Conclusion
The above quote is from the gospel of St. Matthew.
When they had come into the district of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked
His disciples who others thought He was. They
replied that some thought Him to be John the Baptist returned while others
thought Him to be one of the prophets, Elias or Jeremias.
Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
The answer to that question changed not only the lives and eternal
destinies of the disciples but also the world.
Moreover, this is a very personal question that each of us must answer
also. It is no less personal than
asking, “Will you marry me?”
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After telling His followers not to labor for food which perishes, but to
seek that which endures forever and that which He would give them, Jesus went on
to compare His coming down to earth with the manna that fell from heaven to feed
their ancestors when they were wandering in the desert.
He then revealed that He was the bread of life “come down from
heaven” and that anyone who comes to Him will not hunger and that he who
believes in Him will never thirst [St. John 6:27-35].
The crowd began to murmur when He said He had come down from heaven.
Jesus knew there were doubters among them.
And where there are doubters, Satan moves in.
Therefore, to separate those who had ears to hear from those who did not,
in accordance with His earlier teaching on the sower, recorded in St. Matthew
13:19:
“Jesus
therefore said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of
the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting
and I will raise him up on the last day. For
my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.’”
[St. John 6:53-56]
Was Jesus lying about eating His flesh and drinking His blood?
No. But as recorded in St.
Mark 4:10-12, the message of the kingdom could not be understood by all.
Those at Capharnaum who did not have discerning spirits could only
interpret His words in the flesh and, therefore, found them offensive and
departed. They muttered among
themselves as they left the synagogue, “This is a hard saying; who can hear (understand)
it?” That many of His disciples
were offended fulfilled the prophesy of Isaias, “And he shall be a
sanctification to you (to believers), but for a stone of stumbling, and
for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare (trap) and
a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” [Isaias 8:14]
Jesus turned to those who remained.
“Does this scandalize (offend) you?” He asked [v 62].
The Law and the Prophets condemned the eating and/or drinking of blood.
The first proscription is found in Genesis 9:4 after the flood wherein
God told Noe, “But flesh with the life - that is, its blood - you shall not
eat.” And again in Leviticus
17:11-12 God’s Word says, “Since the life of a living body is in its blood,
I have made you put it on the altar, so that atonement may thereby be made for
your own lives, because it is the blood, as the seat of life, that makes
atonement. That is why I have told
the Israelites: No one among you,
not even a resident alien, may partake of blood.”
In fact, the prohibition against consuming blood was so strong in the
life of the Jews that the same prohibition was included for Gentile converts
decided by St. James at the Jerusalem church [see Acts 15:20].
Moreover, Jesus’ followers were familiar, too, with His affirmation
that He had come to fulfill the law and the prophets and that “ ... not one
jot or one tittle ...” would pass from the law until all things be fulfilled
[see St. Matthew 5:18]. His
disciples realized that if Jesus was speaking of eating His flesh and drinking
His blood in a substantial sense, then He had just done away with much more than
a jot and tittle. Finally, after
those without ears to hear had departed, Jesus explained to His followers, “It
is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” [St. John 6:63-64] His
beleaguered followers must have breathed an audible sigh of relief.
Jesus’ words prepared His disciples for what they would later hear at
their last supper with Him.
Few verses have been so misconstrued as Jesus’ command to eat His flesh
and drink His blood. Even today,
some still fail to understand that His words were spiritual, not fleshly.
Jesus also referred to Himself as: the bread of life [St. John 6:35]; the
light of the world [St. John 8:12]; the door [St. John 10:7]; and the vine [St.
John 15:5].
Jesus spoke of Himself as bread again at the Last Supper:
“And
while they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke, and gave it
to his disciples, and said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’
And taking a cup, he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, ‘All of
you drink of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is
being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit
of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of
my Father.’” [St. Matthew 26:26-29]
Various world religions have treated Jesus’ spiritual words within the
context of magical incantations which turned the bread and wine into His flesh
and blood. Some religions teach
that a priest or minister can say certain words over the bread and wine today
and perform the same mystical metamorphosis, changing the substance of the bread
and wine into Jesus’ body and blood. This
generally is referred to as transubstantiation by some and as consubstantiation
by those who have less confidence in transubstantiation.
However, there was no metamorphosis.
The answer as to whether or not Jesus thought His disciples had just
drunk blood is answered in verse 29, “But I say to you, I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new
with you in the kingdom of my Father.” Thus,
Jesus made it clear that His disciples had just drunk the fruit of the vine -
wine - not blood! Moreover, in none
of the gospel accounts did Jesus even suggest He was giving those present, much
less some priests or ministers in the future, the power to change bread and wine
into His body and blood. Neither is
this suggested by any writers of the epistles.
Moreover, as was shown in Chapter Six, Jesus’ death on the cross
brought about the end of the priestly system with its blood sacrifices where the
high priest stood between God and man. Furthermore, the early churches are
described in the Scriptures as continuing steadfastly in the apostles’
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread (communion), and in prayers. None refers to anything approaching transubstantiation or
consubstantiation [see Acts 2:42 and 46]. How
could they? Jesus clarified:
“It
is the spirit (Holy Spirit) that gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
[St. John 6:64]
Thus, the bread and wine are a spiritual representation of His body and
blood, not a substantial one, that is, not of physical substance.
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Some have attempted unsuccessfully to support the notion of
transubstantiation with a verse from I Corinthians 11:29:
“For
he who eats and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing the body, eats and
drinks judgment to himself.”
They argue that the word “body” in the above verse is a reference to
Jesus’ body in the communion service. However,
this is not the case. As has
already been cautioned, it is dangerous to one’s eternal destiny to use verses
out of context to support non-Scriptural positions.
There simply are no verses that support the concept of transubstantiation
or consubstantiation.
