As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that
you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to MYTHS and endless genealogies, which promote SPECULATIONS rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
THE IMMINENCY MYTH - CHUCK MISSLER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1xoON5GLSw
Chuck Missler uses the background of the ancient Jewish wedding as proof of imminency:
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3)
Missler teaches that this passage proves imminency because the bridegroom departs for an "indeterminate time" before returning unexpectedly for his bride, the church.
This is an illegitimate illustration of imminency. The ancient Jewish wedding took place in two distinct stages, usually about a year apart. The first stage, kiddushin (sanctification or dedication), including erusin (betrothal), after which the groom would depart for about a year in order to prepare a dwelling place in his father's house to which he would later bring his bride. The second stage, nisuin (the formal marriage) when the marriage was consummated and the couple started their life together. The period of time for the bridegroom to return for the nisuin, though not exact, was predictable - it was certainly not "indeterminate" or "imminent" as Missler and others claim. The context of John 14:2-3 is more of an assurance that Christ will indeed return, and that during his absence he is making preparations for his bride. It follows that if Christ is making preparations, he will not return until they are complete. Christ's journey is spoken of elsewhere as a long absence which does not indicate imminence (Proverbs 7:19; Matthew 21:33; 25:14; Luke 19:12; 20:9). The definition of imminency is that nothing must precede it, and yet clearly Christ's preparations do precede it. "If something else must occur before Christ comes, then His coming is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of the imminent coming of Christ." http://www.pre-trib.org/articles/view/imminent-coming-of-christ
THE SEVEN DAYS OF HUPPAH MYTH
The Book of Joel gives us the Hebrew word "chuppah" which, in this context, is a bridal canopy or chamber (Joel 2:16). Below are three quotations from well known pretribulationists propagating the myth of the bride's seven days of seclusion in the bridal chamber (chuppah or huppah).
The Berean Call:
"Corresponding with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal
chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's
house, the Church will remain hidden for a period of seven [years]
after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven-year
Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in
heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth. Just
as the Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber at the
conclusion of the seven days with her veil removed, so that all could
see who his bride was, so Christ will bring His Church out of heaven in
His Second Coming at the conclusion of the seven-year Tribulation Period
in full view of all who are alive, so that all can see who the true
church is (Col:3:4)."
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/behold-bridegroom-comes
Arnold Fruchtenbaum:
".....(being taken away and hidden in the 'cheder', the bridal-chamber, was the consummating act of the ancient Jewish wedding. Unless the bridegroom fulfilled the required "seven days in the bridal-chamber" with his bride, the marriage covenant was not considered to be consummated or fulfilled. In prophetic application, the Lord invites His bride to 'hide in the bridal-chamber' prior to 'the Indignation' - the Great Tribulation)" http://www.arielministries.net/ariel0626.html
Chuck Missler:
"During the seven days of the wedding feast, the bride and groom remained hidden in the bridal chamber19 (Cf. Genesis 29:21-23, 27-28) for the seven days of the huppah.20
Afterwards, the groom came out of hiding, bringing his bride with him,
but with her veil removed so that everyone could see her." http://www.khouse.org/articles/2003/449
Missler cites The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, pp.5, 504 as his source for the above quotation. Actually this quotation comes from a piece written by staunch pretribulationist Renald Showers who has misquoted The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. In effect we have Showers fictional statement about the groom coming out of hiding with his bride etc. tagged onto his
misquotation of the source, a ruse seemingly designed to completely mislead the
readers of both Missler and Showers! Showers source: "Huppah," The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, ed.
Isaac Landman (New York: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc.,1948),
5, 504.
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/jewish_marriage_customs.htm
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015069223728;view=1up;seq=526
Many pretribulationist authors re-quote Showers and Missler as authoritative evidence for "the seven days of huppa". However, the problem
for the pretribulationists is that there is no evidence for the mythical
seven days of isolation in the Tanakh. This necessitates their reliance upon tradition alone without biblical support, in order to validate their point. Ironically, even here they fail! Although the Talmud does give detailed information on Jewish wedding
procedures, opinion seems to differ among the rabbis concerning these procedures in ancient times. In Talmudic times, the room where the marriage was consummated was huppa or chuppah. In other words the huppah was a later addition practiced during Talmudic period. The Tanakh refers to the wedding simply as the seven days of the feast (Genesis 29:27 Judges 14:12).
"Of the marriage ceremonial little is known; it is not mentioned at all
in the story of Isaac, while in that of Jacob (Gen. xxix.) a
marriage-feast and a nuptial week are spoken of." http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10432-marriage
"Many medieval rabbis were uncertain about what precisely the Talmud was thinking of when it said 'the huppah.' According to many authorities the huppah was the groom's house, or, if
not, it was a room or space other than the bride's parental home." http://templeemunah.org/images/sermons/Rabbi_David_Lerner/Previous_Years/5768/09-27-07%20-%20Sukkot%205768.pdf
Dr Thomas L Constable explains some of the background concerning weddings in the ancient Near East: "Sixth,
the bride and groom would consummate their marriage at the groom's home
the night of the wedding ceremony. Seventh, there would be a banquet
that would often last as long as seven days. This often took place at
the groom's home." http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/matthew.pdf
Kaufmann Kohler refers to "the seven days of her" or "of the ḥuppah" as a seventeenth century practice amongst Dutch Jews. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7941-huppah
My conclusion: Evidence for the seven day period of seclusion of the bride and groom in the bridal chamber appears to be taken from from later Jewish tradition and forms part of the pre-tribulation rapture propaganda. Furthermore, many pretribulationists are desperate to prove a seven year tribulation in order to prove their point, but this is another myth. The Great Tribulation referred to by Jesus Christ is a period of 3.5 years (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 12:5-6; 13:5). The seven year period is commonly referred to as "Daniel's seventieth week" (Daniel 9:27). As I have previously written, the history of the pre-tribulation rapture
deception is sordid through and through and still persists to this day through men who for some unknown reason are determined to propagate this
myth at the expense of truth.These men are even prepared to re-write history and twist the scriptures to fit in with their dubious agenda. http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/thomas-ice-and-paul-wilkinson-sordid.html
Chuck Missler's past is something of a shock if one isn't prepared. Missler has publicly apologised for his heavy plagiarisation of Edwin Yamauchi's ©1982 book
titled Foes from the Northern Frontier: Invading Hordes from the Russian
Steppes (FNF). Missler has also been accused of plagiarism of New Age writer Michael Talbot's 1992 book The Holographic Universe in his 1999 book Cosmic Codes: Messages from the Edge of Eternity.
