Christ-the Key to the Future"THE SECRET RAPTURE DELUSION TODAY"

by Desmond Ford

The history of the Secret Rapture is brought up-to-date by Hal Lindsey'sThe Late Great Planet Earth. The failure of that best-selling book's

major claims reminds us to ask of the Secret Rapture whatwe ask of all doctrine: "What is its fruitage?"

@J 1. Scofield had a "rein-• carnation." A somewhat

longer-haired version ofScofield named Hal Lindsey.

Nothing I now say is meant tobe against the character of HalLindsey. He has been called a "se-rial polygamist" by some, becauseof his repeated divorces, but that'snot the point.

The point is what he says theologi-cally in his book The Late Great PlanetEarth. This is the best-selling book ofmodern times.

The Late Great Planet Earth has soldover 15 million copies in about 31countries. It has made Hal Lindsey amultimillionaire. Most of it is simplynotes from the Dallas Bible School,written up by a journalist named on

12

the cover of the book.We have a question for this best-

selling book: "Is it true or false?"

Major Claim Failed to HappenWhat does Hal Lindsey claim in hisinfluential book?

He says the sign that we are inthe end times is the restoration ofIsrael to Palestine in 1948. He claims

that within one generation of that datethe end of the world will occur. That'sbecause Jesus said, 'This generationshall not pass away, till all be fulfilled"(Luke 21:32 KJV, see also Matthew24:34; Mark 13:30).

Assuming that a generation is 40years, Hal Lindsey adds that to 1948.Therefore, we'll all be gone by 1988.

In fact, he claims we'll all be gonebefore that. Because dispensationalistsclaim the Secret Rapture takes placeseven years before the end, we'll all begone by 1981.

It hasn't happened, of course.Christianity Today interviewed him

and asked (and I paraphrase), "Mr.Lindsey, you have predicted this, andthis, and this-and none of it has hap-pened." He responded, "Well, maybethere's only a millimeter difference be-tween a hero and a bum."

Now friends, there's more to itthan that.

Fruit of the DoctrineThere's this difference. You must al-ways ask of any doctrine and teaching,"What is its practical fruitage?"

The theory of the Secret Rapturehas caused the death of thousandsupon thousands of wonderful Christianpeople, and shortened their faithfulwitness.

Some of you have read Corrie tenBoom's The Hiding Place. Or seen themovie. This great lady was imprisonedin a Nazi concentration camp. She af-firmed this teaching has created un-told troubles. In China, when the Com-munists were about to take over,people were warned to get out. "Chris-tians will be persecuted, perhapskilled," they were told.

But those who held to the SecretRapture said, "Oh, no-the saints aregoing to be raptured out before thereis a tribulation." Many people who hadthe opportunity to flee did not-andpaid with their lives.

The theory of the pre tribulationSecret Rapture had the same disastrouseffect in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, andparts of Russia, as well as China. Manywho could have saved their lives failedto escape because they assumed theywould be raptured before the tribula-tion.

Return to PalestineLet's spend a few minutes longer onthis central teaching of The Late GreatPlanet Earth--the return of the Jews toPalestine.

First, let me emphasize that to beanti-Semitic is to be unChristian. Godloves the Jew as much as God lovesany gentile. Jews and gentiles are boththe same at heart. They may have dif-ferent cultures, but they share the samehuman nature.

What I am about to say is not tobe thought anti-Semitic. I happen tobelieve that many Jews will be con-verted to Christ in the last days. I thinkRomans 11 teaches that. But nowherein the New Testament does it say thatGod is in the business of bringing Is-rael back to Palestine so that thetemple might be rebuilt and the sacri-ficial system restored.

For God to have a hand in help-ing restore the sacrificial system in thetemple would be to deny the cross ofChrist. Christ was offered once for all(Hebrews 7:27; 9:26). The shadows aregone (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1).We mustn't bring back the shadows.

Let me say it again: While I dobelieve that many Jews will be con-verted (as Romans predicts), I do notbelieve the New Testament contains averse anywhere that talks about the re-building of a temple in Palestine inorder to restore the sacrificial system.Nor do I believe that the Antichristwill then come down and sit in thetemple and cause a great tribulation.It's nowhere in Scripture.

Parable of the Fig TreeLook, please, at Matthew 21:18-19:

Early in the morning, as hewas on his way back to the city, hewas hungry. Seeing a fig tree bythe road, he went up to it butfound nothing on it except leaves.Then he said to it, "Mayyou neverbear fruit again!" Immediately thetree withered.The fig tree, with all its showy

leaves and pretentiousness, was a fig-ure of the Jewish nation of Christ'stime. The nation had a temple, it hadpriests, it had sacrifices and holy days,it had Sabbaths-all these leaves butno fruit.

