Home - David O. Ogaga’s Online Teaching Library

𝗥𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲❓ 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 w𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱.Read with an open mind and be blessed. Long post!𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲Truth is, when a belief gets too old, it is taken as a truth. Nobody cares anymore to question the validity of such subjects, even if they don’t line up with scriptures or the ultimate purposes of God because it has been handed down from generations to generations. Most expressive if fully propagated by respected fathers in the faith. I just want us to take a look at this theory as it’s often tied to the Antichrist as a last day event,and sometimes with natural phenomena.THE RAPTURIST MISCONCEPTION OF SCRIPTURES Just to remind us about what the ‘Rapturist’ believes; it is that one day soon, while the whole world is asleep, Jesus shall "Crack" through the empty sky and in a flash catch away His waiting Bride, the Church, secretly as He returns in "Mid-air."They will now spend at least 7 years (some 3-l/2 years) in heaven before the throne enjoying the "marriage supper of the Lamb.” While this is taking place in heaven, the "man of sin,” the "antichrist," would have started the most fearful supposed "Great Tribulation.”After 3-l/2 years, (others say 7 years) Jesus and the Saints will now return to earth to set up His kingdom, ruling from the old city of Jerusalem for 1,000 years. By this time, Satan would have been destroyed and mankind is left with eternal bliss and endless peace on earth or so they said.But do not forget that even in the midst of this, they are divided. For you have the "PRE-TRIB.” That is the belief in the rapture taking place before the Great Tribulation. "MID¬TRIB" means the rapture occurring in the middle of the Tribulation, and "POST-TRIB" means the rapture is occurring after the Tribulation. The question one would like to ask at this juncture is, where is the provision for the fulfillment of certain scriptures such as;“Rom. 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved…” Are all Israel saved now? Rom. 8:19, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”We can see that the 'rapture’ belief denies the fulfillment of the above Scripture, which is directly connected to the ultimate purpose of man's existence. Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 82:1-6, "…Let them have dominion..."This is what was lost in Adam through disobedience that Jesus came to restore. WHAT THEN IS THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION? Again, this theory wants us to believe that the abomination has to do with the supposed antichrist that will be sitting in the temple of God in Jerusalem. And to support this, they will quote 2Thes. 2:3-4 and Dan. 7:24-25. But a careful study will reveal that what Matthew spoke about as abomination can best be seen in;Dan. 9:26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."…A foreign ruler and his army will sweep down like a mighty flood, leaving both the city and the temple in ruins, and war and destruction will continue until the end, just as God has decided," Dan. 9:26, CEV."War will continue until the end God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed," NCV.The Messiah that 'was cut off’ in this passage speaks of the death of Christ after His 3-1/2 years of ministry.'The people of the prince' speaks of the Roman soldiers, 'the prince' himself being General Titus. So without controversy, it can be seen that Daniel prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman armies under the command of Titus.Therefore to link Matt. 24:15 with the 'man of sin' sitting in the temple in a future date and you call that 'the abomination of desolation' is erroneous.When we speak of the "holy place" and we think it has to do with the physical temple in Jerusalem, it is not true. For you see, all those who go to Jerusalem for pilgrimage do know that once you drop off from your plane at Tel Aviv, you are already in the "holyland," even without getting to the temple. So, the Roman armies were already standing in the 'holyland' as they stood around the walls of Jerusalem to besiege it. As we can see in Luke 21:20 Amp. "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived," TLB.From the above, you can see that the word "desolation" is the same thing as "destruction." And that Jesus gave this to His disciples as a "sign" to be observed and escape the destruction that was to come to the city in AD 70. "Then you will know." "You will see 'the awful horror' of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place.""Then (when you notice the Roman armies) those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. A man who is