ISRAEL: ADAM FANNIN'S INSUPPORTABLE DENIAL OF MODERN ISRAEL

Zionism is the Synagogue of Satan

Adam Fannin's outspoken anti Zionist rhetoric is very dangerous and unscriptural.

Fannin: "The great falling away is happening right now".  In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul links the falling away (apostasia) to the appearance of the Antichrist at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel, when the great tribulation begins. During the great tribulation, it appears many who profess the name of Jesus Christ will apostasize completely. At that time, there will be unprecedented betrayal and global violence against true believers. It is undeniable that, for the most part, the churches are asleep and have been hijacked by false teachers. However, as bad as things are, this situation does not indicate that we are in the eschatological apostasy referred to by Jesus Christ and Paul. 

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasia) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3 cf. Matthew 24:9-14).

Simply defined, Zionism is a Jewish national movement that seeks the creation, support and continuation of a Jewish national state in the historic land of Israel.2  

Amongst those who support the modern state of Israel are hardcore pretribulational dispensationalists like Andy Woods, Tom Hughes, Olivier Melnick, Lee Brainard, Prophecy Watchers, etc. It seems that nothing will prevent these teachers from persisting in the pretrib rapture error, no matter how much evidence to the contrary is presented to them from the scriptures. (1 John 4:1). The latter half of Daniel's 70th week focuses heavily on Israel; however, there is clear evidence that the church will also face unprecedented persecution during this period. (Revelation 6:9; Daniel 7:21; Revelation 12:17, 13:7, 14:12; Matthew 24:9). Pretrib false teachers are setting up their followers for unprecedented disappointment and disaster due to the false hope that they will escape the persecution of the Antichrist. Thankfully, in recent years, a growing number of believers have rejected the lethal pretrib rapture teaching. My own research into some of their leaders' shady antics is very troubling. (Matthew 7:20).3 

Christians deconstruct dispensationalism for a range of reasons, most notably the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, repeated failures in date-setting or prophetic sensationalism, and the absence of historical precedent prior to the nineteenth century. Once a single foundational assumption is destabilised, many begin to question the entire theological system, with historic (or classic) premillennialism emerging as the most common alternative. Historic premillennialism is posttribulational and preserves belief in a future millennial reign of Christ while omitting the dispensational framework of distinct ages, a separate rapture event, and a strict Israel–Church divide. Alternatively, prewrath premillennialism affirms the 70th week of Daniel and more accurately reflects the teaching of the scriptures and the early church fathers. Prewrath locates the rapture of the church after the sixth seal of Revelation is broken. (Revelation 6:12-17; Matthew 24:29-31). Prewrath is often presented as a corrective to dispensationalism’s timing of the rapture, but it preserves one of dispensationalism’s core structural assumptions: a functional distinction between Israel and the Church in God’s prophetic program. Fannin seems to have merged prewrath and historic premillennialism, but this is highly problematic in one key area; there is no evidence to support the belief that the church is the true Israel or that ethnic Israel has no unique role in future prophecy. 

Fannin: "Genesis 12 is not for the modern state of Israel, and Romans 11 is not for the modern state of Israel.. By the way, Romans 11 literally says Israel is not elect, and Israel has been cast away." Fannin explains that he is not a replacement theologian; rather, he maintains that the church existed before Israel, and he quotes Genesis 4:26b. 

Paul emphatically spurns the idea that God has rejected the Jewish people. He describes their present unbelief as an opportunity for the Gentiles to be grafted in. 

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. (Romans 11:1-2).

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:11-12).

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. (Romans 11:17-18).

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.” (Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20-21).

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29).

See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:38-39). 

"This is a direct quote from Psalm 118:26 a messianic psalm that was traditionally sung during the Passover. It was also shouted by the crowds during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). The phrase signifies recognition of the Messiah and acceptance of His divine mission. It points to a future fulfilment when Jesus will be acknowledged as the Messiah by the Jewish people, often interpreted as a reference to His second coming."1 

God makes two distinct promises to Abram (Abraham). Genesis 12:1-3 applies to "all the families of the earth", whereas Genesis 13:14-15 is a specific promise regarding Abrahams physical offspring and the land. After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. Genesis 14:14,26:2-5). The possession of the land is promised עולם עד "for ever". The promise of God is unchangeable. While the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 are contingent upon the Israelites' behaviour, God's covenant with them is everlasting and stands firm. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7,13,19,48:4). 

Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their fathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (Exodus 32:13).

For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. (Deuteronomy 4:31).

..then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:3-6).

He is the LORD our God;
His judgments carry throughout the earth.
He remembers His covenant forever,
the word He ordained for a thousand generations—
the covenant He made with Abraham,
and the oath He swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
“I will give you the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.” (Psalm 105:7-11).

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10).

