“I know that Christians will never have to go through the tribulation, because they will be raptured up before it happens – everybody knows that. Just because Jesus told His apostles, ‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake,’ Jesus must’ve meant something besides the tribulation. It’s true that the apostles believed that they were in the ‘tribulation,’ but how could they have known? I mean, just because they said things like, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God,’ and ‘in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,’ doesn’t mean that the tribulation has happened. John must’ve felt pretty silly when he said, ‘your brother and companion in the tribulation,’ I guess that no one ever told him that he would know the tribulation was near because he would be raptured up before it happened. But we know now that it wasn’t going to happen for quite some time. Even though Jesus told His apostles that it would happen in their ‘generation,’ He must’ve meant a far distant generation. When Jesus said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom,’ it’s obvious that He meant something other than ‘death,’ because all those who were standing there have died. And when He said, ‘Behold, I am coming quickly,’ He must’ve meant something else.

“We all know that the Lord’s ‘Millennial Kingdom’ will be centered in Jerusalem, and that the glorious New Tabernacle will come out of the sky and rest on Mount Zion. ‘Now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country’ doesn’t mean that you can’t walk its streets, and actually see it with your eyes. It’s true that it is written, ‘For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.’ Just because the writer is contrasting the two mountains doesn’t mean that you can’t touch the heavenly Jerusalem. I mean, just because Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation,’ doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to see it; right? Yes, it’s true that Jesus also said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ but He must’ve meant something else, because we know that it will be on the earth, and one day we’ll see it.

“I can’t believe people don’t understand that Christianity was only a temporary thing, and that it was the Law and God’s chosen people, the Israelites, that all this was about. Yes, it’s true that God made the Old Covenant of the Law ‘obsolete’ and that it was ‘ready to vanish away’ back in the first century, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want it back. I mean, just because it says that the first tabernacle was ‘symbolic’ and that all offerings made there could not make the one who was offering ‘perfect,’ doesn’t mean that it can never make one perfect. Just because it was concerned only with ‘fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation,’ doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t have a purpose in God’s plan today. Don’t you agree?

“We are all diligently watching for the one who is the Antichrist, because then we will know that the end is very near. It’s not really important that John told his first century hearers that the Antichrist was ‘already in the world,’ back then, because he was understandably confusing Nero with the Antichrist. We know that when the Antichrist and false prophets come that it will be 'the last hour.’ It’s not important that John also told his contemporaries that the Antichrist was coming back then, and that many had already come, and that’s how he ‘knew’ it was the ‘last hour’ back in the first century. It must have been very embarrassing for him. How could he have known that the ‘last hour’ was so far into the future? I feel sorry for him. The poor sap must’ve been the brunt of many jokes. I mean it wasn’t his fault, after all, Jesus told him that in the end ‘many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’ Of course, we know what Jesus really meant, and even though John actually spoke with Jesus during His whole ministry, he somehow still misunderstood Him! It’s such a shame.

“It’s strange that they believed that they were ‘receiving a kingdom which can not be shaken’ back then. They must’ve misunderstood a lot. I mean, when Peter said, ‘For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God,’ how could he have known that judgement wouldn’t begin for a long, long time? I wish I could go back in time to clear up his confusion. Paul must’ve really been made a laughing stock when he said, ‘old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new;’ he really must’ve been delusional. Maybe he never did get his eyesight back, because he would’ve known just by looking around that the world was the same as it always was.

“Of course, we know now that heaven and earth will be destroyed, and God will visibly recreate them. I wonder what was meant by ‘One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever’? No matter. Something else we know is that the Christian age will end, and that the eternal age of God will commence after it. Daniel must’ve been really confused when he wrote that to the Son of Man ‘was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.’ Isn’t it true that there will not be any nations when the kingdom is established? They probably really laughed at Daniel when he wrote that ‘His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.’ Because we know now that Jesus’ millennial kingdom will end and God’s kingdom is the one which reigns eternally. Now we really know that there will not be any nations when God’s Eternal Kingdom is established, even though we are told, ‘And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.’ How could John have known? Maybe he was just delirious.

“I’m really glad that God had the Bible written to us, so that we could understand all of this. It’s just a shame that the Christians of the first century didn’t realize that it wasn’t written to them. When I get to heaven, I’ll be sure to thank them for writing it to me, and then I’ll have a chance to tell them what it all really meant.”

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I am not one to “beat around the bush,” or mince words. Those who believe in Pre-Millennial Pre-Tribulational Rapturism are pitted AGAINST the Word of God. It is not altogether a conscious effort. The devil likes to help. You see, at every turn they defy the Bible, and make divine inspiration mean nothing. It’s no wonder that the Word seems so confusing to many people. Many give up altogether because what they read, and what they are taught are often completely different. Contradiction after contradiction has invalidated the Word of God. Don’t be fooled! These doctrines defy God, Christ, the Apostles, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They are inconsistent. They insist upon the “literal” interpretation of the Bible, yet when confronted with obvious statements of time, they suddenly come up with symbolic renderings. Futurists forget one important point; that the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth. They wish to throw away our Lord’s grace and replace it with the Law. They think carnally, not spiritually. Their hope is based on their senses, not on faith. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on you most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. (Jude 16-23)

These “mockers” came back in the first century as predicted, and persuaded many, even some of the ‘elect.’ They taught carnal things, and many of these beliefs are still practiced today. Most Christians don’t even realize how sensual their beliefs are. They go down to the very core of Christianity. From the “rapture” to the “physical body” that they think they will receive after resurrection, to the holy city of God, the streets of which they will actually walk on. It goes far deeper, but I may just be “barking up an empty tree.”

I was nearly “turned off” from Christianity due to Futurist belief. I’ll tell you how. I was watching a news program where a segment was about people with lewd practices. A Futurist near me, with glee in his eyes said, “I can’t wait till the Lord returns, boy, they’ll be sorry.” It was as though he was happy that these particular people hadn’t received the truth, and he was relishing in what he believed would be their ‘coming punishment.’ I almost felt sick to my stomach. We shouldn’t feel joy when people aren’t saved! We should pray for them and their salvation! Am I way off base? Am I delusional?

Doesn’t anyone realize that we are following Judaism instead of Judaism following Christianity? Doesn’t anyone realize that the modern state of Israel is not the Israel spoken of in the Bible? Where’s the theocracy? Where’s the temple? Where’s the priesthood? Where’s the descendant of David sitting on the throne? HELLO! Jesus Christ was the “seed!” He is the High Priest! He is the true King! He is on the throne at the right hand of the Father in the “heavenly Jerusalem,” within the hearts of men! Israel was just a “shadow” that pointed to the “reality.” Wake up people! See the truth staring you in the face!

Christ was the final sacrifice that made ALL OTHER SACRIFICES obsolete! He died for all of our sins once for all, and how do we repay? By wanting to return to the Law, we sacrifice Him again, and bring His blood to nothing. Oh, but I’m sure He doesn’t mind, because you “mean well.”

I hope that I wasn’t too harsh. I can’t help myself. When the Word of God is butchered beyond recognition I feel obligated to speak up. I am quite sarcastic by nature, and it lent itself well to this particular endeavor. I pray to the Lord that your eyes have been opened. The Word of God is an impenetrable armor when it is ACTUALLY READ. It’s easy to be a parrot: just repeat what you’re told. You don’t have to do any research...it’s all done for you! “Polly wanna cracker?”