A Coming Delusion? Imminent Return", A Secret Rapture - 10 A

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1 A Coming Delusion? Imminent Return", A Secret Rapture - 10 A The imminent return of Christ coming back "in the clouds" at "any moment" is a doctrine has been supported and taught since about This is when the Wescott-Hort Greek text was published by members of the Catholic Church. This is a belief that Christ could return before the seven years of tribulation begins and a "secret" rapture of living born again believers will occur. This is called the "pre-tribulation coming of Christ". The "post tribulation rapture" and Resurrection of the saints teaches that "this will happen" near the very end of seven years of tribulation and it is not a secret. The mid-tribulation rapture is a 3rd position and is supported by a large following. It is to occur at the end of the first 42 months or "middle" of the 7 years of tribulation. The Bible teaches the mid-tribulation rapture and Resurrection. I hold to the mid-tribulation rapture of the living Saints and the bodily resurrection of the deceased Saints from "their graves". This "catching up" or rapture of the living "Saints" and bodily resurrection of saints in the graves will both occur at the same moment, after 42 months from the beginning of the 7 years of tribulation. This is when the 2 witnesses who have been performing supernatural miracles have been murdered and resurrected after 3 1/2 days and are seen walking in the streets of Jerusalem. Revelation 11 is a complete description of this scenario. The Second Coming of Jesus 1. Speaking about his second coming Jesus said, and "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a "trumpet" and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Matthew 24:31 2. Paul speaking about Jesus second coming said, "for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the "trumpet" of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first [as soon as you die] then we which are alive and "remain"[until the middle of the 7years tribulation], shall be "caught up together with them in the clouds" Rev 11:11, to meet the "Lord in the air", so shall we ever be with the Lord". 1st Thessalonians 4: Paul also continued speaking 1st Cor. 15:52 and said, "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 and this is also called "the" blessed hope" or the rapture in Titus 2:13. Christ s Second Coming The Resurrection and the Rapture I believe the timing of this event and the gathering together of the living and dead saints, occur at the middle of the tribulation because the Father is having a wedding ceremony for his son, Jesus, in heaven. This wedding ceremony is described in Matthew 22

2 and is the heart of God's reason for creating this planet or a wedding for his son. Jesus says in Luke 12:32 and 35-40, that "we the believers", the saints, or the church are to wait for his "return", for the "wedding supper" which takes place 42 months later at the end of the tribulation, spoken of in Revelation 19. The wedding ceremony must take place before the bride sits down at the wedding supper. This has been the tradition of the Jewish remnant since Abraham's day. This wedding supper occurs at the end of the seven years of tribulation, at the end of the battle of Armageddon, in Revelation 16: Why? Jesus says, "Behold I come as a thief:" Rev 16:15. This is the seventh time that Jesus made this statement in the New Testament. The number 7 stands for completion and for Christ to complete his plan he must return as a thief to destroy", as spoken of in John 10:10, 1st Thess 5:4, and in Daniel 9: If Jesus waits any longer, he would be breaking the Word of God, that Christ must return to destroy at the "end" of seven years of tribulation. John writes the description of the rapture at the battle of Armageddon "The sixth angel poured out his vile upon the great river Euphrates That the way of the kings of the East might be prepared to the battle of that Great day of God Almighty, "behold I come as a thief", Revelation 16: Jesus proclaims this warning, seven times in the New Testament. Then he says "and blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, Luke 12: 37,39, Matthew 12:43. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon there was great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth the cities of the nations fell every island fled away and the mountains were not found", a virtual meltdown. Why do I believe in the "mid tribulation theory" and that Jews and Gentile believers will be present on the earth, and go through most of the seven years of tribulation? The answer is shown in the rest of the article. The History of the Pre-tribulation Rapture Movement, and the Great Delusion- 2nd Thessalonians 2:11 Paul writes about the "great delusion" that is coming on the whole earth, where men will worship the Beast and believe he is Christ Jesus that has returned. Paul says, "I beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that you be not shaken or troubled. That the "day of Christ" is at hand. Let no man deceive you For except there come a falling away first and the "man of sin be revealed" the son of perdition Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God So that he as God "sits" in the Temple of God showing himself that he is God After the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders God will send them a "strong delusion" that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth." Christ cannot come back to earth until the new third Temple has been constructed and the false Messiah sits in the Temple and offers an abominable sacrifice.

