PRETRIB RAPTURE DIEHARDS! BY DAVE MACPHERSON

       Since the 1970's stunning new data has been surfacing about the pretribulation rapture's long-covered-up beginnings in the 1800's. In recent years several persons associated with Dallas Theological Seminary (which has long been pretribized) have reportedly gone to Britain to check on my research sources and then write books opposing my claims. In 1990 an Ohio pastor told me that Dr. _____ _____, the most qualified DTS prof, traveled there and came back and wrote nothing! The pastor added that he and some others had a good laugh. But change was coming. In 1993 Chuck Swindoll, who became DTS president after John Walvoord, stated: "I'm not sure we're going to make dispensationalism [the chief attraction of which is a pretrib rapture] a part of our marquee as we talk about our school." When asked if the word "dispensationalism" would disappear, he answered: "It may and perhaps it should" ("Christianity Today," Oct. 25, 1993)! But a few diehards (with the stubbornness of Iraqi insurgents and New Orleans looters) keep on milking their cash cow while continuing to cover up and twist the following historical facts about their latter-day, cult-like belief:

     1825: British preacher Edward Irving revealed that he had been teaching some of dispensationalism's key aspects as early as late 1825. (John Darby-exalter R. A. Huebner has never even claimed to find any original prophetic idea in Darby before late 1826!)

     1827-1830: Darby was still posttrib during these years. His 1827 paper had him waiting for only the posttrib "restitution of all things." After discussing in 1828 the "unity" of the church, he looked for only the Rev. 19 coming in 1829 and 1830.

     1830: During the spring a young woman in Scotland, Margaret Macdonald, declared that she had discovered in the Bible what had never been seen by others: a rapture of "church" members described as a "pre-Antichrist" (or pretrib) event. Her words: "one taken and the other left" before "THE WICKED [Antichrist] be revealed." She was a partial rapturist seeing only part of the "church" raptured and the rest of the "church" left on earth. When she wrote that the "trial of the Church is from Antichrist," she meant the part of the church not included in her pretrib rapture. Leading partial rapturists including Pember and Govett have always applied the word "church" to the ones "left behind." Robert Norton, Irvingite historian and on-scene witness of Margaret's utterances, wrote that Margaret was the "first" to privately teach pretrib. (For more on her, Google "Margaret Macdonald's Rapture Chart" and "Margaret Macdonald's Main Point.")

     A September article in "The Morning Watch" (Irvingite journal) saw the "Philadelphia" church raptured before a "period of great tribulation" and the "Laodicea" church left on earth. Huebner's "Precious Truths" claimed that Philadelphia was seen raptured before only the "seventh vial" and not before "the great tribulation" even though the article writer added twice on following pages that this "period" was indeed "the great tribulation"! In the previous (June) issue the same writer had seen Philadelphia on earth until the final posttrib advent. In between these two issues, TMW writers had visited Margaret who explained her new "revelation" which was soon reflected on TMW pages without giving her credit!

     In December a published article by Darby was still defending the posttrib view!

     1833: British lawyer Robert Baxter, an ex-Irvingite, wrote that the pretrib "delusion first appeared in Scotland" before it began to be taught in London the following year.

     1834: A Darby letter referred to the new pretrib rapture view, stated that "the thoughts are new," and advocated the subtle introduction of it by writing "it would not be well to have it so clear"! Darby also called it the "new wine." Others who knew that pretrib was then a new view included other Plymouth Brethren, Irvingites, Margaret, and later 19th century historians such as Margaret Oliphant who referred to "a new revelation" in 1830 in western Scotland where Margaret Macdonald lived.

     1837: Years after Darby supposedly had derived a distinction (or separation) between the "church" and "Israel," his 1837 article saw the church "going in with Him to the marriage, to wit, with Jerusalem and the Jews"!

     1839: The first year Darby was clearly pretrib. His pretrib basis then (and during the next three decades) was Rev. 12:5's "man child" that is "caught up." But this "new" Darby teaching was actually a plagiarism of Edward Irving who had been using this verse for the same (pretrib) purpose since 1831! (For more on Darby, Google "Edward Irving vs. John Darby" and "Pretrib Was New in the 1830s.")

     1843: In a letter written from Switzerland, Darby referred to "the dissemination of truth and blessing...thus spreading on the right hand and on the left, without knowing whence it came or how it sprung up all of a sudden...." Here he gloated that others didn't know "whence" pretrib came or that he had advocated the subtle sneaking of the new pretrib view into existing groups (see "1834" above)!

     1853: Darby's book "The Irrationalism of Infidelity" recalled his visit to Margaret Macdonald and her brothers in mid-1830. He remembered 23 minor details but carefully omitted the most important one: Margaret's teaching of a coming of Christ that would exempt believers from the great tribulation "judgments"----a detail that all others who visited her and then wrote accounts could easily remember! (It's obvious that Todd Strandberg's mother didn't soap his mouth enough because even though he knows better after the airing of "Open Letter to Todd Strandberg" on the internet, his falsehood-packed "Margaret MacDonald Who?" article on his "Rapture Ready" site continues to pollute minds by stating that I "have never been able to prove that Darby had ever heard of MacDonald or her vision"!)

     1855: An article by eminent Brethren scholar S. P. Tregelles tied "Judaisers" to pretrib. But in an 1864 book he tied "Irving's Church" to pretrib. Both Huebner and Walvoord claimed that Tregelles contradicted himself, and Huebner charged Tregelles with "untruth and slander." But even William Kelly, Darby's editor, saw no contradiction and wrote, concerning "Judaising," that "nowhere is this so patent as in Irvingism"!

     1861: Robert Norton, medical doctor and Irvingite, wrote that the "true origin" of pretrib had been "hidden and misrepresented." (This was about the time that Kelly was working towards the goal of elevating Darby and giving the false impression that Darby should be credited with the pretrib view.) Several pages later, in the same book, Norton revealed Margaret as the true originator of pretrib.

     1863: In his "Five Letters" leading Brethren scholar Tregelles wrote that some Brethren had been unscrupulously issuing tracts by the thousands in which they changed the "words and doctrines" of "the Reformers and others" to give the impression that those ancient writers had actually been teaching the novel doctrines that some Darbyist Brethren were then circulating in the 1800's!

