Pagan gods, precepts and customs occupy important positions in the life of the Catholic/Protestant Religious System, commonly known as “the church.” One of the most favored “truths” involves the removal from earth of members of the ___________ (fill in the blank) church in order to keep them (and only them) from harm when the end of the world approaches. Let us examine this cherished belief.

THE RAPTURE– This bit of theology came into being when an Irish woman named Margaret McDonald who, in 1830 while in a trance, had a vision in which members of her church were taken up to heaven prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Because anything religious man likes is automatically labeled “of the Lord,” her vision soon became “Biblical fact” and, within a generation, was embraced by both Catholics and Protestants throughout the Christianized world.

The rapture theory is based on a passage the Apostle Paul included in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica in which he explains how God’s Very Elect will be resurrected and raised from the earth to meet Christ in the air at His second coming. In 4:14-17 Paul states that the dead in Christ will rise from the earth first (14-16), followed by those who are still alive at His coming. Confusion arises because of Paul’s noting in verse 14 that Jesus will “bring with Him those in Christ who “sleep”–present tense. These people who will have died in times past, beginning with Abel, will still be dead and in the ground at the time of His return, at which time they will be resurrected. The question involves to where He will “bring” the dead along with those who will still be alive at that time. We will discussed this question later.

It is assumed by rapturists that those in THE church who have died prior to Christ’s return will have been with Christ in heaven since the moment of their demise. However, Paul states that Jesus will bring with Him those who are still dead (vs 14) upon His return. Do the saved dead go directly to heaven and REMAIN DEAD until Christ brings them with Him during His Second Advent? If so, who are the dead who will RISE from the earth (their graves) to meet Him in the clouds at that time? The confusion surrounding Paul’s statement is further deepened by his statement in verse 17 that, having risen from the earth and having joined Jesus in the clouds, the resurrected ones will “forever be with the Lord.” The question is, where will He forever be? In heaven? Or somewhere else?

In Second Thessalonians 1:7 we are told that when the Lord returns from heaven He will be accompanied, not by His saints, but by His “mighty angels.” But did Paul not say in First Thessalonians 4:14 that Jesus will bring with Him THOSE WHO ARE DEAD (15-17)? Again, are dead saints in heaven, and if so, who are the dead saints beneath earth’s surface? We have been told all of our church lives that the saved dead (their souls) immediately come alive and are taken to heaven upon their deaths. The question is: WHAT IS THE SOUL? It is not what you have been told. Read the two series that address the soul question. Key word–Soul.

Another question concerns TO WHERE WILL JESUS BRING THE RESURRECTED DEAD AND THE LIVING, BOTH OF WHITCH WILL RISE TO MEET HIM AND HIS MIGHTY ANGELS IN THE CLOUDS? If the dead have been in heaven since their deaths, why are they rising from the earth (their graves)? And why are they still dead? Are saints in heaven dead? If so, what is the point of being there? Again, to where will Jesus bring His resurrected saints (“firstfruits”). To heaven? or somewhere else? We must visit both Old and New Testaments to find the answer.

Turn now to Zechariah 14:4 where the prophet notes that upon Christ’s arrival on earth (at the time of His Second Advent) “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” just outside of Jerusalem. And who will He bring with Him? Those true saints whom He has just resurrected and drawn up to where He awaits in the clouds. These are called His “firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:23/ Jam. 1:18), Jesus Himself being the God’s “firstfruit.” Zechariah tells us that Jesus and company will descend to the Mount of Olives. Let us get more proof of this Truth.

Turn to Acts 1:9-11 where we find that Jesus has spent the previous 40 days on the Mount of Olives teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of God (1-8). It was now time for Him to return to the Father. “And when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Then the disciples noticed “two men” standing nearby who told them that, just as they had seen Jesus leave the earth they would see Him return to the earth. They had seen Him leave from, and would see Him return to, THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, exactly as Zechariah had prophesied. Read The Kingdom of God and The Three Resurrections for more information about this important event. Key words–Kingdom and Three respectively.