3 Did this confusion of the pre-tribulation rapture movement begin with an esoteric vision of a young teenage girl named Margaret MacDonell in the 1800s? It has been reported that Margaret MacDonell, a young 15-year-old girl that lived in Scotland with her family was connected to various cultic religious beliefs. Her family had ties to the esoteric Knights of Templar, which also had connections to the Jesuit Catholic Church and their teachings. Margaret had a lengthy heavenly vision where she claimed she saw Jesus coming from heaven through the clouds and calling or rapturing the bride of Christ off the earth to heaven's glory. This heavenly vision and story was spread throughout much of the Christian world in Britain where she shared her spiritual ideas with Mr. Manuel Lucunzo and he included this information in his 500 page book. Mr. Manuel Lucunzo was a Jewish Catholic believer priest in the 1800s and his book contained his personal beliefs and doctrinal ideas about a pre-tribulation rapture. This rapture of living Saints could occur at any moment of time before the great tribulation. This book was circulated throughout the Christian world and had a great impact on the teaching of the pre-tribulation movement. John Darby, a Christian evangelist who was baptized as a young boy in March 1801, was preparing for the Christian ministry. He attended, studied and graduated from the Royal College of St. Peter, at the Westminster school of London, in He studied science at Oxford University in 1819 and also entered the Bar of law in Darby's family was very wealthy and provided money for his travels around the world. Darby was injured in a horse riding accident and convalesced in Susanna Pennegram s house for about three months. While Darby was convalescing, John G Bellet, a clergyman visited him and influenced him in his doctrinal position to believe in the pre-tribulation rapture theory. At about the same time a traveling evangelist named Edward Irvine also was exposed and influenced by this same heavenly vision of Margaret MacDonell that was spreading in Britain and the United States and he shared his beliefs with John Darby. Richard Graves a clergyman was a personal tutor to Darby and had influenced him in his doctrinal position which includes a pre-tribulation rapture. John Darby's teaching on the pre-tribulation rapture was spread throughout the Christian world because as a worldwide evangelist, he had a great influence over the people's encounter with Christ. This pre-tribulation rapture taught the imminent return of Christ and that It could occur at any moment to the elect body of believers. They based their beliefs on Paul's writing in first Thessalonians 4:16-17, about being "caught up" to meet Christ in the air. C. I. Scofield, became a major player in world affairs after spending about two years in prison for being convicted of the crime of fraud and being a swindler. During his time in prison, a women's group led him to become a Christian. Scofield studied law and was admitted to the bar.one of Dwight L Moody's churches that had been taught about a pre-tribulation rapture theory was given to Scofield to pastor. The church had an unusual

4 growth in attendance while he was there leader. While he was a clergyman, he attended the Niagara Bible conference where he met Moody, Darby and many other pastors. Dwight L. Moody, John Darby, and CI Scofield became the progenitors of the pre-tribulation movement. Scofield was writing and translating a new Bible and this became a very important part of his career in some of the Christian countries. Scofield came in contact with the Rothschilds and was given a job working in the banking cartel. He was given a membership to the famous elite "Lotus" club, where he engaged in business deals with the Rothschilds. They needed CI Scofield's outstanding leadership. as well as the influence of many of the famous presidents of the United States. The Zionist movement was just getting started in the early 1900s and this included the rich and famous millionaires. Many of the elite politicians and religious clergyman around the world in every country became part of the sacred secret Masonic order. The leadership of all the Christian churches worldwide including Baptist, Methodists, Catholics and Protestants were engaged in becoming Masonic and spreading this NWO movement and pre-tribulation doctrine. This Masonic order included all of the clergymen, politicians and presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama. A main part of their Zionistic goal was to develop a new government that would take control and rule the whole earth. The information for the history in this article and for the development of the pre-tribulation and imminent return of Christ theory was provided by the meticulous research of Dave McPherson in his book entitled "The Rapture Plot". It was copyrighted in 2005 Who are the "saints" in the book of Revelation? The word "saints" appear in the book of Revelation 13 times after Rev 4:4, when many modern scholars have been writing for 200 years that the Christian Church or body of believers has been raptured off the earth. This pre-tribulation theory states that born-again Christians are raptured and will miss the tribulation altogether. Many famous television personalities have been preaching this pre-tribulation doctrine around the world for many years. It has been taught to millions of Catholics, Baptists, and Protestant church members giving them a false hope. It will come crashing down in reality, in the years to come. This seven years of tribulation teaching, comes from Daniel 9:26-:27, where Daniel prophetically says, that there are seven years or one week of years left or the 7 years of tribulation, that will remain on God's prophetic timetable. Israel must painfully, go through, this time of trouble, called Jacobs trouble in Jeremiah 30:7, to complete Gods judgment on the whole world.. Since Daniel s prophecy about Jesus Christ's first coming and his crucifixion on the