     1864: Brethren scholar Tregelles charged fellow Brethren with changing even the words in ancient hymns: "Sometimes from a hymn being altered, writers appear to set forth a secret rapture of which they had never heard, or against which they have protested." I should add that in an 1865 letter Darby asked his editor to preserve the newer (pretrib) hymns and "correct the others," that is, the older (posttrib) ones!

     1860's: From the 1860's to the 1880's William Kelly, editor of Darby's works, was busy putting together some volumes known as "The Collected Writings of J. N. Darby." Opposition to Darbyism had been increasing and Kelly was determined to fight it and continue to exalt Darby. His goal was to present a Darby that was prophetically "mature" long before he actually matured. He achieved this dishonesty with misleading words in brackets inside sentences in Darby's early works, and with footnotes that he "borrowed" from Darby's much later works when he was obviously more developed! Darby even gave this deviousness his blessing. In an 1865 letter to Kelly he wrote: "I should think that some of the Notes would require some revising....Even the sermons contain things I should not accept...." Kelly even flaunted his shameful manipulation in a footnote to Darby's 1830 article; the note said that "it was not worth while either suppressing or changing it."

     Interestingly, since the Irvingites were clear (and clearly first) when it came to public pretrib teaching, they didn't need later "fixers" to dishonestly correct their original statements!

     1872: In an article in "The Princeton Review," Thomas Croskery of Ireland listed beliefs of the Plymouth Brethren including these: "That the moral law is of no use at all to believers" and "that believers have nothing to do in the way of keeping themselves from sin for God must look to them if He will...." He said that "Mr. Darby" pursues his opponents"with a virulence that has no parallel in the history of religious controversy."

     1877: A medical doctor, James Carson, wrote that "the Darbyites have managed to cloak their opinions by using language in a Jesuitical sense...." He added: "Unless a person makes himself properly acquainted with the opinions" of Darbyites and argues "with the utmost precision on every point...it is impossible to manage such wily and slippery customers."

     1879: A later work by Thomas Croskery declared that "Brethrenite doctrine...clearly tends to immorality." He then quoted Darby's editor, William Kelly, who stated: "I am no longer, as a Christian man, having to do with the responsibility that attaches to mortal man, but am passed now into a new state, even while I am in the world." Rev. Frederick Whitfield spoke of "the flagrant immoralities among the Plymouth Brethren" while James Grant commented: "Darbyism is the most selfish religious system with which I am acquainted."

     1880: William Reid's work on Brethrenism revealed that "no other sect was, perhaps, ever so fruitful of divisions" and referred to "the novel doctrines propounded by some of its leaders." He quoted Lord Congleton, a leading Brethren member, who asked: "Have you tried these Brethren

----the Darbyites?....They are false in what they say of their brethren, they are false in doctrine, and they are false in their walk."

     And Henry Craik, a colleague of George Muller, was also quoted: "The truth is, Brethrenism as such, is broken to pieces. By pretending to be wiser, holier, more spiritual, more enlightened, than all other Christians; by rash and unprofitable intrusions into things not revealed; by making mysticism and eccentricity the test of spiritual life and depth; by preferring a dreamy and imaginative theology to the solid food of the Word of God...." (Leading Brethren scholar Harold Rowdon's 1967 book "The Origins of the Brethren," p. 253, quoted earlier Brethren member Lord Congleton who was "disgusted with...the falseness" of Darby's narratives. Rowdon also quoted a historian of the Brethren, W. B. Neatby, who wrote that "the time-honoured method of single combat" was as good a method as any "to elicit the truth" from Darby!)

     1880's: In 1880, a year after his Christian conversion, C. I. Scofield was in the St. Louis jail for forgery because he'd stolen his mother-in-law's life savings in a real estate scam. In 1883 his first wife divorced him (for desertion) and he remarried three months later. Although he had no formal theological training, he began putting a non-conferred "D.D." after his name in the 1890's. In 1899, when he preached D. L. Moody's funeral sermon, he still owed thousands of dollars that he had stolen from acquaintances 20 years earlier. (In 1921 he advised his daughter, who then had financial problems, to pray to an ancient Catholic saint; at the same time his Scofield Bible, p. 1346, was predicting a future reign of "apostate Christendom, headed up under the Papacy"!)

     1889: Aware that for 60 years the leading historians----whether Brethren or Irvingite----had been crediting someone in Irving's circle (and not Darby's circle!) with the pretrib rapture, Darby's editor William Kelly embarked on a sinister plan to discredit the Irvingites (and their female inspiration) and belatedly (and falsely) give credit for pretrib to Darby. He achieved this in 1889-1890 in a series of articles in his own British journal while analyzing the Irvingites in a supposedly fair and honest manner. Let's see a few of the many examples of his clever dishonesty:

     When quoting early Irvingites like Baxter and Norton, Kelly would consistently skip over their clear pretrib teaching but quote just before and after it! And he was a change artist. When Irvingites would write about their pretrib "rapture," Kelly loved to water it down into only their belief in the "Second Coming"! If the Irvingites expressed their belief in an imminent pretrib catching up, Kelly revised it into their "constantly to be expected Lord"! When Irving's followers hoped to escape, by rapture, the coming "tribulation," their "tribulation" was changed by Kelly into only "corrupt or apostate evils"! My 300-page book "The Rapture Plot" has 16 pages (!) of glaring specimens of short quotes exhibiting Kelly's shameful revisions of Irvingite doctrine!

     1918: A prophetic book by E. P. Cachemaille discussed the pretrib origin, tied it to the 1830's, then added: "There has since been much scheming to give the doctrine a reputable origin, scheming by those who did not know the original facts, not being contemporaries of Dr. Tregelles."

     1942: Noted prophecy teacher H. A. Ironside, who had a Brethren background, dared to assert, minus evidence, that what early Brethren taught re the rapture was "so contrary" to what the Irvingites had been teaching, adding that no links had existed between the two groups!

     1960: After mentioning that the claim that Darby originated pretrib "is certainly open to question," evangelical scholar Clarence Bass wrote: "More probably, however, its origin can be traced through the Irvingite movement." But he failed to elaborate, evidently aware that he would be opening a can of you-know-what!

     1973: Darby worshiper R. A. Huebner wrote that "The Irvingites (1828-1834) never held the pretribulation rapture or any 'any-moment' views." He was aware that many couldn't know how close he had repeatedly come to clear pretrib teaching by Irvingites and then had covered up everything while using the same devious tactics his inspiration William Kelly had used a century earlier while analyzing the same Irvingites!