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”(Jeremiah 31:33-34).

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jeremiah 32:40).

Thus says the Lord: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jeremiah 33:25-26).

“For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account ofi the covenant with you. I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”Ezekiel 16:59-63).

The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives. (Zechariah 12:1-14).

In the whole land, declares the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:8-).

A Jewish remnant, literally one-third, is specifically identified in relation to the number of Jews who will survive and repent after being tested by fire. 

In conclusion, it is undeniable that God's covenant with Israel is unbroken and irrevocable. Those who deny this or say that it has already been fulfilled produce insupportable arguments and distort the scriptures.

Historically, Israel never possessed the entire land promised to Abraham and his descendants between the two rivers, i.e. the Nile (in Egypt) and the Euphrates (in Mesopotamia). (Genesis 15:18). The peak of Israel's territorial control was achieved under David and Solomon, specifically Canaan, not Egypt or Mesopotamia. The literal futuristic view is that Israel will possess the full territory promised in Genesis 15:18 in the future Messianic age. 

The estimated future possession of Israel is 932 miles (1500 km)

This is the approximate straight-line distance between the two rivers. The actual territory would be wider and irregular, covering parts of Modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.

   

1.Matthew 23:39 Study Bible: For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
2. Zionism | Definition, History, Movement, & Ideology | Britannica
3. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: LEE BRAINARD AND TOM HUGHES: PRETRIB DISHONESTY

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) 

THE KIRK CAMERON PROBLEM: CHRONIC ITCHING EAR SYNDROME

 Kirk Cameron Denies 'Eternal Conscious Torment,' Is Now An Annihilationist? - Protestia

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.. (2 Timothy 4:3).

Those who support the heresy of annihilationism must face the chilling fact that they are directly contradicting unequivocal scriptural evidence that hell is eternal conscious torment.  

And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:24 cf. Mark 9:44)

Study Bible: "The 'worm' and 'fire' are metaphors for unending decay and punishment. Isaiah chooses decay imagery to stress unending shame. A maggot-consuming corpse normally finishes its work; here the process 'never' ends. Jesus cites this phrase verbatim for Gehenna (Mark 9:47-48), affirming eternal, conscious punishment.

The incongruity of the two images shows that they are not to be understood literally; but both alike imply everlasting continuance, and are incompatible with either of the two modern heresies of universalism or annihilationism."1 

Bible Hub: "No hint of annihilation appears; the torment is ongoing, not terminated.

Fire in Scripture pictures God’s wrath (Hebrews 12:29). It is 'unquenchable,' meaning no outside force can lessen or end it (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

The permanence of the fire matches the never-dying worm—dual metaphors underscoring one reality.

This affirms the literal, eternal nature of hell, a place prepared for the devil and his angels yet shared by all who persist in rebellion."2

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46) .

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2).

 

The contrast and dual destiny between eternal life and eternal punishment are found in both the New and Old Testaments. It is possible for those who question eternal conscious punishment to use the same twisted logic to question eternal life. As such, annihilationism strikes at the very heart of the gospel itself. Those who view annihilationism as a secondary or even a tertiary issue should think again!

Bengel's Gnomen: "The Bible has no metaphysical distinctions, therefore it has no one word to express eternity; this it expresses by long periods joined with one another indefinitely. Αἰῶνες = עו̇לָמִים, æva: very long periods, which, multiplied indefinitely, give the only notion we can form of eternity. Ὡρα (Th. ὃρος, terminus), a definite space of time: καιρὸς, the time, the fit time: χρόνος, time, in its actuality, marking succession: αἰὼν, an indefinite course of time, without the notion of an end. See Tittm. Syn. Gr. Test. Ἀπʼ αἰώνων = from all eternity, a parte ante. Εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας = to all eternity, for ages, for ever, a parte post. As these phrases are applied to the eternity of God Himself, and as, moreover, αἰώνιος is applied to ζωὴ, which none deny to mean everlasting life, no objections (such as have been lately raised), from the meaning of αἰὼν, will hold good against the everlasting duration of punishment."3

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41).

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:11).

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. (Luke 16:19-31).

As unpalatable as we may find the doctrine of eternal torment, the only way around it is to deny the scriptures. Those who choose this course may find themselves facing the very fate they seek to deny! (Galatians 6:7; Job 4:8; Hosea 8:7; Romans 2:6).

 

Mike Winger: "I'm open to the possibility of annihilationism or conditional immortality."4

Ray Comfort (Living Waters) is a longstanding associate of Kirk Cameron, although strangely, he denies having had any "official involvement" with him for over ten years. Comfort has consistently denied annihilationism, maintaining that the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment is the correct biblical view. He has publicly addressed Cameron's recent comments on annihilationism, emphasising that Cameron's views do not align with Living Waters' long-held position.5  Comfort regularly appears on the apostate channel TBN, and he and Cameron hosted a joint fundraiser on TBN last year.6 😞

Cameron previously supported the pretrib rapture view and starred in the "Left Behind" film, which was released in 2000. "Left Behind" pretribulational theology is not biblically accurate and has been widely criticised and debunked by various bible teachers. Cameron subsequently changed his view from pretribulationism to posttribulationism following discussions with Joe Schimmel (Blessed Hope Chapel). Once again, Cameron did not do his due diligence and he failed to recognise the flaws in Schimmel's posttribulational eschatology. (1 John 4:1). More recently, Cameron has promoted a more world-and-life view, focusing on family, history, and cultural renewal rather than "apocalyptic fear". He now claims that the rapture may not happen for millennia.7  This view aligns more with postmillennialism, although Cameron has not formally identified with any particular tradition. Cameron's disjointed history indicates that he is not a reliable source and is unqualified to teach theology. (2 Timothy 2:15). The scriptures state that no one knows the day or the hour, and we should watch rather than speculate about the time of Jesus' Parousia. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:36,42,25:13). Furthermore, the scriptures do not hold out an optimistic eschatological view; in fact, just the reverse. 

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, , unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 cf. Matthew 24:12; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 1:18 ).

I suggest that we take the advice of the apostle and mark and avoid Kirk Cameron. (Romans 16:17-18).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5).  

1. Isaiah 66:24 Commentaries: "Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."
2. Isaiah 66:24 "As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind."
3. Matthew 25:46 Commentaries: "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

4. (152) 20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 99) - YouTube
5. Addressing Kirk Cameron’s New Thoughts On Hell – Living Waters Down Under | Ray Comfort
6. Bing Videos
7. A Worldview of Optimism and Vi… - The Gary DeMar Podcast - Apple Podcasts

Further Links

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: edward fudge, david reagan: the heresy of annihilationism

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

Articles of Prewrath

Microsoft Word - Prewrath - Early Church Fathers.docx

MARK HITCHCOCK: SIGNLESS RAPTURE, TPUSA "REVIVAL" AND SPIRITUAL DECEPTION

Why This Prophetic Shift Should Alarm Us

In his latest offering above, "prophecy expert" Mark Hitchcock highlights the alleged dangers of AI.

Hitchcock: "Think about how AI will explain the rapture.. You know what is going to happen when the rapture takes place. The whole world will turn to Chat GPT or whatever its future equivalent might be, to ask the question, 'What's just happened?' People all over the world are going to go to AI, trying to find out, 'What's going on here, what has just taken place?' And I am sure that AI will come up with some sensible, plausible explanation for the disappearance of millions of people that will calm the chaos and pacify the panic that will exist in the world.."  

I have pointed out a number of times in previous posts that the rapture is absolutely not a signless event. When the rapture occurs, after the great tribulation, the world will know exactly what has happened. Below are specific rapture passages that totally refute Hitchcock's false pretrib teaching. The scriptures explicitly refer to "a great earthquake, cosmic disturbances, the sign of the Son of Man, a loud trumpet, a loud command, the voice of an archangel, every eye will see him."  

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62).

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 cf. Acts 1:9-11).

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. / After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

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).

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

Hitchcock is closely associated with false teacher Jimmy Evans, and they have co-authored a number of books as part of "A Tipping Point Series", including "What's Next" and "Look Up". Jimmy Evans suffered a severe loss of credibility last year due to his abusive behaviour towards Jonathan and Suzy Lamb and his official approval of Joni Lamb's adulterous marriage.1 

More recently, Evans compounded his incompetence by date-setting the rapture, strongly hinting that it would occur on Rosh Hashanah. One would expect sound teachers to distance themselves from Evans, but some have shown their true colours and have continued their association with him. This is particularly true of Mark Hitchcock. (1 Timothy 6:10).

Hitchcock's inaptitude is compounded by his support for TPUSA. He recently described Charlie Kirk as "..a courageous godly young man who is impacting an entire generation for Christ and righteousness.."2 Whatever Charlie Kirk was, he was certainly not a biblical Christian! Amazingly, the people who have praised Charlie Kirk seem to have missed the elephant in the room, or have they? In reality, it was impossible to miss Kirk's ecumenical agenda, his racism, and his unstinting support of the seven mountain mandate.3  

Hitchcock claims that support of TPUSA events amounts to a "revival". However, nothing could be further from the truth. TPUSA downplays doctrinal differences, and in the process, they dilute and pollute sound doctrine. Speakers like Hindu Vivek Ramaswamy and false teachers like Mark Driscoll are anti-Christian indicators. It is patently obvious that TPUSA has never been about the true gospel of Jesus Christ. 

TPUSA is now getting far more negative feedback, with some recognising that it is a far-right political organisation that is alien to biblical Christianity. Some even compare TPUSA to far-right Naziism. 

Higher Education Inquirer: "Turning Point USA (TPUSA), brands itself as a conservative youth movement dedicated to free markets and limited government. In reality, a growing body of investigative reporting, watchdog research, and student testimony reveals an organization built on intimidation, manipulation, and close ties to extremists. Students should be aware of the risks before engaging with TPUSA in any capacity."4

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:2-3).

1. https://youtu.be/H4a23HS7qu0
2. When Wickedness Increases | Marking the End Times
3. Charlie Kirk and the Ecumenical Agenda
4. Higher Education Inquirer : Campus Warning: Avoid Contact with Turning Point USA

Recommended Link

Have You Joined The Church Of Charlie Kirk Yet? Pt.4 - Pastor Brian Dunlop-Sunday Evening, Nov. 16th

JOSEPH MHLAKELA'S FALSE RAPTURE PROPHECY SEPTEMBER 2025

South African "pastor" Joseph Mhlakela's false prophecy that the rapture would occur on September 23-24, 2025, on Rosh Hashanah, went viral on social media platforms, gaining 560,000 views. This nonsense was echoed by many other false prophets. Mhlakela now proclaims that the rapture will occur on October 6-7. Mark and avoid this false prophet. (Romans 16:17-18).

And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14:14).

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44).


WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: JIMMY EVANS DATE SETTING THE RAPTURE!
Pastors apologize for false rapture prediction that sent social media into frenzy

JIMMY EVANS DATE SETTING THE RAPTURE!

Jimmy Evans - Is the Rapture Happening This Rosh Hashanah?

Jimmy Evans is suffering from a ruined reputation and severe lack of credibility as a bible teacher and marriage counsellor, mainly due to his abusive behaviour towards Jonathan and Suzy Lamb and his official approval of Joni Lamb's adulterous marriage.1 Having publicly failed, the obvious course of action would have been to repent and quietly step down. However, Evans ignored the entire issue and subsequently announced that he would be focusing all his energy on eschatology as a "prophecy expert". 

Evans' first mistake in this video is that Rosh Hashanah will fall between October 2-4 this year! Actually, Rosh Hashanah begins on September 22, 2025, at sundown, and it concludes at nightfall on September 24, 2025.*

While assuring us that he doesn't set dates, Evans says, "I am very aware that during the feast of trumpets that Jesus could come and rapture the church, and I think it is a very exciting thing.. Do I believe He will come this year? I sure hope so; there sure has been a lot going on in this year after October 2nd and the two eclipses on the religious new year and the civil new year very significant and again you know I don't set dates but I'm sure looking for Jesus to come this year. I really pray He comes this year, there's just nothing else has to happen prophetically, and look what's happening in Israel right now, surrounded by their enemies.."

It is important to mark and avoid Jimmy Evans and anyone associated with him. (Romans 16:17-18). In this video,  Evans announced a conference on September 20-21, when various false pretrib teachers will share a platform with him, including Billy Crone, Max Lucado, Ed Young, Lee Cummings, Jonathan Cahn and Mark Hitchcock. Evans expressed his regret that false teacher David Jeremiah is unable to attend.   

Evans took the opportunity in this video to promote his book  'Where Are the Missing People: The Sudden Disappearance of Millions and What Happens Next', so that Christians can leave copies for unsaved people to read following the alleged pretrib rapture. No doubt many naive people will purchase this book, and Evans will make a lot of money from its sales. 

The pretrib view depends on the false assumption that the rapture of the church occurs before the 70th week of Daniel (pretrib teachers wrongly refer to the 70th week as the "tribulation"). The pretrib camp makes the further assumption that the eschatological wrath of God begins when the first seal of Revelation is broken, based on 1 Thessalonians 5:9. This post provides scriptural evidence that the rapture occurs after the 3.5-year great tribulation between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation and that the eschatological wrath begins at the seventh seal. (Revelation 8:1-6).

The explicit wording "the great day of their wrath has come" (orgé) (Revelation 6:17) occurs after the sixth seal is broken. The verb has come / ἦλθεν is aorist indicative active. Many pretrib teachers wrongly interpret this to mean the wrath of God began when the first seal was broken. However, the aorist tense is characterised by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. The context of Revelation 6 necessitates that the wrath of God becomes imminent following the rapture of the church when the sixth seal is broken i.e. the wrath is about to happen. 

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

The phrase "the great day of their wrath" refers explicitly to God's eschatological wrath. This phrase is often associated with the "Day of the Lord" in biblical prophecy. The "great day" signifies a time of unprecedented divine intervention in human history when God's wrath is revealed. This phrase aligns with Old Testament prophecies such as Joel 2:31 and Zephaniah 1:14-18, which describe a day of darkness and destruction. Significantly, Joel 2 specifically states that the celestial disturbances will occur "before" the day of the Lord: The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2:31).

Alan Kurschner: "..there is a comparison between the seals and the Olivet Discourse. This illustrates a consistent sequence of events leading up to the sixth seal: beginning of birth pangs, great tribulation, celestial disturbances. Accordingly, in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, he teaches everything that happens before the celestial disturbances relates to the world’s depravity and Antichrist’s great tribulation."2  

In Revelation 6, the four living creatures orchestrate events on God's behalf, beginning with the summons to the four horsemen: "Come" (ἔρχου). (Revelation 6:1,3,5,7 cf. Revelation 4:6-9,5:6-14,14:3,15:7,19:4). 

The four living creatures are found in Revelation 4:6-9,5:6-14,6:1-8,14:3,15:7,19:4. Got Questions: "The texts that describe these creatures do not indicate that they are figurative—they are real, actual beings. The four living creatures (literally 'beings') are a special, exalted order of angelic beings or cherubim. This is clear by their close proximity to the throne of God. Ezekiel 1:12–20 suggests that they are in constant motion around the throne."3

The first seal: So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer. (Revelation 1:2).

The second seal: Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword. (Revelation 6:4).

The third seal: Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.” Revelation 6:5-6). A "voice" among the four living creatures determines economic hardship and scarcity of necessities. However, the oil and the wine are not to be harmed. 

The fourth seal: Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8).

The pivotal message of the three angels (probably during the fourth seal) constitutes God's final ultimatum to humanity: 1 The eternal gospel is proclaimed to the inhabitants of the earth. (Revelation 14:6-7); 2. The fall of Babylon is announced. (Revelation 14:8); 3. The full strength of God's wrath will be the fate of those who worship the beast and its image or receive the mark of the beast. (Revelation 14:9-11). This final warning immediately precedes the rapture (the harvest of the earth). (Revelation 14:14-16). This information confirms that the direct wrath of God follows the rapture after the sixth seal is broken. (Revelation 6:12-17).

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11).

The fifth seal: And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, jst as they had been killed. (Revelation 6:9-11). The martyrs do not have resurrected bodies and are referred to as "souls". They are each given a white robe in anticipation of God's wrath and are told to "rest a little while longer.." The description of the martyrs during the fifth seal period is an obvious indication that the rapture has not yet occurred. 

The sixth seal: A critical shift occurs when the sixth seal is broken. The first four seals and the summoning of the four horsemen refer to earthly judgements during the Antichrist's tenure. When the sixth seal is broken the focus shifts from the tribulation to direct intervention from heaven beginning with fearful cosmic disturbances. 

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14).

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). Note the unmistakable parallels between Revelation 6 and Matthew 24. There can be little doubt that the cosmic disturbances and the rapture happen in rapid succession after the sixth seal is broken. 

The seventh seal: After the seventh seal is broken the seven angels prepare to blow the trumpets for the commencement of the trumpet judgements. (Revelation 8-9). The bowl judgements (the third woe) follow the trumpet judgements chronologically. The four living creatures direct angels to inflict the wrath of God upon the earth via the seven plagues.

And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. (Revelation 15:7-8).

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

For more information, I recommend the following excellent resources.

ESCHATOS MINISTRIES | Alan Kurschner, Ph.D. is the founder of Eschatos Ministries, teaching Bible prophecy from a futurist, premillennial, prewrath perspective.

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

* Dates of Upcoming Jewish/Israeli Holidays and Festivals

1. https://youtu.be/H4a23HS7qu0
2. A Reply to Pretrib Thomas Ross and His Faulty Understanding of the Aorist Greek Tense-Form in Revelation 6:17 | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES
3. Who are the four living creatures in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

IS CALEB CORNELOUP QUALIFIED TO BE A PASTOR?

Am I UNQUALIFIED To Be a Pastor? Do You Have To Go To Seminary To Be a Pastor?

Caleb Corneloup gives well-reasoned arguments for embarking on his recent church plant in Adelaide.

From what I have observed of him, Caleb does have sound theology and he meets the requirements of a pastor. It may be right for some to go to a bible college or seminary, but it is not an essential criterion. 

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:5-9).

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

I do have reservations about Calvary Chapel. One of the core values of Calvary Chapel is unflinching support of the pretrib rapture. This would be a deal breaker for me! I don't know where Caleb stands on the rapture question, but I hope he does not support this false doctrine. 

Caleb: "It's possible that our church plant could become a Calvary Chapel church plant. that's not
guaranteed, but it's a possibility we could become a Calvary Church plant. So, that's something that I think is worth.. me praying about."

Calvary Chapel: "One of Calvary Chapel’s core values is an eager anticipation of Jesus’ soon return for His Church. We look for the rapture! The “Pre-trib rapture” of the Church has been a lynchpin in Calvary Chapel’s history, and it will also be a key to our destiny."1

I will continue to pray for Caleb's church plant, and I will watch what develops.

I urge anyone seeking to understand the rapture question to avail themselves of the excellent resources below. 

1.  Core Values: Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Calvary Chapel Deep South

ESCHATOS MINISTRIES | Alan Kurschner, Ph.D. is the founder of Eschatos Ministries, teaching Bible prophecy from a futurist, premillennial, prewrath perspective.
7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

MICHAEL GRANT: THE SECOND COMING

The Second Coming - How Will It Happen?

I regard Michael Grant as a good pastor overall, although I do not agree with him on some aspects of theology. Eschatology is a subject that many leaders regard as "non-essential", and many are inclined to accept their denominational view and are resistant to anything that challenges the "party line". Unquestioning acceptance of any doctrinal view based on specious evidence prevents many teachers from applying the same criteria to eschatology that they would normally apply to any other teaching. In particular, the pretrib rapture presupposition prevents teachers from studying eschatology in any depth, and they often go along to get along. In other words, they neglect due diligence and make the error of taking someone else's word for it without testing the spirits. (1 John 4:1). In my view, this is a terrible mistake, particularly in light of Jesus' admonition not to be deceived and to "watch". (Matthew 24:4,42). Michael Grant is one of the leaders influenced by John MacArthur's theology, and it seems likely that this is where his support of the pretrib rapture originates. Like many false teachings, the pretrib rapture is based on false hope that will likely devastate the faith of its proponents in the last generation. (Matthew 24:10). 

Like many pre-trib teachers, Michael Grant conflates Matthew 24 and Revelation 19. He fails to appreciate that Matthew 24:29-31 is a rapture passage rather than a description of Jesus' physical return to the earth at Armageddon. This information turns the pretrib rapture on its head since this event happens "after the tribulation".

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)

And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17). 

Interestingly, identical cosmic disturbances are described when the sixth seal is broken in Revelation 6. Far from being signless and imminent, the rapture will be preceded by terrifying cosmic signs and a great earthquake. This then is how "every eye will see him":  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. (Matthew 24:30; cf. Revelation 1:7).

It is very encouraging that a growing number of believers are questioning the pretrib rapture doctrine. I urge anyone seeking to understand this subject to avail themselves of the excellent resources below. 

ESCHATOS MINISTRIES | Alan Kurschner, Ph.D. is the founder of Eschatos Ministries, teaching Bible prophecy from a futurist, premillennial, prewrath perspective.
7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

JOHN MACARTHUR'S DEFECTIVE ESCHATOLOGY

Rapture at the Door: Final Sign Revealed | John MacArthur

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1Thessalonians 4:16-17).

MacArthur: "We are not waiting for the Antichrist, we are not waiting for the tribulation, we are waiting for Christ. Now, what is the final sign? The answer may surprise you. It is not a blood moon, it is not political upheaval, it is not digital currency or microchips.. So, what is the final sign?" 

MacArthur goes on to quote the first half of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and identifies "the final sign before the rapture" as apostasy or falling away (apostasia).. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first..   

In quoting only the first half of 1 Thessalonians 2:3, MacArthur deceptively excludes the very issue he seeks to avoid, i.e., information concerning the revelation of the Antichrist (the man of lawlessness) and the ultimate rebellion that will occur at the end of the age. The increasing apostasy that we are witnessing in many churches at this time is a precursor to the final unprecedented escalation of rebellion against God. 

   

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasia) 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 2:3-4).

MacArthur's skewed eschatology 

MacArthur:"You are responsible to God to get your eschatology right."1 I concur wholeheartedly with that admonition, but I do not concur with MacArthur's teaching. MacArthur's theology and eschatology are extremely questionable, not least his denial of the blood of Christ. MacArthur's commentary on the Book of Hebrews, published in 1983 by Moody Press: "It is possible to become morbid about Christ's sacrificial death and preoccupied with His suffering and shedding of blood. It is especially possible to become unbiblically preoccupied with the physical aspects of His death. It was not Jesus' physical blood that saves us, but His dying on our behalf, which is symbolized by the shedding of His physical blood.." (emphasis mine)2 

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9).

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (1 Peter 1:2).

..and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. (Revelation 1:5).

MacArthur claims that eschatology is an easy subject to understand. However, his own understanding of eschatology is a perversion of the scriptures and is woefully defective. MacArthur is very highly esteemed within Calvinism. His supporters refuse to question him, to the point that, even when he stated that Christians can take the mark of the beast during the "seven-year tribulation"* and be saved, no one within his echo chamber challenged him!3 There is a powerful warning in scripture not to take the mark of the beast, but MacArthur thinks he knows better. I see such pride in many leaders today who refuse to be corrected. They would rather let the people of God be misled and even damned rather than humble themselves and repent of false teaching. 

