Reading Time: 18 minutes

-By Steve Rudd

Introduction:

1. Historically, Rapture false teachers are always scanning the news headlines for current events that are a sign that the second coming of Christ countdown clock has begun to tick.

2. For the 100 years after John Darby invented rapture in 1830 AD, more attention was paid to the pyramids and creative combinations of numbers to predict the second coming. None of them based their end of the world countdown clock on Israel becoming a nation in 1948.

3. All these failed predictions that were based on the pyramids an numerology appeared convincing at the time to those who sold everything they had, put on white clothes and waited at midnight on rooftops. After the “certain hour” had passed they were struck with disappointment and a feeling of self-stupidity. This always follows in the wake of failed rapture predictions.

4. However since Israel became a nation in 1948 AD, Rapturists got all excited and began to preach that the end would come within one generation (generally 40 years) of Israeli modern statehood.

5. For example, Harold Camping teaches that exactly 40 years after May 14, 1948, that the “church age” came to an end and ordered everyone to leave their churches in 1988. He then went on to predict the end of the world not once, but twice in 1994 and again on May 21, 2011.

6. Most “Rapture time charts” use the establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948 as the beginning of the countdown to the end, claiming it is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

7. The truth is that Israeli statehood in 1948 was and is irrelevant to Bible prophecy.

8. Paul said the hope of Israel was not physical restoration, but only in Christ:

a. “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. “Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ” (Acts 26:6–9)

b. “For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” (Acts 28:20)

A. Reverting back to Mosaic Judaism: “severed from Christ”

1. Premillennialists, at their foundation, are condemned, because they teach that God wants the Jews to again practice full Mosaic Old Testament Temple worship, complete with animal sacrifices.

a. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ” (Galatians 5:1–4)

b. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. … When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” (Hebrews 8:6-7,13)

c. “When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” (Hebrews 8:13)

d. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ” (Galatians 5:4)

The whole idea of restoring temple worship, with a restored Aaronic priesthood, complete with ashes of the Red Heifer is to deny Christ as the true Passover lamb.

3. Those who believe in Rapture are in fact “severed from Christ” (Gal 5:4) because they are trying to do what the first century Jews wanted to do: practice Mosaic Judaism beside Christianity.

4. When a Jew converts to Christianity, he stops worshipping God according to Moses and takes all his instructions from Christ.

B. Reverting back to Mosaic Judaism:

1. In a complicated intertwining of false doctrines, the reason behind Israel becoming a nation again include two main reasons: to fulfill and land promise and to give Jews a second chance to “not reject Jesus” as their earthly king.

Giving Israel all the land promised by Abraham which they never got from 1400 BC – 70 AD. In fact they did get all the land, and the bible says they did. Israel got all the land they were promised!

3. To give the Jews a second chance at accepting Jesus as their earthly king. In fact, Jesus was never intended to be their earthly king. Jesus was prophesied to be Israel’s spiritual king. Jesus plainly told Pilate that he was not an earthly king who would compete with him, but a spiritual king in heaven:

a. “Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” … Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. ” (John 18:33–38)

b. It just cannot get any clearer than what Jesus told Pilate above, but Rapturists won’t listen to Jesus and expect him to be a literal physical king on a physical throne in the physical land of Israel.

4. True Christians are in a state of shock that dispensationalists want to restore the Old Testament law along with Temple sacrifices because it is a denial of the sacrifice of Christ’s blood once for all to end all animal sacrifices.

C. The OT prophecies of Israel’s restoral are fulfilled in the church:

1. There are two classes of prophecies regarding the restoration of Israel:

a. Prophecies of the physical remnant who return from Babylonian captivity in 516 BC.

b. Prophecies of the spiritual remnant in the church that began in 33 A.D. on Pentecost.

2. The level of Bible knowledge of those who believe in the Rapture is very low. They just read an Old Testament passage by ripping it out of context and apply it to a still future event 3000 years later!

D. Prophecies of restoration from Babylonian captivity in 516 BC:

1. Jeremiah 29:10–14 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:10–14)

a. Jeremiah lived in 568 BC and prophesied the Babylonian captivity in many other texts misused by Rapture false teachers:

i. “‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.” (Jeremiah 30:3–9)

ii. “One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. Then the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.” Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. ” (Jeremiah 24:2–5)

b. Applying Jeremiah’s prophecies to 1948 AD is an assault on good bible knowledge but those who believe in the Rapture cannot be persuaded by the word of God!

2. Ezekiel 36:24–35 “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. “Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. “I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. “Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. “The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. “They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ ” (Ezekiel 36:24–35)

a. Ezekiel was contemporary with Jeremiah and prophecied the restoration of Israel from Babylonian captivity, not some far off future event in 1948 AD.

b. Ezekiel was exiled into Babylon with Daniel and both knew each other personally.

c. When Israel came out of Babylon, never again did they worship Idols. This was the new heart he put in Israel.

3. Daniel 9:2 “in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. ” (Daniel 9:2)

a. Daniel was one who was actually deported and lived in Babylon.

b. Daniel prophesied the four successive kingdoms of Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greece and Rome.

c. Daniel said that the Kingdom of God would be start during the days of the Roman Empire.

d. This was fulfilled in 30 AD on the Day of Pentecost.

e. The kingdom of prophecy is the church.

f. The “last days” prophesies of Daniel were fulfilled in the first century.

g. Learn that the first days began when Jesus walked the earth.

4. Zechariah 8:1-8 “Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. ‘And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the LORD of hosts. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’ ” (Zechariah 8:1–8)

a. Zechariah prophesied in 520 BC which is about the time Israel returned from Babylonian captivity.

b. Later Zech 14, Zechariah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (see below)

5. Deuteronomy 4:27–31 “The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you. “There you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. ” (Deuteronomy 4:27–31)

a. In a shocking display of ignorance of even the most simple and fundamental teachings of the Bible, Rapture false teachers actually use Deut 4:27-31 as a proof text that Israel’s becoming a nation again in 1948 is a fullment of Moses’ words. Completely ignoring both the Assyrian captivity of 722 BC and the Babylonian captivity of 586 BC, they jump 3500 years forward and apply it to 1948 AD.

b. Clearly God’s words came true when they returned from Babylonian Captivity.

E. Prophecies of restoration in the church in 30 AD:

1. Isaiah 11:10–12 “Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. ” (Isaiah 11:10–12)

a. Isaiah wrote this in 730 BC

b. Notice the root of Jesse is Jesus Christ

c. The second gathering is in 30 AD.

d. On the day of Pentecost all nations were present: “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” (Acts 2:8–11)

e. Pentecost is a perfect fulfillment of Isa 11.

Isaiah 66:19–24 “I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. “Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. “I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says the LORD. “For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “So your offspring and your name will endure. “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD. “Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:19–24)

a. Isaiah lived in 730 BC, just before the Assyrian Captivity of the ten lost tribes in 722 BC.

b. Much of Isaiah is prophetic of Christ and the church in 30 AD. This is seen in chapters 40-55.

c. Isa 66:19-24 is a prophecy of the church.

d. Like Isa 2:1-4, it foresees the gentiles in union with the Jews as one body:

i. “Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. ” (Isaiah 2:2)

ii. “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. ” (Ephesians 2:11–16)

e. Although Sabbatrians misuse the text as badly as Rapturists, their suggestion that the Sabbath will be in the church or heaven is refuted by the fact that there will also be new moon festivals as well. All of it is figurative and not to be taken literally because we know the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross: Col 2:14-17; Heb 8:6-7; 13.

i. “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. ” (Colossians 2:14–17)

ii. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. ” (Hebrews 8:6–7)

iii. “When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. ” (Hebrews 8:13)

f. The grain offering is spiritualized in the church where Christians as priests (Rev 1:6) offer their own bodies as a spiritual sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2) or monetary gifts to the church ministry (Phil 4:17-18) or through prayers and songs and alms (Heb 13:15-16)

i. “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ” (Revelation 1:6)

ii. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ” (Romans 12:1–2)

iii. “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. ” (Philippians 4:17–18)

iv. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ” (Hebrews 13:15–16)

3. Joel 3:1–2 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land. ” (Joel 3:1–2)

a. Joel lived in 830 BC, which is before both the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

b. However, Joel 2:28ff is clearly a prophecy of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2

c. Therefore it is clear that this restoration is in the church in 30 AD.

4. Amos 9:11–15 “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the Lord who does this. “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. “I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the Lord your God. ” (Amos 9:11–15)

a. Amos lived in 750 BC before both the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

b. Amos 9:11-15 is most certainly a prophecy of the restoration of Israel in the church. How can we be certain? Because Luke records the worlds of James in the Jerusalem council whose purpose was to determine if the Gentiles can be saved without keeping the Mosaic law and circumcision.

c. James quotes Amos 9:11-15 as proof the Gentiles can be saved!

i. “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, ” (Acts 15:14–19)

d. Obviously then, the rebuilt tabernacle of David is the church. If not, then James was a liar and no gentile can be saved yet until the tabernacle of David is rebuilt.

e. This kind of clear refutation is ignored by Rapture false teachers because they ignore the context in blissful ignorance.

F. Prophecies of destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD:

1. Zechariah 14 “Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one. ” (Zechariah 14:1–9)

a. Zechariah prophesied in 520 BC which is about the time Israel returned from Babylonian captivity.

b. Jesus became king of the earth at his ascension in 30 AD.

c. Notice that the language of Zechariah is almost identical to that of Matthew 24.

d. This is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Read more

Matthew 24:32–33 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. ” (Matthew 24:32–33)

a. This greatly abused text is always applied to Israel becoming a nation again in 1848 AD when in fact, it is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

b. Of the 39 places in the Bible where “fig tree” is used, never is Israel called a Fig Tree.

c. In Romans 9, Israel is likened unto an “Olive Tree” but not a fig tree.

d. The Parable of the Fig tree is the only other possible place where Israel is connected with a fig tree:

i. “And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” (Luke 13:6–9)

ii. Notice that if this is Israel as a nation, then it is a prophecy of it being replaced by the church at the end of Jesus’ three year ministry and/or the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

e. So the only two possible passages in the Bible where a fig tree is associated with Israel both describe Israel’s destruction, not restoration!

3. Luke 21:20-24 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ” (Luke 21:20–24)

a. Luke 21 prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by Roman Armies, not its restoration!

b. This passage does not say Jerusalem will be restored or the temple will be rebuilt.

c. The “times of the Gentiles” correspond to the period when the Gentiles can be saved, obviously extending to the second coming.

Conclusion:

1. True Christians are in a state of shock that dispensationalists want to restore the Old Testament law along with Temple sacrifices because it is a denial of the sacrifice of Christ’s blood once for all to end all animal sacrifices.

2. Rapture false teachers want Israel to become a nation again mainly to fulfill the promise of inheriting the land. Problem is, the Bible clearly says Israel got the land long ago under Joshua and Solomon.

3. There is not a Jew alive today or anyone in the nation of Israel that knows which tribe they are from. It comes as a surprise to most people that the majority of Jews living in Israel today are gentile proselytes, being Russians who converted to Judaism.

by Steve Rudd taken from https://www.bible.ca/