Signs of the End - The Rapture: True or False?

Signs of the End

A Discovery of Biblical Timelines

Signs of the End

A Discovery of Biblical Timelines

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that this day should overtake you like a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4

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Rapture:

True or False?

January 2010
Written by Jeff Exner

So, where did the allegorical method come from? The originator appears to be Aristobulus, who believed that Greek philosophy was borrowed from the Old Testament, and especially the law of Moses. This concept was adopted by Philo, who set forth to make the Jewish religion palatable (acceptable) to the Greek world. In order to effect this harmonization, Philo adopted the allegorical method. It was this method that was adopted and embraced in the theological school of Alexandria, which tradition says was founded by Mark, the writer of the gospel of Mark (Mark did not teach the allegorical method). Clement of Alexandria, and then Origen used this method. This method was finally adopted by Augustine, who laid down the rule that the Bible must be interpreted with reference to Church Orthodoxy. Augustine, who is called the father of Roman Catholicism, succeeded in making the allegorical method the accepted method of interpretation in the Roman church, and thus began the dark ages, where the Scriptures were taken from the masses and given only to the priests.

It must be noted again that it was the rise of ecclesiasticism and the recognition of the authority of the church in all doctrinal matters that lead to the adoption of the allegorical method.

There was also the desire to free the Scriptures from their Jewish context, and thus make the church the heir to all of the covenants. This is important to understand, as we shall see later.

To sum up, the allegorical method was not born out of the study of the Scriptures, but out of a desire to unite Greek philosophy and the Word of God, to make Christianity acceptable to the masses. Sound familiar? It must also be pointed out that all of our modern translations are taken mainly from texts that derived from this school of thought.

So who preserved the literal method? Tertullian, Irenaeus, and the School of Antioch preserved the literal method of interpretation. Diodorus of Tarsus is regarded as the true founder of this school. He was the teacher of Chrysostom and of Theodore of Mopsuestia (428AD). This school placed the authority of Scripture over man and church. It preserved the truth of the historical context of Scripture, and kept the interpretation of Scripture in the hands of the common man. It was not born out of a desire to make Christianity acceptable to the masses, and preserved the integrity of the Scriptures. It was also at the heart of the Reformation. It should be noted that the KJV and NKJV were translated mostly from manuscripts from the School of Antioch.

I hope you can see why understanding which method of interpretation to adopt is important. Concerning our discussion, if the allegorical method is correct, then the covenants that God gave to Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel could all apply to the church, and have no future prophetic fulfillment. Also any promises of escape from the future wrath of God could be spiritualized away.

The reality is any truth in Scripture could be twisted to fit the imaginations of the interpreter. If, however, the literal method is correct, then we are bound to the text and Scripture as our ultimate authority, and we must let it say what it says, and not inject our own imaginations into it, and the promises that God gave to Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel could not apply to the church, and must have a future prophetic fulfillment. Also any promises of escape from the future wrath of God could not be spiritualized away.

Needless to say, I accept and use the literal method of interpretation, and reject the allegorical method. I am also wary of using modern translations as an ultimate guide to use for word studies, and in-depth investigation.

Before we can begin digging into the timing of the rapture, we must take a look at the overall picture of prophecy, the covenants, and Gods plan for mankind.

Starting with Gods plan for mankind, we must get in behind the problem, so to speak, and see things from God’s perspective. The first question that most of us may have, besides “who am I, and why am I here?” is: “why did God create in the first place”? Actually the answer to one is the answer to the other. Simply put, God did not have to create anything. He had perfect love, fellowship, unity, and diversity within the Trinity. God chose to create. He did not need to create.

This is important, because it speaks to God’s motivation. If God needed to create, then He would have been lacking in something, and that would make Him imperfect. We could never fully trust Him, because what if we failed to give Him what He lacked? He might change His mind and decide that He really doesn’t love us, and instead of having a relationship with us, He could decide to destroy us and make someone, or something else.

This is not the case, however, and since God is perfect (He cannot- not be perfect), then His motivation must stem from His essential goodness and love, not a lack in something. If God’s motivation for creating us is goodness and love, then His intentions for us are for our good only, not His. In other words, He wants us to choose to love Him for our own good. He loves us because He is love, not because He needs anything from us. A simple way of explaining why God created would be to say that He opened up the love that existed within the Trinity to those who would love Him, and the only way to bring that love into existence for us was to create.

If you want to know God’s intention for mankind, read Genesis 1 through chapter 2, and then skip to Revelation 21:6 through chapter 22. Everything in between is God restoring man back to Himself after man rebelled against Him.

You may ask how this relates to the rapture. The answer is that prophecy, including the rapture, is tied into God’s

intention for mankind, and this includes His purpose for man. The same day that man sinned, God promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:15). Man sinned because he doubted God’s goodness. All sin stems from this root. You cannot even come to God in faith unless you believe that He exists and that He is good.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6 (NKJV) (emphasis added)

Genesis 3 all the way through Revelation 21:5 is a man caused detour for God’s intention for mankind because man did not believe that God is good. God’s plan for man’s redemption began with Genesis 3:15.

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." Gen 3:15 (NKJV) (emphasis added)

Here God promises that a “Seed” of the woman would destroy the “seed” of the serpent, who is Satan. All prophecy is centered on this one statement of Scripture!

All of history is recording the movement of activity that will lead to the fulfillment of this all encompassing moment, Satan is destroyed, death is destroyed, and man is restored physically and morally forever to be in a perfect loving relationship with God as He originally intended.

For those who think prophecy isn’t important, or necessary I simply say this; if it wasn’t for prophecy we would all be dead and roasting in the lake of fire. God had a choice when man sinned (of course He made the decision before even creating); redeem him by satisfying His righteousness by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for him; or send him, with Eve, Satan, and his fallen angels, to the lake of fire and rule over rocks, trees, and animals.

God chose to save us and prophecy is His way of telling us how this is going to happen. Boring? Unimportant? You decide.

After promising a redeemer who would destroy Satan, and with him the power of death, we see throughout the Old Testament Gods plan progressing. In order for the woman’s seed to come into the world, it becomes apparent that the genetic lineage cannot be corrupted. We also see a connection to the moral lineage of righteousness.

After the murder of Abel by Cain, Seth becomes the lineage through which the Seed will come.

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." Gen 4:25 (NKJV) (emphasis added)

Then we see that a descendent of Seth, Noah, becomes heir of the lineage.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

and Isaac has Jacob. Jacob then has 12 sons. One of Jacobs’ sons will be the lineage through which the Redeemer

This web site looks for the best scenario of the coming time in light of the Bible and history. It is not an absolute prediction.

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