THE RAPTURE INDEX (MAD THEOLOGY)

by Dave MacPherson

First, let's explain "rapture" and then "index."

Many evangelicals in America believe in an imminent "rapture" (a coming of Christ that reportedly happens seven years before the famous Second Coming to earth).

The "great tribulation" in the Bible is said to occur during those seven years. Therefore the rapture is seen by them as a "pretribulation" event and reportedly gives believers the hope of being taken to heaven, without dying, before that seven-year period on earth.

The "Index" (as in Todd Strandberg's "Rapture Index" on his Rapture Ready site) lists 45 "precursors" (events on earth reportedly acting as signposts pointing to the rapture, and showing how close the rapture is).

And here's where the mad theology comes in. The Rapture Index "precursors" (including "Antichrist") are on earth even AFTER the point in time for a "pretrib" rapture, are fulfilled DURING the seven-year tribulation period, and actually point to ONLY the after-the-tribulation Second Coming to earth and not to any sort of "pretribulation" coming - a concept totally missing from all official Christian theology and organized churches before 1830!

Promoters and merchandisers of pretrib rapture theology have claimed in recent years to have found a few individuals before 1830 who supposedly taught a "pretrib" rapture or coming. If you will go to Google and type in "Deceiving and Being Deceived" (one of my earliest internet articles), you will see how groundless the claims are for certain pre-1830 individuals that have been dredged up. Even if a few pre-1830 persons did seem to teach a pretrib rapture (which they didn't), why should any thinking person side with them instead of siding with the 99 percent who obviously did not embrace a pretrib rapture view?

Something else. Strandberg and other "any-moment" rapturists say they believe in a "sign-less" rapture, that no event has to occur before it. Well, you can believe it is "sign-less" if "precursors" can never be signs!!

If you're interested in reading all of the long covered up facts about the history of the pretribulation rapture theory, which was dreamed up in 1830, you can obtain my book "The Rapture Plot" by call 800.643.4645. I also invite you to check out two outstanding books by journalist and media veteran Joe Ortiz, "The End Times Passover" (a deep look at what the original Greek actually says in the New Testament) and its sequel "Why Christians Will Suffer 'Great Tribulation'."] These two books took over 25 years of study, research and writing before being published. They provide answers to any questions ever asked about the Rapture, and also debunk all the "Left Behind" notions that have been put forth by theorists and premillennial dispensationalists such as Tim LaHaye, Hal Lindsey, Mike Evans, Pat Robertson, John Hagee and so many others.

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For more information about his books, web sites and blogs, please click on Joe Ortiz.