     My "Plot" book has a 31-page chapter of many quotes from the earliest Irvingites showing that they repeatedly and clearly taught pretrib as well as imminence. For example, in 1832 the Irvingite journal said that "some" will be "left in the great tribulation...after the translation of the saints." We've already seen clear pretribism in the Sep., 1830 issue of the Irvingite journal. It's bad enough that Huebner (who never attended seminary, college, or even Bible school) has mind-poisoned his tiny circle of Darby-idolizers, but disastrous that pretrib leaders like Walvoord, Ryrie, LaHaye, and Ice were apparently "too busy" to check Huebner's sources and later on too proud to admit they'd been taken in by him!

     The parallels between Huebner and his two inspirations, Darby and Kelly, are astounding. Like them, he easily applies "demon" to opponents and their beliefs. Like them, he exaggerates and even purposely muddies up Darby's earliest pretrib development and Darby's later reminiscences. And like them, he can deftly dance around pretrib "cobras" in Irvingism (and its female inspiration) without getting bitten! In his 1973 book, Huebner had 95 copying errors when quoting others including pretrib leaders! (For more shocks on the internet, type in "Humbug Huebner.")

     1989: Thomas Ice, one of the biggest pretrib diehards, doesn't have favorites when he discusses the pretrib origin; he can use deviousness as well as sloppiness. When he reproduced Margaret's short "revelation" account he somehow left out 49 words! As if his carelessness wasn't bad enough, his reproduction also included four distinctive errors that Hal Lindsey had made in his own reproduction of it in 1983----what Ice chose to do instead of going to the original 19th century sources! (See my internet piece "Thomas Ice - Hired Gun" if you are shockproof.)

     1990: A year after his "rapture" of 49 words from Margaret's handwritten "revelation" account, Ice was elevated all the way up to Dallas Seminary's journal which published his article on pretrib history. In it he had some copying errors when quoting John Bray, Huebner, and Walvoord. Even worse, when he quoted the same Margaret Macdonald account, he skipped right over what he knew was her main point (a catching up of church members just before the Antichrist is revealed) even though he quoted shortly before and after it! And when quoting present-day Brethren scholar Harold Rowdon, he used an ellipsis to cover up Rowdon's evidence in his 1967 book that Irvingite development preceded  Darby's!  

     1991: After many objective, no-axe-to-grind scholars had publicly endorsed my research (which emphasized Margaret, the Irvingites, and 1830), R. A. Huebner, aware of the same objective scholarship and determined to negate it, came out with a book in which he claimed to find Darby teaching pretrib in 1827----that is, three years before Margaret etc. But halfway through his book (which had more than 250 copying errors!), he admitted that his 1827 "proof" could refer to something completely different! Nevertheless, diehard Thomas Ice, after admitting to me that he was indeed aware of Huebner's change, continues to declare publicly that Huebner's 1991 book "proves" that Darby was pretrib as early as 1827!

     1992: When Tim LaHaye's "No Fear of the Storm" reproduced Margaret's short account, he "left behind" 49 words----the same 49 words that Ice had left out in 1989! In the same book LaHaye made 84 other copying errors when discussing pretrib beginnings! Although he had a whole chapter focusing on my origin research, un-scholar LaHaye didn't list any of my books in footnotes or bibliography which kept readers from being able to find out what I had actually written! And LaHaye based his analysis on inaccurate secondhand  sources and also made many copying errors when quoting them.

     For many years Tim and Beverly LaHaye's "conservative" organizations have raked in millions of dollars while telling folks to vote for only "moral" political candidates, and while appearing to be very pro-family and anti-gay. What they haven't revealed is that their son Lee LaHaye has long been the Chief Financial Officer of Concerned Women for America and that Lee is openly gay ! Can we be sure that "Left Behind" Tim isn't just as hypocritical with his pro-pretrib stance? (If you're man or woman enough, warm up your computer and type in "Pretrib Hypocrisy," "LaHaye's Temperament," "Tim LaHaye's gay son," "God to Same-Sexers: Hurry Up," and "Thieves' Marketing"----for starters!)

     2005: In the August "Pre-Trib Perspectives" Thomas Ice again had the audacity to claim that the late Prof. Paul Alexander saw a "pretribulational translation" in Pseudo-Ephraem's now famous Medieval sermon. But Ice has known since 1995 that Alexander's 1985 book has textual as well as outline summaries of P-E's chronological order of endtime events----both summaries showing only one final coming of Christ that follows the great tribulation and not even a hint of a pretrib coming in either summary! Is it possible that Ice knows more than the professor whose book somehow inspired one of the desperate pretrib diehards? As Eph. 4:14 puts it, Ice knows how to "lie in wait to deceive." And lie and lie!

     (See my internet papers "Deceiving and Being Deceived" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty" and discover the calculated dishonesty in the Pseudo-Ephraem and Morgan Edwards claims plus other dishonesty including massive plagiarism in some of today's leading pretrib diehards! Type in my name and see all of my internet items. Since Thomas Ice is associated with the Pre-Trib Research Center which has its own site, you may feel inspired to write him and ask him some blunt questions, and even send him a copy of this paper.)

     PS - You can win $1000.00 if you can prove that I have ever covered up or watered down any crucial aspect of pretrib rapture history! If you would like to obtain my book "The Rapture Plot" which has all of the facts of the long-covered-up-but-now-revealed history of the 187-year-old pretrib rapture view, you can order it from online bookstores like Armageddon Books.

ROOTS OF WARLIKE CHRISTIAN ZIONISM BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     First, let's get something straight. Many conservative evangelicals in America are not longing for the "world's end" or "judgment day" or a "millennium" or an "antichrist" or even the "second coming."

    Although these phrases are in their theology books, the same books emphasize what they are waiting (and would almost die) for: the "any-moment pretribulation rapture" which is expected several years ahead of the second coming and most assuredly BEFORE a future "great tribulation"!

    Hal Lindsey, the big rapture guru of the late 20th century, ended his bestselling book "The Late Great Planet Earth" with the word "MARANATHA" which pretribulation rapturists know is a code word for their rapture. And the same literal removal from earth at any moment lurks in Lindsey's other writings.

    Tim LaHaye, the rapture tycoon whose "Left Behind" bonanza left even Lindsey behind, knows how to milk the rapturized masses. After his 1992 pro-rapture book "No Fear of the Storm" was published, it was revealed that he had sloppily omitted 48 words when airing a brief 19th century document - hardly good publicity! After sales slowed down, it was re-issued as "Rapture Under Attack" (with the same 48 missing words) and appeared to the public to be a new book. But not even the title change seemed to help things, and merchandiser LaHaye knew it was time to come up with some other titles that could further his rapture obsession.