5 cross were exactly fulfilled at his birth and in his death in 32 AD, it adds a tremendous amount of weight to the accuracy of his prophetic thoughts. Since this seven year plan is a Jewish prophecy concerning Israel s' judgment, many pre-tribulation teachers believe the seven years of tribulation only affect Israel, not the Gentile church of believers. and therefore, all the church will be removed. Therefore, the Pre-tribulation believers teach that the "saints" found in the book Revelation are all Jewish and are not the Gentile church because the Gentile church has been rapture to heaven. However, if they are both Jew and Gentile believers, it would be understood that there is not a pre-tribulation rapture of the church and therefore everyone, Jew and Gentile must go through the tribulation together. This would be until the end of seven years or close to it. This is called the post tribulation doctrine.. What are the historical facts that show that the "saints" mentioned in the book of Revelation 13 times, are both Jew and Gentile believers? Law of Continuity The "law of Continuity" is a proof that demonstrates that these "saints" referred to in Revelation 13 times, are part of the "same body" of the Jewish believers of the Old Testament. The saints found in Revelation during the tribulation is a continuation of the saints found in the Old Testament and they are both joined together as one body of believers. These Saints found in Revelation are called by the same names as Saints found in the Old Testament. These Saints in both old and New Testament are called "the assembly, the congregation, or the church". These 3 names are recorded about, a hundred times in the Hebrew Septuagint translation of the Old Testament Scripture. The Historical records from 100 AD to 350 AD state that the early church fathers such as Justin Martyr of the second century and Tertullian, taught the "post" tribulation rapture theory of Revelation. This post tribulation doctrine was taught firmly until the 1800s. Jews and Gentiles share the glory in the new holy city coming down from heaven 1. There is ample evidence that show the "saints" in the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven in Revelation at the end of the millennial kingdom are made up of Jews and Gentiles and are "blended" together as "one" people. John says in Revelation 21:12, and describes the holy city coming down from heaven and that in the gates were the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel and in 21:14, he says that in the wall of the city, there are 12 foundations and in them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. This indicates the church and Abraham's children are blended together as "one" body or the church. Gentiles are grafted into the true vine called Israel

6 2. The church or the true believers in Jesus Christ are the ones that are grafted into the true olive vine or Israel. In Jeremiah 31:31, God promises a "new covenant" which will be given to Israel in the future after 600 BC. This new covenant came when Jesus died on the cross and said "it is finished" and when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and started the Gentile church or body of Christ. Paul writes concerning the Gentiles being grafted into the true olive vine or Israel and he says, "even us, who he calls, not of the Jews only but also the Gentiles. I will call them my people which were not my people. There shall they be called the children of the living God". Romans 9: Israel did not obtain that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded And some of the branches were being broken off that I might be grafted in, well because of unbelief they were broken off Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles come in". Romans 11:7-25 Paul writes also in Galatians 3:14,"that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Through faith But as One" or one body the church Gentiles share the same titles as Old Testament Jews 3. The Gentile church or body of Christ, "shares" the same "titles", spoken of "Israel" in the Old Testament. These titles are: Circumcision, Dispersion, Royal priesthood, [1st Peter 2:9] Commonwealth of Israel,[ Ephesians 2:12] chosen generation, Israel of God, People of God, My people, Chosen race, Holy nation, Chosen generation, the Saints. The word "saints" appears more than 100 times in the Old Testament and it refers to the assembly of believers like Daniel, Shadrach, David, Solomon, Abednego and Samson and they are all the same as the Gentile church and will be resurrected in the future together. Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures translate "ecclesia" to "church" 100 times 4. The Septuagint version of the Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew Bible into the Greek language about 250 years before Christ and the apostles of Christ were known to have been aware of this Septuagint version in their studies. The word "ecclesia" was translated into the word "church" or "congregation", or "assembly" in reference to Gods' saints, about hundred times in the Hebrew Septuagint version. God protects the church in Philadelphia through the tribulation 5. The passage in revelation 3:10 written by the apostle John, is in reference to the sixth church age and refers to the church of Philadelphia. God writes, "Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will also keep you "from" the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth". God is promising the born-again believers that go through the seven years of tribulation, they will be protected, until they are "raptured" or "caught up" to heaven, as used by Paul in first Thessalonians 4:16. This is at the moment in Revelation 16:15, where He or Christ comes as a "thief to destroy the world" at the battle of Armageddon but raptures the "saints" to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The word "ec" in Rev 3:10 is translated to the word from," and means that God will "preserve" you and not destroy you. Most English lexicons agree that

7 the word "ec" means "from" and means that God will protect you from harm. Jesus says in his prayer to the Father Thou should not take them out of the world but keep them "from" or "ec" or protect them from the evil" of the world John 17:15. Many visual signs precede Christ's coming and there is no "secret" rapture 6. There are many different kinds of "visual signs" that are spoken about prophetically that are to precede the second coming of Christ. The idea of a secret rapture is not supported by the Scripture. Some of these few signs that are to be seen before the second coming of Jesus are: The new third Jewish Temple, the revival of the political Roman empire, blood moons, eclipse of the sun,. Earth shattering earthquakes and unusual storms, the increase in murder, nakedness, drunkenness, homosexuality, a mark of the Beast in your hand to buy food, space exploration, and a rise of terrorism in Islam. The signs are visible and not a secret to the Christian world. I have written in several articles of the possibility of Christ returning in our lifetime. This would be at the end of 6000 years of human history which could shortly come to pass. One would say, "Come quickly Lord Jesus". Please share this article with a friend. I appreciate your reading of this article and prayers. I hope God will help you to understand his words. Shalom, Dr. Ray C Nichols RayCalvinNichols@gmail.com. For scientific proof of design creation please refer to my book entitled, Design Creation Silenced. Proof that empirical science validates the accuracy of the Bible. It may be purchased at Amazon.com. dp/ /ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid= &sr=1-1&keywords=design+creation+ray+nichols