 

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”(Revelation 14:9-11).

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep (τηρέω) what is written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3). 

τηρέω is to keep watch and to guard: "From teros (a watch; perhaps akin to theoreo); to guard (from loss or injury.."4 

The admonition to those who think to change the words of the Book of Revelation is ignored by false teachers at their own peril.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).

In the end, Bible teachers will answer to an audience of ONE, and their reputation in this world will mean nothing. (Matthew 12:36-37; James 3:1).

1. Is the Israel-Iran Conflict an END TIMES sign? | John MacArthur, RC Sproul on Eschatology
2. (272) "We are not saved by Jesus' blood!" Reaction to John MacArthur #bibleline #jmac #salvation - YouTube
3. (272) John MacArthur Shock Claim: Take the mark of the beast and go to heaven! - YouTube
4. Strong's Greek: 5083. τηρέω (téreó) -- To keep, to guard, to observe, to watch over.

* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY

7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie)

TOM HUGHES: GASLIGHTING AND PRETRIB MANIPULATION

It’s More Dangerous Than You Think - The Rapture Lie | The Tom Hughes Report

Pretrib leaders can be frustrating to deal with due to their habit of changing the goalposts and then blaming and berating their critics for misquoting them, denying the very thing they originally asserted. In other words, in the above video, Tom Hughes (Hope for our Times) is gaslighting

Tom Hughes: "Where does the term 'secret rapture' come from? ..You only hear that term from critics, not from people who actually teach the pretribulation rapture. It's a pejorative, a term of dismissal. The only time I have ever heard pretribulation teachers use the term 'secret rapture' is when they were quoting critics." I don't think they have mentioned this to Jack Hibbs, who has used the term "secret rapture" in the title of his recent video! "Jack Hibbs: The Secret Rapture Happening Before the World's Greatest Trial" (22nd May 2025).    

.

The secret rapture: "A signless event"  

The doctrine of an imminent secret pretribulation rapture emerged during the early 19th century through the teachings of cult leader John Nelson Darby (1800–1882). 

Darby is credited with being the first person to have taught the "secret rapture" of the church. In his own words, Darby claimed that God revealed dispensational hermeneutics to him directly. As such, he claimed the equivalent of "apostolic" authority for this novel teaching, and he would brook no opposition to it. 

Darby: "..what God has with infinite graciousness revealed to me concerning His dealing with the Church.."1

"..it was in this the Lord was pleased, without man's teaching, first to open my eyes on this subject, that I might learn His will concerning it throughout."2 

Alan Kurschner: "An older expression in pretribulational literature—and can still be used occasionally today—is secret coming or secret rapture. From my exposure to older pretrib and non-pretrib literature, it seemed to be used synonymously with the expressions signless coming or signless rapture, in contrast to an announced coming or announced rapture."3  

The theology of the "secret rapture" was further expanded by the "Left Behind" eschatology of Tim LaHaye, founder of the Pre-Trib Research Center. The storyline of Left Behind was fictional, but LayHaye claimed to represent "biblical" pretribulational premillennial eschatology. In the film, the rapture was signless, and Christians simply vanished without a trace, with those left behind perplexed by their disappearance. 

I have recently heard Paul Wilkinson promote exactly the same idea. Wilkinson: "There will be no signs before the rapture.. the world won't see this."4

Jimmy Evans: "A billion believers in the world instantly disappear.. What is going to be the explanation?" Billy Crone surmised that demons would explain the rapture away in terms of an alien abduction.5 

Leslie Chua: "Millions of Christians will disappear suddenly without any warning. They will vanish mysteriously in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) leaving no trace behind. It is as if they just vaporise into the thin air. Nothing like that has ever happened before."6

  

Below are specific rapture passages that absolutely refute the claim that the rapture is a signless event. The scriptures explicitly refer to "a great earthquake, cosmic disturbances, the sign of the Son of Man, a loud trumpet, a loud command, the voice of an archangel, every eye will see him."  

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62).

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 cf. Acts 1:9-11).

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. / After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

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).

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

The fallacy that the church fathers were pretrib

Tom Hughes and other pretribulational leaders are attempting to distance themselves from John Nelson Darby for obvious reasons. Instead, they are trying, but failing, to prove that pretribulationalism was taught by the church fathers. Lee Brainard is the chief culprit in this dubious endeavour. Brainard takes isolated parts of the church fathers' writings out of context and interprets them as pretrib. It has been demonstrated unequivocally and repeatedly that the church fathers believed that the church would face the Antichrist and were prewrath. 

According to Irenaeus, the Church will go through the last contest (the tribulation) before being "caught up" and crowned with incorruption.

