Christianity’s Biggest Lie EVER
And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgment. Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Heb 9:27-28, ESV)
These days one hardly ever hears a solid Biblical explanation on the second coming of Jesus. It is a rare thing to hear coming from most pulpits. We could spend a long time wondering why this is so, but that is not going to be within the scope of this article. The purpose of this article is to investigate what the Bible tells us about the second coming of Jesus. Over the next few weeks or so Light in The Clouds will be posting several articles on this vital subject.
Contrary to the Biblical message on the second coming, we do find one theory that has garnered a lot of serious attention over the years. I am sure most people have heard about what certain “highly respected scholars of Bible prophecy” have coined as “THE SECRET RAPTURE.”
I took the trouble to listen to Dr David Jeremiah’s video where he preaches that The Secret Rapture will happen “at any moment.” This is a video that he posted called “The Rapture of the Church.” Posted March 25th, 2022. 2.7 million views.
Here is a portion of that sermon:
The Bible tells us that there is coming a day when millions of people will be evacuated from this world. In a moment. It will be a time of chaos never experienced on this earth.
Those of us who are watching what is happening in the world today believe that the time for that event is drawing near. The event that I’m describing is what the Bible calls the rapture.
The next event is the church age. That’s where we are right now. We’re living in the church age, the age between the coming of Christ the first time and the coming of Christ the second time. How many of you know what the next thing is? Right after the church age what’s going to change everything forever, is this event we call rapture. Notice, the rapture shows Jesus coming from heaven, but he doesn’t come all the way to the earth. The Bible says, we’re going to be caught up into the heavens to be with him, and then we’re going to go back to heaven with him. In the rapture.
After the rapture, a period of great tribulation will take place on this earth for seven years. At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the second coming of Christ takes place. Now here’s where the disconnect is. For most people who get confused about the future, the rapture and the second coming of Christ are not the same thing. The rapture is when Jesus comes back to take his people back to heaven with him. Then tribulation on the earth takes place. And then the second coming is when Jesus comes back. And the Bible says, he comes with all the people of God and with all the angels and sets up his kingdom on this earth.
To those who know their Bibles, this kind of message about a so-called Secret Rapture will be recognized as the biggest lie being told by Christians today. I have listened to this sermon of Dr Jeremiah’s several times now, trying to make some sense out of it. Each time it just ends in a lot of disappointment. Major confusions. It contains a general neglect of sound Biblical explanation and is filled with many claims mostly unsubstantiated by Scripture.
There Is No Such Thing as A Secret Rapture
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Rev 1:7, NKJV)
A Brief Summary Reveals a not so secret “rapture.”
The Second Coming of Christ
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ’s coming is nearby. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be always ready.
(Mat 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:1-38; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Thes 5:1-6; 2 Thes 1:7-10; 2 Thes 2:8; 2 Tim 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; Heb 9:28; Rev 1:7; Rev 14:14-20; Rev 19:11-21.) – Adventist Fundamental Belief #25
Just a few simple questions answered straight from the Bible will show how the secret is not so secret after all.
What wonderful promise did Jesus make concerning His Second Advent?
“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
What will follow the signs of Christ’s coming?
“And then shall they see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 1:27.
At His ascension, how was Christ’s return promised?
“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10, Acts 1:11.
With what words does Paul express the blessed hope of Christ’s Second Advent for His people?
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13.
What does Peter say about this awaited event?
“We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 2 Pet 1:16.
When He returns, will most of the inhabitants of earth be prepared to meet Him?
“Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Mat 24:30. “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Rev 1:7.
Why will so many people not be prepared for this important event?
“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayed His coming,” and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looked not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat 24:48-51.
What will most of the world be doing when Christ returns in the clouds of heaven for His own?
“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.” Verses 37-39. “Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built” 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.
These texts do not teach that it is wrong to eat, drink, marry, buy, sell, plant, or build, but that in many people’s minds they will be so taken up with these things that they will give little or no thought to the future life, and make no plans or preparations to meet Jesus when He comes.
Who is it that blinds people to the message about salvation through Jesus Christ?
“In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor 4:4.
