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RAPTURE Way
back in June
1991 I read an
article (or
rather a large
ad) in "USA
Today,"
that declared,
"In Autumn
1992, Jesus is
Coming
Again." and
the added
prediction that,
"In 1999,
Human History
Will End."
The article gave
explanations
using various
verses of
Scripture to
support its
claims, along
with some very
questionable
arithmetic, used
to establish the
"correct"
years. The
really sad thing
about this ad
was the
absolutely
grotesque
picture it
painted of God.
It lists a
number of
prophesies which
include:
Jesus
is coming in
Autumn 1992.
(Rapture)
Only
a small
number of
Christians
who are
prepared as
his brides
will be
raptured,
while others
will enter
great
tribulation.
God
will leave
some devout
Christians
as martyrs
in
tribulation
to guide
remaining
Christians
in His way.
Europe
will become
Satan's
slave the
Anti Christ
and his
kingdom, the
European
Economic
Community.
God
has already
opened the
bag of war,
famine and
earthquakes.
Those
who oppose
what the
young
prophets are
saying are
opposing the
Holy Spirit.
The
article went on
to say, "In
the near future,
many who have
waited for Jesus
and lived holy
and faithful
lives will
instantly be
changed into
holy bodies and
raised up to
meet the Lord in
the air. Such a
wonderful event
is called
"rapture".
There will be
quite a
confusion in the
world after
rapture looking
for a large
number of
disappeared
people. However,
raptured holy
brides of Jesus
will rejoice
seven years of
wedding feast
while the whole
world, including
left behind,
lukewarm
Christians, will
enter Great
Tribulation
where most of
them will be
killed. God's
righteous
beloved children
will be
delivered, but
unrepentant ones
will face His judgment
and
perish."
The ad then goes
on to exhort
people to avoid
destruction from
this Divine
Wrath. "Friends,
please do not
miss out on this
critical event!
Return to Jesus
with a truly
repentant heart.
Live a holy and
blameless life.
God has spoken
through many
children that
not many Christians
will be raptured,
much less than
even one of ten
according to
their visions.
Remember, only
those who are
prepared as His
brides will be
raptured!" I
was curious
about this
proposed state
of rapture so I
searched the
Scriptures for
an explanation.
I have a program
on my computer
that has both
the King James
Revised Standard
Version and the
American
Standard Version
of the Bible on
it and will
search for any
verse or word
and tell you
where it is to
be found. The
word
"rapture"
was not to be
found anywhere
in the Bible. The
article then
described a
gruesomely
pessimistic
situation: "Seven
years of
tribulation is
the most
indescribable
form of human
destruction ever
in human
history. It is
the beginning of
the worst pain
and suffering
for unrepentant
ones. The sun
will be
darkened, and
the moon will
become like
blood. There
will be wars,
big earthquakes,
various plagues,
hail and fire
mixed with blood
burning one
third of the
earth. Mountains
and islands will
move out of
place, seas will
become blood,
and water will
become bitter.
By the end of
the tribulation,
there will be
only a few
survivors." I
am quite sure
that if the ad
had been written
following the
more recent
happenings in
the USSR that
the ten
republics now
re-established,
would have been
chosen instead
of the ten
countries in the
EEC. But what a
horrible thing
it is to propose
of God, who is
repeatedly
referred to in
Scriptures as
being a God of
Love. Everything
described is
completely
contradictory to
the nature of
love. Why would
a God of love
create the human
race, give us
the freedom to
live in
accordance with
what we come to
understand is
the true and
good, and then
turn around and
destroy
everything
because we
didn't get it
just exactly
right? I am
tempted to take
the article
apart piece by
piece or
statement by
statement and
disprove it with
scripture and
rational
argument, but I
am not going to
do that because
any thinking
person can
readily see the
falsity and the
irrationality
that prevails in
the statements. Reading
this moved me to
develop a sermon
in response, not
only to this
particular item
but to all the
pessimistic,
elitist,
rhetoric that
fundamentalist
preachers use to
try to coerce
people, through
fear, into
becoming
Christians in
accordance with
their particular
philosophy,
theology and
interpretations. I
wanted to take a
more positive
approach, as the
New Church
teaches that
people cannot
and should not
be forced or
compelled to
believe in the
Lord God, and
that we are all
born in freedom
to make our own
choices as to
what we will
believe and how
we will act or
live and worship
in response to
our beliefs
about God. I
quote from the New
Jerusalem And
Its Heavenly
Doctrine no.
