CATHOLICS DID NOT INVENT THE RAPTURE BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     Many assert that the "rapture" promoted by evangelicals was first taught, at least seminally, by some Jesuit Catholic priest of the past. They usually name either Francisco Ribera of the 16th century or Manuel Lacunza of the 18th century. First, let's look at Ribera.
     To see what is claimed, Google "Francisco Ribera taught a rapture 45 days before the end of Antichrist's future reign." (Oddly, many claimants are anti-Catholic and merely use Ribera in order to "find" much earlier support for their rapture which actually isn't found in any official Christian theology or organized church before 1830!)
     After seeing this claim repeated endlessly without even one sentence from Ribera offered as proof, I decided to go over every page in Ribera's 640-page commentary on the book of Revelation published in Latin in 1593.
     After laboriously searching for the Latin equivalent of "45 days" ("quadraginta quinque dies"), "rapture" ("raptu," "raptio," "rapiemur," etc.) and other related expressions, I couldn't find anything in Ribera's work even remotely resembling a prior rapture!
     While Ribera can be claimed as the pretrib rapture originator, more pretrib defenders seem to pinpoint Manuel Lacunza and point to his lengthy work "The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty," a work that was translated from Spanish to English under the direction of Edward Irving who, by the way, did not obtain his pretrib view from Lacunza, as has been claimed.
     (The late Southern Baptist evangelist John Bray claimed to find pretrib teaching in Lacunza before he changed his mind and later on gave that "honor" to a Baptist named Morgan Edwards! For the real skinny on Edwards, Google "Morgan Edwards' Rapture View.")
      Does Lacunza teach a rapture 45 days before the coming to earth, as Bray claims? Let's look at Vol. I.
     On p. 83 Lacunza refers to the book of Revelation and says that "the nineteenth chapter speaks of the coming of the Lord in glory and majesty, which Christians with one consent do wait for."
     On pp. 99-100 after quoting I Thess. 4:13-18  Lacunza quotes Matt. 24:30 and then writes: "If you compare this text with that of St. Paul, you shall find no other difference than this, that those who are to arise on the coming of the Lord, the apostle nameth those who are dead in Christ, who sleep in Jesus; and the Lord nameth them his elect."
     Lacunza (p. 113) quotes I Thess. 4 and Matt. 24 in this manner: "...He shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive, &c and it appears to me, that you will find St. Paul and the Gospel speaking one and the same thing: He shall send his angels and they shall gather his elect from the four winds; who can be no other than those very ones who are in Christ, who sleep in Jesus."
     Lacunza's monumental work, which helped to revive futurism, was distributed widely in manuscript form as early as 1791 - so widely, in fact, that Pope Leo XII later placed it on the official list of prohibited books. (Lacunza says in his first volume, p. 220, the "our priesthood" will eventually become the two-horned beast of Rev. 13!)
     If Lacunza's book contains a pretrib coming, why was such doctrine unknown before 1830? It wasn't that John Darby and Edward Irving were unaware of Lacunza's work, for both discussed it in their pre-1830 writings. And it wasn't that Darby and Irving were opposed to novel ideas, for both began to embrace pretribulationism after it emerged in early 1830!
     Are you curious about the real beginnings of this evangelical belief (a.k.a. the "pre-tribulation rapture") merchandised by Darby, Scofield, Lindsey, Falwell, LaHaye, Ice, Van Impe, Hagee and many others?
     Google "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty," for starters.
     I will end this by saying it's a distinct honor to have these and other articles of mine on this excellent and much needed blog hosted by my friend and Bible expert Treena Gisborn!