This is an acted parable. You don't

13

find destructive miracles from Jesus asa rule. His miracles are all construc-tive. But when he comes to the treethat represents the Jewish nation, withlots of show and no fruit, Jesus says,"Mayyou never bear fruit again!"

This idea is expanded by Jesuswhen he says, 'Jerusalem will betrampled on by the Gentiles until thetimes of the Gentiles are fulfilled"(Luke 21:24). Friends, you must becareful to understand this verse cor-rectly.

People used to say it means thatonce the Jews get back into Jerusalem,we'll see worldwide evangelism by theJewish remnant. We see no such thing.

We shall see later in our study that'Jerusalem" is the church, and the"Gentiles" are unbelievers. Until theend of time, Christians will be perse-cuted. (That's how Revelation 11:1-19applies to Luke 21:24.)

The literal meaning is that the cityof Jerusalem will never again be thecenter of God's work. It will always beoccupied by unbelievers. The modern,Zionist Jew (according to the principlefound in Ephesians 2:12-22) is a gen-tile! In fact, anyone not in the NewCovenant is counted as a gentile.

Kingdom Is Now New Israel'sMany of the Jews in Palestine are athe-ists. Most of the Jews in the world donot believe that Scripture is divinelyinspired. Only a minority of Jews areOrthodox Jews-make no mistakeabout that.

God loves everyone of them.Christ died for every one of them. Ev-ery one of them can be saved by faithin Jesus Christ, just the same waya gen-tile is saved.

But we've read a clear statementfrom Scripture, from Jesus: "Let nofruit grow on thee henceforward forever" (Matthew 21:19 KJV).

Further on we read of Jesus say-ing, 'Therefore I tell you that the king-dom of God will be taken away fromyou and given to a people who willproduce its fruit" (Matthew 21:43 NIV).

What nation is Jesus referring to?Is it America or Australia? Let's lookat what the apostle Peter wrote toChristians:

But you are a chosen people,a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

DOWN UNDER WITH RON ALLEN

No one is truly a "self-made man. U All of us are molded and fashionedby family and friends, by other humans. This wa~ true f~r J~sus, .

who became truly human. Jesus continues to flourish amid his familyand friends. Jesus considers that he and his saints are one body.

Dear Gospel Friend:"Together you are the body of Christ. Eachone ofyou is partofhis body." (1Corinthians12:27CEV)

You've probably heardthe story athousandtimes. A she wolf loses her cubs.

To make up for her loss, she visits avillage and steals a human infant from itscrib. The wolf takes the child to its lair andsuckles it.

Years later, the village folk report see-ing a human being running with the wolves.The creature behaves in all respects like awolf; except it looks human.

This story, true or not, illustrates avitaltruth. Without other people, we just cannotbefully human.We begin our sojourn underthe sun, lying, idiot-like, in a cradle. Wewould all have remained idiots had notpeople spoken to us,gesturedto us,huggedus and smiled at us.

Others Helped ChristJesus-the finest example of humanityever-did not enter this world a ready-made man. He was not born with a com-plete outfit of true and pure ideas in hishead. He was not just pretending to be ababe in swaddling clothes. He was one,indeed!

Without his motherto smile at him andhis father to speak to him, he would neverhave become anyone at all. The life of Goddid come to the world in Jesus. However, itrequired the parents, relatives, and friendsof Christ, to fashion him into a man.

Jesus Needs His FriendsIn order to keep on being human, Jesusneeded continued contact with people. Hisdisciples and associates helped him withthis. No one can go on being a personwithout other persons. In the same way, noone can begin life without other persons-our mother and father.

A painter is nothing without his colorsand canvas. A teacher is nothing withouther students. Jesus could not be the illus-trious Savior we have heard about exceptforthe souls he brings to Godthrough theirconta ct with him.

Jesus was only himself-the Jesuswe know-in his relationship with Peter,

James, and John. If Jesus had differentdisciples, he would have been slightly dif-ferent. In the same way you would beslightly different if you had a differentspouse.

Jesus loves FellowshipJesus became the Savior of his friends byattaching them to himself. It was a mutualattachment. It meant as much to Jesus asit did to his disciples.

When Jesus came to the brink of hisPassion, he did not want to be alone. Heasked his disciplesto stay awake with him.

