Futurism's Twisted And Corrupted Hope
George Burnside
"THE SECRET RAPTURE THEORY"
2 CORINTHIANS 2:17 "For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God." The great truth of our Lord's return illustrates the corruption in Christendom. Christ's promise "I will come again and receive you unto myself." (John 14:3) Is the Christian's hope.
TITUS 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." That hope is here called "That blessed hope." It is not only a "blessed hope” it is our only hope. (See "Why Jesus Must Return" by George Burnside.) without that hope, there is no hope.
On a tombstone in Brisbane, Queensland I read the following:
"All my hope lies buried here." It stated that four of his sons were killed in the war. His dog was buried with him. The inscription continued "When the Red Flag flies over the world, I shall not have lived in vain. There is no heaven. We shall not meet again. Make heaven here, and thou shall not have lived in vain.’
The devil hates and dreads Christ's return. He leads millions to deny it; others he inspires to ignore it; while other millions he has led to follow a corrupted theory of this greatest, most glorious of all events. Many corrupt the Word of God. Probably the most widespread corruption is the teaching on our Lord's return, so that at any moment Christ may come, the righteous are secretly caught up or raptured home to glory. Meanwhile the world goes on not knowing what has happened. Then follows the evangelism of the world by the Jews who have built the temple again in Jerusalem. All this takes place in three and a half years. Then with the rise of the Antichrist, persecution breaks out plus great tribulation for another three and a half years. In fact the whole of Revelation, from the beginning of chapter 4 to the end of chapter 19, takes place in this three and a half years period. This then is followed by the coming of Christ in glory.
Although this enemy-invented theory is today accepted by millions of professed "born again" believers, it is certainly not in harmony with "the Scripture of Truth” as we shall see.
In fact if you follow closely for the next few minutes you will see that a platform of truth is being laid that will not only sweep away this corrupt theory, but also will wipe out just about every false theory that has ever been invented, that attacks this glorious theme, Our Lord's Return.
Note carefully:-
JOHN 6:39 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
JOHN 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which sees the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
JOHN 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
JOHN 6:54 "Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Our Lord clearly states and emphasizes by reputation that when He comes again and raises the righteous dead it will be "the last day."
This fact Christ repeats four times in this chapter. Now when does Christ raise the righteous dead? Again we have the clear statement of Scripture.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16, 17 Christ raises the righteous dead – “The dead in Christ" when He comes again - When "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." This is when the living saints - "we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air." This our Lord clearly emphasized would be on "the last day." As it is “the last day," no three and a half years of Jewish evangelism will follow, nor tribulation of Antichrist with his three and a half years of "great tribulation."
The coming of Christ and the resurrection of "the dead in Christ" and the catching up of Christ's living saints will be at the termination of human history. Our Savior said it would be the "last day." It would be "the end of the world." This the disciples new. For to the disciples "the end of the world" and Christ's return were one and the same. They linked them together.
MATTHEW 24:3 "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Not only do these clear statements from the Bible wipe out for ever the Secret Rapture heresy. Christ in Matthew 24 - which is the greatest statement ever penned on our Lord's Return - outlines the order of events. This too refutes the soul deceiving theory of a secret rapture. Note again the clear facts stated by our Lord.
MATTHEW 24:30, 31 "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 coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
The gathering of the elect follows the appearing of Christ. Therefore there is not “a secret rapture" of the saints followed seven years later by Christ's appearance at His glorious return as taught by Futurism. The order of events as outlined by Christ is:-
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16, 17 "The Lord Himself" comes "with a “shout,” with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God." This is when "the rapture" or "caught up” takes place. There will be a rapture of those in Christ but not a secret, silent rapture. Christ Himself refutes the secret rapture theory. He reverses the order of Futurist’s "corrupt" teaching.
MARK 13:30 Christ again gave the same order.
The notes on Matthew 13:30, in the Schofield Reference Bible states. "The gathering of the tares are set apart for burning, but first the wheat is gathered."
Christ said, "Gather ye together first the tares" but Schofield says "first the wheat is gathered. Thus they go deliberately contrary to Christ's statement.
They wrest the Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16). The wresting of God's unerring Word has led many into dangerous errors.
MATTHEW 24:29 "The tribulation" precedes the coming of Christ, for after the tribulation Christ said "then shall appear" our wonderful Lord, to gather His people.
MATTHEW 24:31. The "secret rapture" teaching claims the tribulation follows the secret*silent catching away of the saints. Thus again the teachings of Christ are reversed.
REVELATION 22:11 Here the day of mercy or close of probation takes place for all. The day of salvation closes. The unjust remain unjust. Thus there will be no more conversions after this final decree goes forth. NO Jewish evangelism of the world. "Now is the day of salvation: not after "the rapture.
REVELATION 22:12 "Behold I come quickly." Therefore just a little while before the actual coming of Christ the day of Salvation ends. The "secret rapture" theory is that salvation is still available after Christ comes. Of all dangerous theories and their name in legion, the most dangerous of all is that which teaches a future probation after our Lord's coming. There is no place for the "secret rapture" theory in the teaching of our Lord.