CHARISMATICS & PRETRIB RAPTURE BY DAVE MACPHERSON

    Question: Why on earth would any charismatic believe in a pretrib rapture?
     You may recall my recent article unveiling "Dallas Seminary Secrets." In it I wondered why DTS president John Walvoord, when publicly opposing my pretrib origin research, would lean almost exclusively on a biased, Darby-idolyzing, no-theology-degree-holding fanatic like R. A. Huebner instead of his own seminary profs!
     And here's something else about the late Huebner that will make charismatics cringe.
     The 1973 Huebner booklet that Walvoord leaned on had a chapter titled "The Allegation that the (Truth of the) Pretribulation Rapture Came from a Demon."
     Huebner's goal was to deviously portray Margaret Macdonald and Irvingites (all of whom taught pretrib before Darby did) as "demonic" or under "demon" influence so that no one would believe that Darby (whom Huebner saw as the pretrib originator) would ever have been influenced by Macdonald (whom he visited in mid-1830) or any of Edward Irving's followers!
     My book "The Rapture Plot" quotes several that Huebner quoted who wrote about pretrib beginnings. Here are the quotes. I have added, in parentheses, the way Huebner dishonestly summarized the quotes later on in the same chapter in order to see "demons" where none existed:
     In 1864 S. P. Tregelles wrote: "It came...from that which falsely pretended to be the Spirit of God." (Huebner: "In 1864, he said it came from a demon.")
     In 1903 William Kelly referred to the Irvingite "oracles." (Huebner: Kelly was talking about "Irvingite demon-inspired utterances.")
     In 1956 H. A. Baker said that pretrib came from a "spirit." (Huebner: Baker said it came from a "demon.")
     In 1957 Oswald J. Smith declared that pretrib came from "a vision received by a woman" in Irving's church. (Huebner: Smith said it came from a "demon.")
     In 1962 J. Barton Payne traced pretrib to "a woman...speaking in tongues." (Huebner: Payne traced it to a "demon.")
     [I should add, for the sake of accuracy, that Margaret did not begin to speak in tongues until several months after she had her history-making pretrib rapture revelation in the spring of 1830. Therefore, the pretrib rapture concept did not spring from "tongues," as a few have wrongfully asserted.]
     Note Huebner's gross exaggeration while creating his "demon" straw men. Tregelles mentioned pretense and lack of spirituality, Kelly spoke of human mouthpieces, Baker's "spirit" can mean "force" or "mood," Smith's "vision" can mean "interpretation," and Payne merely credited a woman tongues-speaker!
     My "Plot" book summarized the above by saying:
     "Charismatics will be happy to learn that leading pretrib authority John Walvoord, when opposing my research, leans not on just a non-charismatic like Scofield but on a Huebner who's so violently anti-charismatic he can easily, and glibly, and repeatedly equate charismatic gifts with Satanic demonism!"
     I now go back to my earlier question: Why on earth would any charismatic believe in a pretrib rapture?

