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THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
PART I
TRADITION AND THE RAPTURE
"..you make void the Word of God by your
traditions.."
(Mat.15:6)
Jesus spoke directly and clearly to the Pharisees
about Tradition and what it causes. He reminded them
that even though their intentions seemed honorable to
them, good intentions pave the road to Hell. Paraphrasing
Mat.23:27, 'you're as the graves on the hill, painted white
on the outside, but full of dead men's bones on the inside'.
The subject is the Rapture of the Church, but the Traditions
concerning, and surrounding this event have resulted in confusion.
Confusion is a tool the enemy uses to keep you from any truthful
understandings or realizations. God reminds us that He is not the
author of confusion in ICor.14:33.
So why is there so much confusion about The Rapture, as an event,
as to its timing, as to its scriptural reference and as to its significance
to End Times?
Tradition is the answer.
Because people have come, over the years,
to place such value on tradition, the revealed has become veiled and
the true meaning of God's Word is now clouded, and interpreted as
meaning many different things to as many different people. However,
God's Word was never meant to be unclear.
Traditionally so and Scripturally so are not necessarily, nor usually
synonymous.
Understanding God's word stripped of tradition is what's required to
meet the challenge of demystifying or un-confusing the soon coming
event known as the Rapture of the Church.
TIMING AND THE RAPTURE
"...But of that day and that hour knoweth no man..."
(Mark 13:32 & Mat 24:36)
This scripture is most TRADITIONALLY quoted in confirming
that we can't know the timing of the Rapture of the Church.
Mark 13:32/Mat 24:36, has nothing to do with the Rapture of the
Church! At the time, Jesus was explaining to his disciples [Jews]
about the passing away of Heaven and Earth in relation to the
longevity of His Word. Heaven and Earth do not pass away at the
Rapture of the Church. This is what only the Father knows, when
Heaven and Earth will pass away, when He makes all things new
again. The Rapture of the Church is the event when the Body of
Christ, both living & resurrected are called to Heaven, by the head of
that body, our Lord, Jesus, the Christ.
In fact, all of the scripture quoted to tell us that we can't know the
time of the Rapture, is really directed towards the second coming of
Jesus, when He returns with the raptured saints to do battle with his
enemies. The second coming and the Rapture are two separate
events.
Jesus warned us that TRADITIONS make void the word of God.
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