The Rapture : Christianity's Great Escape

1. Margaret MacDonald's Vision
2. MacDonald ~ Darby ~ Scofield
3. Rapture : A New Meaning
4. Some Secret Rapture Inconsistencies
5. Secret Rapture Teachers Say
6. Un-Movable Scripture Anchors
7. Some Assumptions by Rapture Escape Teachers
8. Worries About Escape and Being Kept

Margaret MacDonald's Inspiration

"It was first the awful state of the land that was pressed upon me. I saw the blindness and infatuation of the people to be very great. I felt the cry of Liberty just to be the hiss of the serpent, to drown them in perdition. It was just "no God". I repeated the words, Now there is distress of nations, with perplexity, the seas and the waves roaring, men ‘s hearts failing them for fear – now look out for the sign of the Son of man.

Here I was made to stop and cry out, O it is not known what the sign of the Son of Man is; the people of God think they are waiting, but they know not what it is. I felt this needed to be revealed, and that there was great darkness and error about it; but suddenly what it was burst upon me with glorious light. I saw it was just the Lord himself descending from Heaven with a shout, just the glorified man, even Jesus; but that all must, as Stephen was , be filled with the Holy Ghost, that they might look up and see the brightness of the Father's glory.

I saw the error to be, that men think that it will be something seen by the natural eye; but ‘tis spiritual discernment that is needed, the eye of God in his people. Many passages were revealed, in a light in which I had not before seen them. I repeated, "Now is the kingdom of Heaven like unto ten virgins, who went forth to meet the Bridegroom, five wise and five foolish; they that were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them; but they that were wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. But be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is; and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; This was the oil the wise virgins took in their vessels – this is the light to be kept burning – the light of God – that we may discern that which cometh not with observation to the natural eye.

Only those who have the light of God within them will see the sign of his appearance. No need to follow them who say, see here, or see there, for his day shall be as the lightning to those in whom the living Christ is. Tis Christ in us that will lift us up – he is the light – "tis only those that are alive in him that will be caught up to meet him in the air. I saw that we must be in the Spirit, that we might see spiritual things.

John was in the spirit, when he saw a throne set in Heaven. –But I saw the glory of the ministration of the Spirit had not been known. I repeated frequently, but the spiritual temple must and shall be reared, and the fulness of Christ be poured into his body, and then shall we be caught up to meet him. Oh none will be counted worthy of this calling but his body, which is the church, and which must be a candlestick all of gold.

I often said, Oh the glorious in-breaking of God which is Now about to burst on this earth; Oh the glorious temple which is now about to be reared, the bride adorned for her husband; and Oh what a holy, holy bride she must be, to be prepared for such a glorious bridegroom. I said, Now shall the people of God have to do with realities — now shall the glorious mystery of God in our nature be known – now shall it be known what it is for man to be glorified.

It felt that the revelation of Jesus Christ had yet to be opened up – it is not knowledge about God that it contains, but it is an entering into God. I saw that there was a glorious breaking in of God to be. I felt as Elijah, surrounded with chariots of fire. I saw as it were, the spiritual temple reared, and the Head Stone brought forth with shoutings of grace, grace, unto it.

It was a glorious light above the brightness of the sun, that shone round about me. I felt that those who were filled with the Spirit could see spiritual things, and feel walking in the midst of them, while those who had not the Spirit could see nothing – so that two shall be in one bed, the one taken and the other left, because the one has the light of God within while the other cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.

I saw the people of God in an awfully dangerous situation, surrounded by nets and entanglements, about to be tried, and many about to be deceived and fall. Now will the wicked be revealed, with all power and signs and lying wonders, so that if it were possible the very elect will be deceived. This is this fiery trial which is to try us. It will be for the purging and purifying of the real members of the body of Jesus; but Oh it will be a fiery trial.

Every soul shall be shaken to the very centre. The enemy will try to shake in every thing we have believed – but the trial of real faith will be found to honour and praise and glory. Nothing but what is of God will stand. The stony-ground hearers will be manifest – the love of many will wax cold. I frequently said that night, and often since, now shall the awful sight of a false Christ be seen on thisearth, and nothing but the living Christ in us can detect this awful attempt of the enemy to deceive — for it is with all deceivableness of unrighteousness he will work — he will have a counterpart for every part of God's truth, and an imitation for every work of the Spirit."

You have just read a portion of Margaret MacDonald's handwritten account of her 1830 vision and revelation. This was published in Robert Norton's Memoirs of Jame & George Macdonald of Port-Glasgow (1840) pp.171-176 A shorter version appeared in Norton's The Restoration of Apostles and Prophets; In the Catholic Apostolic Church (1861) pp. 15-18.

MacDonald ~ Darby ~ Scofield

Revival swept 1830 Scotland which brought about many charismatic manifestations, gifts, visions, healings, and glossolalia (speaking in tongues). Margaret received her revelation experience in the spring of 1830 and her prophetic views spread across Britain. John Darby, a leader of the Plymouth Brethern of England, visited Margaret. Later Darby incorporated Margaret's prophetic views into his endtime theology which became popularized as a two stage 2nd coming of Christ. Darby wrote volumes on Biblical subjects, translated the Bible (probably on your Computer Bible) and became known by some as the "father of modern dispensationalism."

Darby's 2 stage, secret rapture views began to spread and be published by other Bible teachers of the 1800's such as Charles Henry Mackintosh (CHM), William Blackstone, and Cyrus Ingerson Scofield. The printing of Scofield's 1909 Scofield Reference Bible may have had the greatest influence upon the spreading of the secret rapture dispensationalist teaching. The teaching is in my Scofield Bible that I presently read. Many ministers of the 1800's opposed Darby's secret rapture views which later became popularized in Scofield's Bible – George Muller, William Booth, Charles Spurgeon. Even prior to Darby and Scofield, prominent Christian ministers knew nothing of a 2 stage coming of Christ or secret rapture for the church prior to the AntiChrist. These include : John Wyclif, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Foxe, John Calvin, Isaac Newton, John Wesley, and others.

The "Popular" Rapture View of Christ's Coming

"RAPTURE" has taken on a meaning

The present popular 2 stage secret rapture view of Christ's coming seems to be a modern Bible teaching known only to those of the last two centuries. It does not seem to be part of the original faith of the church.

The term "rapture" is a word which is derived from the Latin word raptus, which means caught away or caught up. This Latin word is equivalent to the Greek word "harpazo" which is used and translated "caught up" in 1 Thess. 4:17.

Phase 1 : A RAPTURE Imminent :at any moment Invisible : no one will see what is happening Secret & Quiet : Except for car & plane crashes Screams over disappearing babies Resurrection of dead & buried saints
Phase 2 : Next SEVEN YEARS Dead & Living Saints go to Heaven Saints in Heaven @ Marriage Supper Tribulation upon Earth Beast / False Prophet / Antichrist 144,000 Jewish Evangelists Salvation by Martyrdom	Phase 3 : The 2nd COMING 7 yrs after the Rapture Literal & Visible Heralded Openly Judgement Rewards

Some Inconsistencies and Problems
with a Secret Rapture :

• "even unto the end of the world / age"  of Matthew 28:20 does not mention anything about shortening the Church's Commission to 7 years before the end of the Age.

• "that believers will be raptured or gathered 1st"  not only contradicts the parable of the wheat and tares, but also conflicts with the parable of the net : where good(righteous) & bad (unrighteous) exist together until the end. ???

• "no one knows the day or the hour";  but once there is a secret rapture and millions turn up missing, then people will know that in exactly 7 years (or 3 ½), Jesus will return. Thus, people will definitely know.???

• "144,00 (Rev 7) Jewish evangelists will bring the greatest evangelistic effort of the world"  during the 7 years of tribulation. These are sealed servants with no implication of evangelists.

• "dead are raised at the last day, at the last trump and the last enemy death will be destroyed"  according to 1Cor 15:51-56. IF so, THEN after death is destroyed (@ rapture),yet there are still 7 more years of death, even after the last enemy death is destroyed.???

• "cometh at an hour when ye think not."  (Luke 12:40) Why does Jesus warn us of his coming, when the church has already been raptured???

• "shall he appear the second time"  in Heb 9:28 does not imply a third time nor or a 1st stage of a 2nd time.
• "a second chance for immortality"  missing the rapture yields second chance during the 7 years of tribulation. Why is there no mention of a 2nd chance for the foolish virgins of Matt. 25.???

Rapture Teachers Say :

• Matthew 24 & 25 are passages to the Jews only,   ...not to the church. IF so, John 14 -17 is to the only Jews too and THEN "Let not your heart be troubled ..." is not for the church, but just to the Jews????
• "Come up hither"   of Rev. 4:1 is the resurrection of the church. IF true, ...THEN is Rev 20:4-6 "This is the first resurrection" really the second resurrection and not the first.???
• "in what watch the thief would come"   of Matt 24:43 means a secret withdrawal of all believers worldwide. That seems to be reading a lot into those few words.
• The rapture takes the saints off the planet,  yet Jesus prayed to not remove us from the earth but to keep us in John 17:15.
• "the wheat (believers) will be gathered (raptured) first  while the tares (sinners) will come last. That is just the opposite of Matt 13:30 where the tares are gathered first, and then the wheat. Scofield reverses the tares and wheat completely in his notes on verse 30, saying that God will gather 1st the wheat.???
• "one shall be taken and the other left"  of Luke 17:26-37 means believers will be taken and sinners left. However, the wicked were taken and the righteous were left in Noah's day and in Lot's day.???
• "people will be saved after the rapture   during the reign of the Antichrist if they will suffer martyrdom. However, that means before the Church leaves, salvation is by the blood of Jesus, but during the tribulation salvation is by the blood of martyrdom. Seems like 2 plans of salvation.???
• the word "Church" does not appear in Rev. chapters 4-18   THUS church is gone! IF so, THEN the church is also absent in chapters 19, 20, and 21. The word "church" is not there either.???
• "that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things"   (Luke 21:36) means rapture or resurrection : literal removal from the planet for protection. Escape means resurrection.???
• "the elect"  of Matthew 24:22, 24, 31 are Jews. They do not represent the church. IF so, THEN who are the elect of Romans 8:33, 1Thess 1:4, Col 3:12, Titus 1:1 and Mark 13:22.
• "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation   which shall come upon all the world" (Rev 3:10) That the phrase "keep thee" means rapture or resurrection reads much into the words that is never implied or even hinted at.???
• "the word saints in Revelation refers to different types of saints.   Tribulation saints in Rev. 13:7,10, 16:6, 17:6 and 18:24. Real Church or Bride saints in 19:7,8 ???
• "as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west"   (Matthew 24:27) refers to the rapture or resurrection of the church. But I thought the elect are Jews? Since the rapture is a secret, then the lightning is SECRET. Secret Lightning???
• "Noah and Enoch are examples or indirect proof of a 2 stage coming"   Enoch represents the raptured saints. Noah represents the tribulation saints. A 600 + year difference in time.???