---

PRETRIB RAPTURE SECRECY BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     The word "secrecy" when applied to Christ's return can refer to two different things: time and visibility. Before 1830 the only coming Christians looked for was the "every eye shall see him" second advent to earth - secret only in point of time.
     Enter Margaret Macdonald in 1830. She saw "the one taken and the other left" before "THE WICKED" [Antichrist] will "be revealed" - and added that her pretrib rapture would not be "seen by the natural eye" but only by "those who have the light of God within." Her rapture was doubly secret: at an unknown day and hour and also invisible to "outsiders."
     Desperate to eliminate Margaret as the pretrib originator and the Irvingites as the first public teachers of pretrib, Darby defender Thomas Ice foolishly claims that they taught a secret POSTTRIB coming even though he knows that when Hal Lindsey teaches "one taken" etc. before the Antichrist "is revealed" Lindsey is expressing the kernel of the pretrib view - what MM and the Irvingites clearly taught before Darby did! (Google "Margaret Macdonald's Rapture Chart," "Edward Irving is Unnerving," and "Be careful in polemics - Peripatetic Learning" for proof that Margaret, Irvingites, and Darby all taught a secret rapture that was a PRETRIB one!)
     As early as June 1832, Irving's journal taught that only "to those who are watching and praying...will Christ be manifested...as the morning star. To the rest of the church, and to the world, this first appearance will be...unintelligible." ("Present State of Prophetic Knowledge" etc., p. 374)
     Always trailing and "borrowing" quietly from the Irvingites who in turn had "borrowed" from Margaret, Darby in 1845 finally sounded like them when he wrote that "the bright and morning Star...is the sweet and blessed sign to them that watch...And such is Christ before He appears [at the final advent to earth]. The Sun will arise on the world....The star is before the [Sun], the joy of those who watch. The unwakeful world, who sleep in the night, see it not." ("Thoughts on the Apocalypse," p. 167)
     And Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth," p. 143, says that "the second coming is said to be visible to the whole earth (Revelation 1:7). However, in the Rapture. only the Christians see Him - it's a mystery, a secret."  
     My bestselling book "The Rapture Plot" (available at online stores including Armageddon Books) has 300 pages of such documentation and proves that Margaret was the first to "see" a secret, pretrib rapture, that the Irvingites soon echoed her in their journal (which Darby admitted he avidly read), and that Darby was last on all of the crucial aspects of dispensationalism.
     Shockingly, all of the earliest pretrib development rested solely on unclear OT and NT types and symbols and NOT on clear Biblical statements. Margaret's rapture was inspired by Rev. 11's "two witnesses." And her "secret visibility" rested on the "types" of Stephen, Paul, and John - all of whom saw or heard what others couldn't see or hear.
     For 30 years Darby's pretrib basis was the rapture of Rev. 12's "man child" - actually his plagiarism of Irving's usage of this "pretrib" symbol eight years earlier!
     As I said at the start, the "second advent to earth" is secret in point of time with its unknown "day and hour," as Christ stated. Pretribs assert that if Christ returns for the church after the tribulation, we could count down the days and figure out the actual date of His return - which would contradict Christ's words.
     But pretribs deliberately ignore the fact that Christ said that the tribulation days will be shortened - and He didn't reveal the length of the shortening!
     Our opponents also assume that the "watch" verses prove the "any-moment imminence" of Christ's return. But do they? II Peter 3:12 says we are to be "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" which all premills claim is at least 1000 years ahead of us and therefore hardly "imminent"! What's the difference between "watching for" and "looking for"?
     Another gimmick has pretribs saying "Would you want Jesus to return at any moment and find out you're sinning?" But Jesus ALREADY knows all about us! And the Holy Spirit, who's also God, is ALREADY here (Rom. 8:27)!
     You have just learned a few of the many secrets that the Secret Rapture Gang has hidden for a long time. Evidently they have forgotten Luke 12:2's warning that "there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed"!
     PS - For the ultimate in uncovered secrets, see engines like Google and type in "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty."
     [The above message was not approved by the I.L.L. (Ice, LaHaye, Lindsey) Consortium of the Rapture Defense League!]