When he died, he died alone. This, ofcourse, is what makes death the awfulthing it is. The moment a person ceases tobe is the moment all relationships are ex-tinguished.

This happened to Jesus. No soonerhad he come to life again, than hewas withhis disciples again. You could say he wasmore of a man after his resurrection thanbefore. Now, raised from the dead, he pos-sessed an unlimited range of fellowship.Now Jesus spreads himself over all thepeoples of the earth.

In city streets, country lanes, apart-ments and hovels around the world, menand women enjoy the fellowship of Christ.Countless lives are bound to him in love.Christ's Spirit stirs their minds, ravishestheir hearts, and look out in love throughtheir eyes.

Jesus and Saints One BodyPaul, seeing that the friends of Jesus areone in life with him, uses a bold expression.He claims that Christ and his people are"one body" (see Romans 12:2-5; 1Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:4). Anastounding thought!

Christ, being who he is, never lives oracts alone. He gives his saints a part ineverything he does.

Jesus gives himself to his friends astheir inheritance. What a Person! What aMan! What a Savior!

Enjoy the fellowship of Christ-withall of his other friends.

Yours in service,

~.f~k--RonJ. Allen

14

a people belonging to God, thatyou may declare the praises of himwho called you out of darkness intohis wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)Friends, the Christian church is the

holy nation!The kingdom of God has been taken

from Israel, and given by God to a newIsrael. Jesus is that true New Israel. Allwho are in him by faith are in that newIsrael. That's why Scripture says, "Thereis neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,male nor female, for you are all one inChrist Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

Spiritual JewsThe Bible is clear. It teaches that thekingdom of God has been taken fromthe Jews. The nation of Israel is nolonger-and never will be in this life-the center of God's spiritual activities forthe world. That cenu"al role was takenfrom them. It happened the day whenthe nation's leaders and the mob com-mitted a national sin by invoking the Ro-mans to crucifY the Messiah. "The king-dom of God willbe taken awayfrom you."

Please look with me at Romans 9:6-8:

It is not as though God's wordhad failed. For not all who are de-scended from Israel are Israel. Norbecause they are his descendants arethey all Abraham's children. On thecontrary:

"It is through Isaac that your off-spring will be reckoned."In other words, it is not the natural

children who are God's children, but itis the children of the promise who areregarded as Abraham's offspring.

This means that it's not the childrenof the flesh who are the children of God.It's not those born Jews. It's not thosebelonging to the Israel of this world. It'sthe children of the promise who are reck-oned as descendants of Abraham.

To explain that further, look atGalatians 3:28-29:

There is neither Jew nor Greek,slave nor free, male nor female, foryou are all one in Christ Jesus. Ifyou belong to Christ, then you areAbraham's seed, and heirs accord-ing to the promise.Could it be clearer than that? That

you are a physical descendant fromAbraham doesn't mean a thing with God.The fact that a mother cat puts her kit-tens in an oven doesn't mean the kittensturn into biscuits. The fact you comefrom Abraham doesn't mean a thing with

an impartial God, not a thing.But if you are Christ's, then you are

Abraham's seed.

Free in ChristLook, please, at Galatians, chapter 4,verse 25: "Now Hagar stands for MountSinai in Arabia and corresponds to thepresent city of jerusalem, because she isin slaverywith her children."

What does God think about thepresent jerusalem? It couldn't be clearer.It says, "she is in slavery."

If you don't belong to Christ, youare a slave. The only free person in theworld is a person who wants to do whatthey ought to do. That happens onlywhen the Spirit of Christ comes into yourlife and the law of God is written in yourmind. Then, you are really free.

But our verse says, "The present cityof jerusalem .. .is in slaverywith her chil-dren." The Bible is full of this idea thatonly those in Christ, the True Israel, byfaith, are part of the real Israel. The lastbook of the Bible warns us against thosewho say they are jews and are not (Rev-elation 2:9;3:9).

Gospel Not Only for One NationHere's the crunch, dear friends. The NewTestament is not nationalistic. Nowherein the New Testament, after Calvary, isany emphasis put on anyone nation overand above another. The only division inthe New Testament is: "Areyou in Christby faith, or out?"

"[God] hath made of one blood allnations of men for to dwell on all theface of the earth" (Acts 17:26KJV)."Goddoes not show favoritism" (Acts 10:34).The New Testament contains no refer-ences to the role of any nation in God'sfuture plans. There's not a verse any-where about Russia, America, Australia,China, India, or Palestine.

