Most of the message in this document was taken from a letter that I wrote to a Christian Ministry on March 10, 2020, concerning the Rapture and the Seven Years after Jesus returns to earth. I got the thought that it was important for all of us to read this message and understand its meaning, especially considering what is going on in the world today.
What Is Prophecy?
First of all what does prophesy mean? Well, according to the Dictionary it means:
- To make predictions.
- To make inspired declarations of what is to come.
- To speak as a mediator between God and humankind or in God’s stead.
According to Gary Gibbs, “God gives prophecy for three reasons. The first is to predict the future ‘what would come to pass.’ The second reason is for the ‘sakes’ of those who understand prophecy—to protect them from what is coming. Knowledge of this dream saved Daniel’s life. In a similar manner, knowledge of the future allows us to make decisions that save us from the devil’s deceptions and prepare us for Jesus’ return. The third reason for prophecy is to convert us by revealing the thoughts of our ‘hearts’. Prophecy brings to light our hidden motives and draws us closer to Jesus so He can take us safely into the future.” (Prophecies of Hope Study Guide, Our Day In Bible Prophecy, p. 2).
In other words, prophesy simply tells us what is going to happen in the future.
History has proven that all the old prophesies of the Bible have happened, exactly as prophesied. Therefore, the prophesies pertaining to the End Times will also happen!
Before we go on, let’s set the Prophetic Stage.
What Is Going To Happen Before Jesus Returns?
These are the things that will happen before Christ returns.
- The Opening of the 7 Seals.
—See Revelation 6:2-3, 6:5, 6:7, 6:9, 6:12, and 8:1. - The Seven Trumpets.
—See Revelation 8:7-8, 8:10, 8:12, 9:1, 9:13, and 11:15. - The Seven Bowls/Plagues.
—See Revelation 16:2-4, 16:8, 16:10, 16:12, and 16:17. - The Three Angels Message.
—See Revelation 14:6-11. - The Righteous will be sealed with the Seal of God in their foreheads.
—See Revelation 7:3. - The Lamb roars like a Dragon.
—See Revelation 13:11. - The Mark of the Beast enforced.
—See Revelation 13:11-17.
What Happens When Jesus Returns?
These are the things that will happen when Jesus returns.
- Jesus returns in the clouds with His angels with a sound of a great trumpet.
—See Matthew 24:30-31. - The dead in Christ shall rise first.
—See 1 Thessalonians 4:16. - All the unrighteous living are slain by the Lord.
—See 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Jeremiah 25:31-33. - Those who are alive (the righteous) are caught together in the clouds to meet the Lord.
—See 1 Thessalonians 4:17. - Satan and his devils are cast into a bottomless pit.
—See Revelation 20:1-3. - The Millennium starts.
—See Revelation 20:4.
At this point the earth is desolate and no living being is on the earth, except Satan and his devils; in the bottomless pit, the abyss (See Jeremiah 25:33).
The Great Deception
So, if there are no people on the earth after Jesus returns, then where does this Seven Year period after Jesus returns fit into the picture? Well, it started with this so-called Secret Rapture theory.
It started with the Catholic Church, the Antichrist. In 1545 the Catholic Church convened a council north of Rome in a city called Trent. The Council of Trent continued for three sessions, ending in 1563. The main purpose of these councils was to plan a counterattack on Martin Luther and the Protestant Movement.
On August 15, 1534, Ignatius Loyola founded the secret Catholic Order called the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. At the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church gave the Jesuits the assignment of destroying Protestantism and bringing people back to the church. The main approach was to be through theology.
Fransico Ribera, a Jesuit priest, read the Bible prophecies about the Antichrist and decided that they did not apply to the Papacy. He declared that those prophecies applied to a single sinister man who would arise up at the End Time. The Catholic Church liked it and this viewpoint was adopted as the Church’s official position on the Antichrist.
In 1590 Ribera published a commentary on Revelation as a counter interpretation to the prevailing view among the Protestants which identified the Papacy with the Antichrist. Ribera applied all of Revelation but the earliest chapters to the end time rather than to the history of the church. Antichrist, he taught, would be a single evil person who would be received by the Jews and who would rebuild Jerusalem. (George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope. A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdnmans, 156,37-38).
The result of Ribera’s work was a twisting and maligning of prophetic truth. (Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 32).
Between 1581-1593, Cardinal Bellarmine published his “Polemic Lectures Concerning the Disputed Points of Time.” In these lectures he agreed with Ribera.
Through the work of these two men a new baby was born into the world. Protestant historians have given this baby a name—Jesuit Futurism.
“The Futurism of Ribera never posed a positive threat to the Protestants for over three centuries. But in the nineteenth century it sprang forth with vehemence as it latched itself to the Protestants of the Established Church of England.” (Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 91) .
This Futurism theology was encouraged and passed on down the centuries until the present day where many Ministers, Evangelists, and Authors, believed and promoted this Jesuit Futurism.
Some examples are:
- Dr Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792-1866).
- James H. Todd, Professor of Hebrew at the University of Dublin.
- John Henry Newman (1800-1890). Member of the Church of England and the leader of the famous Oxford Movement (1833-1845).
- Edward Irving (1792-1834). A much respected Scottish Presbyterian Minister.
- John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). A brilliant Lawyer, Pastor, and Theologian, who wrote more than 53 books on Bible subjects.
- Hal Lindsey, a Pastor and graduate of Dallas Theology Seminary. In the 1970s, he released his blockbuster book, The Late Great Planet Earth.
- Then in the 1990s, The Left Behind books and subsequent movies by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins promoted the Secret Rapture theory in a big way.
- Two types of people sleeping in the grave—The lost and the saved.
- Two types of churches—The false and the true.
- Two types of ministries—The false and the true.
Even in today’s world there are Ministers and Pastors who still promote this Jesuit Futurism. People like John Hagee, Hal Lindsey, and Grant Jeffrey.
The Secret Rapture
The word “rapture” means “to be carried away”. It is true that when Jesus comes again, the living righteous will be “caught up” or “carried away” to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). However, this is not going to be a rapture that takes place quietly and that the faithful Christians around the world will suddenly disappear and life on earth continues for another seven years. And during this seven years those still living will have a second chance for salvation. This sounds good, but their is no scriptural support for it.
There are three Bible references that say that Jesus is coming “like a thief in the night”. They are 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15. However, 2 Peter 3:10 tells “The Rest of the Story”.
This “Secret Rapture” is based on at least two Bible scriptures that have been taken out of context.
The First One
“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.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)
Before we go any further, let’s examine this verse a little further.
One of the main characteristics of a “thief” is that he comes un-expectantly. He does not send a note to his victim saying that he is coming to rob and steal something at their house at 9:00 p.m. Monday evening. Another characteristic is that the thief does his stealing and robbing very quietly.
In this verse, above, in 2 Peter 3:10, it says that Jesus is coming “as a thief in the night.” This means that He too is coming un-expectantly. He is not going to sent 10,000 angels to earth and have them broadcast to the world, via television, the Internet, etc., that He is coming on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. However, unlike the thief, He is coming with a great noise, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. This definitely is not SECRET! Do you know how loud it would have to be to be heard around the world? It would be shattering!
Then immediately after that, the dead in Christ are raised to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Next, the unrighteous are all slain by the Lord (Jeremiah 25:31-33). Next, the righteous, who are still alive, will be caught up in the clouds to be with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
The Second One
“I tell you tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34-36 KJV)
The following excerpt from Amazing Facts magazine, (The Day of The Lord, p. 28) aptly explains what Jesus meant when he was talking about the “two men in a bed”, “two women grinding together”, and “two men in the field”.
So you can see this verse is talking about three different situations, not just three types of people:
Another misconception of this “Secret Rapture” is that people will continue to live on the earth for seven years after Jesus comes the second time. During this time they will endure great tribulations. However, they will be given the opportunity to turn to God receive His forgiveness and be saved. Also, during this seven years the evil Antichrist will rebuild the Jewish Temple and sacrifices will again be done in the courtyard. However, in the middle of this seven years the Antichrist will stop or cancel all sacrifices.
The time table shown below shows the 1 week (or seven years) when the seven years actually took place.
The Papacy took this week out of the 490 years prophecy and moved it to the End Times (at least they tried to) and applied it to the Antichrist during the End Times. However, these is no scriptural reference to support it.
This is like saying that George Washington is not going to be the President of the United States until January 2025!!
Oswald Smith, a prominent minister from Toronto, explains in his book, Tribulation or Rapture that he once believed this Rapture theory;
“I had been taught that the Greek word for ‘parousia’ always referred to the Rapture and that other words were used for the Coming of Christ in glory… but I found that this is not true… We might go through all the writers of the New Testament, and we would fail to discover any indication of the so-called ‘two stages’ of our Lord’s Coming. …That theory had to be invented by man. Search and see. There is no verse in the Bible that even mentions it.”
What Is The Truth?
The truth of the matter is that there is no “Secret Rapture” or “Seven Years” after Christ returns.
All of this is just a deception of Satan to lure God’s people away from God to death and eternal destruction.
The Bible is the truth. It is the inspired word of God and it does not lie.
“Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’” (John 14:6 KJV). He also said; “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 KJV).
As it says in the letter I received, “We’ll just agree to disagree and focus on winning the lost.” If you are teaching the ”lost” to believe in this Jesuit Futurism, and/or the Secret Rapture, you have already lost them! If people are waiting for Christ’s return to accept God’s forgiveness, love, and eternal life, they are making a big mistake. It will be too late!
As it was in the days of Noah, everyone, except his immediate family, disagreed with him. Then the day of judgment came—and They All Died!
“But as the days of Noe 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 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 24:37-39 KJV)
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:28-30 KJV)
Our Day of Judgment is coming, soon!
God Bless you and your work.
Vance Payne
Note: I take no credit for this work. I am just a humble scribe for the Lord. Praise God!
