Why Christians Should Wake up to the Agenda of the Rapture Haters

By PJ Hanley

An article just appeared in Charisma titled, “Why Christians Should Stop Looking for the Rapture.” It was written by JD King of the World Revival Network. Of course, I recognized this article immediately as having appeared in Charisma last spring. It was hard to forget since it so incensed me the first time. However, the average reader is unaware that Charisma regurgitates these articles over and over again to push their agenda. Some may say that they publish all different points of view, and of course they do, since they thrive on promoting confusion. But if they are really balanced, where is the rebuttal? Where is the scholarly article written to support the rapture? It’s not there. Over the last few years I have seen countless articles that attack the Rapture and only one that favored it. And of course, it was deliberately chosen because it was unscholarly and almost silly. Surprise, surprise! But why does Charisma keep doing this? The answer is simple. It’s their agenda. They are a media arm of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation)[1] that has taken over most of the Christian publishing media. Their leaders belong to it and are clearly promoting its teaching and values. That is why there is not a single scholar in the Charismatic, Pentecostal or Revival movements that will call them out regardless of what they print. To do so would likely be the end of their contracts, notoriety and platform, something they are unwilling to risk. As a result, these so called “apostles” are succeeding in pushing their warped eschatology of Preterism (or “Victorious Eschatology” as they call it) down the throats of unsuspecting Christians and pastors who, because of ignorance, have no idea what it is they are consuming.

 

Why Did JD King Write this Article?

Who is JD King and why did he write this article? Was it just because he disputes the timing of the Rapture as being Pre-Tribulational? Not at all. He does not believe in the Rapture, period. In fact, he despises the teaching about it and he wants you to do the same. You see as long as we are looking to heaven for the return of Christ, as the Scriptures command us to, we will not be focused on their so called mission of taking dominion over the seven mountains of culture. This is the world revival Mr. King and his “apostle” friends are working for. They want to rule and reign in the earth before Jesus comes and those of us who believe in the rapture are hindering their progress. Here is what he says about 1 Thess 4:13-18:

 

“While it’s true that in this section Paul talks about believers being caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus, there’s something more to this if you care to look. If you read this passage carefully, you’ll see that Paul isn’t talking about believers abandoning creation. What he’s really concerned about is our participation in Jesus’ earthly appearance and celebration.”

 

Mr. King and the Rapture haters always try to tear apart this passage because to them it’s the only passage in the New Testament that clearly presents the rapture. Of course they are dead wrong since the Rapture is taught in almost every book of the New Testament. Nevertheless, what he says about this passage, disguised as scholarship, is not an exegesis but merely an assault. He admits that it’s about believers being “caught up” in the clouds to “meet” Jesus, but then undermines the event by saying there is something more to it. Really! When he says this he is implying that he has more revelation on the subject than that in the actual text. This is the private interpretation and revelation method, popular among his audience. Then he suggests that if we read the passage “carefully,” like him, we will see that “Paul isn’t talking about believers abandoning creation.” Really? I never considered going to be with Jesus abandoning creation. Did you? Are you feeling guilty yet? But wait, how far does he go with this insane insinuation? Did Jesus abandon the creation by going back to heaven? Was He advocating escapism when He told us to keep praying that we would have strength to escape all the things which were coming on the earth; namely, the Tribulation period?[2] Was Paul telling us to abandon the creation when he told us to eagerly await a deliverer,”[3] and Peter when he told us to fix our hope completely on the appearing of Christ and the deliverance ready to be revealed at the last time?[4] But according to Mr. King, Paul was not telling the Bride that she would be snatched away to meet the Bridegroom and always be with Him. No, he was telling her she was just going out to welcome Him in for “His earthly appearance and celebration.” You see, there is no Tribulation in the theology of Mr. King and therefore, this passage has to be about something else. There is no Antichrist, no Armageddon, no judgment coming on the earth. JD King and his World Revival Network believe all that happened in the First Century. It’s called Partial Preterism and it is being pushed into the mainstream by the Apostolic and Prophetic movement that now dominates the Revival Churches.

 

The Word for Meeting

The rest of the article which is quite short, tries to suggest that the meeting with the Lord in the air is really not a meeting, but a “welcoming.” What a shock? Here is what he says:

 

“So, if this text is referring to the Lord’s appearing rather than our departure, what is this “meeting the Lord in the air” in verse 17 all about? It’s helpful to consider Paul’s word for “meeting” in this passage. It is the Greek word apantesis, which typically described the formal welcoming of a dignitary into a city. In other Greek literature, it was a term that described a great delegation that would travel to the outskirts of the city gates and beyond to receive the conquering king as he returned to the land.”

 

So the catching up of the Bride of Christ is not about going to be with Jesus despite what the text says, but is just about welcoming Him as one would welcome a conquering king. But how has the king conquered? Through the church, of course. Because they came into alignment under the anointed apostolic movement, they were able to bring in the kingdom and conquer the world. Thus Jesus is merely coming to receive the victory that has been won for Him. And how does JD come to that conclusion? Because of the Greek word “apantesis.” According to him, this word is not about meeting someone but “welcoming a dignitary.” And for this he piles on the scholarship – Greek literature. Thank God for a Greek concordance. In less than a minute I was able to confirm that “apantesis” was used in the New Testament of just a plain old meeting, like the one that took place in Acts 28:15.

 

“And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.” Acts 8:15

 

It also used to refer to another very important meeting in Matthew 25:6, where the Bride is called to come out and meet the Bridegroom. This a wedding and not a delegation greeting a dignitary.

 

The Greek Word That JD Forgot

The Greek word in the passage that Mr. King should have focused more of his study on, is the word “Harpazo,” which means to snatch away or catch up out of harm’s way. It is used this way by the apostle Jude.

 

“And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” Jude 22-23

 

Harpazo is the Greek word from which we get the concept of the Rapture. It is the snatching away of the Bride of Christ from the earth, prior to the three and half year Tribulation period. Rather than merely the meeting of a dignitary, it is the whisking away of the Bride by the Bridegroom to meet Him in the air, where He will take her to the heavenly dwelling. It is the great hope of the church that loves Him and is longing for His appearing. It is the coming of Christ without reference to sin for those who are eagerly awaiting Him.[5] It is sad that Mr. King and his colleagues in the Apostolic Movement find more joy in being with the creation than the creator. It seems to me that they have swallowed a very big lie. We do not have here a lasting city but we seek the one that is to come.[6]

 

I often think about these apostles who continually mock the Rapture, and wonder when they are going to stop being led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.[7] I also wonder when someone with significant stature in the church is going to stand up to these false teachings and care more about the souls of God’s people than their precious reputations.

 

[1] The New Apostolic Reformation was declared and founded by CP Wagner. It consists of a number of organizations and secret “roundtable” meetings where those “aligned” “apostles” and “prophets” make decrees and strategize how to accomplish their goal of world dominion before Jesus comes. https://youtu.be/PBu-ayTSQ-I

[2] Luke 21:36

[3] 2Tim 4:8, Rom 8:23-24, Titus 2:11-14, Phil 3:20-21, 1Thess 1:10

[4] 1Pet 1:1-5, 13

[5] Heb 9:28

[6] Heb 13:14

[7] 2 Cor 11:3