I love my brethren in the dispensa-tionalist faith. I don't expect to see themin the kingdom-because they'll be sonear the throne!

But I don't have to agree with allthe beliefs cherished by people I love.You know, even beloved spouses don'tagree with everything the other spousethinks. If a husband and wife think ex-actly alike on everything, one of themhas stopped thinking. The fact thatthere's love present doesn't mean youhave to turn off your mind.

Rites Nothing with GodThe New Testament has one major "sys-

tematic" theologian after the cross, andthat's the apostle Paul. He said, "For Iresolved to know nothing while I waswithyou except jesus Christ and him cruci-fied" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Three times he says, "Circumcisionis nothing and uncircumcision is noth-ing" (1 Corinthians 7:19). Because we'reso slow-wittedhe repeats it in Galatians5:6 and 6:15.

Circumcision is nothing. Now, bio-logically, it's a great deal. It can loweryour chance of getting AIDS, if you'recircumcised, but that's not the point. Itmay save you from many urinary infec-tions, but that's not the point.• Circumcision is nothing, says Scrip-

ture (Galatians 5:6).• Circumcision is nothing, says Scrip-

ture (Galatians 6:15).• Circumcision is nothing, says Scrip-

ture (1 Corinthians 7:19).

Dispensationalism DividesDispensationalists make circumcision ev-erything.

Dispensationalists believe that theJewish remnant willconvert more peopleto Christ in seven years than the Chris-tian church has been able to in 2,000years. And this without the Holy Spirit,without the Pentecostal Spirit!

Dispensationalists believe that whenChristians are taken away in the SecretRapture, then the people who remain-the Jews-will finish the work. That's aterrible teaching, because it nullifies theGreat Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

I don't have to worry about the taskChrist gave the church! I can just say, "0boy, I'm going home soon. R & R for-ever. I don't have to bother helping fin-ish the work." That's a terrible teaching,dear friends.

Fortunately, dispensationalism is dy-ing, despite Hal Lindsey's success as anauthor.

Dispensationalism in DeclineLeader after leader is giving it up. G.Campbell Morgan was once a dis-pensationalist.

Roland Bingham, who was in chargeof the interior mission in Sudan, believedit. One day his wife said to him, "Roland,where do you get all this business aboutthe Secret Rapture from?" "Oh," he said,"I don't know. I've been taught it." Shesaid, "Look it up." He looked it up andfound it wasn't there to look up.

Many honest people are leaving thedoctrine of dispensationalism and the

15

Secret Rapture one by one. And we must.Paul, the true dispensationalist of

true dispensationalism-gospel dispensa-tionalism-knew there are only two typesof people. There are those who are inGod's covenant and those who are not.

Those who are safely in God's cov-enant are there only through faith inChrist, the true Covenant Keeper. In thecovenant, you are counted as a true jew,for the covenant was for the house ofJudah. So, if you are a believer in jesus,you're in the house ofjudah.

If you are not in the covenant, youare a gentile. That explains how jerusa-lem is trodden down by gentiles untilthe end of the world. The church (Jerusa-lem) is persecuted by unbelievers (gen-tiles) until the end of history; and theliteral city is trodden down by those out-side the covenant.

The present worldly jew is countedas a gentile because he's not in the newcovenant. The new covenant is only madewith believers in jesus, and they're theonly ones within the true house ofjudah.

If you're not a believer in jesus, youare not a real jew. If you are in Christ,then you are Abraham's seed. You see?

Nothing but ChristI leave with you what Paul said:• Circumcision is nothing andun circumcision is nothing. KeepingGod's commands is what counts. (1Corinthians 7:19) Not keeping God'scommands as a method of salvation.Rather, as evidence of salvation by grace.• Neither circumcision nor uncir-cumcision means anything; what countsis a new creation. (Galatians 6:15) If youclaim to followChrist by faith, you shouldbe different than you were before.• For in Christ jesus neither circum-cision nor un circumcision has any value.The only thing that counts is faith ex-pressing itself through love. (Galatians5:6)

So, friends, what we've tried to saytoday is there are many theories aboutprophecy. Don't be confused by all thisstuff you hear preached. About Russia,the king of the north. About Egypt, theking of the south coming up. About Is-rael building the temple. It's linguisti-cally,biblically, historically, and theologi-callymistaken. There's not a verse in theNew Testament to support any of it.

God grant that we may do what Pauldid: "I resolved to know nothing while Iwaswith you except jesus Christ and himcrucified" (l Corinthians 2:2). .:.