Rapture

I am posting this article in the light of what happened recently with Harold Camping predicting that the rapture was going to take place on the 21 May 2011. This rapture did not happen. Many people were left confused or just plainly ignorant on this topic.

The “rapture theory” teaches that “the saints” who are alive on the earth will miraculously fly to heaven either before, during or after a time of great tribulation on Earth. The main body of the rapture theory was invented by Ribera, a Catholic Jesuit theologian who published his work shortly after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572. The blood of that horrific Catholic inspired massacre of French Protestants was still being washed off the streets of Paris when the Jesuits presented their rapture theory, designed to take pressure off the Catholic Church system that was being fingered as the Antichrist, the Beast, and/or the Whore of Revelation. To excuse themselves from this embarrassment the Catholic Church developed a “futurist” theology that suggested they could not be the Harlot Church who sits on the Seven Hills of Rome, they began posturing that Revelation speaks of “futurist” prophecies that are not yet fulfilled. (The head of the Vatican was so delighted with his massacre in Paris that he struck a coin to commemorate it.) Ribera wrote: “None of the wicked shall understand,” yet thousands of “Bible teachers” today maintain that Ribera’s idea of a future personal Antichrist is the right interpretation, and that the Reformers’ view of the papacy as the Antichrist was wrong. From 1580 to 1830, the official teaching of the Church of Rome was that an individual personal Antichrist would appear in the future; while the Protestants held that the reign of Antichrist extended all through the Dark Ages, from the Fourth Century onward.

In the mid 1700’s Emanual Lacunza, a Chilean Jesuit of Spanish descent wrote a book entitled, “The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty,” which launched a theory that Mashiyach was to come TWICE; once for his saints at the rapture and then again with an army of his saints. But he also wrote that the priesthood of the Catholic Church would apostatize at the coming of the Antichrist and that the Antichrist himself would take over the Roman Catholic Church and persecute Catholics. However, Lacunza also yielded to one of the main contentions of the Protestants that the Antichrist was not a man but a system or body of men animated by one spirit. Lacunza had taken the Reformers’ perspective and melded it with Rome’s but, of course, this publication was immediately put on the Vatican’s list of prohibited books – so, for whom was it written? It came with a commendation of being condemned by the Pope.

Lacunza also wrote his book under the name of “Rabbi Ben Ezra” claiming to be a learned Jew who became a Christian who was out to convert his Jewish brethren to Christianity. “Ben Ezra: became famous among Christians under the cloak of the converted Jew. Did Lacunza really expect to reach Jews by pretending to be an ex-Jewish Rabbi? No, because he was aiming at the Protestants. Lacunza was found dead on June 17^th 1801. There was no record of what caused his death, but after his death his book found its way to Oxford and Cambridge and into the library of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the official head of the Anglican Church and the people of England. In the course of time, the librarian to the Archbishop, Dr. Maitland, became smitten with the teachings of “Rabbi Ben Ezra the converted Jew,” and the ideas of Lacunza the Jesuit rose from the dead and “ministered” to Protestants everywhere.

The Beast

For most Bible students it comes as no surprise that Protestant Christians fingered the Roman Catholic Church as the Antichrist Church of Revelation; especially when the Vatican extended extreme cruelty, torture and death to independent Christian minorities who refused Catholic “conversion.” The Church of Rome continues to provide asylum for criminals and boasts extreme extravagance at the expense of the poorest of the poor while also being found to cover up/minimalize the wicked sexual perversion of priests who’ve raped the most vulnerable of society: children. The Vatican, which puts its official “Christification” on images of the sun placed behind the heads of many a “saint,” epitomizes the marriage of paganism with Christianity, lavishly pouring condemnation and guilt upon its adherents and then selling cash pardons for “forgiveness.”

Anyone visiting or viewing photos of the Vatican has likely noticed a massive obelisk at the center of St. Peter’s square, which is dedicated to sex/sun worship. The massive eight-rayed sun wheel around the obelisk is the ancient symbol of Ishtar (Easter) who was a goddess of sex. The obelisk itself is a phallic symbol (penis) that was brought to the Church from Heliopolis Egypt by the Roman Emperor Caligula. Ancient pagan civilizations believed that the fellow who sported the largest penis was sent from the gods; therefore, Protestants pointed to the Catholic erection as evidence that Catholicism is in bed with paganism.