on the roof of his house must not take the time to go down and get his belongings from the house (the steps to the roof top were always outside, it means no delay), A man who is in the field must not go back to get his cloak. (If this is the rapture, then it requires a physical preparation to catch up with it). How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Pray to God that you will not have to run away during the winter (too cold for the body) or on a Sabbath (time of rest for the soul in service to the Lord; Jews not allowed to work; running is work). For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any, there has ever been from the beginning of the world to this very day (Jer. 30:7). Nor will there ever be anything like it again. But God has already reduced the number of days; had He not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of His chosen people the elect sake - however, God will reduce the days," Matt. 24:15-22. Goodnews. Can you see it? Observe this. When the scripture spoke of the elect here, it was referring to those among the Jews who were called into the Christian fold. There was nothing in all these passages linking the Antichrist with a supposed Rapture not even relating to the Gentile world some two thousand years down the line. The Origin of the RaptureIt was originated by three men: John Nelson Derby, founder of the Plymouth Brethren who started teaching it in about 1828 AD, who got some of his ideas from a Catholic monk named Manuel De Lacunza who published his ideas in 1750 AD.Then in 1830 AD in England, a15 year old Margaret Mcdonald claimed to have had a revelation in which the church was taken away into the air before the Great Tribulation. Therefore, to Derby and the rest, this was a confirmation. Dr. Scofield got this “new revelation” from Derby when he visited the United States in 1862 and included this teaching in the footnotes of his bible, the Scofields Reference Bible.In the early 1900’s Scofield was backed financially by a Jewish lawyer named Samuel Untermyer, who was one of the framers of the Federal Reserve Act and was the president of the occult Lotus Club in New York. Untermyer provided Scofield with free housing for about twenty years while he wrote his notes for the Scofield Bible. His motive was undoubtedly political, laying the groundwork to convince Christians to support the Jewish State, which was already being planned by certain powerful Zionist Jews. Their motives were anything but Christian.The Assembly of God’s Church, the first Pentecostal church, finally picked it up from the Scofield Bible reference note while preparing their Sunday school manuals through the printing press of D.L Moody, who was also influenced by Dr. Scofield.And that is how this dangerous teaching came to stay in the body of Christ.NO LANGUAGE OF JESUS POINTED TO A RAPTUREWe know that Mathew 24 is not talking about a rapture. Jesus said in verse 34, "This generation will not pass before all that he said comes to pass." How long is a generation? A Biblical generation is 40 years. We are already some 2,000 years plus when he said that, so He wasn't talking to you. DAYS OF NOAH—THE TAKEN AWAYMatt. 24:37, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.38 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,39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."What happened in the days of Noah? Who were taken away? Was it the righteous or the wicked that were eating and drinking?Read it again for yourself. Luke's account (17:26-27) said the flood came and DESTROYED THE WICKED. And the righteous Noah was left behind to inherit the earth.If “taken away” means the “Rapture,” then it’s the wicked that will be raptured. This is how we have fared in our End Time Theology. Just reading Scriptures upside down to prove a nonfeasible doctrine. We should be ashamed of ourselves.In the parable of the WHEAT and TARES, which of them was harvested first?Matt. 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn, KJV.Was it not the tares that corresponded to the wicked? Jesus’ teachings show clearly that only the wicked are always taken away (killed) first and not the righteous. But we, in our theology, turn things around because of the rapture doctrine. In Matt. 16:28 Jesus speaking to his disciples said, "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."Was Jesus talking to you? If none of the disciples is still alive today, what’s that supposed to mean to us? Was this not his coming in judgment to Jerusalem to destroy the wicked unbelieving Jews? When he told them in Matt. 10, verse 23, "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man become."Are the disciples still running today? Are we in any way living in one of the cities in Israel? How do we really read this Book?The only comings we know in the Bible are “the first” and “second coming,” which is even unbiblical. We don't know that there are various shades of Christ’ comings such as, his coming as a judge,as the rain, a thief, in the clouds, as the Bridegroom; etc., etc. And they are not saying the same thing. The trouble we have today is that we copy and paste what we think our supposed "big fathers" in the faith have spoken or been taught without checking out the truth in what they are peddling scripturally and so deceiving the masses.But the Bible says study to show yourself approved unto God…(2Tim. 2:15). Not unto men. I wish we had some good times to talk on these things outside of this platform. 