Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (I Peter 1:10-12).

One of the truly damaging outcomes of the teaching that God will remove the Gentile branch (there is no such thing) of the Body of Christ from the earth before Antichrist is revealed is the forcing of a division between elect Jews and elect Gentiles, as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned, and the related removal of the Church of Christ from the writings of the Hebrew Prophets.

The division between the elect Jews and elect Gentiles, and the isolating of the Christian Church from the writings of the Prophets, are in violation of the express statements of the Scriptures.

The doctrine of the removal of the so-called "Gentile Church" by an ascension to Heaven before the Day of Christ is part of a decision concerning the interpretation of the Scriptures of considerable importance. The consequences of the decision to interpret the Scriptures according to the "dispensational" model have been far-reaching and are not to be taken lightly.

It is our point of view that the consequences have included the destruction of righteous behavior in the Christian churches (because of the doctrine of the dispensation of grace or state of grace), the doing away with the concept of the converging of spiritual Israel with natural Israel—a most important and significant doctrine, the removal of the coming of the Kingdom of God (the central doctrine of the Scriptures) from Christian thinking, and the introduction of utter confusion into the understanding of the writings of the Hebrew Prophets.

The longer we live the more convinced we become that dispensationalism with its pre-tribulation-rapture teachings is far more than an innocent, alternative interpretation of the Scriptures, the realm of scholars and theologians, and just as useful to the growing Christian as any other theological position. Rather, the doctrines proceeding from dispensationalism are deadly errors calculated to leave the saints unprepared for the unprecedented Glory of God and the unprecedented deluge of demons and fallen angels that are to come upon the earth before the Lord returns.

We have no desire or time to quarrel over minor points of interpretation of the Scriptures, the understanding of passages that make no difference in the growth of the disciple, just for the sake of being "correct." However, the rapture teaching is not a minor point of the interpretation of prophecy. Its impact on the moral growth of the believers is direct and profound.

To be continued.