The pre-tribulation secret rapture of the saints (true believers) prior to the Lord’s second coming is a teaching that has been made popular by Tim Le Haye’s “Left Behind” series of books and motion pictures. Stephen Sizer talks about the topic of the “secret rapture” in his book, “Zion’s Christian Soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church.” (Pages 133-134)
“Cyrus Scofield, in the footnotes to his Reference Bible, has to contradict Jesus in order to perpetuate the notion of a secret rapture of the saints before his visible return. In Matthew 13, in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus explains that the tares will be removed first and destroyed, and then the wheat gathered. When the servants ask, “Do you want us to go and pull the weeds up?, the master replies,
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: FIRST COLLECT THE WEEDS and tie them in bundles to be burned; THEN GATHER THE WHEAT and bring it into my barn. (Matthew 13:30)
Jesus is using an illustration to describe his return, and therefore we must not read too much into the detail. Nevertheless, Jesus says that his return will be associated both with destruction and deliverance, condemnation and vindication. In a footnote to this verse, however, Scofield (quote below) reverses the order and separates what Jesus combines to ensure it fits with his presuppositions.
“The gathering of the tares into bundles for burning does not imply immediate judgment. At the end of this Age (v40) the tares are set apart for burning, but first the wheat is gathered into the barn.”
It is most unfortunate that many people will take the notes written by a man such as Cyrus Scofield (quoted above) in his famous Scofield Study Bible, and take it to be the Bible truth! There are many people who do that with other study Bibles also, and they will often quote the authors notes as if it were scripture! Many people have been deceived in this day, and past days because they follow man and not the Lord. I have spoken in the past about the many preachers, pastors, watchmen and book authors who have made predictions, and prophesied things which never came to pass! Stick to the Word of God, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. If you follow a man (or a woman) and they go off course, then you will also go off course, and end up with them!
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? (Luke 6:39)
If a person would have gone to the scriptures to see what Jesus said they would have learned the truth about the gathering of the believers (wheat) and the unbelievers (tares), at the end of the world (age). The disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable of the tares to them, and he gladly obliged them.
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:36-43)
So there you have it. The Lord explained the parable to his closest followers, and he told them that it pertained to the end of the world. It is very important that the true believer understand that when the Lord returns there will be no second chance for anybody. Jesus never once gave a hint about a “secret rapture” or a “great stealth evacuation” of the true believers. Considering the fact, that Jesus is the creator of ALL things, as well as our redeemer, is it not better to listen to him, instead of mere men? There will be no “two stage second coming” of the Lord Jesus Christ, as is taught in most churches in our modern day. There will be a one time final judgment when the Lord returns, and that will be the end of it. The believers will inherit everlasting life, and the unbelievers will be cast into the furnace of fire (Hell)! This is truly a most serious teaching, because many have been deceived into thinking that there will be a second chance after the “saints” (true believers) are secretly raptured into Heaven. The apostle Paul was also aware of this Biblical truth, and he wrote this to the believers at the church at Thessalonica.
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the creator of ALL things, and he made a statement that shuts down the FALSE teaching of the pre-trib rapture of believers.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe (NOAH) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (NOAH) entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:35-39)
Jesus Christ made it abundantly clear that NO man knew the day, or the hour when the Son of man (Jesus Christ) would come again. The FALSE pre-trib rapture teaching, has the true believers in Jesus Christ being airlifted (raptured) out of this world, with a 7 year “great tribulation” after that, and then the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of that 7 year period. If that teaching were true, then it would completely NEGATE the TRUTH which Jesus Christ spoke almost two thousand years ago, when he made it clear that NO man would know the date of his coming. Why? Because billions of people would know that his second coming would happen exactly 7 years AFTER the secret disappearance of millions of people! Do you see that? In fact the FALSE teachers even tell people on their television broadcasts what to expect AFTER they disappear! Folks it is ALL a big SHAM, and I encourage you to take Jesus Christ at his word, rather than the FALSE teachers, most of whom have lavish ministries, and live in the lap of luxury.
The apostle Paul told us that the second coming of Jesus Christ, would be a day of vengeance, for the unbelievers, and a day of glorification for those who are true believers in Jesus Christ. There is not even a hint of a secret pre tribulation rapture of the saints. (Get OUT of the PRE-TRIB RAPTURE CULT as soon as possible folks!) The apostle Peter spoke about the scoffers in the last days, that would mock the talk about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3-4)
Then Peter went on to explain that this whole world is going to be dissolved at the second coming of Jesus Christ, and that there will be a new heavens and a new earth!
For this they WILLINGLY are IGNORANT of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:5-14)