In the Kingdom series the reader will find that Jesus and His Very Elect saints (firstfruits) will spend eternity on earth. This is what Paul meant when he wrote that “we will ever be with Him” (where He is). Scriptures tell us that Jesus and His saints will abide forever in New Jerusalem which will be located where Old Jerusalem is now located. The Kingdom series goes into detail relative to this information. In summary, the dead and the living will rise to meet Jesus and His angels in the clouds, then will descend to the earth (the Mt. of Olives). From there they will enter Jerusalem where Jesus will establish the Kingdom of God. Father, Son and their Very Elect firstfruits will abide in New Jerusalem forever. Please read The Kingdom of God.

ORIGINAL SIN– The theory that Adam miraculously transferred his sin into the spiritual dna of everyone who would be born after him dates back to the fourth century when a Catholic priest named Augustine, while serving in an African area called Hippo, found himself facing a serious problem. A virus had attacked his parishioners and was wreaking havoc among the people, especially the children. Parents, fearing that their infants would die before being baptized (for the remission of sins–Lk. 3:3), desperately wanted them to receive baptism. Augustine, knowing that sin was the breaking of God’s Law, and that the children had not broken the Law (had not sinned) was under pressure to baptize sinless children. He was truly in a “strait between two places.” Augustine knew that it would be meaningless to baptize children who did not know the Law and therefore could not have broken it (sinned). However, he was under tremendous pressure to baptize them. In desperation he came up with an idea that would quickly become “thus saith the Lord” because it gave every church member from that time on an excuse to sin. All blame for one’s sins would be placed on Adam who, having infected all who would ever be born with his sin gene, had made sin an act of nature. Like eye color, sin would be innate in each human being at conception. As was the case with the “rapture” theory, that which came to be known as “original sin” caught on and raced through the church world like wildfire. Read Original Sin. Key word–Original. The totally unbiblical theory has remained a foundational principle ever since. To reveal God’s Truth concerning the “Adam made me do it” ruse raises the ire of the religious community. Church people automatically reject anyone who equates the breaking of God’s Law with sinning (1 Jn. 3:4), then proves that sinning is in fact serving Satan (vss 6-10). Read Christ’s reaction to the rejection of His Word/Law/Truth in Luke 10:16 and John 12:44-50.

RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS– In spite of the fact that God gave strict orders concerning religious artifacts, symbols have become an important part of every religion, including professing Christendom. God commanded that nothing man-made (“graven”) could be used in the worship of or service to Him and His Son (the second commandment). In Exodus 20:4,5 He warns that He is a jealous God to Whom the use of symbols in worship proves that one HATES (abhors) HIM. In Luke 10:16 Jesus said that to ignore His Words proves that one DESPISES HIM.

The CROSS is the most oft-used symbol relative to professing Christendom. The cross has a long history, and a negative one at that. The cross was being used in the worship of various pagan gods some 1200 years before the time of Christ. In most cases it involved human sacrifice. When the Romans conquered people who used the cross to honor their god they (the Romans) embraced the cruel death-producing act as their primary method of inflicting capital punishment.

The FISH symbol that is gaining in popularity today was first found among the ancient Philistines who worshiped Dagon, the fish god, whose symbol can be seen hanging from ear lobes and necks and attached to the bodies of cars. Other church symbols include a CIRCLE OF LIGHT above the heads of exalted persons as seen in religious paintings. This symbol was borrowed from the Babylonians who encircled the heads of their gods and goddesses as they depicted them. The idea for church STEEPLES was borrowed from Babylon and Egypt. The idea was based on the belief that demons came down from the sky. The hope was that they would impale themselves on the sharp points. and not enter the buildings.

These few examples of the church’s heathen roots provide a mere hint of Satan’s control over the Catholic/Protestant Religious system. This proves that Christ’s warning–“Let no man deceive you”–is as important today as they were when He spoke them. L.J.