The apostle Paul said he doesn’t want ignorance in the Church over the issue of deceased believers. Then, by the word of the Lord, Paul said deceased believers will be raised from the dead and the living believers will be “caught up.” (The Greek word is harpazo; the Latin word is rapiemur or rapturo or raptus.)

The English came many years later and it morphed into the rapture.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:16-18).

So despite what some say the harpazo, rapiemur or rapture is taught in the Bible and it is as old as the book of I Thessalonians (actually older) which was written around 52 or 53 A.D.

On April 28, 2016 CharismaNews carried an article about a LifeWay Research survey of 1,000 senior Protestant pastors. The article can be found at: http://www.charismanews.com/culture/56825-large-number-of-pastors-don-t-believe-in-the-rapture

The LifeWay survey discovered the following about Protestant pastors:

·        36% believe the Rapture is not literal.
·        36% believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
·        18% believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture.
·        Most church members want their pastor to preach on the book of Revelation and the so-called end of the world, but most pastors don’t do it because it is a complicated subject that involves much disagreement.
·        49% believe the Antichrist is a person that will rise in the future.
·        14% believe the Antichrist is the personification of evil.
·        12% believe the Antichrist is not an actual person.
·        48% believe in a 1,000 year reign of Christ.
·        31% don’t believe in a 1,000 year reign of Christ, but they say He reigns in the hearts and minds of Christians.
·        11% believe the world will gradually get better and then Jesus will return (Post-Millennialism).
Concerning whether the Rapture is literal or not, Enoch was raptured before the Flood (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5); Elijah was raptured in Old Testament times (II Kings 2:11, 15-18), and Jesus was taken up (raptured) before Luke wrote the book of Acts (Acts 1:2, 9).

Paul was caught up (raptured) into the third heaven (II Cor. 12:2-4); and John was caught up (raptured) into heaven (Rev. 4:1-2). It seems strange that a pastor or anyone else might believe that these things didn’t literally happen or that the concept of the Rapture is a new idea. Enoch was only seven generations from Adam (Jude 14).

Concerning church members wanting their pastors to preach on the book of Revelation and their pastor not doing it, these sheep are hungry and asking for a well-balanced diet, but they are not getting it. Limiting their diet will produce malnourished sheep.

My grandson Ryan was eight years old when I updated my commentary on the book of Revelation. Ryan, who lived with my wife Rachel and me, kept coming into my office and asking questions about what he was reading on my computer monitor. I soon concluded that he knew more about the book of Revelation than most pastors.

At that time, Rachel and I had a monthly TV program and I suggested that someone at the TV station should interview Ryan for about an hour of discussion on the book of Revelation.

It took some convincing to get the producer to do it, but he did and Ryan answered more than 100 questions without missing a beat. When asked if adults can understand the book of Revelation Ryan replied, “If an eight year old kid can understand the book of Revelation, adults should be able to understand it.”

Commentaries are available (mine is still on the market) and pastors can understand the book of Revelation, if they can find the time and have the want to.

Yes, there are differences of opinion about things in the book of Revelation. And there are differences of opinion about Jesus being the only way to be saved; baptism; hell; the gospel; same-sex marriage and more—but preachers still need to study and preach on these things.

During the Tribulation period, multitudes (perhaps billions) will follow the Antichrist, take the mark of the beast and spend eternity in the lake of fire. Some of this will happen because pastors have stood in the pulpits and never expounded on the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). It would probably be wrong to say that they are faithful watchmen.

Concerning whether the Antichrist will be an actual being or an evil influence, pastors can find out by studying their Bibles: The Antichrist will be a man (Rev. 13:18); he will be that man of sin (II Thess. 2:3); he will have a mouth and speak (Rev. 13:6); he will sit in the Jewish Temple and claim to be God (II Thess. 2:4); he will rule over the world (Rev. 13:7); he will confirm a covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27); he will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20), etc.

Figuring this out shouldn’t be too complicated for pastors.