148: "All
freedom belongs
to the love or
affection; for
what a person
loves, he does
freely. Since
freedom belongs
to the love, it
is the life of
every one. There
is heavenly
freedom and
there is
infernal
freedom.
Heavenly freedom
belongs to the
love of good and
truth. And since
the love of good
and truth is
from the Lord,
freedom itself
consists in
being led by the
Lord. Through
regeneration a
person is
introduced by
the Lord into
heavenly
freedom. A
person ought to
be in freedom,
in order that
they may be
regenerated.
Otherwise the
love of good and
truth cannot be
implanted in us,
and appropriated
to us. so as to
appear to be our
own. Nothing is
conjoined to us
which is done
under
compulsion. If
we could be
reformed by
compulsion, all
would be saved.
Compulsion is
hurtful in
reformation." Worship
from freedom is
worship, but not
worship from
compulsion.
Repentance ought
to be practiced
in a free state;
what is done in
a state of
coercion is of
no avail. We
are permitted to
act from the
freedom of
reason, that
good may be
provided for us;
and on that
account we are
in the freedom
of thinking and
willing, and
even of doing
evil, so far as
the laws of our
society do not
forbid it. We
are kept by the
Lord between
heaven and hell,
and thus in a
state of
equilibrium,
that we may be
in freedom for
the sake of our
reformation.
What is
inseminated in
freedom remains,
but not what is
inseminated
under
compulsion.
Wherefore
freedom is never
taken away from
any one. No one
is compelled by
the Lord. How
does the Lord
through freedom
leads us into
good? Namely,
through freedom
he turns us away
from evil, and
inclines us to
good, so gently
and quietly that
we do not know
otherwise than
that all
proceeds from
our self.
Compelling one's
self comes from
freedom, but not
being compelled.
We ought to
compel our-self
to resist evil.
We ought also
compel our self
to do good as if
of our self, but
still to
acknowledge that
it is really
from the Lord.
We are in
greater freedom
in the
temptation
combats in which
we conquer,
because we then
compel our self
inwardly to
resist evils,
although it
appears
otherwise. In
every temptation
there is
freedom, but
this freedom is
with us
interiorly from
the Lord; and
therefore we
struggle and
desire to
conquer, and not
to be conquered,
which we would
not do unless we
had
freedom." What
kind of an ad
would the New
Church print on
the subject of
the second
coming of the
Lord? What would
our headline
read? THE
SECOND COMING OF
THE LORD IS A
PRESENT DAY
REALITY! HUMAN
HISTORY WILL
CONTINUE
INDEFINITELY!! Our
subheadings
would include
the following
statements:
The
Lord
provides
religion for
all people
and everyone
who
acknowledges
God and
practices
good, as
he/she
understands
it, will
enter the
heavenly
kingdom.
The
Bible is the
Word of God
and speaks
everywhere
of Him and
of His
Church both
in heaven
and on
earth. It is
not about
the
condition of
the physical
world and
our social
and
political
life.
The
overall
spiritual
condition of
the human
race has
been
continuously
improving
and will
continue to
do so until
the state of
joy and
perfection
described by
the Holy
City New
Jerusalem
coming down
from God out
of heaven
has been
reached.
Our
present life
is continued
into the
other life;
death is
only a
transition
from life in
the natural
world to
life in the
spiritual
world.
God
does not
destroy, He
creates; He
does not
punish
anyone, He
loves us so
much that He
gives us
complete
freedom to
choose His
way or not.
All
humans are
created to
become
angels in
heaven as
the purpose
of creation
is a heaven
of angels
from the
human race.
The
growth in
science and
technology
and the
improvements
in the world
political
situation
along with
the
expansion of
human rights
are
reflections
of the
general
spiritual
growth of
the human
race.
Gloom
and doom is
out! Growth
and optimism
is in!!
Let
us now take a
little time to
examine our
scriptural text,
which is from
the book of
Matthew, chapter
24, verses 36 to
51: "But
of that day and
hour no one
knows, not even
the angels of
the heavens, nor
the Son, but the
Father alone.
For the coming
of the Son of
Man And will be
just like the
days of Noah.
For as in those
days which were
before the
flood, they were
eating and
drinking, they
were marrying
and giving in
marriage, until
the day that
Noah entered
into the ark,
and they did not
understand until
the flood came,
and took them
all away, so
shall also the
coming of the
Son of Man be. Then
there shall be
two men in the
field; one will
be taken, and
one will be
left. Two women
will be grinding
at the mill; one
will be taken,
and one will be
left. Therefore
be on the alert,
for you do not
know which day
your Lord is
coming. But be
sure of this,
that if the
master of the
house had known
at what time the
thief was
coming, he would
have been on the
alert, and would
not have allowed
his house to be
broken into. For
this reason you
be ready too;
for the Son of
man is coming at
an hour that you
do not think He
will. Who then
is the faithful
and sensible
slave whom his
master put in
charge of his
household to
give them their
food at the
proper time?
Blessed is that
slave whom his
master finds so
doing when he
comes. Truly I
say to you, that
he will put him
in charge of all
his possessions. But
if that evil
slave says in
his heart, 'My
master is not
coming for a
long time,' and
shall begin to
beat his
fellow-slaves,
and shall eat
and drink with
drunkards; the
master of that
slave will come
on a day when he
expect him and
at an hour which
he does not
know, and shall
cut him in
pieces, and
assign him a
place with the
hypocrites: the
weeping shall
there be and the
gnashing of
teeth. By
"day and
hour" a
period of time
is not meant but
rather a state
or condition of
the church in
the world and of
each person in
relation to good
and truth. All
things of
religion have
relation to good
and to truth,
they are what
make up the
church and the
subject here
treated of is
the state of the
"Church"
in the world. It
is a state of
transition
during which the
old man-made
traditions and
views are being
replaced with
God-centered
knowledge suited
to an ever more
intelligent,
educated and
knowledgeable
population. It
is compared with
the time of Noah
when a similar
transition took
place because
there had been,
over thousands
of years of
human life and
growth, a
perversion of
the good and
truth that was
originally given
to mankind and
that people
lived by in the
Adamic age (The
time of the most
ancient people),
which resulted
in an inundation
of evils and
falsities. The
two in the field
signifies those
within the
church (in the
broadest
ecumenical
sense) who are
in good, and
those within the
church who are
in evil. The two
women grinding
at the mill
signify those
within the
church who are
in truth, and
those within the
church who are
in falsity. The
coming of the
Son of Man
signifies that
the coming of
Divine Truth
into our human
awareness, so
the women in the
various
conditions
describe the
various ways
that Divine
Truth is
received by the
church and it's
individual
members. Women
represent the
church as can be
seen by the
analogy of the
church being the
bride of the
Lord. "Being
ready" is
one of the key
thing here. Once
we become aware
that our
spiritual growth
is a self-sought
ongoing action
and not an
instantaneous
state that is
imposed on us
from outside of
ourselves, we
need to get
actively
involved in the
process. That
means taking the
initiative to
learn more about
the Divine Truth
that is
available to us
in the Word and
then, to put
that truth to
work in our
lives. Each time
we become aware
of a new truth
we should use it
and practice it
and incorporate
it into our
daily lives.
That will bring
about a heavenly
state in our
lives here in
the world and
that in turn
will be what we
carry with us
into the
spiritual world
when we die. The
name
"servant"
or
"slave"
has spiritual
reference to
those who are in
possession of
the truth. These
may be either
good or bad
servants,
depending on how
they use the
truth, that is
whether to do
good or to do
evil. In a broad
sense everyone
is a
slave/servant,
for it is the
duty of every
member of the
household of
faith to serve,
or do service to
the rest, thus
we are all
accountable for
the way in which
we treat our
neighbors. We
have every
reason to be
optimistic.
Surely God who
created
everything with
such order and
precision and in
a way that
functions so
perfectly does
not intend to
destroy it all.
Human life is
more significant
than to be
merely something
that exists and
then is
arbitrarily
altered by
either
destruction or
enhancement.
Human life is an
ongoing entity,
which has
purpose and
reason and
intelligence. It
is capable of
receiving the
Lord's Divine
love and using
it for good for
other people.
Blessed is that
servant/slave.
Blessed also are
all of you who
see the Lord's
Kingdom through
His Holy Word,
and do that
which is good.
Amen
 
 
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