MATTHEW 25:31 "All the holy angels will accompany our Lord. Matthew 16:27
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7 He comes with "His mighty Angels." What a galaxy of glory! Not merely of the unnumbered host of the angels, but also of Christ in "his own glory" and also of "His Fathers". What a scene! What a day! What a pageant of unparalleled glory. This is no secret silent coming. When our Redeemer returns it will not be as at Bethlehem, in secret or in a corner. To limit our Lords appearance in any way is to invite error and deception.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:2 "As a thief"
Thousands of robberies are anything but silent or secret, but they all aim at being unexpected. The advent of Christ will not be as a thief who creeps quietly in, afraid of being discovered. But suddenly, unexpected “as a thief."
LUKE 13:36 "Lest coming suddenly.”
LUKE 21:34 "So that day come upon you unawares."
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3 "Then sudden destruction cometh upon them. Therefore “as a thief" is to illustrate suddenness not secrecy.
"Therefore" Christ admonishes, "if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold He is in the secret chamber; believe it not, For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:26, 27.
PSALMS 50:3"Our God shall come and shall not keep silence."
PSALMS 50:4, 5 "Gather my Saints together unto Me." Thus when the saints are gathered at our Lord's return He will not be silent. There is no secret rapture here or elsewhere in Scripture.
MATTHEW 24:23-27 Christ's strong warning should be heeded regarding a secret coming. "Believe it not" He commanded. May we therefore never believe this dangerous theory.
So to sum up the psalmist says, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence." Psalm 50:3. Noise, extraordinary noise, usually attracts attention. Jesus said that when He comes the second time it will be "with a great sound of a trumpet." Matthew 24:31. Paul declared, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thessalonians 4:16. And to the church at Corinth he wrote that "the trumpet shall sound" at that day when the righteous dead shall arise at the second coming. 1 Corinthians 15:52.
Not only will the inhabitants of the earth hear this “great noise" (2 Peter 3:10), but they shall see Jesus with all the angels in the clouds above. Note the following Scriptures, which prove that the peoples of the earth in general, as well as those who will be translated, will see Him when He comes the second time. "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." Revelation 1:7. "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 coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:30. "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Mark 13:26, It can be said without the least fear of contradiction that there is not an inference in all the Bible which says the second coming of Christ will be in any sense secret, or a "rapture" that will "catch up the church" while the rest of the world is neither seeing nor hearing anything. Instead, the return of Jesus will arouse and astound all the world.
In Matthew 24:23-27 Jesus forewarned of the doctrine of a secret coming, and said, "Believe it not." How tragic that the majority of those who teach the second coming of Christ keep talking about a "secret rapture" that will "catch away the bride" and that this event will be unrecognized until certain ones here and there are missing. In addition to this, it is taught that those who are left will still have an opportunity to be saved. We will give special attention to this claim in another article. In the meantime those who teach this would do well to study the parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins in the parable found in Matthew 25.
When Jesus ascended, He went to heaven with a visible, physical body. To His disciples, after His resurrection, He said, "Behold My hands and My feet," and then insisted, "Handle Me." Luke 24:29. Describing the ascension, Luke says, "He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." Luke 24:50, 51. In heaven today, Jesus Is still "the Son of man." Stephen when permitted to see Him after His ascension said, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Acts 7:56. And when He comes the second time, it will be "the Son of man" whom "they shall see." In proof of this we quote. "Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:27. While Jesus was on earth, He was "not yet glorified." John 7:39. But In Acts 3:13 Peter declared that God "hath glorified His Son Jesus;" and when He comes the second time, He will come in His glorified human body, for "the Son of man shall come in His glory." Matthew 25:31. This again offsets all claims of a secret coming or a secret "rapture." The promise of the angels on ascension day was, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11. They saw Jesus going away visibly and with a physical body, and He shall so come when He returns.
WHAT A DAY!
Someday, and soon, a new and awesome spectacle will be seen in the skies. The King will travel in the greatness of His strength. The wide-spreading heavens will open. Clothed in all the dignity and majesty which become Him who presides over the universe and upholds all things by the word of His power, comes out of the heavens, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
His brightness surpasses the glory of the blazing sun it noonday. The shadows depart. The light of His presence dispels the darkness. The great Captain of salvation, His eyes like a flame of fire, marshals the hosts of the Lord. The armies of heaven follow Him, clothed in spotless white.
Down the pathway of the glory-gilded skies the great King eternal will come, His face shining as the sun in his strength, His form clothed with the glory and radiance of heavenly majesty, His voice as the sound of many waters, His head crowned with a halo before which the sun pales, His flowing robes more colorful and beautiful than the rainbow. He comes with clouds, clouds of myriads and myriads of angels - the immortal Conqueror, the eternal King, comes to take to Himself His own. In a manner entirely befitting Him as Creator, Redeemer, Prophet, Priest, and King, He will be accompanied by a splendid retinue of shining seraphim. These brilliant bands will fill the glory-flashing skies from end to end.
How magnificent beyond all human description will be the advancing pageantry of the skies! How sublime beyond all human comprehension will be the Lord Jesus when He "shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels."