The Rapture of the Church
is a topic which has been discussed
and argued for centuries.

I was raised with a certain prejudice for one view and taught that view by the denomination in which I was ordained. I accepted it on face value without seriously studying the subject myself, other than with the eyes and biases associated with my loyalties to family and denominational opinion. Finally, Jesus Christ became more important to me than the opinion of family, friends, churches or denominations. I started to studiously search the Scriptures for total truth on all doctrinal subjects with the intent to be faithful only to Jesus Christ and not compromise for the sake of friendships or clergy career acceptance and advancement.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 tells us that we fall under deceivableness if we do not love to know and receive the truth. There is no excuse for allowing disagreement in doctrinal issues to bring anger and separation between brethren. This is not a salvation issue, and disagreement should be tolerated without malice. Please be mature enough to read this article with an open mind and a determination to accept truth and walk in it wherever you learn it.

I find it amazing that so much anger can be generated when one disagrees with certain theories on The Great Tribulation and The Rapture of the Church. Why is that? Could it be that a person’s very security is being threatened since it is not based on the solid Word or relationship with Jesus Christ; consequently, anything that would challenge their view of escaping the hatred of man for standing for Jesus is frightening? Could it be that the Pharisees have taught doctrines of men which build no trust or maturity in the Lord and lack proper preparation for the individual to stand against the attacks of the enemy? The majority of Christians are in a party mentality of gluttonous prosperity and riotous living. They are not concerned about being salt to influence and change society governmentally or their laws.

For this reason the nations are falling apart and judgment is coming.

Why have we as Christians mentally dropped out of the battle to be a witness to society of the truth of Jesus Christ? All we do is preach to the people who attend our church. We do not challenge the nation of sin or warn them of judgment. We are happy to live and let live lest they criticize, reject and persecute us. We do not want to stir the waters; we just want to eat, drink and be merry. It is a good life...why pick up your cross and stand up for righteousness sake?

Christians are supposed to be the salt of the earth; the conscious of the nation. But, today many Christians have become a spineless, worthless, shameless group of people who often are not even known for their faith as they have mixed in with society in attitudes, philosophies and actions. Apostasy is rampant throughout Christendom with false grace and an escapee mentality for when the rapture takes place. Thus, the nations are racing for judgment with the church leading the way!

2 Thessalonians 2-9 warns us that two things must take place before Jesus returns for the church. Paul declares in verse 3 that there will be a “falling away” and the “Antichrist will be revealed”. Paul wrote this clarification with as much emphasis as he could because there were people who were confused about when Jesus would return.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 reads, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” So, before this can happen, the Antichrist must be revealed. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was practical. He was attempting to alleviate fears concerning those loved ones who had died about whether they would share in the return of Jesus (4:13). And, he was encouraging them instead of just waiting for the second coming of Jesus and doing nothing to get back to work (4:9-12). The Thessalonians appeared to think their present persecution was the Great Tribulation warned about just prior to Jesus’ return.

So, Paul was trying to qualify that belief so they would realize it was not, and that they needed to carry on with their life.

Scripture cannot be interpreted correctly unless you are willing to first leave it in context. This way you cannot manipulate it, but it can teach you.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 tells us when the Antichrist will be revealed; “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:; only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Verse 7 tells us that after “he” is “taken out of the way”, then verse 8 is manifest. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” Who is the “he” who is restraining the Antichrist? Many people have said it is either the Church or the Holy Spirit.

Mary Stewart Relfe, PhD, in her book “When Your Money Fails 666”, quotes: “George Milligan, in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Thessalonians, said of this “he”: ‘It is a veiled description of the restraining power of law and order, especially as these were embodied at the time in the Roman Empire of its rulers.’

The Church was already in severe persecution at the hands of Rome, so Paul chose not to invite more suffering by naming this Roman power. He had previously in person identified it. Rome was so powerful that Paul knew another super world dictator professing to be above all could not rise to power until Rome was removed. Likewise, we know this power which has prevented the revealing of the wicked one has been subsequent government structures. When the governments of the world become unable to enforce law and order (or ‘is taken out of the way’), this condition will give rise to the revelation of this wicked one, the world leader who will himself bring about some semblance of law and order. He will be revealed to the Christians in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 at the outset of the last seven years, but his wickedness will not be revealed to the world until midweek.

The recent pre-tribulation doctrine teaches that this ‘he’ is the Holy Spirit. There are many blatant inconsistencies which render this untrue. Let us look at one. If the Church is to be raptured before the tribulation, and ‘he’ the Holy Spirit is taken out at this time, as pre-tribulation espouses, how would those many tribulation saints with whom Antichrist makes war (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7) get converted? The Word teaches the agency of regeneration is the Holy Spirit. We must be born of His Spirit (Galatians 4:29); justified by the Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16). There could be no tribulation saints in the absence of the Holy Spirit!

Paul firmly establishes his point in this second letter by declaring the fallacy of looking for Christ before one looks for two things which must precede Him; 1) The falling away, and 2) The Antichrist revealed. It is absurd, but true, that the same problem Paul endeavored to correct with this letter is still prevalent. Much of Christianity is still falsely declaring Christ could come at any moment without these two prerequisites. Small wonder that Paul prefaces this verse with: ‘Let no man deceive you by any means.’

Millions today who profess to interpret the Bible
literally are as deceived as the Thessalonians
because they refuse to literally accept 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

When Paul sequences the Lord’s return after these two events, he then rebukes those whom he now classifies ‘busybodies, working not at all,’ foolishly waiting for the Lord’s return in their lifetime; and instructs the working Christians to withdraw fellowship from those who persist in this ridiculous ‘idleness.’ ‘Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.’” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-14. (Relfe, Pg. 215-218).

Dr. Relfe goes on to state, “Many dear Christians have erroneously taught that the apostles expected the Lord’s return any day and certainly in their lifetime. Bible research indicates that they did not; especially John, Paul and Peter. For brevity’s sake let’s just look at Peter. Peter knew before the Lord’s ascension that he would live to be an old man, then die. Jesus to Peter:

‘I tell you the truth; when you were young you used to fasten your belt and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie them and take you where you don’t want to go.’ (In saying this Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) John 21:18-19 TEV. Peter therefore made preparation for those who would live after him by writing two epistles. ‘Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.’ 2 Peter 1:12-15 RSV.” (Relfe, Pg. 218-219).

Michael John Rood in his book “The Mystery of Iniquity” confesses that he twisted the Scriptures, along with others, to teach a pre-tribulation rapture to back a doctrine that is false. “For several decades I, along with a multitude of pre-tribulation rapturists, had illigitimately redefined the verb katecho (to seize and hold fast; to retain possession), as a noun which we defined as ‘the restrainer.’ We fabricated a scenario that was never alluded to in any of Paul’s writings or in the text of the entire Bible: That the Holy Spirit is the restrainer who holds down Satan’s power, and when the Holy Spirit is taken from the earth (as well as the Christians) then the man of sin will be revealed. Even though the language and the context would never allow this redefinition, some of the modern Bible translations were influenced by this error.

No matter how much one wrestles the words ‘that which holds fast’ to say that the Holy Spirit, or the Christian church in this world, is restraining the man of sin from being revealed, it will never make it the truth. The Christians in America could not even keep our Republic, which is rooted in Christianity, from being taken over by atheistic socialists. There is not one shred of evidence in the entire Bible that we are keeping the man of sin from being revealed. Twisting this word to produce what the context clearly condemns is the working of Satan. He is the author of the strong but comfortable delusion that Paul exposes.” (Rood, Pg. 14).

Dr. Relfe writes, “Christians, if you don’t receive a ‘love of the truth,’ not of bless me gatherings, a ‘love of the truth,’ not a ‘love of golf;’ an insatiable driving, consuming, constraining ‘love of the truth,’ that will lift you above any attachment to or alignment with the teaching of men, God will send a delusion and you will believe a lie and be damned. (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11.) When the first gale force winds of adversity hit, which will be National Economic Collapse, and your Gospel of prosperity fails, where will you land? The shaking has begun, and it will require tenaciously clinging to the truth (whose name is Jesus) to be able to ‘endure unto the end and be saved.’ Matthew 24:13. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes shall He find faith on earth? Luke 18:8. As it was in Noah’s day— only a few were saved! Multitudes are not going to pay the price and go in at the ‘catching away.’ Luke 14:25-33. Only fifty percent of those who think they are saved (virgins) are going in to meet the Bridegroom! Matthew, chapter 25. Six out of the seven Churches described in Revelation which make up Christendom are in need of repentance, Jesus declared. The unpopular truth is: ‘Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat: Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.’ Matthew 7:13-14. The Churches are filled with ‘believe and receive’ Christians. Salvation requires more than ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ (Acts 16:31.) That is a classic example of lifting a text out of context and having nothing but a pretext. Lift all other parallel passages out that refer to the doctrine of salvation and apply the grand old principal of harmony. You will see in addition to believing, ‘you must repent’; (Luke 13:3); ‘you must come as a little child’; (Matthew 18:3), ‘you must be born again;’ (John 3:7), et cetera.

Oh Christians, ‘Examine yourselves and see whether you be in the faith.’ (2 Corinthians 13:5). Many are going to be deceived. (Matthew 7:22.) When the Bolshevist Revolution occurred in Russia in 1917, the Russian Christian Church was in Convention in Moscow. Only six blocks from the fiercest street fighting in which hundreds were being slain, the Christian Church closed its convention in a two-day debate on whether church officials should wear red or yellow robes in Church functions. When the Convention adjourned, they had neither robes to wear nor churches in which to wear them. Communism had taken over. Bibles were confiscated, churches were burned, and ministers and congregations were murdered. ‘They knew not what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.’” Matthew 24:39 TEV. (Relfe, Pg. 222-223).

Rood states, “Every prophetic event in the Old and New Testaments will fit precisely into the chronological sequence that unfolds in Revelation. Prophetic events of great significance are indicated by the events described by the seals, trumpets, thunders, last trumpet, and bowls in precise chronological sequence. The revealing of the Destroyer is there. The raising of the dead in Christ at the rapture of the church is there. It is all in them, and it is all in order.

There is an extremely important and fearsome warning to those who would trifle with the book of Revelation. It originates in the Gospel of Matthew, in Jesus’ warning to, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name...and deceive many.’

Our thought processes and beliefs are primarily shaped by the pew that we sit in. But there is a higher authority to whom we must answer, and our minister will not be with us before the throne to accept the blame for what we believed about life, or how we lived it.

Revelation 22:18, ‘I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.’ I will not add an extra resurrection into the book of Revelation, or in any book of the Bible, in an attempt to get us out of here early. The penalty is too severe. I will not take away the value of the warnings, thereby taking away the validity of the entire book, by insisting that it is not written to the Christian church as the servants of Jesus Christ. I will not take away the church, before Jesus takes it away at the Last Trumpet. I will not attempt to sneak in a secret rapture anywhere in the book of Revelation. Instead, I will wait for Jesus Christ to return to raise the dead and gather the church, when Jesus clearly revealed to John and Paul that it would take place at the 7th and last trump. These are the three resurrections: 1) the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the firstfruits from among the dead; 2) those that are Christ’s at his coming. The justified in Christ who looked forward to his coming in faith, such as Abraham, Moses, and David, and those of us who look back at his sacrifice in faith, as we do today. They will be rewarded for their righteous works. This is the resurrection of the just; 3) the end, or last resurrection, when all who have ever lived will stand in judgment before the great white throne. This excludes all those who have previously stood before the judgment of Christ at the first resurrection.” (Rood, Pg. 30-31,33).

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

1 Corinthians 15:50-55, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a MYSTERY; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Revelation 10:7, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the MYSTERY of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

Revelation 11:15,18, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.”

Jesus has already fulfilled the first resurrection. Now there are only two remaining which are fully documented in Revelation. The next resurrection will take place at the seventh and last trump (Revelation 10:7; 11:15,18) for the saints. The third and final resurrection comes at the end of His thousand-year reign (Millennium), after Jesus has conquered all principalities and powers (The End) (Revelation 20:11-15).

There are no more resurrections. One is left for the saints and the other
for the sinners who have rejected Jesus.

“There is no confusion between Jesus, Paul, and John. This is when the mystery of God is executed, at the last trump. This is the moment that the dead in Christ will be raised and the righteous will be judged and rewarded. This is the exact picture that we see when the seventh angel sounds the last trump.” (Rood, Pg. 32).

It is so very clear that the Lord’s return is not imminent. The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John must happen first..

2 Thessalonians 2:3 must happen!

There must come a falling away, meaning to stand in seditious opposition or open rebellion, and the man of sin the Antichrist must appear.

So, before Jesus returns, there must come the rebellious
stand resulting in the Antichrist being revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:4, “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This is nearly a verbatim recitation of Daniel’s description of the kings of wickedness in chapter 11, verses 36 and 37, and the mouth, or blasphemous spokesman of the beast government in Revelation 13:5-8. The “mystery of iniquity” is Satan himself who is blinding the eyes of people, keeping them from seeing (understanding) the truth, because people are not lovers of truth as warned about in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.

2 Peter 3:3-8 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4 warn us about scoffers in the last days, mocking and blaspheming the truth saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?”. These Scriptures warn us that people “will not endure sound doctrine...And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Revelation chapter 13 warns us about the rebellious stand of Antichrist. Throughout the nations today people are beginning to make this rebellious stand, blaspheming all that is holy and mocking Jesus Christ and those who align themselves with Him.

Binyamin Baruch in his book “The Day of the Lord is at Hand”, states, “The majority of modern prophecy teachers embrace a theory which they call the pre-tribulation rapture. This great deception has entered the Church at large and neutralized it. The church has been taught they will not see the final battle, but will be taken out beforehand. As a result, the Church has adopted a position of neutrality, assuming they are not involved in this final battle. This deception has rendered them useless, for they are not preparing spiritually or emotionally for the fight which is ahead.

The Scripture is clear. We are staying here through the tribulation.
We are not getting raptured out until the last day.

We must begin to prepare both our hearts and our homes to endure this hour of testing. (Begin to be a priest in your homes and disciple your family spiritually in truth which overcomes fear and teaches them faith so they rely on the promises of God. Do this instead of all the television and other wasted time.) There is no chance of a pre-tribulation rapture, none whatsoever! Jesus himself prayed for us saying ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.’

Jesus did not pray that the Father would take us out of the tribulation. There is not a single biblical text which supports the theory of a rapture of the Church prior to the Great Tribulation. The so-called proof texts are taken totally out of context and used only as an inference of this great end-time fable. This is a relatively new dogma, and is held primarily in the Church in America. In the nations already witnessing the violent persecution which Jesus warned of, this false doctrine is no longer held. If you tried to teach Christians in China that there would be a rapture before the tribulation, they would perceive you to be insane. The Church in China is already in tribulation.” (Baruch, Pg. 267)

~~ ~

This teaching should not get anyone angry. It should not cause brethren to separate. If you disagree with it, so be it. I will still love and respect you regardless of which doctrinal position you hold. If this causes anger within you, ask the question why? We should be able to “come let us reason together”, as Scripture admonishes us. Again, I have no problems with those who teach otherwise in this area. I just believe they are wrong.

May we all be counted worthy to escape the wrath
of God and judgments of men.

World Ministries International is a reformation ministry. Prophet Jonathan Hansen is currently going in and out of 38 nations with a warning to those particular nations and/or political and religious leaders within those nations. This year Rev. Hansen will be in 19 countries, personally holding meetings, as well as being on the radio Monday through Friday throughout the United States. He is also on shortwave radio and sends out articles and newsletters twice per month.

Prophet Hansen prophesied the current situation in Indonesia (blood bath), as well as Madagascar (ocean coming against the land). He also prophesied of the current troubles in Korea, India, Taiwan and China. See our website for the complete prophecies for each nation. Korea, India, Taiwan...all have the potential now for a nuclear disaster, which when the warnings were first documented, was not possible.

Korea, Taiwan and Russia have all warned the United States that they will use their nuclear weapons against the United States if she continues to interfere. Prophet Hansen has warned of Russia attacking the United States, as well as Taiwan losing its freedom; and, people in India with their eyes melting out of their sockets while standing.

People, we need to get these prophecies saturated throughout the nations before they start happening! We have them all on our website, but most people in these countries still do not have the money to buy computers. If we had saturated Indonesia and Madagascar before the blood bath started in Indonesia and the sea started flooding Madagascar, we would have been in a position to really minister to those people now. They would now be more receptive to and calling for MORE truth.

Please be faithful and make a regular donation to help us continue to send out these monthly articles. Keep giving to the “Warnings” radio and shortwave programs and get the prophecies saturated throughout the nations.

Blessing to all and.... Shalom

© 2000 World Ministries International