Concerning the world getting better before Jesus returns, the book of Revelation is very clear: Jesus will return first (Rev. 19:11-16). Then, Satan will be bound and chained for 1,000 years and the world will be better (Rev. 20:1-2).

Other Scriptures confirm this: A falling away from the faith begins before the Antichrist is revealed (II Thess. 2:3); a departure from the faith in the latter times (I Tim. 4:1); a lukewarm spirit in the Laodicean period of the Church Age (Rev. 3:17).

The stone or the Rock (Jesus; Deut. 32:3-4, 15; Psa. 18:2, 31; Rom. 9:33; I Cor. 10:4) will set up His kingdom after He destroys the reign of Antichrist (Dan. 2:44-45).

It is true that there is ignorance in the Church on these things. There are many reasons, but one of them is because pastors are ignoring the prophetic Scriptures.

Loving His appearance is something that will come up at the judgment seat of Christ (II Tim. 4:8).

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

In the early 1960s Syria was firing rockets and missiles from the Golan Heights into Israel, and that eventually contributed to the 1967 Six Day War. Israel sent in troops, captured the Golan Heights and vowed to never give them back.

For several weeks, Russia and the U.S. have supposedly been working on a peace treaty to end the civil war in Syria. They even circulated a draft copy of a treaty in mid-April of this year.

Israel’s leaders were stunned to learn that the first sentence of their draft treaty to end Syria’s civil war says Israel will have to give the Golan Heights back to Syria.

On April 17, 2016, Prime Min. Netanyahu held a cabinet meeting on the Golan Heights where he vowed that the Golan Heights “will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty.”

On April 18, 2016, the U.S. State Dept. said, “The U.S. does not consider the Golan Heights to be part of Israel.”

Syria, Iran and Hezbollah started celebrating. They believe Israel will have to give the Golan Heights back to Syria or the U.S. and Russia might go to war and force Israel to give them back.

On April 21, 2016, Prime Min. Netanyahu and several Israeli military leaders went to Russia. Mr. Netanyahu stood next to Vladimir Putin and said, “The strategic plateau (Golan Heights) will always remain part of Israel.”  He further said:

We cannot return to the days and times when our  villages were shot at from the Golan Heights, therefore, whether within the framework of an agreement or without one, the Golan Heights will remain part of (Israeli) sovereign territory.

The way I understand it, Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Putin it doesn’t matter what the U.S. and Russia put in their treaty—Israel will not withdraw from the Golan Heights.

It is important to understand that we are talking about a draft copy of a treaty and not a final copy. The opening sentence could be omitted; the present negotiations could fall through without producing a treaty. Or they could   drag on for months and not be a problem—for a while.

But this writer wonders if Russia and /or the U.S. will be given authority to enforce a treaty. Would Russia use her newfound power in the Middle East to assist Syria in an effort to retake the Golan Heights?

Is something shaping up that will lead to a war between Syria and Israel  or perhaps instigate the prophesied battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39? It is cause for concern.

Here is more, but it is along a different line. In March 2016, Pres. Obama traveled to Cuba. Raul Castro who has gone to the airport to greet other dignitaries didn’t go to the airport to greet Pres. Obama.

In April 2016, Pres. Obama traveled to Saudi Arabia and King Salman who has gone to the airport to greet other dignitaries or sent members of his royal family to take his place didn’t do any of this for Pres. Obama.

He was obviously expecting Pres. Obama because he sent the governor of Riyadh. And, in addition to that, the TV cameras that are usually there to show the arrival of dignitaries were absent on this occasion.

Pres. Obama could be reaping a harvest for what he has done to Prime Minister Netanyahu over the last seven years (Obad. 1:15). His ugly habit of snubbing our best ally appears to be coming back on him.

One more thing: My good friend Mike Hile sent me a link to a video about some unusual activity at Yellowstone National Park. It is only about 4 minutes long and many may want to watch it. The link is:

Prophecy Plus Ministries

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck