The "Secret Rapture" - What You Should Know

MARTIN LUTHER:"nothing else than the kingdom of Babylon and of very Antichrist...For who is the man of sin and the son of perdition, but he who by his teaching and his ordinances increases the sin and perdition of souls in the church; while he yet sits in the church as if he were God? All these conditions have now for many ages been fulfilled by the papal tyranny." Martin Luther, First Principles, pp. 196,197.JOHN CALVIN:"I deny him to be the vicar of Christ, who, in furiously persecuting the gospel, demonstrates by his conduct that he is Antichrist--I deny him to be the successor of Peter...I deny him to be the head of the church." "Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman Pontiff Antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul, himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt...I shall briefly show that (Paul's words in 2 Thessalonians 2), are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies to the Papacy." John Calvin, Tracts, Vol. 1, pp. 219, 220. John Calvin, Institutes.JOHN WYCLIF:"Why is it necessary in unbelief to look for another Antichrist? Hence in the seventh chapter of Daniel, Antichrist is forcefully described by a horn arising in the time of the 4th kingdom. For it grew from [among] our powerful ones, more horrible, more cruel, and more greedy, because by reckoning the pagans and our Christians by name, a lesser [greater?] struggle for the temporals is not recorded in any preceding time...and the horn has arisen from the ten horns, having eyes and a mouth speaking great things against the Lofty One, and wearing out the saints of the Most High, and thinking that he is able to change times and laws." (Daniel 7:8, 25 quoted)..."For so our clergy foresee the lord pope, as it is said of the eighth blaspheming little head." Translated from Wyclif's De Veritate Sacrae Scripturae, Vol. 3, pp. 262, 263.There are similar statements made by John Wesley, William Tyndale, King James, John Knox, Phillip Melanchthon, Huldreich Zwingli, and, almost, eighty other pre and post Reformers. Many of whom paid with their lives for such statements.After, these men focused the fulfillment of prophecy upon the office of the Papacy, the church commissioned a Jesuit priest, named Alberto Ribera, to come up with an alternative interpretation of prophecy. He invented the "Secret Rapture" theory, which, does not appear in the Scripture. (He, also, came up with the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, even though, Jesus and the Apostle Paul made it clear, that, the believing Jews and Gentiles are now His temple upon the earth. John 2:19-21; 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21.) The "Secret Rapture" was picked up by John Darby, and, later, By Scofield, who incorporated it into his Bible notes. In the late '60s, Scofield's Bible was very popular with Evangelicals, who ran with this interpretation."But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; IN THE WHICH the heavens shall pass away with a GREAT NOISE, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10.As we can see from this verse, His coming will be, neither, secret nor silent, but, the end of the world as we know it. Please compare this verse with the seventh plague, found in Revelation 16:17-21.What did Jesus prophesy, concerning His coming?"For THEN shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be...Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and THEN shall the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:21-35.Jesus said, that, He is coming AFTER the Great Tribulation. Should we fear? The seven last plagues mimic the Ten Plagues in Egypt. Were God's people kept from His wrath? Were Noah and his family kept safe, during the Great Flood? Yes! He is able to keep us through tribulation.So, why did the New Testament saints look for His coming? Because, Pagan Rome persecuted Jesus, the Christians and the Jews. The Roman Emperors gave their power, seat and authority (Revelation 13:2) to the Bishop of Rome. Papal Rome murdered and tortured millions of Christians. One final time, the "Mother of harlots" (the apostate Catholic/Protestant religious system, as seen in Revelation 17) will persecute His remnant church.It's, always, been about Rome.