Ireneaus: "And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be. Matthew 24:21 For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V.7

Further evidence can be found in the following document that directly quotes the church fathers: Microsoft Word - Prewrath - Early Church Fathers.docx

The John Rich and Tucker Carlson interview8

If Tucker Carlson's reasons for bringing up the subject of the Scofield Reference Bible during this interview were antisemitic, John Rich did not take the bait. Rich avoided the question of modern Jews and Israel, and the subject of Middle East politics was not discussed. Rich has openly stated that he believes that the church will face the Antichrist, and it appears that he is a prewrath believer.9 Prewrath believers are anything but antisemitic, as can be demonstrated by the following statement by the prewrath ministry Zion's Hope. David Rosenthal is President of Zion’s Hope and editor-in-chief of Zion’s Fire magazine. Their statement sums up the eschatological view of Israel held by the prewrath camp.    

Zion's Hope: "We believe God has sovereignly chosen the Jewish people as the nation through which to reveal Himself, His glory, and His salvation. Although Israel has sinned by rejecting the Messiah and is presently under national blindness, God has a remnant according to His grace. We believe the Jewish people are in need of salvation and are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ just as the Gentiles. We believe Israel is distinct from the Church and the promise to Israel of future blessing will be fulfilled at the Messiah’s second coming."10

Given the overwhelming evidence against a "secret rapture", Hughes and others have recognized the need to alter the goalposts, even though this was the previously held position of the pretrib camp. They are free to do so, of course; they just need to be honest! Hughes' gaslighting tactics and his disinformation about the church fathers are disingenuous. (Matthew 12:36-37; James 3:1). Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the insinuation that John Rich is antisemitic.

1. Reflections Upon The Prophetic Inquiry And The Views Advanced In It | Plymouth Brethren Writings
2. Evidence From Scripture of the Passing Away of the Present Dispensation - John Nelson Darby (#62234) - BTP
3. The Meaning of 'Secret' in the Pretribulational Rapture Expression 'the Secret Coming of Christ' | ESCHATOS MINISTRIES
4. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: PAUL WILKINSON FALSE TEACHER: PRETRIB BLATANT DISHONESTY
5. Demonic Lies About The Rapture | Tipping Point | End Times Teaching | Jimmy Evans
6. In The Aftermath Of The Rapture — Rock of Ages Church
7. CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, V.29 (St. Irenaeus)
8. John Rich: Donald Trump, the Darkness of Eminem’s New Album, and the Song Inspired by God
9. "When Is The Rapture"
10. Zion's Hope - What We Believe

PAUL WILKINSON FALSE TEACHER: PRETRIB BLATANT DISHONESTY

Paul Wilkinson teaching on the rapture

Above: False teacher Paul Wilkinson teaches the pretrib rapture at Light and Life Preston Church which I believe is an Assemblies of God Gypsy church. 

The dishonesty among pretrib rapture teachers is astonishing. Anyone tempted to believe this false doctrine should test the spirits. (1 John 4:1). Wilkinson is one of the worst offenders! He is a revisionist and has attempted to cover up the history of the pretrib rapture, which originated with cult leader and despot John Nelson Darby.* 

The Day of the Lord

Interestingly, Paul precedes 2 Timothy 4:7-8 with a warning about people turning away from the truth and wandering off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The pretrib rapture falls precisely into the "myth" category as a widely held but false belief.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:1-8).

This is the third time the expression "that day" is used in this epistle. 

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus. (2 Timothy 1:12-18).

The term "that day" in the scriptures does not refer to the rapture; it refers to the eschatological day of judgment, often called the Day of the Lord.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:22-23).

There are a hundred verses that refer to the day of the Lord in both the Old and New Testaments.*  Below are three examples that confirm the Day of the Lord is the eschatological wrath of God.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (2 Peter 3:10-12 cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3).

Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. (Isaiah 13:9).

The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (Zephaniah 1:14-15).

The rapture is absolutely not a signless event.

Wilkinson: "There will be no signs before the rapture.. the world won't see this."

Below are specific rapture passages that absolutely refute Wilkinson's claim that the rapture is a signless event. The scriptures explicitly refer to "a great earthquake, cosmic disturbances, the sign of The son of Man, a loud trumpet, a loud command, the voice of an archangel, every eye will see him."  

And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62).

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 cf. Acts 1:9-11).

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. / After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

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).

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).

Beware of false teachers who alter the Word of God!

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19 cf. Proverbs 30:6).

* What Does the Bible Say About The Day Of The Lord?
* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: ANDY WOODS + PAUL WILKINSON: IS THE RAPTURE A SECONDARY ISSUE?
* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: PAUL WILKINSON: SERIAL REVISIONIST BY DAVE MACPHERSON
* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: LEE BRAINARD AND TOM HUGHES: PRETRIB DISHONESTY