In numerous Evangelical churches the main preaching has to do with unconditional grace and the pre-tribulation rapture. In our point of view these two doctrines are major heresies and have produced morally weak, silly believers who are in no manner prepared to return with Christ and govern the saved nations of the earth.

We must return to the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. We must begin to make disciples of all nations by teaching them to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles. This is the Great Commission.

I understand that what I have to say will provoke consternation, anger, and perhaps confusion, and so I do not take computer in hand lightly on this topic.

For many years I have written concerning the pre-tribulation rapture error. I have examined the arguments concerning it and its history. I have seen its effect on the believers. I have found the arguments supporting it to be contrived and unsound scripturally. The pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, with its teaching that the catching up of the saints is for the purpose of avoiding tribulation, from my point of view is not logical, given the fact that Christians have suffered terribly throughout the Church Era and yet today are being tortured and killed. Also, once we have been resurrected there is no need to flee into the spirit realm to avoid being hurt.

We Evangelicals claim to believe in the full verbal inspiration of the authentic Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. Yet we persist in teaching that the Lord is coming to "catch up His waiting bride to Heaven." Not only is such a concept not emphasized in the Bible, it is not presented one time. Neither is there any passage that states clearly the believers will be removed from the earth to avoid suffering. Not one passage!

A pastor said recently that the "rapture" doctrine is demonic in origin, its purpose being to promote complacency among the believers. Can he be correct? There is no question that the doctrine promotes complacency. If you don't believe this try warning the believers to prepare themselves to stand in the evil day. They will tell you in effect that there will be no evil day for them because they "won't be here." They may also become angry.

How unscriptural can you get?

I notice that when the doctrine of the "rapture" is challenged its advocates often become threatened and angry instead of reasonable, causing me to believe some kind of spirit is involved.

An incident happened yesterday that kindled the old fires. Our youth pastor told me of a young man, a teenager in fact, who recently attended a young people's meeting. The pastor supervising the meeting sat down next to him and asked him if he believed in the "rapture." I guess the pastor could sense there was something "wrong" with the young fellow.

The young man, having heard some teaching to the contrary, said he was unsure.

The pastor then opened his Bible and began to "prove the truth" of the pre-tribulation rapture.

I become angry when anyone tries to indoctrinate young people. I am as bad as the proponents of the "rapture," in this respect. I had best continue to be reasonable.

To be continued.