced by that deception; as they are convinced their fable is actually true. And they will disregard this warning. Such a thought will cause the proud to retort: 'That could never be me!' And they will disregard this warning. Such a thought will cause many others (deceived by yet another falsehood) to exclaim: 'That cannot happen! You cannot LOSE your salvation; we are sealed and secure!' And they will disregard this warning. But there it is in plain English: if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. The question now is: What are YOU going to do with those words? Will you give them the proper regard they deserve, or ignore them to your own peril?
BREAKING THE CURSE! If you cannot come to the place yet to embrace the truth that the Church is going through the time of great tribulation: PLEASE!, for your own sake, at least back off to a neutral position. Let your confession be something along the lines of: 'I'm not sure about these things' or 'I'm seeking for more light on this matter, and I don't know for sure what to believe or teach'. And ask the Lord to forgive and cleanse you for any error you have embraced or promoted. He will gladly do so (1John 1:9). That neutral position will not defile you and bring you under judgment for adding to or taking away from what the Bible teaches. It is a safe place where you can apply yourself to seek God, and the truth of his Word, on this most serious matter. If I can convince you to at least assume this safe position I will have made headway in regard to the main burden of my heart in writing these words; and that is seeing God's people removed from the danger of promoting that deceiving and damaging doctrine. Let's enter the final days of this age under the Blessing of God, and not under a Curse for failing to give his Word proper regard! The Curse of the Pre-Trib Rapture is real! PLEASE, do not fall victim to it. Yours in the love of Christ; Paul Benson This article is also a chapter from the book 'The Pre-Trib Rapture: A Bucket Full of Holes!' Available for FREE DOWNLOAD HERE. Additional resources: Let's Get It Right! category / The Rapture Theory Articles NOTE: The former Featured Sermon 'Go Up The Mountain' is still available HERE. |
SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR...
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