DL MOODY once said the following about the second coming of Jesus:
“To my mind this precious doctrine -— for such I must call it -— of the return of the Lord to this earth is taught in the New Testament as clearly as any other doctrine in it; yet I was in the Church fifteen or sixteen years before I ever heard a sermon on it. There is hardly any church that doesn’t make a great deal of baptism, but in all of Paul’s epistles I believe baptism is only spoken of thirteen times, while it speaks about the return of our Lord fifty times; and yet the Church has had very little to say about it. Now, I can see a reason for this; the devil does not want us to see this truth, for nothing would wake up the Church so much. The moment a man takes hold of the truth that Jesus Christ is coming back again to receive His followers to Himself, this world loses its hold upon him. Gas stocks and water stocks and stocks in banks and railroads are of very much less consequence to him then. His heart is free, and he looks for the blessed appearing of his Lord, who, at His coming, will take him into His blessed Kingdom.”—D. L Moody, The Second Coming of Christ (Revell), pp 67.
Another preacher once wrote:
“‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven,’ is the parting promise of Jesus to His disciples, communicated through the two men in white apparel, as a cloud received Him out of their sight. When after more than fifty years in glory He breaks the silence and speaks once more in the Revelation which He gave to His servant John, the post-ascension Gospel which he sends opens with, ‘Behold, He cometh with clouds,’ and closes with ‘Surely I come quickly.’ Considering the solemn emphasis thus laid upon this doctrine, and considering the great prominence given to it throughout the teaching of our Lord and of His apostles, how was It that for the first five years of my pastoral life it had absolutely no place in my preaching? Undoubtedly the reason lay in the lack of early instruction. Of all the sermons heard from childhood on, I do not remember listening to a single one upon this subject.” -— A. J. Gordon, How Christ Came to Church, pp. 44-45.
How important is it that we are now prepared in our lives to meet Christ when He returns?
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2.
Will the return of Christ be a time of reward?
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every person according, to their works.” Mat 16:27. “And behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every person according as their work shall be.” Rev 22:12.
Who will receive the promised salvation when Christ returns?
“So, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb 9:28.
What strong motivation should His return have on our lives right now?
“We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every person that hath this hope in them purifies themselves, even as Jesus is pure.” 1 John 3:2, 3.
To whom are these crowns of life promised?
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight and finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that ay: and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love His appearing.” 2 Tim 4:6-8.
What will the waiting ones say when Jesus comes the second time?
“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa 25:9
Has the exact time of Christ’s coming been revealed?
“But of that day and hour knows no one, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Mat 24:36.
In view of this fact, how does Christ tell us to prepare for that glorious event?
“Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord will come.” Mat 24: 42.
What warning has Christ given that we might not be taken by surprise when He returns?
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all of them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:34-36.
What special attribute should the waiting ones develop?
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Jam 5:7-8.
Turning to the disciples, Christ said, “Take heed that no man deceives you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Many false messiahs will appear, claiming to work miracles, and declaring that the time of the deliverance of the Jewish nation has come. These will mislead many. Christ’s words were fulfilled. Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem many false messiahs appeared. But this warning was given also to those who live in this age of the world. The same deceptions practiced prior to the destruction of Jerusalem have been practiced through the ages and will be practiced again. {DA 628.2}
When one of my sons was little, I tucked him into bed one night and he asked me the most interesting question that an eight-year-old boy could possibly ask their dad. This is what he asked me:
“Dad. When will all the days be over so that we can see Jesus?”
I was a little shocked. I did not dream that an eight-year-old boy could have such views or questions on the second coming of Jesus.
But the answer to my son’s questions is the perfect proof that the second coming of Jesus will be the opposite of “secret.” There is no such thing as a “secret rapture.” Jesus has nothing to hide. No secrets to keep in His second coming. Every eye will see Him.
In unmistakable language, our Lord speaks of His second coming, and He gives warning of dangers to precede His advent to the world.
Some Will Depart from the Faith
1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
“If anyone shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
As one of the signs of Jerusalem’s destruction, Christ had said.
“Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.” False prophets did rise, deceiving the people, and leading great numbers into the desert. Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous power, drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes. But this prophecy was spoken also for the last days. This sign is given as a sign of the second advent. Even now false Christs and false prophets are showing signs and wonders to seduce His disciples.
Do we not [today] still hear the clamor?
“Behold, He is in the desert”? Have not thousands gone forth into the desert, hoping to find Christ? And from thousands of gatherings where people profess to hold communion with departed spirits is not the call now heard, “Behold, He is in the secret chambers”? This is the very claim that spiritism puts forth.
But what says Christ?
“Believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Next week we will look at how the Bible answers my son’s question on the second coming of Jesus. The Bible declares in both Old and New Testament that it is anything but secret.
Dad, when will all the days be over so that Jesus can come?”