    And Jerry Falwell never seemed to miss an opportunity, when preaching, to remind his audience that he most certainly believes in the "pretribulational rapture" view.

     I can almost believe that the middle name of many Christian Right leaders is "Rapture"!

    When checking pre-19th century prophetic development, one finds that "dispensational" thinking as well as Christian Zionistic roots had been in existence long before the emergence of pretribulation rapturism. Even the prophetic word "rapture" had been in print well before the 19th century - but always in reference to only an after-the-tribulation coming and never to a pretribulation coming.

    Many are still unaware that the pretrib rapture idea was first publicly aired in the fall of 1830 in "The Morning Watch" (hereafter: TMW), a little-known quarterly journal published by the Irvingites (followers of famed London preacher Edward Irving) from 1829 to 1833 in Britain. Not only was this innovative publication years ahead of John Darby and his Plymouth Brethren colleagues, rapturally speaking, but in it we find shocking militancy that have been observed in Christian Zionist preachers like John Hagee and Jerry Falwell.

    As early as the September 1830 issue of TMW (pp. 510-514) a writer declared that only worthy Christians (which he labeled "Philadelphia") would be raptured before "the great tribulation" and less worthy ones (labeled "Laodicea") would be left on earth.

    The September 1832 issue of the same journal (pp. 6-7) saw "Jews" as well as the less worthy Christians left behind.

    But the March 1833 issue (p. 147) said that only "the Jews" would be excluded from the rapture.

    So within a short period of time the Irvingites, while following the same Scriptures, revealed their innate anti-Jewishness by switching from a "church/church" dichotomy to a "church/Israel" dichotomy after convincing themselves that only "the Jews" would deserve a future tribulation!

    After their adoption of an escapist view that no organized church had ever taught before 1830, the same early pretrib rapturists, feeling superior, began exhibiting some vices that often come to powerless persons who suddenly obtain power - vices like pride, hatred and persecution of others, playing God, and so on.

    Sounding like Hagee and other warlike warmongers, TMW expressed even more delusional, rapture-inspired fantasies:

    The September 1830 issue (p. 514), looking ahead to the hoped for "great escape," declared that the raptured believers would then collectively become "the victorious ministerer of the great tribulation" upon those left behind!

    In March of 1832 the same Irvingite journal (p. 3) taught that the "vials" of wrath in the book of Revelation "shall be poured out by the risen [raptured] saints"!

    And TMW in September 1832 (p. 27) went even further and announced that the collective group of raptured ones will "wield the thunders of its power against the dragon [Satan] and his angels, and cast them down from heaven"!

    Note that these fanatics were more than willing to be the "chosen ones" to pour out tribulation and wrath on those not worthy to be "chosen": the Jews.

    (I'm glad to report that Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina is to my knowledge the only North American institution containing a complete set of every issue of "The Morning Watch," all 3993 pages. I recently gave SEBTS my 35-year collection of rare material including those issues and Robert Norton's valuable 1861 book.)

    We've just had a glimpse of vengeful and power-crazy fanaticism within the very earliest pretrib rapture group. But where in the Bible did those deluded rapturists find support for such "rapture rage"? And where are the followers of Christ commanded to pick up a sword and conquer or convert non-believers with it - or even support such sword-bearers? Why have so many Christian Zionists, who seemingly give more attention to governments than to their Gospel, turned the Great Commission into the Great Commotion?

    Many of the above historical details are in my 300-page book "The Rapture Plot," the most complete and documented history of the 187-year-old pretribulation rapture that we've seen merchandised by Hagee, LaHaye, Falwell, Lindsey, Swaggart, Van Impe etc. for their pet agendas - an escapist view never taught by any church for 1800 years!

    If you don't have time for my book, I invite you to read my internet items including "Greatest Hebrew-Christian Scholars Not Pretrib," "Pretrib Rapture: A Staged Event," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Pride," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)," "Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal," "The Rapture Index (Mad Theology)," and  "Pretrib Hypocrisy."

    All of my royalties, by the way, have always gone to a nonprofit corporation and not to me or anyone else. Interested in obtaining my unique "Plot" book? Just call 800.643.4645 or visit online bookstores. (Type in "Scholars Weigh My Research" on Google etc. to read endorsements of it by leading scholars.)

    Do Hagee and his fellow preachers really love Jewish persons as much as they say they do? Then why do they pervert Scripture to try to get themselves raptured off earth before their future and final "tribulation" instead of wanting to remain on earth during that period to minister love to ALL of earth's citizens including Jewish ones?

    Hagee has stated publicly that "The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God's plan for both Israel and the West...." Which Bible verse inspired him to utter this - the one that says "Love ye your enemies" or the one saying "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord"?

    It would appear that Hagee, Falwell and other pretrib rapture merchandisers and Christian Zionists have tried hard to identify with the predicted group whose love will "wax cold" (a la Matthew 24:12) during what Hagee etc. see in the future as earth's darkest days!

PAUL MANWARING GLOBAL LEGACY: WORLDWIDE REVIVAL, FATHER HEART CONFERENCE, SOZO?

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36).

Paul Manwaring is on the senior leadership team at Bethel church, Redding, CA, with specific responsibility for Global Legacy, a ministry of Bethel that promotes "worldwide revival".

"Global Legacy is a relational network that connects, encourages, and equips revival leaders worldwide. We expand God’s kingdom by helping to build relationships between revival leaders, ministries, and organizations around the globe, and to equip them to transform their spheres of influence.." {1}

Global Legacy was spawned out of Bethel Church as a result of a "prophetic word" from their Senior Pastor, the infamous NAR cult leader and alleged "apostle" Bill Johnson. Manwaring, who is British, returned to live in the UK in December 2016 in order to oversee the aims of Global Legacy in Europe. Global Legacy is cross denominational and has no doctrinal statement. Critically, Manwaring teaches that there should be no secular / sacred divide.