1THES. 4:13-18 The subject of the Book of Thessalonians is an address to a congregation that experienced intense persecution (1Thes. 2:14). Upon Paul's preaching in this city, many believed, which caused the fanatical Jews to stir up mob violence against him and Jason who housed him.Through tight security, Jason was saved while Paul was sent away secretly in the night by the brethren to Seroea (Acts 17:1-10).Aside of the great persecution that the Church went through (1Thes. 2:14), they also experienced great sorrow over the loss of a number of their brethren through death (1Thes. 4:13). Paul first sent Timothy to strengthened them because of his failure to go there twice (1Thes. 2:17; 3:3). And he rejoiced over Timothy's encouraging report of the brethren (1Thes. 3:6-10). But on a more serious note, they needed further encouragement and strengthening. Therefore, he had to commend them (1Thes. 1:2-10; 2:14; 3:6-10) that they may follow the course approved by God (1Thes. 4:1,2), abstain from fornication (1Thes. 4:3-8); etc. But above all, that they be comforted with THE RESURRECTION HOPE.“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, 1Thes. 4:13-18. Therefore, the issue in question is that of THE RESURRECTION HOPE and not ’RAPTURE.’ The word of the Lord in verse 18 is;"Wherefore comfort one another with these words…,” which has to do with the resurrection of the different categories of the saints(Verse13). Those who "SLEEP IN JESUS (Verse 14), those "which are ALIVE and REMAIN (Verse 15,17) and those who are "DEAD IN CHRIST (Verse 16). That is to say, the saints should not be in sorrow, for all the saints shall meet with the Lord through the process of the Resurrection.So, this was not to escape the persecution of the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation through the Rapture. But, for the Rapturist! Jesus will not appear visibly to those on the earth, but only COMES IN THE AIR to resurrect the true saints who have died, change the living saints (1Cor. 15:23, 51-53; Phil. 3:20-21) and "catch them up to meet the Lord in the air. After this is the REVELATION (His supposed second coming with the saints). The interval between these two events is generally regarded as seven years (Daniels 70th week). During this time, according to this view, the Antichrist will make a seven year covenant with the Jews in which he will allow them to offer sacrifices in a rebuilt temple at Jerusalem. But after three and half years, he will break his covenant and place an idol (the abomination of desolation) in the 'holy place' of the temple. The Jews will refuse to bow and a great persecution will result—which they termed the time of Jacob's trouble. Finally, at the close of the Tribulation period (the end of the age), Christ will return in power and great glory. Those who believe the 'rapture' will take place before the tribulation are called 'PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURIST,’ while those who believe the 'rapture' will take place after the tribulation are called PRO-TRIBULATION RAPTURIST.This is the theory that has kept the Christian world bound. Now, note this, in the entire Bible there is no where it is stated that Jesus will be “coming FOR the saints.” Rather you can find "IN THE SAINTS” (2Thes. 1:10) and “WITH THE SAINTS” (Jude 14). To teach a doctrine with a word very foreign to the Word of God is very dangerous. Furthermore, they believe that the 'rapture' will enable Christians to escape the Tribulation by using such terms as “caught up,” "transformed," and "translated.”But the truth is, none of these processes make us escape a 'tribulation' but, rather they are making us escape "Death”—even in Adam. We are "caught up” (1Thes. 4:13) into a spiritual state of consciousness to escape from our carnal mindedness, which is death (Rom. 8:6), as we partake of His divine nature and so "ESCAPE” from "the CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST" (2Pet. 1:4), even as we "…have fled for refuge (Heb. 6:18) into Him, thereby making us sons (John 1:12). Enoch was 'translated' that he may not 'see death' (Heb. 11:15) not