PRETRIB RAPTURE'S MISSING LINES BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     R. A. Huebner, fanatical follower of John Darby, noticed that several lines in Margaret Macdonald's 1830 pretrib account (such as "The trial of the Church is from Antichrist") were omitted when Robert Norton reproduced it a second time. In order to keep crediting Darby with pretrib, Huebner asserted that Margaret taught only a posttrib coming, her "Antichrist" statement being proof of it.
     In order to falsely claim this, Huebner ignored her MAIN POINT in lines 58-63: "one taken and the other left" BEFORE the revealing of Antichrist. He also suppressed the truth that she saw a pretrib coming of only PART of the church (partial rapturism) and that leading partial rapturists like Govett and Pember, after seeing a rapture of PART of the church, refer to the other PART left on earth as simply the "church"! (Google "X-Raying Margaret," "Margaret Macdonald's Main Point," and "Margaret Macdonald's Rapture Chart" and see my pioneer work "The Rapture Plot" for a full analysis of her account.)
     Actually, when Norton aired his abridgement of her account later on he kept intact her main point and also the essence of the omitted lines with different wording.
     The only change comes when a few misguided pretribs deviously change factual info about Margaret on Wikipedia - which should be called Wicked-pedia since anyone with any ulterior motive can insert lie after lie therein!
     HERE'S THE BIG POINT BEING MADE HERE: If Margaret did initially teach posttrib in the lines later omitted, then the removal of those partial rapturistic lines (such as "The trial of the Church is from Antichrist") would have her teaching a pretrib rapture of ALL of the church!
     Since many pretrib leaders still falsely assert that Darby couldn't have been influenced by the Irvingites since they held to only "partial rapture" while Darby and his followers held to only "pretrib," here is a portion of my 1983 book "The Great Rapture Hoax":
     Although he doesn't go into much detail, Harold Rowdon's "The Origins of the Brethren" does reveal several early Brethren who, at the first, were under the spell of the partial rapturistic Irvingites; Rowdon includes Bulteel, Douglas, Hall, Groves, Lord Congleton, Wigram, Clarke, Stoney, and Darby himself!
     In a letter dated August 19, 1833 ("Letters," Vol. 1, pp. 22-24) Darby revealed the partial rapturism within his own circle. He discussed a Rev. Hardman who believed that "Philadelphia" would be raptured and "Laodicea" would be left behind. Darby summarized Hardman's view: "And then the church left in its Laodicean state...." (Note that Darby called those left behind the "church" - the term Margaret and other Irvingites used.) Darby added that partial rapturism "is an important consideration in the present state of things. It commends itself morally to one's mind." Near the end of the letter Darby wrote: "He will surely draw substantially His saints together before the end come, though there may be some left in...."
     Since Darby was an avid reader of the Irvingite journal "The Morning Watch," he was well aware that as early as the September 1830 issue the Irvingites were clearly expressing a partial rapture form of the pretrib catching up; it declared that "Philadelphia" would be raptured up to meet the Lord in the air BEFORE the great tribulation and that "Laodicea" would be left behind.
     By drawing attention away from early partial rapturism in Margaret and the Irvingites, Huebner was hoping no one would discover that the same partial rapturism in Darby's earliest development was what he had furtively "lifted" from the Irvingites!
     Incidentally, Darby didn't clearly eliminate all of the partial rapturism from his own system until the 1870s!
     By seeing something sinister in the later missing lines in Margaret's history-making revelation account and talking ignorantly about them on "Wicked-pedia," today's pretrib critics are actually  drawing attention to the innovative Irvingites and their female inspiration as well as to Darby's long hidden plagiarism of them!

FORMER PCC ADAM SIMMONDS UNHOLY MEDDLER!

The jury in the trial of Adam Simmonds, former Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was discharged last week. Simmonds is accused, as per section 55, of knowingly or recklessly breaching the Data Protection Act (DPA) by disclosing "sensitive" information to third parties. The jury at Southwark Crown Court failed to reach a verdict after more than 12 hours of deliberations. A retrial will now be considered according to the BBC. {1}





Simmonds denied recklessly breaching the DPA by passing on details of a fraud probe involving Wellingborough MP Peter Bone. Simmonds, of Northcote Road Leicester, admitted having conversations about the investigation with a number of Conservative colleagues, including Mr Ellis, Daventry MP Christopher Heaton-Harris, former Wellingborough Borough Council leader Paul Bell and the then Northampton Borough Council leader David Mackintosh. The case against Mr Bone was subsequently dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in March 2014. Simmonds claimed that he thought it was within his remit to repeat confidential details saying he believed that the information was in the public domain. {2}

As Simmonds held a position in a public office, the alleged offence can constitute to misconduct while in public office. If he is found guilty of both offences, it is likely that he will have to pay fines imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). {3}

Simmonds period as PCC from 2012-2016 was one that many people in Northamptonshire remember as an extremely troubling time. Within just three weeks of his appointment, he was accused of "hiring friends" including his election campaign manager and "best friend" Kathryn Buckle. In particular, the complaints were that the jobs were supposed to be non-political and no interviews were held. Those appointed included four assistant commissioners, on a salary of £65,000. Response to a Freedom of Information request showed that Simmonds had 12 staff in his office at an annual cost of £729,100.

