PROPHECY WATCHERS: THE IMMINENT RETURN FALLACY

(29) The Imminent Return | Gary Stearman, Mondo Gonzales and Gregg Gray - YouTube

Building with straw - another wasted weekend!

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).

The Big Sell

Gary Stearman, Mondo Gonzales and Gregg Gray have announced their upcoming prophecy conference from October 5-8. This conference is primarily based on the false doctrine of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Speakers will include showman Billy Crone, arch speculator Bill Salus, Nephilim expert LA Marzulli, pseudo-academic Lee Brainard, Bill Koenig, Mark Hitchcock, Tom Hughes, Randell Price etc. in fact, many of the usual suspects. These teachers are promoted as men who are "in the know about bible prophecy" and who "deeply study scripture and deeply believe in the soon appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."  If these men studied the scriptures as deeply as they claim, they would reject the foolish idea of a pre-trib rapture and the intrinsic theory of imminence. These teachers are little more than false prophets whose message of hope to the body of Christ during the 70th week of Daniel is invalid. Instead of preparing believers to endure the great tribulation, these men teach that believers will escape it entirely. The anticipation of an imminent rapture is a very dangerous doctrine that is likely to compromise the very faith of those who hold to it. (Matthew 24:9-13; Revelation 13:10). Some of these false teachers come dangerously close, but often stop just short of date setting. Pre-trib teacher Britt Gillette speculates that what he wrongly refers to as "the tribulation" could begin this September based on the upcoming UN Summit. Gillette: "If it is the event talked about in Daniel 9:27.. then I would expect the rapture would occur between now and then and we won't be here.." {1} 

The false doctrine of imminence  

Gonzalez: "We see the signs of the coming of the Lord, and there really is nothing that is holding back the rapture of the church which we strongly believe in. That could happen today, and as we see the signs of Jesus' second coming, the rapture is even sooner. and no matter what .. perspective is, whether you are pre-trib, prewrath, we know that the signs of Jesus' second coming are there and that imminent return which pushes His return for His church even earlier."  Gonzalez is incoherent regarding the prewrath position. The prewrath position does not include any notion of imminence until the cosmic disturbances occur after the sixth seal is broken. (Revelation 6:12-17). 

Pre-trib teachers portray the rapture as a "secret" event when believers will suddenly disappear from the earth prior to what they refer to as "the tribulation". The concept of a seven-year tribulation is another pre-trib concoction that I have addressed elsewhere. {2} The idea that no one will see Jesus coming except believers is patently false. In fact, the rapture will be anything but secret! Note that Jesus  Christ places the rapture after the tribulation when there will be fearful cosmic disturbances, and everyone (i.e. all the tribes of the earth) will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds. Unbelievers will not be wondering where their believing friends and relatives have gone ~ it will be painfully obvious.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31). 

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7).

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4) 

Do not let pre-trib teachers throw you under the bus!

The lack of integrity within the pre-trib camp is beyond scandalous. I often expose false "prophets" and "apostles" within the NAR movement. Frankly, the dishonesty of pre-trib teachers is just as disgusting, and they are on target to do immeasurable damage to the body of Christ. The pre-trib mantra "imminent rapture" replaces the NAR mantra "imminent revival" or "imminent breakthrough". The recent shenanigans of Lee Brainard and Mike Golay (Behold Israel with Amir Tsarfati) regarding the writings of the Church Fathers has left their credibility in tatters. Brainard's false claims that Irenaeus and Ephraem (Pseudo Ephraem) taught a pre-trib rapture despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary is beyond embarrassing. The Church Fathers were all in agreement that Christians would face the Antichrist. 

Against Heresies 5.26.1 And they [the ten kings who shall arise] shall lay Babylon waste, and burn her with fire, and shall give their kingdom to the beast, and put the Church to flight. {3} 

Against Heresies 5.30.3-4 It is therefore more certain, and less hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy [2 Thessalonians 4:1-12], than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved..   But he (Pau1) indicates the number of the name now, that when this man [the Antichrist] comes we may avoid him, being aware who he is: the name, however, is suppressed, because it is not worthy of being proclaimed by the Holy Spirit. {4}

Against Heresies 5.35.1 For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of] which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign in the earth, waxing stronger by the sight of the Lord: and through Him they shall become accustomed to partake in the glory of God the Father, and shall enjoy in the kingdom intercourse and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual beings; and [with respect to] those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands of the Wicked one. {5}  

Peddling their wares! (2 Corinthians 2:17).

Every single episode of Prophecy Watchers involves relentless merchandising of books and DVDs. 

My advice to anyone seriously interested in bible prophecy as against the hyped-up speculations peddled by the pre-trib camp is to do your own due diligence. Do not allow these charlatans to shipwreck your faith. (1 Timothy 1:19).

For further information about the imminence problem I recommend THE IMMINENCE PROBLEM | 7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (alankurschner.com)

1. (43) Will the Tribulation Begin in September? - YouTube
2. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
3. CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, V.26 (St. Irenaeus) (newadvent.org)
4. CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, V.30 (St. Irenaeus) (newadvent.org)
5. CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, V.35 (St. Irenaeus) (newadvent.org)

Further Links  

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: ANDY WOODS' CHEAP SHOT AT THE PREWRATH RAPTURE! (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
A Reply to Lee W. Brainard | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES (alankurschner.com)
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: BILL SALUS # JOEL ROSENBERG # ANDY WOODS: PROPHETIC EISEGESIS (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)