Caligula, according to historical sources, was a man of extreme cruelty, extravagance and sexual perversion who considered himself a deity. For public meetings he dressed up as various gods and demigods, such as Hercules, Apollo, Venus or Mercury, and he demanded that both the senators and people worship him as a physical living god. Similarly, the head of the Vatican also prides himself as “Vicar Christi” (in place of Christ) and operates under the title of “Holy Father” – which is much like the spirit of Caligula and a rather wicked thing in the light of Mashiyach’s warning; “And do not call yourself Father for your Father is one who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9).

The Catching Up

“And then we who survive and are alive shall be caught up together with them to the clouds to meet our Master (Y’hoshua) in the air; and so shall we be ever with our Master.” (1 Thess 4:17)

Here Rav Shaul teaches that the first resurrection and the “catching up” will occur at the return of Mashiyach. The survivors of the great tribulation are they who “survive and are alive” which was also witnessed (2 Peter 3:10-12) at the end of what is known as Jacob’s Trouble.

Mashiyach says, “Blessed are they who are meek because they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). (See also Psalm 37:11, 149:4.) Isaiah wrote: “And one cried unto another, and said, Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, is YHWH of hosts: the whole earth is full of His esteem” (Isaiah 6:3), which was echoed by Rav Shaul: “For the earth is MASTER YHWH’s, in its fullness” (1 Cor 10:26). Certainly the Earth is headed towards catastrophe of unimaginable proportion; but regardless of what man does to destroy it, it is YHWH’s property and He clearly intends to redeem every molecule of it.

“For in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YHWH blessed the Shabbat day, and Set it Apart” (Exodus 20:11). YHWH calls tov (good) all that He created; therefore, fallen man’s plans to destroy the Earth will come to an end long before the Earth does – which is why Mashiyach says, “For then will be great suffering such as has not been from the beginning of the world until the present, nor will ever be again. And if those days were not shortened, not any flesh would live, but because of the chosen, those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Although the rapture theory has gained wide recognition and acceptance in the Christian world, the word “rapture” like the word “trinity” is not found in Scripture. It is much more important for those who follow Mashiyach to focus on donning the garments of righteousness instead of supposing they already have all their facts straight. A future rapture is nothing but a clever deception of the enemy to make Christians think they’ve “got it in the bag,” when in fact they are giving authority to the Anti-Christ Church by disobeying Mashiyach and Torah. It should also be noted that the “rapture theory” never penetrated the Church of the East; it is of Western origin.

The Promised Land

A very integral part of the Covenant YHWH made with Awraham included a “Promised Land.” Undoubtedly, there is going to be a lot of scorched earth between now and when Mashiyach returns, but YHWH isn’t nervous and Mashiyach isn’t fearful. HaSatan knows that his days are numbered; therefore, it is utterly foolish to play religious games with “the Devil.” We are told by the Prophet Isaiah that haSatan will be destroyed after he makes the Earth tremble and has shaken kingdoms and destroyed cities; but the irony is: “They that see thee (haSatan) shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake kingdoms? “ (Isaiah 14:16) In other words, people will be amazed at how pathetic the chief of doom really is and they will realize the utter foolishness of even thinking that evil would triumph.

Rapture Not the Goal

The goal then is not the Rapture (or religion) but Spiritual Regeneration. Mashiyach Y’hoshua was put to death on the merits of religious tradition, but so is religion (false Christianity) putting Y’hoshua to “death” by turning their backs on Torah, which is Mashiyach preincarnate. The post-apostolic Western Church (inspired by haSatan) has always been at war with the true followers of Mashiyach but: “Judgment begins in the house of YHWH” (1 Peter 4:17-18), so as the One World Government continues to rape and pillage the Earth of righteousness, one can expect even more false prophets to advertise cheap religious travel packages into the clouds.