A year after his election, Simmonds office costs of £1m for 17 staff were unfavourably compared by the Police Federation with the former police authority spending of £865k, when cuts were being made elsewhere in the force. £21m is being cut over 4 years from an annual budget of £120m and the Police Federation claims police number have been cut from 1265 to 1220. In response, Simmond's office said the commissioner's role was wider than that of the old police authority. By 31 March 2014, the number of staff employed by Simmonds had risen to 34, at a cost of £1.4 million. {4}

Simmonds' plans to relocate the Northamptonshire Police headquarters at Wootton Hall and to convert the site to a free school was possibly the most controversial of his unholy schemes. These plans met with unprecedented criticism by both the Police Federation and the public. Simmonds claim to be independent of the Northampton Free School Trust blatantly contradicted various pieces of evidence to the contrary, giving the marked impression that he actually created the Trust:

".....incidentally Simmonds claimed to have created the 'Northampton Free School Trust' on his personal website consisted of ex colleagues, a fellow conservative MP and county councillor."

"Simmonds' personal website (now closed) contained the statement 'Early on in my first term I created the Northampton Free School Trust.'"

"An FOI request showed that Simmonds and members of his office were behind the school - conveniently the link was closed!" {5}

Retired Policeman calls for public inquiry into OPCC and Wootton Park School:
".. I believe the PCC has misled the public regarding both his own and his office involvement with the creation of both the trust and School. I remain very concerned and suspicious that the PCC arrived in office with a prepared agenda for the Police headquarters, I don't believe its sale or intended use is either to help create a more efficient Police service or is justified as part of a wider crime tackling plan." {6}   

Stephen Mold, the current Northamptonshire PCC, is in the process of "rectifying" Simmonds questionable deal involving the sale of Wootton Hall. Mold announced in March that his Office is in advanced negotiations with the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to revise the terms of the sale of part of Wootton Hall, in a move that would see the joint Northamptonshire Police and Fire Headquarters remain on the site.

Police and Commissioner for Northamptonshire, Stephen Mold:

“The issue around the sale of Northamptonshire Police’s current headquarters is one that I wish I hadn’t had to inherit on my first day of entering Office and I am sorry it is a process that has taken so much time and effort to rectify. However, entering negotiations with the Education Funding Agency is a significant milestone in remedying this complex issue once and for all..

“Since I was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner, it has been my job to make sure that this situation is resolved in a manner that secures the best possible outcome for citizens of the county, and I believe that any revised agreement with the EFA would represent a win-win solution for all involved."

Simon Edens, Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police:

“The Police and Crime Commissioner has sought my views on our operational requirements and he has announced his intention to retain Wootton Hall, effectively reversing his predecessor’s decision to sell it. We would keep it as our headquarters.." {7}

Stephen Mold also put an abrupt end to Simmonds' interfaith programme, the controversial Northamptonshire Police Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI). {8}

Simmonds dubious activities were not limited to Northamptonshire. Open Hands Trust, the "compassion charity" of Trinity Life Church in Leicester, applied for, and were "lucky" enough to receive, a large lottery award of £446626 during Simmonds' position as Director and Trustee. Acceptance of this filthy lucre (1 Timothy 3:3) put TLC in a position of severe spiritual compromise due to their confessed faith in Jesus Christ and their stated fundamental biblical stance. (1 Timothy 6:10). I am pretty sure that Jesus Christ does not approve of gambling or profiting from gambling. In any event, TLC/Open Hands took their thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:15). Open Hands have since gone from strength to strength with their "charity" ..or should I call it a business?

Following the publication of my posts concerning the spiritual demise of TLC and their "lucky" lottery award in 2014, Simmonds took the unprecedented action of removing two of my posts from Blogger. I believed this action to be illegal, but despite my considerable efforts to obtain information both from the Police Complaints Commission and Google, I was unable to resolve this issue satisfactorily. I subsequently republished these two posts unedited without a further problem. Mr Bone clearly has friends and influence in high places to have successfully taken on Simmonds where I failed!