Manwaring: “My passion is that the church equips the Saints to do Kingdom. It’s time for reformation in every sphere, to erase the secular/sacred divide and marry the natural with the supernatural. ‘Awakening Europe’ is an incredible new movement.."  {2}

Manwaring refers of course to the false doctrine of Dominion theology aka Dominionism, Kingdom Now, Christian Reconstructionism, Theonomy which is based on a perversion of Genesis 1:28. Dominionists believe that before Christ physically returns to the earth, Christians must implement societal change and “take dominion” of the secular world in order to transform it into the Kingdom of God. Global Legacy is part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and supports the "vision" to create cultural transformation via the seven mountain mandate: Media, Education, Economy, Government, Religion, Arts, and Family.

Dominion theology is NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
The mantra of dominionists is based on Matthew 6:10:
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Dominionists blatantly invert the scriptures. The world cannot be redeemed.. quite the reverse in fact. Jesus was very specific in teaching that His kingdom is NOT of this world. (John 18:36 cf. Colossians 3:2; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; John 15:18-21; Hebrews 11:16). The world will be in the grip of terrible rebellion and widespread religious deception when Jesus returns:

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:3-14).

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

Christians are not called to transform the systems of this world from within, but rather to bear witness and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). ..apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5). Christians do not belong to the world, they are those who are chosen out of the world. (John 15:19;17:6). The only way dominionists can justify their ungodly agenda is to deny the scriptures in favour of "direct revelation" from God through various false "apostles" and "prophets" whom they claim have superseded Jesus' original apostles. (Acts 2:42). Are these false teachers greater than Jesus Christ? (Luke 4:18). Bill Johnson's "off the map" approach denies the Reformation principle of sola scriptura and leaves his followers vulnerable to "every wind of doctrine". (Ephesians 4:14). These false apostles and prophets have dispossessed many believers of the precautionary mechanism to test the spirits. (1 John 4:1 cf. 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Timothy 2:15; Isaiah 9:16).

Dominionists are preterists/amillennialist.

A short explantion follows for the benefit of those not familiar with these terms:
Preterism is the view that all prophecy in the Bible has already been fulfilled in history.
Dominionists have decided that the book of Revelation is a symbolic picture of first-century conflicts. They therefore take the amillennial view, which is to reject the literal interpretation of Revelation 20:2-7 concerning the thousand year reign of Christ in order to set up "heavens government" themselves here on the earth.

"Also, Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton from Bethel Church in Redding, Ca. hold a dominion, preterist, post-millennial position as well and they use a book entitled "Victorious Eschatology" by Harold Eberly. These positions are all based on replacement theology. No matter how much these people say they love Israel and pray for Israel this position IS REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY!" {3}

A Sample of Paul Manwaring's Distorted Teaching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnA8bkGUmKo

Do not be deceived by Manwaring's personable style, he is a false NAR teacher and a vigorous promoter of Dominion Theology. (2 Corinthians 11:14; Proverbs 26:25).

Manwaring: "If His kingdom is going to come, it needs to be a kingdom that represents the King; a message that represents the King; a government structure that represents the King... we are  drafted in to bear and to carry the government of heaven.. The purpose of government is not to control wickedness.." (!!!) This statement blatantly contradicts the scriptures:

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:3-4 cf. Romans 13:2; 1 Peter 2:14).

Manwaring: Adam and Eve were removed from the garden for their protection so that they could not eat of the other tree.. they were not removed for punishment - they were removed so that they could be redeemed...." Actually the verse says that they were removed as a preventative measure so that they would not would not take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—  (Genesis 3:22). When Adam and Eve fell they became sinners and their disobedience brought about various curses and judgements. The serpent was cursed and the ground was cursed. (Genesis 3:14,17). Adam and Eve were condemned to suffer various temporal judgements/hardships. (Genesis 3:16-19). The definition of "curse" is "A solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something." {4} SIN invokes PENALTY! Certainly Adam and Eve (and their descendants) suffered various penalties for sin in this world. The long term plan of God was to send Jesus Christ to pay the ultimate penalty for the sins (plural) of the world in our place. (1 John 2:2; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 6:23; Romans 3:23-24). Nevertheless unbelievers will remain in their sins and their eternal punishment will therefore remain. (John 3:15; Matthew 25:46). Manwaring's deceptive mixture truth and error is lethal! (1 Corinthians 5:6; Matthew 24:24).

"While Christ did indeed reverse the curse of Adam's sin, the completion of his achievement on the cross is premillennial (Zechariah 14:4-9; Matthew 25:31-34). The kingdom will not be established until JESUS CHRIST (NOT THE CHURCH) sets up his millennial reign after the Great Tribulation (Revelation 19:11-20:4; 22:19). Jesus Christ did not commission the church to remodel society, the church was commissioned to preach the gospel to the whole world and to make disciples. (Mark 16:15; Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20)." {5}

Manwaring disdains the type of church government where various structures are put into place that require Christians to conform. He seems to teach a form of antinomianism (lawlessness). (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7). There is a balance of course; some churches have unnecessary excessive rules that bring people into bondage. Excesses aside however, church discipline is biblical. (Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-12). The Law of Christ has not been abrogated! (1 Corinthians 9:21). Certain structures must apply in order for the church to keep in step with the Holy Spirit and to reflect the light of Christ. Worldly people are devoid of the Spirit (Jude 1:19). In other words, there must be a sacred / secular divide!

Manwaring continues on in his error. Astoundingly, he does not see a judgement day coming in the book of Revelation!!!  "Judgement day is not in my copy of Revelation- it is written in between the verses.." 

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16). I can assure readers of this post that JUDGEMENT DAY MOST CERTAINLY IS COMING. Jesus Christ referred to it Himself a number of times (Matthew 7:22, 10:15, 11:24, 25:31-36, 40-43). The book of Revelation refers to the great white throne judgement following the millennial reign of Christ: ..and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:11). And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15). Furthermore, God's wrath is released immediately prior to Jesus' second coming during the trumpet judgements in Revelation 8-11, culminating in the seven bowls of the wrath of God poured out upon the earth. (Revelation 16:1-17). This period of time is referred to in the scriptures as "the Day of the Lord" "the great day of their wrath" or simply "the day/that day":

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14 ).

..for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:17).

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, cited in Acts 2:20).

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:7).

..then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.. (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.. (Matthew 12:36).

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering again unto him (The Rapture), That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

The phrase “the day of the Lord” appears nineteen times in the Old Testament: Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7-15, 2:2; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5), and five times in the New Testament: Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10. It is also alluded to in other passages: Revelation 6:17; 16:14. The New Testament refers to "a day of wrath" "a day of visitation” and "the great day of God Almighty”. (Revelation 16:14). Further examples: Matthew 10:15, Matthew 11:22, 1 Corinthians 1:8; Romans 2:5; 1 John 4:17; 2 Peter 2:9.

