THE SECRET RAPTURE
FACT ...... OR FICTION?

(Part Two)

BY

PASTOR CSJ CLAASSEN

CHAPTER TWO

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

Most Pentecostal Christians believe that the Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ will be in two separate events. First, that He will come secretly to take the "Church" to heaven and then, seven years later, (some claim three and a half years later) He will come again in Power and glory. In between these two comings, the Antichrist will come into power and the great Tribulation will occur.

The Church of the Middle Ages knew of no secret catching away. To them the BOOK OF REVELATION was historical, the antichrist being the Papacy. Thus taught Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, Zwingli, Wyclif, Tyndale, Canmer, Latimer and Ridley.

The Theory that there will be a secret coming for the Church, before the actual 2nd Advent, and that the Church will be caught up (Raptured) for 3 « years (some say 7 years) during which time the Great Tribulation will come on the earth, after which the Lord will return and set up His Kingdom, was started by the Roman Catholic Jesuit Priest, Ribera in the 16th Century. He taught the theory to throw dust into the eyes of the people, because the Protestant Reformers were showing that the Papacy was identified with the "Great Whore" of Revelation 17, and the Papal Church was the "Woman .... drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus " ( Revelation 17: 6 )

The Jesuit Ribera asserted in about 1580 AD that these prophecies referred not to the Papacy but rather to some future supernatural individual who was yet to appear and who would rule for three and a half years. He may therefore be regarded as the founder of the "Futurist" Method of Interpretation of the Book of Revelation and the whole theory of the Secret Rapture with its future Antichrist.

But it was not until 1830 AD that the teaching that Christ would come in two phases was taught - First for His Church and later to Judge the World - in Protestant Churches.

Miss Margaret MacDonald a member of the Church pastored by Edward Irving in Port Glasgow, Scotland is credited as the originator of the Pretribulation Rapture Doctrine. She claimed to have revelations that Christians would be raptured before the Great Tribulation. She also claimed that the Rapture would occur in her lifetime and she even identified the Antichrist as Robert Owen who was a Communist who had set up some Communes in Great Britain.

It is interesting to note that neither John Nelson Darby nor Edward Irving who were present when Margaret MacDonald made her Revelations in Port Glasgow concerning the Secret Rapture and who were largely responsible for spreading this Teaching ever publicly acknowledged the source of their teachings.

CI Scofield, a strong believer in Darby's teaching incorporated the teaching of the Secret Rapture into the notes of his "Scofield Reference Bible" which was published in 1903 and this resulted in most Protestant Christians accepting the Theory without examining its source.

We need to stand firm on the Word of God alone. Listen what the Word of God says: Deuteronomy 18: 21-22 (NIV)
You may say to yourselves. How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord ? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously ? Do not be afraid of him.

In view of the fact that the prophecy of Miss Margaret MacDonald namely that the Secret Rapture would occur in her lifetime failed - Is it not imperative that you examine the Scriptures carefully in light of the above Scripture and ascertain for yourself what the Word really teaches ?

CHAPTER THREE

ONE TAKEN ....... THE OTHER LEFT

The Scripture often used to prove the Doctrine of the Secret Rapture, one taken, the other left, has in reality nothing to do with the Subject.

Let us examine the Scripture: Luke 17: 36 - 37 Two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other will be left. And answering they said to Him, Where, Lord ? And He said to them, Where the body is, there also will the vultures be gathered. Notice the Disciples asked the question: Where, Lord ? Where will they be taken ?

The answer is found in:
Job 39: 30
His young ones also suck up blood, And where the slain are, there is the vulture.

The Bible teaches the removal of the wicked persons from the earth when the Son of Man is revealed. Remember the Parable that Jesus taught concerning the Tares among the Wheat. Gather together first the Tares.

Matthew 13: 30
Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather up the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13: 40-41
Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness.

* Notice the words: " Gather out of His Kingdom "

Matthew 13:50
And will cast them into the furnace of fire, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Peter 3: 7, 13 also speaking of the Second Coming of Christ, confirms the foregoing thought by declaring - " the earth ...... reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men .... Nevertheless we ...... look for a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness " * ie: Ungodliness goes and righteousness remains

Thus it can be seem that the Scripture "One taken...the other left" does not teach a "Secret Rapture" of the Church but rather the removal of the wicked from our Earth !

Only those that have put their trust in Christ will be spared in that Day.
Have you put your trust in Christ, have you made Him the Lord of your Life ?

(Go to The Secret Rapture, Part 3)