Since their unholy lottery award, TLC have never disentangled themselves from the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:7). In particular, they seem unable to kick the habit of parading the number of the beast. (Revelation 13:18). The infamous 666 is a number that sincere Christians would never wish to be associated with, but not TLC! It is quite a common occurrence to see 666 blatantly displayed at TLC's 6 Degrees Coffee House! {9} David Hind has attempted to explain the number six away to the more gullible members of his congregation as "the number of man". He is right. In whatever way six is mathematically represented, it signifies man's corruption and imperfection without God. When it is tripled, it is the number of the beast. One could no longer possibly call TLC a "church" ..it has been transformed into a family empire and a cult, thanks to the foolishness of David Hind and his cohorts. {10}

The entity called Adam Simmonds is clearly a man who is ahead of his time - he seems to have mishandled his unholy calling! (1 John 2:18). I wonder if he still likes making sermons!

 Coven or Coffee House? Jeremy Corbyn looks slightly bemused!

Hidden in plain sight!

UPDATE 28th July 2017

No retrial for ex-PCC over MP police probe. {11}

{1}   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-40561628
{2}   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-40561628
{3}   https://www.dataleaklawyers.co.uk/blog/former-pcc-adam-simmonds-charged-for-disclosing-confidential-information
{4}   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Simmonds
{5}   https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/smell-rat-adam-simmonds-pcc.html?m=0
{6}   https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/petition-for-public-inquiry-into.html
{7}   http://www.northantspcc.org.uk/pcc-announces-intention-northamptonshire-police-headquarters-remain-wootton-hall/
{8}   http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/controversial-faith-based-police-office-to-be-wound-down-1-7423881
{9}    https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/trinity-life-church-leicester-satanism.html
{10}  https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/trinity-life-church-leicester-downhill.html
{11}  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-40755576#

TONY PEARCE LIGHT FOR THE LAST DAYS: HEDGING HIS RAPTURE BETS!

Tony Pearce, who supposedly operates within an eschatological ministry, takes the highly irresponsible pre-trib going on "pan-trib" rapture approach i.e. that it will all pan out in the end! Pearce is currently joint Vice President of the Prophetic Witness Movement International (PWMI). 

Light for the Last Days: "Looking at current world events and trends in the light of Bible prophecies about the last days of this age and the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah." {1}

Tony Pearce: "So we have scriptures, which speak of the Lord coming for the saints and the Lord coming with the saints. This means that there are two stages of the Lord’s return, firstly for the saints (the rapture, a meeting ‘in the air’) and then coming with the saints (the coming of the Lord to the earth). The question which divides those who seek to understand these scriptures is whether these two stages are separated by a period of seven years on earth (the pre-tribulation rapture view), three and a half years on earth (the mid tribulation view) or happen simultaneously (the post tribulation view). If we take the pre tribulation view, we need to be ready for the Lord to come at any time now. If we take the post tribulation view we need to be ready for the events of the tribulation, which include world wars, persecution of believers and the rule of the Antichrist. I take the pre tribulation view, although I acknowledge that those who take the alternative views have valid reasons for their position. Either way we need to be ready to meet with the Lord." {2}

Pearce treats this subject as secondary and is hedging his rapture bets. The fuzzy "Either way we need to be ready to meet with the Lord." proposed by Pearce does not cut it. This statement is not only highly irresponsible, it is presumptuous and wicked! Pearce has no right to issue such a glib statement that trivialises the subject of the Lord's return!

Evidently it will not all "pan out" for many who profess faith in Jesus Christ! The great tribulation will be a time of unprecedented persecution against believers in the history of the world. For many holding the pre-trib false hope, the sudden unparalleled wrath of the Antichrist unleashed against them and the increase in lawlessness will cause the love of many to grow cold. (Matthew 24:9-12, 2 Thessalonians 2:3; cf. Matthew 13:21; Proverbs 13:12).

But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:12).
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Matthew 24:21).