BEWARE! All that glitters is not gold at Bethel Church Redding:

Vile abominations proliferate at Bethel Church Redding. (Ezekiel 8:9). Bethel/Jesus Culture and their associates are utterly immersed in occult activities and demonic manifestations. Christians should run from unholy manifestations such as fake gold dust, diamonds, angel feathers, grave sucking, spiritual drunkenness, portals, visualisation, spirit-travel, fire-tunnels, angel-orbs, glory clouds, impartations and so on. ..an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. (Matthew 6:4; 12:39). Bill Johnson's wife, grave sucker and occult diviner, Beni, even claims to wake up angels with "prophetic toys". {6}

TRANSFORMATION:

The promise of "inner healing" so called, is a false inducement offered to those seeking freedom from bondage and a closer relationship with the Lord, the supposed aim being the unbiblical Dominionist concept of "transformation". The bible teaches the individual transformation of believers based on TRUTH. (John 6:58, 14:6). NAR false teachers reject the scriptures and operate from the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6). Inner Healing and spiritual growth come only from the TRUTH i.e. the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles:  ..you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:33). 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:12).

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18).

BEWARE! Paul Manwaring/Global Legacy may very well be coming to a town near you with a Father Heart Conference or an event linked with Sozo, Revival, Transformation etc. (2 Timothy 2:17). So far this year, Manwaring is scheduled to speak at various venues in the UK: Bearsden Baptist Church in Glasgow, The Hub in Wymondham, The Ridgeway Centre in Milton Keynes, Kings House in Bedford, New Life Church in Milton Keynes, St Newlyn East Village Hall in Saint Newlyn East, Cornwall, The HopeSpring Centre in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. {7}

On the 5th and 6th of January 2018, All Nations Church Frog Island Leicester UK is hosting a Global Legacy Conference described as: "2018's gathering of leaders from across the UK and Europe." {8}

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; (Revelation 18:4).

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

{1} http://www.globallegacy.com/about
{2} http://s620369274.websitehome.co.uk/news/events/laughing-at-the-lie-another-perspective-from-ela-2016/
{3} http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs069/1101702963972/archive/1109839625495.html
{4} https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/curse
{5} https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/bill-johnsons-leaven-beware-global.html?m=0
{6} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q25oPxQ7zH0
{7} http://www.paulmanwaring.com/events
{8} https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/global-legacy-2018-tickets-37270366670

MORGAN EDWARDS' RAPTURE VIEW BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     In 1995, in a 24-page booklet on 18th century pastor Morgan Edwards, evangelist John Bray claimed that Edwards taught a pretrib rapture in his 1788 book titled "Two Academical Exercises on Subjects Bearing the Following Titles; Millennium, Last-Novelties" which he had composed much earlier when he was a student at Bristol Baptist College in England.
     Those echoing Bray include Thomas Ice who wrote "Morgan Edwards: Another Pre-Darby Rapturist." Edwards' 1788 work can be found on the internet.
     In order to claim that Edwards held to pretrib, candidates for the I-can-find-pretrib-earlier-in-church-history-than-you-can medal - including Bray, Ice, LaHaye, Frank Marotta etc. - have intentionally covered up Edwards' "historicism," his belief that the tribulation had already been going on for hundreds of years.

     (How can anyone in the tribulation go back in time and look for a pretrib rapture?)
     Here's proof of Edwards' historicism and its companion "day-year" theory which can view the 1260 tribulation "days" as "years."
     On p. 14 Edwards described the Ottoman Empire (which was then already 400 years old) as the Rev. 13:11 "beast." On p. 20 he defined "Antichrist" as the already 1000-year-old "popery" and the "succession of persons" known as "Popes" - his other Rev. 13 "beast." He necessarily viewed Rev. 13's 1260-day period as 1260 literal years in order to provide enough time for his two "beasts."
     On p. 19, while discussing "the ministry of the witnesses" of Rev. 11, he allotted "about 204 years" for their "years to perform" - years impossible to fit into a 3.5-year period!
     What about Edwards' rapture? On pp. 21-23 he wrote about "the appearing of the son of man in the clouds, coming to raise the dead saints and change the living, and to catch them up to himself....The signs of Christ's appearing in the clouds will be extraordinary 'wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines,' &. (Matth. xxiv. 6-8.)....The signs of his coming, in the heavens will be 'the trump of God [I Thess. 4:16], vapor and smoke, which will darken the sun and moon [Matt. 24:29],'...and also cause those meteors called 'falling stars'....
     Right after his combined rapture/advent (!), Edwards said: "And therefore, now, Antichrist...will...counterfeit the preceding wonders in heaven...causing 'fire to come down from heaven'....And that godhead he will now assume, after killing the two witnesses....Now the great persecution of the Jews will begin...for time, times, and half a time...."
     Thomas Ice's article on Edwards (listed at start) quoted only the first 27 words in the above quotation which end with "to himself" - and you can see why pretrib defender Ice stopped quoting there! (For an Ice-covered piece, Google "Pretrib Rapture Pride.")
     Not only had most of Edwards' historicist tribulation occurred before his combined rapture/advent, but incredibly his Antichrist kept raging for 3.5 years even after the Matt. 24 signs! No wonder his school tutor advised him to correct his thesis!

     Here is Edwards' "kernel" proving pretrib, according to Thomas Ice and those who mindlessly copy Ice:

     On p. 7 Edwards' stated that "the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air' (1 Thes.iv,17); and this will be about three years and a half before the millennium...."

      My book "The Rapture Plot" (pp. 267-8) shares some light on all this:

          Edwards' basis for holding to a rapture three and a half years before the second advent (and a future millennium) may well have been the Revelation 11 witnesses on whom he focused. This chapter has a period of three and a half days (verses 9, 11) that historicism can view as three and a half years. Since the spirits of these dead witnesses conceivably go to be with Christ during the same days - days preceding the final advent - historicist Edwards could see in this symbol a rapture three and a half years before the same advent.

          Since Edwards' book was actually written in the 1740's in England, let's see if the historicism of that period could derive years from the same three and a half days. The June, 1830 issue of "The Morning Watch" reprinted a November 29, 1755 letter that John Fletcher sent to a famous preacher, John Wesley. Fletcher said that the "last raging" of the centuries-long Antichrist will last only three and a half literal years, adding: "Those that shall escape, being hidden and saved in a wonderful manner, will be the seed of that harvest, and will remain concealed three years and a half (see Rev.xi. the death and resurrection of the two witnesses)...."

          Whereas Fletcher (while viewing Revelation 11:9, 11) saw church members concealed on earth for three and a half years, Edwards saw church members concealed away from earth via a prior rapture. Edwards' scheme of a rapture three and a half years before the end of a 1260-year tribulation has the same tiny gap a futurist would have if he were to teach a rapture three and a half days before the end of a 1260-day tribulation! Since such a futurist view would be seen as a posttrib view, Edwards (who had the same small percentage) should be classified as a historicist posttrib!

     A footnote explaining the above quote had this to say: "Edwards saw a rapture at the extreme end of the tribulation. The mathematics work out as follows: 3.5 years/1260 years=0.0027, or 0.27% of the tribulation remaining. That means 99.73% of the tribulation was already past before the rapture. Hardly a pretrib rapture!"          
     To read Edwards' complete work, Google "[PDF] Two Academical Exercises...www.breadoflifebiblestudy.com."
     For much more info on Edwards, Google my article "Deceiving and Being Deceived,"  also see my heavily documented book "The Rapture Plot" which is available at online stores like Armageddon Books. ("Plot" happily made Armageddon Books' bestselling list soon after it was published in 1995.)

     Let me conclude by saying that the secret rapture is truly secret - so secret it cannot be found in the Bible. But Texas hired gun and rapture rustler Thomas Ice tries to make up for this by "finding" it in pre-1830 writings where no one during those centuries had ever "found" it!

ON CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM BY BRUCE MACPHERSON

On Christian Mysticism: A Conservative Evangelical Perspective by Bruce MacPherson is a book I highly recommend. I don't think I have read another book on Christian mysticism that provides such clarity and insight into this deceptive practice.

Bruce MacPherson:

"Many Christians are 'climbing over the fence' to reach intimacy with God by emptying one’s mind, but are in severe danger because they are entering the dark realm of mysticism. It is the wrong path and will not lead to God. It looks enticing, but stop! Don't go there! Christian mysticism is a cancer subtly invading Christianity, and it needs to be unmasked. Pastor Tim Keller rightly says, 'Prayer brings you into God's presence.' 500 years ago, Protestant reformers rightly rejected Christian mysticism (Contemplative Spirituality).

My first published book, On Christian Mysticism, is about how to walk intimately with God. It is also an assessment of historic Christian Mysticism’s practice of 'prayer beyond words,' a complete silencing of the mind. This is done by a mantra-like repetition of a sacred word which they claim enables us to enter God’s presence when we are devoid of all thoughts.

This book is an urgent call to return to biblical Christianity and reject Eastern mysticism in Western dress. It is a call to a return to Christian Formation that is truly rooted in the Bible, involving verbal prayer and meditation of the Scriptures. The mystics are wrong and heretical in practicing mantra-like techniques to silence the mind and all our senses. Or to think that, as many of them do, that all humans share God’s basic essence. And that everyone, even the devil and evil spirits, will eventually be in God’s presence. They are wrong in rejecting the need for personal conversion, evangelism, missions, and wrong in rejecting salvation by faith alone or that Christ died as our substitute. M. Scott peck said, 'Christianity’s greatest sin is to think that other religions are not saved.' Even Tony Campolo questions that Christ is the only way to God.

We need to avoid and reject Christian mysticism’s cross-fertilization of Christianity and Eastern religious meditation. Like Meister Eckhart saying, 'theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.' Or Catholic mystic Thomas Merton saying, 'I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.' Just before his death Merton told John Moffitt: 'Zen and Christianity are the same.' The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, founded by Tilden Edwards, is called 'The Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality.' Like Edwards, many Christian mystics, like Richard Foster and Henri Nouwen, are intent upon producing a hybrid religion and learn from Buddhists, Muslim Sufi, Hindus, Jewish Kabbalah, and other non-Christian religions. Nouwen learned meditation techniques from his Hindu friend, Eknath Easwaran.

Canadian pastor, Jim Challies, notes: 'As I survey the contemporary church, one of my gravest concerns is the power and prevalence of mysticism … Mysticism has wormed its way inside evangelicalism so that the two have become integrated and almost inseparable. In an age of syncretism, we fail to spot the contradiction and opposition.' Christian Mysticism has 'stolen our tent' (see page 96 in this book)!

There is something here for us all, from Bible scholar to new follower of Jesus. The book is self-published, found on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions."

PRE-TRIB ABSURDITY AND THE RESTRAINER OF LAWLESSNESS

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) KJV 

William J Rowlands (author and missionary), wrote some extraordinary papers regarding the unscriptural position of the "any moment" rapture. These papers were published by the editors of the magazine Watching and Waiting in 1929. The following year, Rowlands issued them in the book "The Lord Cometh". Rowlands became an advocate of the "one-only second coming of the Lord" and was influenced by Darby's adversary BW Newton. {1} 

Writing about the absurdity of the pre-trib rapture, William J Rowlands wrote:

"Truly, the Restrainer of lawlessness is God. But the words under discussion are, 'until he be taken out of the way..' In vain does anyone read into this verse the removal of the church, for the church is not even mentioned. Neither can we plead for the words, 'taken' and 'way,' for there is nothing equivalent to them in the Greek of the text." {1}

We find "until he be taken out of the way" in most bible translations. The offending word "taken" tacked on to genetai is from ginomai = I come into being, am born, become, come about, happen. {2} 

WJ Rowlands: "..the word 'taken' upon which their own theory leans for support, really represents no Greek word in the text at all, but is simply an addition to the words of Holy Scripture. {1}

The Greek text reads:

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until           he be          out of      the midst
heos           genetai       ek            mesou

The previous verse indicates that the man of lawlessness will be "revealed in his time". (2 Thessalonians 2:6). I think this gives an important clue what is actually meant by the Greek text in verse 7. The two verses in question are more accurately translated:

And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he comes out of the midst. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

Further clues to the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 are found in the book of Daniel, where the Archangel Michael is identified as the protector of Israel:

At that time shall arise (amad) Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1).

The Hebrew word is amad = stand. At the right time (in God's timing), Michael, the protector of Israel, will stop restraining the mystery of lawlessness i.e. he will stand aside in order to allow the embodiment of sin, the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) to be revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This event will facilitate the great tribulation, when unrestrained evil will be unleashed upon the earth. (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14).