because there was an Antichrist or tribulation.2Cor. 12:1-3, Paul was CAUGHT UP to the third heaven; he never left the earth. Rev. 4:1, “COME UP HITHER, and I will shew thee things which must be HEREAFTER” was John's experience. Things that follow after the AGE of the seven Churches, not a rapture.So you see, all of these 'terms' are the progressive workings of the redemptive work of Christ in us. Other confused believers of this rapture teaching are the "three different groups" of the secret Pre-Tribulational Rapture doctrine, which are: (a) The Mid- Tribulational Rapture; (b) the Split-Rapture; and (c) the Partial Rapture. And of course, these groups of believers are more damaging than the previous ones. These 'Partial' and 'Split' believers contend that the 'rapture’ of the saints is based upon merit and not upon your faith on the finished work of Christ. This belief is as foreign as the inventors themselves to the mind, purpose and the Word of God. It is never taught in the Scriptures.Again, their belief is based on the parable of the TEN VIRGINS. Matt. 25:1, ¶ “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” In their view, the Ten Virgins were all Christians with their lamps trimmed at the first.To them the 'five foolish' Virgins will not go through the rapture because they have no oil—the qualifying factor.But why do you think the chapter started with the word “THEN?”Simply because its was dealing with the judgment of Israel in the previous Chapter 24. So he meant to say, once the judgement is over, this is what follows next, the kingdom of God and those to share His life as the bridegroom. Not a Rapture in mind here.In Israel the bridegroom doesn’t come and take the bride away. Rather he comes in the night time, and the announcement is made by the friend of the bridegroom, just like John was to Jesus. “The Bridegroom cometh’ go ye OUT TO MEET HIM" (welcome him); not 'go up.’Then the virgins who are like the bridesmaids of today, take their lamps to lighten the street to welcome him to the fathers-in-law’s house, where they both will have the married consummated that night to prove whether the girl is a virgin or not by displaying the bed sheet the next day to see if there was a blood stain on it or not. If there was no stain, the groom would speak out to the elders that the wife given to him by his inlaw is not a virgin.Then father and the bride would then be taken to face the judgement.Now if this was the Rapture, why did the foolish virgins make it to heaven? Look at verse 11."Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.” You see that?Lamps in the Bible speak of the word of God (Ps. 119:105), “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Oil is the illumination of God’s Word. To be foolish without oil just means you lack understanding of the Word of God as per the season.By implication, those who will not understand the Words He was saying will fall victim to the judgement that was to come to Jerusalem.That’s why it is a parable about the Kingdom of God. Hence, in 1Cor. 6:17, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” You don’t have to be raptured to be married to Jesus. Above all, God in His Word promised us to "ESCAPE" from "TEMPTATION" (1Cor. 10:13) and Jesus further prayed for us to be 'preserved.’ "I do not ask that you will take them out of the world, but that you will KEEP and PROTECT THEM (Christians) from the EVIL (ONE)." John 17:15. (Not raptured). Please see Verses 9, 15-16. It is now clear enough that 1Thes. 4:13-17, which is the common text, is not dealing with the"Rapture;" rather, it is the issue of Resurrection (1Thes. 4:13-14).While the Ten Virgins can be seen as all being Christians, the truth of the matter is these 'Ten Virgins’ correspond to the parable of the 'Wheat' and 'Tares' all having the appearance of Christianity even in their acts, making it very difficult to differentiate the fake from the genuine—a task that only Christ is capable of. The point therefore is, if there is to be a "rapture," just as the "resurrection," all should be seen as part of the finished work of Christ on the cross as the resurrection has always been considered.WHY ARE THE RAPTURE BELIEVERS CONFUSED? Simply because the issue of rapture is foreign to the Mind and the Word of God. Therefore, they who would want to believe it have no foundation.Friends, nothing about the Antichrist that will be on the stage so soon. Neither must you be troubled becaue of a blood moon or eclipse in any way. It’s all a religious deception.Do you need the tape? Inbox me or get free audio downloads from the website.www.davidogaga.org#Rapture_DO ... See MoreSee Less

Welcome to David O. Ogaga’s Online Teaching Library .

David Ogaga Ministry International

drdavidogaga

Audio Player

Cancel reply

Post comment