Clear Unmovable Scriptural Anchors

Anchor # 1 : "Last Day is the time of the Resurrection"

• A triple witness or confirmation in John 6:40,44,54 shows that the last day is resurrection time, not 7 years before.
  
• Martha knew this in John 11:24.
  
• John 6:40, 44, 54 .... "I will raise him up at the last day"
  
• John 11:24 .... "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day"

Anchor # 2 : "The Trump of God, the last trump, the sound of a trumpet, the sounding of the seventh trumpet" in Revelation are linked by common events".

• 1 Thess 4:16 .......................with the Trump of God
  
• 1 Cor 15:52 ........................at the Last trump
  
• Matt 24:31 .......................with a great sound of a trumpet
  
• Rev 8:6, 10:7, 11:15-18 ...sounding of the Seventh Trumpet

Anchor # 3 : Not 1 Biblical Character was ever Delivered by Literal Evacuation from the Planet. .......Not even ONE!

Anchor # 4 : Tribulation in every scripture passage comes before the Coming of Jesus Christ for His Church, ...Never After!

Anchor # 5 : The Book of Revelation is not Chronological in Sequence

• 1 : 7th Trumpet is in the Middle of Revelation
  
• 2 : Those with washed robes came out of Tribulation in Rev 7:9-14 in the middle of the Book thus tribulation is over in middle of the Book
  
• 3 : Babylon falls 3 times : 1st in Rev 14:18 : 2nd in 16:19 : 3rd in 18:21
  
• 4 : Battle of Armageddon fought 3 times : 1st -Rev.19:17-21, 2nd -Rev 16:12-16, 3rd -Rev 9:13-16

Assumptions made by Rapture Teachers :

• 2 Thess. 2:1-10 "restrainer" must be the Holy Spirit. It is based upon merely guess or conjecture. Too vague.

• Rev 3:10 "kept from the hour of temptation" refers to the physical, bodily removal of the believer from the planet. Again it is too vague.

• Rev. 4:1 "come up hither" means that all believers alive and dead are to physically to leave the planet. The Spirit was not speaking to the body of Christ, He was speaking to Apostle John during a vision. Grasping.

• Rev 19: "armies in heaven" which accompanied Jesus in the vision are saints who were resurrected 7 years earlier and have been in heaven with Jesus all that time. Too much assumption. Some saints are in heaven. 24 elders are in heaven. Angels are in heaven.

• Matt 24:42 "coming as a thief" means the believers will not be expecting His return. 1Thess 5:4 says that his return will not come as a thief upon the believers who dwell in the Day.

Worried about Escaping and Being Kept :

Rapture teachers say that God means to physically remove the church from the planet, so that believers can "escape those things coming on the earth" which will "keep them from the hour of temptation".

    LOOK AT THE PAST EXAMPLES IN SCRIPTURE :

1st > Noah & family were saved in the middle of the flood
2nd > Israel protected from most of the plagues upon Egypt without leaving Egypt
3rd > Death passed thru Egypt yet Israel's 1st born delivered
4th > Daniel was preserved in the Lion's Den
5th > Three Hebrew children preserved in the Fiery furnace

Should Biblical Born Again Christians expect to be secretly taken off the planet by the Spirit of God to exempt them from tragic endtime experiences??

God is no respector of persons. He didn't do it for any other generation, so don't expect God to do it for this one.

Prepare. We are going to stay on the planet till Jesus visibly comes. No second chances for the lukewarm and the foolish. He's coming Quickly!

Hope fully, you may understand why many in the Kingdom and the Church of the Living God, do not teach a secret escape rapture. We teach that Jesus is coming soon. No escape except in Christ.! Watch & Pray. No second chances.

~ Even so Come Quickly Lord Jesus ! ~