http://calvarychapel.pbworks.com/w/page/13146663/missler-plagiarism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Missler
The video below gives an alarming exposé about Chuck Missler and the secretive Council for National Policy (CNP). The CNP was founded in 1981 by suspected Mason, Tim LaHaye, author of the best selling pre-tribulation rapture series Left Behind. CNP members have been given billions of dollars by Sun Myung Moon, self proclaimed Messiah (Lord of the Second Advent) and founder of the Unification Church (the Moonies). Membership of the CNP is a covert affair and by invitation only - a current list of members is "strictly confidential". Previous members lists include Chuck Missler, Bob Jones III, Beverly and Tim LaHaye, Sun Myung Moon, Pat Robertson, James Robison, Jerry Falwell, Paige Patterson, Ergun Caner and many more. Interestingly a numberof these people are now embracing Roman Catholicism!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_for_National_Policy#Meetings_and_membership
http://www.ministers-best-friend.com/Council-for-National-Policy.html
The Berean Call has recently come under fire due to Paul Wilkinson's vile attack on Joe Schimmel, Jacob Prasch and Joel Richardson. Note Wilkinson's outrageous announcement that anyone who does not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture is a heretic!
http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/left-behind-or-led-astray-paul.html
http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/berean-call-conference-2015-paul.html
They
profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are
detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:6)
This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:7-13; Isaiah 29:13).
http://www.contendingfortruth.com/wp-content/uploads/Exposed-Chuck-Missler-Tim-Lahaye-etc.pdf
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10435-marriage-laws
seven days of feasting ancient jewish wedding
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924091768253/cu31924091768253_djvu.txt
http://www.jewishmag.com/131mag/wedding_chuppah/wedding_chuppah.htm
http://www.jewish-history.com/minhag.htm
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Chuppah
http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/16558/is-there-any-account-of-a-religious-marriage-ceremony-in-the-scripture
An excellent article.
ReplyDeleteThere are many today who would put their trust in the traditions of men, rather than what the Bible teaches. Why is this? The typology of the Jewish wedding cannot be relied upon to prove anything-it is extra Biblical. Men like Fruchtenbaum and others ought to know better; the Pharisees were no mugs when it came to the Law and the prophets, they 'knew' it all and no doubt would have kept all these extra Biblical traditions which the Saviour severely castigated them on. As you correctly say, there is no seven year tribulation, but there is a seventieth week, of which the latter half will be the 3 1/2 year great tribulation. I have spent the last five years de-Misslerising and de-Showering myself!
The Lord bless you.
Bless you Colin - you have made me laugh... I de-Misslerised some time ago x
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Treena, insightful, well researched. If these claims don't line up with scripture then we steer clear. Missler DVD going in the bin. God bless you
ReplyDeleteJules xxx
God bless you Jules xxx
ReplyDelete"In My Father's House are many dwelling places..." No one seems to ask the question, "What is the Father's House?" They just assume that it refers to heaven and that Jesus is building mansions there for us to live in. In the Old Testament, the Father's House of course referred to the Jewish Temple. Jesus, when driving out the money changers, called the Temple His Father's House, but hinted that there was coming a time when the Father would no longer dwell in a Temple made with hands, but rather would dwell in a Temple made of Living Stones, built by God Himself. Of course, we know that the Church as the Body of Christ is now God's House, a Temple in which He lives by the Spirit. And so, if we as members of Christ's Body are the Father's House, then that would also mean that we are the "dwelling places," the Living Stones that make up the Temple. In other words, Jesus wasn't saying that He was going to heaven to build mansions for us to live in. He was saying that He was going to the cross to prepare His Body, so that He could "receive us unto Himself," that we could become spiritual dwelling places for the Father. This passage is not about Christ's second coming. The entire context of the chapter is speaking about Jesus' death and resurrection and the sending of His Spirit, that He and the Father may be in us, and that we may be in them." The original disciples became the first additions to the Father's House. And as each person is saved, that person is added to the Father's House. When is a Wedding consummated? Is it not when the Husband places His Seed into His Bride. What that tells me is that Jesus is now in the process of consummating the Wedding, which will be complete when "all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of Christ, when the Husband and Wife become "one flesh" at the rapture/resurrection. And then the marriage supper will begin.
ReplyDeleteIn context Jesus says ". In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
DeleteI do believe He was referring to our ultimate reunion with Jesus in "the Father's house" which at the present time is in heaven.
God bless