Michael's defeat of Satan in Revelation 12 sheds further light on the events that will cause the onset of the great tribulation. Michael and his angels defeat the dragon (Satan) in Revelation 12:7–17, resulting in him and his fallen angels being thrown down to earth. Satan comes down to the earth in great wrath knowing 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 cf. Daniel 12:1). Initially Satan directs his wrath against the woman (Israel), but being thwarted, he turns his attention towards believers. (Revelation 12:13-17). Clearly, the rapid escalation of unrestrained evil will come as a terrible shock to Christians duped into the false hope of a pre-trib rapture. One can only imagine the fear, shock and unbelief that will kick in at that point, when the falsely predicted and highly anticipated "imminent" rapture comes to nothing, and severe persecution and martyrdom becomes an imminent reality. The result will be apostasy, backpedalling and betrayal. At that time, false teachers will literally crawl out of the woodwork with a "different gospel", that will be specifically tailored to avoid the Antichrist's persecution. (Matthew 24:10-11 cf. 2 Corinthians 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11). 

Those who argue the case for the Holy Spirit as the Restrainer are, by and large, false pre-trib rapture teachers such as Thomas Ice (PTRC), the Assemblies of God, the PWMI and the Berean Call. There are a number of valid reasons that preclude the Holy Spirit from the role of Restrainer however. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter who will be with believers forever. (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit is omnipresent, being simultaneously present in the throne room of God and on the earth. (Revelation 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, 5:6). {4} True believers will be given words to speak from the Holy Spirit in order to bear witness during the great tribulation: ..for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.. (Luke 12:11; 21:13). Since it is impossible for anyone to be saved without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, how will anyone be saved during the 70th week of Daniel in His supposed absence? (Revelation 7:4; 11:3; 14:6-7). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgement. (John 16:8-9). Evidence that the Holy Spirit will be on the earth throughout the 70th week is therefore compelling. 

In addition to the biblical evidence for Michael, according to the rabbinic Jewish tradition, Michael acts as the advocate and protector of Israel. {3}

I do not think it is critical to identify the Restrainer definitively. Having said that however, the pre-trib rapture view sets believers up for a terrible fall, since it has them being "taken" along with the Holy Spirit seven years prior to the Parousia. (Matthew 24:10).

Jacob Prasch's Intra-Seal notion is even more bizarre than the pre-trib view, if that is possible! Prasch has become a master eisegete with his "Reversal of Pentecost" theory. {5} Intra-Seal is an unoriginal pick and mix offering, with material plagiarised from both the pre-trib and pre-wrath views. I cannot account for Prasch's motives in promoting such falsehoods, apart from my suspicion that he wishes to create further confusion to an already highly charged debate!

{1} https://theologue.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/ourlordcometh-wjrowlands.pdf

{2} http://biblehub.com/greek/1096.htm

{3} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel)

{4} https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/jacob-prasch-moriel-miniistries-intra.html

{5} https://www.amazon.co.uk/INTRA-SEAL-RAPTURE-DECEPTION-EXPOSED-devised-ebook/dp/B06X6N2JJT/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502471721&sr=8-2&keywords=intra-seal

PRETRIB RAPTURE & ED HINDSON BY DAVE MACPHERSON

     [Dr. Ed Hindson's article "What To Do If You're Left Behind" inspired the following. --- D.M.]

     What a wishy-washy ingrate Ed Hindson is!
     He received most of his doctorates from (non-pretrib) schools like Westminster Theological Seminary.
     But Jerry Falwell's deep pockets at close-minded (pretrib) Liberty University bribed Hindson into becoming an alma mater backstabber as well as a slavish pretrib plagiarist.
     I discovered years ago that "The Fundamentalist Phenomenon" (a book dated 1981 and compiled by Jerry Falwell, Ed Dobson, and Ed Hindson) had quietly and monstrously pirated huge portions of Dr. George Dollar's 1973 book "A History of Fundamentalism in America"!

     Let's compare a bit of Dollar's book with the later book by Falwell, Dobson, and Hindson:

          DOLLAR, pp. 93f:

      "Harry Emerson Fosdick...was born near Buffalo, New York, on May 24,  1878...he attended Colgate, where he...revolted against orthodox views....at Colgate...came under the...influence of...William Newton Clarke....transferring to Union Seminary and Columbia University....One major influence on Fosdick at Union was the stress on the social application....He found the social gospel of Rauschenbusch challenging. From 1904 to 1915 he was pastor of the Baptist church at Montclair, New Jersey....His sermons...on problem-solving...drew from...within the Bible and outside....the very beautiful Riverside Church...provided a pulpit for Harry Emerson Fosdick....The National Broadcasting Company...gave him free time on Sunday afternoon for 'National Vespers.' "
          
           FALWELL et al, p. 104:
        "Harry Emerson Fosdick...was born in Buffalo, New York, on May 24, 1878. He attended Colgate...where he revolted against...orthodox teachings....At Colgate he was influenced by William Newton Clarke....transferred to Union Seminary and Colgate University. At Union he was influenced by the importance of a social consciousness....He was challenged by the influence of Rauschenbusch, who was the pioneer champion of the social gospel. From 1904 to 1915 Fosdick was pastor at the Baptist Church at Montclair, New Jersey. His preaching...utilized the Bible and extra-biblical sources in dealing with problems....the Riverside Church...provided the public forum for Harry Emerson Fosdick. His public ministry was so impressive that the National Broadcasting Company allowed him free time on Sunday afternoon for...'National Vespers.' "

     Google "Appendix F: Thou Shalt Not Steal" (which is part of my book "The Rapture Plot") to see all of the pages portraying, with side-by-side quotes, the shocking extent of today's pretrib pilfering which has allowed the best known rapture robbers to live in secret rapture splendor in the mansions they've already been "raptured" to that Jesus most assuredly did not prepare!

     One member of Falwell's writing team - Ed Dobson - told me in a letter that he had apologized, but Hindson and Falwell never apologized for their part in the literary piracy!
     Some Google articles that Hindson wouldn't want anyone to read include "Famous Rapture Watchers," "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy," "Margaret Macdonald's Rapture Chart," "Edward Irving is Unnerving," "Scholars Weigh My Research," "Pretrib Rapture Politics," "Pretrib Rapture Stealth" and (most shocking of all) "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty."
     Maybe Hindson should change his name to Ed Left Behindson!