Particularly nauseating is Pearce's validation of Thomas Ice and his distortion of apostasia:

"Thomas Ice argues argues that the word ‘apostasia’ can mean a departure from one place to another and that in this verse it refers to a moving from one place (the earth) to another (meeting the Lord in the air). In this case the rapture precedes the coming of the Man of Sin, or Antichrist. Other scriptures tell us we should be looking for the coming of Christ, not Antichrist." {3} Ice's definition of apostasia has been widely debunked and condemned by everyone and anyone with the slightest bit of biblical integrity! The Greek term apostasia literally means apostasy/rebellion.{4} Even the rabid pre-trib Berean Call recognise that apostasy is the correct interpretation of falling away (apostasia) in 2 Thessalonians 2:3! {5} 

"Christians who hold different views on this subject should avoid breaking fellowship and denouncing each other. I have taught the pre-tribulation view, but I do understand that there are valid reasons to believe the mid tribulation view and the post tribulation view. In the end only the Lord can cause the events surrounding His second coming to happen. We should be ready for His coming at any time – either at the rapture or at the moment of our death."

Note Pearce's preventative tactic of discouraging anyone from taking issue with the insidious foothold he gives to the devil. The old "do not judge" humbug which we are all so sick and tired of hearing is nothing less than suppression of dissent! Biblically: ..there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. (1 Corinthians 11:19). Pearce substitutes critical thinking with a lie i.e. the mentality of passive acceptance rather than the Berean principle of referring to the scriptures and judging with right judgement. (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 5:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Ephesians 4:14; 1 John 4:1-6). I pity the congregation at The Bridge Christian Fellowship for the passive mindset that has been foisted upon them. The veiled threat of being labelled divisive if they think differently renders them spiritually impotent. (Galatians 5:9; 2 Corinthians 11:4).

As well as giving acknowledgement to the deviant pre-trib views of Thomas Ice and his apostasia nonsense, Pearce's assumption that that the 144000 Jews in the Book of Revelation are evangelists is completely misguided eisegesis. This further assumption also forms part of the false pre-trib dogma.

"144000 Jewish men who then bring a great multitude to faith in Jesus during the tribulation period."  {6}

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. (Revelation 14:1-5 cf. Revelation 7:4-8).

The Book of Revelation states that the 144000 are sealed Jews who are redeemed firstfruits from the earth/mankind. Revelation says absolutely nothing, zero, zilch, nada, about them being evangelists!

Those pastors who trivialise the rapture by treating it as secondary are a shame and a disgrace to their supposed calling. They are negligent in their duty to their flock. Eschatology is not an easy subject, but nevertheless pastors/teachers are required to devote time to studying the scriptures in order to show themselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15). Jesus' return and the rapture are given a lot of attention in the scriptures. Do not be deceived by Pearce and his ilk: It is possible to come to a definitive rapture view that is correct. Jesus Christ and Paul were both very specific and warned believers repeatedly regarding the dangers of being deceived about the events surrounding His return.

Jesus Christ: See, I have told you beforehand. (Matthew 24:25).
Paul: Let no one deceive you in any way. (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.(Revelation 14:12).

Matthew chapters 24 and 25, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and the Book of Revelation ALL specifically refer to the persecution of believers by the Antichrist before the Parousia. These are not just "valid reasons" for taking a different view to pre-trib as Pearce glibly puts it, as if any old view will suffice. These are the explicit teachings of Jesus Christ Himself and His apostle Paul which are also backed up by early church writings such as the Didache: Chapter XVI (c.50-c.120):

1. "Watch" over your life "let your lamps" be not quenched "and your loins" be not ungirded, but be "ready," for ye know not "the hour in which our Lord cometh." 2. But be frequently gathered together seeking the things which are profitable for your souls, for the whole time of your faith shall not profit you except ye be found perfect at the last time; 3. For in the last days the false prophets and the corruptors shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall change to hate; 4. For as lawlessness increaseth they shall hate one another and persecute and betray, and then shall appear the deceiver of the world as a Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders and the earth shall be given over into his hands and he shall commit iniquities which have never been since the world began. 5. Then shall the creation of mankind come to the fiery trial and "many shall be offended" and be lost, but "they who endure" in their faith "shall be saved" by the curse itself. 6. And "then shall appear the signs" of the truth. First the sign spread out in Heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead: 7. But not of all the dead, but as it was said, "The Lord shall come and all his saints with him." 8. Then shall the world "see the Lord coming on the clouds of Heaven." {7}

