Israel, Rapture, Tribulation

There is a mountain of Scriptural evidence supporting the views this book advocates. But unless you, the reader, are able to entertain the idea that your end times doctrine may be wrong, your eyes will be closed tightly to the truth. Sometimes, a paradigm shift is needed in our thinking. If that does not happen, we may reinterpret, misconstrue, or even wrest the Scriptures to the preconceived beliefs many bring to the Bible, instead of using Scripture to interpret Scripture. Those unwilling to rethink and reanalyze the Scriptural issues that deal with modern Dispensational doctrine and its interpretation of the end times and last days need not read any further. This book advocates the preterist view of the Scriptures, although its author does not hold to every finite nuance of that view. Futurists believe most end-time prophecies (especially the major ones) are yet to be fulfilled. Preterists believe all Bible prophecy has already been fulfilled in Christ and continues through the ongoing expansion of His Church. Most Futurists do not believe Christ has been successful in fully establishing His kingdom.1 All Dispensationalists are Futurists. Even though my view of future and past events from a Biblical perspective differs vastly from a Dispensational believer, neither I nor the millions of Christians who hold to the preterist view, am the enemy. “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth” (Gal. 4:16)? We have ever been fellow brothers to all who trust in Jesus. Yet many pastors refuse to even consider the preterist view, adamantly ignoring the Bible’s admonition: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Prov. 18:13). Many sincere believers have been ostracized, excommunicated, and given the “left boot of disfellowship” from various churches for holding to and teaching the preterist view. Nevertheless, we share with Dispensationalists some of the same goals: spreading the Gospel of Jesus, teaching the love of God, sharing the good news of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection; and advancing the kingdom of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. For many years I taught home Bible studies. As I continued to teach and study God’s Word, I noticed there was a discrepancy between the teacher’s manual I was using and what the Word of God taught. The error became glaringly obvious. I had no desire to go against the flow of the doctrines of the Church I attended; but a long time ago, I had determined to walk in the truth, no matter where it led. As Emerson said, “The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it. This has been one of mankind’s greatest failings because so much truth goes unused and unwanted. When truth comes marching by, too many let it march on without falling into step and following truth to its heaven-crowned destination.” Stopfard A. Brooke reinforced this point when he said: “If a thousand old beliefs were ruined in our march to truth, we must still march on.”2 As I continued to study and ponder the Scriptures, I decided to put down on paper what I believe the Bible teaches about the end times, last days, and the Dispensational doctrine. This book is not a scathing attack on Christians who hold to and teach Dispensationalism. It is not meant to demonize or denounce their beliefs as heresy. Nor is it a personal assault on the integrity or the character of the many pastors who would disagree with me. If I condemn them, I also have to chastise myself because I taught home Bible studies for years using the Dispensational framework. A false teacher, which is what I was when I taught Dispensational doctrine, does not even know the error he is teaching. Thus, it is unfortunately easy and common to teach false doctrine, for it is not obvious. They say there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, who points out all the faults of those who still indulge. My goal is to encourage a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. The teachings in this book result from many years of Bible study. Some of these teachings may seem strange to many contemporary Christians, but what is written here is as “old as the hills,” and has been believed and taught by many men of God for generations. I just ask you to hear me out—you will be glad you did. Among the important issues we will deal with are these: 1. It is a deceptive and spurious doctrine that teaches we will be raptured off the earth prior to a great tribulation. 2. The Dispensational doctrine distorts Bible verbiage and changes the meaning of Scripture. 3. The Seventieth Week of Daniel is not a future event, as it has already occurred. 4. The kingdom of God is a present reality. 5. The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 has been fulfilled. 6. The pessimistic outlook Dispensationalists have for the future is not based on Scripture. Christ’s Church will overcome the world. 7. The Book of Revelation was written before AD 68. 8. Any so-called “signs of the times” after AD 70 do not, and will never again have anything to do with a second coming of Jesus. 9. We are not living in the last days or end times, for the last days took place over nineteen hundred years ago. 10. The “Great Tribulation” was a past historical event. 11. The Bible never mentions a period of seven years for any tribulation. 12. The so-called “Antichrist” spoken of by many Christians is not found in Scripture. 13. The Jews are not God’s people so long as they reject Jesus. When they are converted and become Christians, they then become part of the Church, the Bride of Christ.