Are the pan-trib teachers who side step the controversial subject of the rapture inadequate, are they lazy, are they cowards or are they hirelings? (John 10:12-13). Whatever they are, they are without excuse. (John 15:22). 

The Bridge Christian Fellowship supports New Tribes Mission.{8} New Tribes Mission is a member of the International Orality Network (ION) which subscribes to the ecumenical Lausanne Covenant. {9}

How long will you go limping between two different opinions? (1 Kings 18:21 cf. James 1:8; Psalm 119:113). 

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1).

Preaching and teaching the truth takes backbone, a quality that is lacking with so many of these rapture chickens. I regard Tony Pearce's motives for giving credence to Thomas Ice and the pre-trib camp as highly questionable. Is he trying to win the approval of God or men? (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

How I would loathe being part of these lukewarm congregations with cowardly pastors.. and more importantly, how it sickens the Lord (Revelation 3:16; Isaiah 7:13).

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-18.

1. https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/about-us/lftld/
2. https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/articles/the-rapture-second-coming-and-the-millennium/happens-christians-death-rapture/
3. https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/articles/the-rapture-second-coming-and-the-millennium/the-rapture-question/
4. https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/apostasia-rebellion-or-rapture-thomas.html
5. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/revival-or-apostasy
6. https://lightforthelastdays.co.uk/articles/the-rapture-second-coming-and-the-millennium/the-rapture-question/
7. http://www.thedidache.com/
8. https://bridgelane.org.uk/who-we-support
9. http://ukapologeticslibrary.net/the-new-tribes-mission/

CHRIST'S RETURN IS NOT IMMINENT ! BY DAVE MACPHERSON

(Pretrib rapturists claim that Christ's return is imminent, that is, capable of occurring at any moment. My wonderful father and theologian Norman MacPherson, in his excellent book "Triumph Through Tribulation," offers proof that the Bible has never taught an any-moment return of Christ. Here are the points brought out and discussed at length by him:)

     1. Great Commission fulfillment implies a long period of time.
     2. Seed growth in Matthew 13 is a time-consuming process.
     3. Paul expected death, not rapture, in II Timothy 4:6-8.
     4. Jesus predicted Peter's martyrdom in John 21:18-19.
     5. Matthew 24 teaches that signs must come first.
     6. Many passages speak of a large interval between Christ's ascension and return: Jewish dispersion into "all nations" (Luke 21); "man travelling into a far country," "after a long time the lord of those servants cometh" (Matthew 25).
     7. Apostasy of last days takes time to develop.
     8. Bridegroom tarried in parable of virgins.
     9. Pastoral epistles teach Church's continuing ministry, which involves time.
   10. Paul says Christ's coming is not imminent (II Thessalonians 2:1-3), for apostasy and Antichrist must come first.
   11. View of seven phases of church history (seven churches of Revelation) involves big lapse of time and imminence difficulties for pre-tribs; could Christ have come before the last phase?
   12. Exhortations to watch and be ready are tied to what pre-trib teachers regard as the second stage (which is necessarily non-imminent) in Matthew 24 and 25, I Corinthians 1:7, Colossians 3:4, I Thessalonians 3:13, II Thessalonians 1:7-10, I Peter 1:13 and 4:13, and I John 2:28.

(How can an "imminent" return of Christ have a greater practical effect on us than the indwelling of the Holy Spirit already has, or should have, on us?  For more on pretrib beliefs and history, Google "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty," "Roots of Warlike Christian Zionism," and "Pretrib Rapture Politics.")