The keys to interpretation of verse 29 above are found in verses 33 and
34:
“Wherefore,
my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
If anyone is hungry let him eat at home (before coming to the service),
lest you come together unto judgment ....”
[I Corinthians 11:33-34]
St. Paul is addressing a problem in the Corinthian church.
Some were forgetting the serious nature of partaking in communion, which
is representative of the Lord’s body and blood.
Some were coming together more in the fashion of eating a meal rather
than as a single body (church) to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
They were coming through the church doors hungry.
And bread and wine were basic staples.
Some were eating and drinking to satisfy their flesh, rather than for
spiritual edification. They were
not waiting for their brothers and sisters in Christ before starting [v 33].
What they were eating and drinking was not a small piece of bread, matzo,
or wafer and a small sip of wine or grape juice, as we do today.
Rather, they were coming to the table ravenous, not discerning that they
were supposed to be coming together as one body, the body of Christ, to
partake in spiritual edification of that body.
This is the body referred to in I Corinthians 11:29.
St. Paul warns errant Corinthians to realize that participation in the
Lord’s Supper requires preparation and confession of any unconfessed sin.
He tells them not to come to the Lord’s Table unworthily.
He warns further that failure to distinguish between supper (food for the
body) and the Lord’s Supper (food for the spirit) has already led some to the
grave [v. 30].
St. Paul’s language, as revealed in the last part of verse 34 (below),
indicates that he is addressing some false teachings in this epistle and will
deal with more when he arrives at Corinth:
“The
rest I shall set in order when I come.” [I Corinthians 11:34]
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It appears from the text of I Corinthians 11:27-34 that a number of
apostate teachings had crept into the young Corinthian church. One such teaching would appear to be a required fast prior to
receiving the Lord’s Supper. While
the erroneous teaching was no doubt well intentioned, it was not Scriptural and
was disruptive to the ekklesia. In
fact, the errant teaching was causing some to come to the Lord’s Table in the
flesh, rather than spirit. St. Paul
refutes the false teaching in the first part of verse 34:
“If
anyone is hungry, let him eat at home ....” [I Corinthians 11:34]
Obviously, St. Paul’s words refer to eating at home before coming to
the Lord’s Table. It would hardly have had any effect on people coming
in hungry if St. Paul was suggesting that they eat at home after the
service. St. Paul could not be
more explicit.
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Contrary to traditional teaching, Jesus did not celebrate the Passover
with His apostles on the traditional Jewish Passover.
Jesus was crucified at the same time the Passover lambs were being
slaughtered throughout Jerusalem, on Thursday.
Jesus said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth [see St. Matthew 12:40]. Jesus
was in the tomb Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
Jesus celebrated the Passover as the Last Supper with His apostles on
Wednesday evening, the evening before the rest of Jerusalem celebrated.
This is why they were able to rent a room on such short notice [St.
Matthew 26:18].
As recorded in St. Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, “... do this in
remembrance of me.” [St. Luke
22:19]. The Jews were commanded by
God to celebrate annually their exodus from Egypt with the Passover meal [Exodus
12:42]. Jesus told those present to
remember Him and what He did for them at future Passover celebrations. I Corinthians 11:26 teaches that every time we celebrate the
Lord’s Supper we are affirming His death, a death He freely died for us, until
He returns. As we saw in Chapters
Four and Five, we affirm Jesus’ burial and resurrection through baptism.
The Christian experience of salvation finds a great many parallels with
the Israelites’ release from bondage by Pharao, believed by many bible
scholars to be Ramses II. God told
the Israelites that each family should slay a lamb without blemish and place its
blood upon the doorpost. This, of
course, was a foreshadowing of our Pascal Lamb, Jesus [St. John 1:29].
He told them further that death would stop at each house but for those
marked with the blood, death would pass over.
This, too, is a foreshadowing. Death,
eternal death, an eternity in hell separated from God forever is what each of us
deserves because of our sin [Romans 6:23].
However, God’s Word tells us that for those under the blood of the
Lamb, eternal death will pass over. Moreover,
in this life, Jesus frees us from the bondage of sin.
Like the Israelites passing into and out of the Red Sea, we go into and
come out of the water at baptism. Also,
as the Israelites journeyed to the Promised Land, believers journey to the
promised heaven.
But if Jesus’ words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood were
not literal, then what did He mean? To
answer this question, we need to examine Jesus’ words within the context of
the times and customs of the Jewish people.
The meaning of “eat My flesh” is revealed through the Passover
celebration. The meaning of
“drink My blood” is seen through the marriage customs.
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As a starting point, look at St. Matthew 26:26 which begins with a
peculiar wording, “And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread ....”
It is clear from preceding verse 23 that they had already begun eating
bread. However, the bread that
Jesus broke and gave to His disciples was distinguished in the Passover
celebration from other bread. Moreover,
it was over this particular piece of bread that Jesus recited the traditional
Jewish thanksgiving for food.
According to the celebration of the Passover, the father of the house
takes three pieces of unleavened bread (matzo) and places them, one each, into
three compartments of a single linen satchel.
Prior to the beginning of the meal, he retrieves the second piece,
referred to as the Afikomen, from the middle compartment and wraps it in a
special piece of linen and then “hides” it to be found later during the
meal. The two remaining pieces of
matzo are retrieved from the first and third compartments and eaten along with
the other prepared foods. Prior to
the end of the meal, the father retrieves the Afikomen, which means he who
comes, still wrapped in linen, and there is much rejoicing at its being
“found.”
It is not difficult to see the three pieces of matzo in one satchel as
representative of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, particularly in
light of the fact that it is the second piece of matzo (the Son) that is
separated from the other two and then wrapped in linen, hidden away, the later
found among great rejoicing. On the
cross, Jesus was separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
He cried out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Shortly thereafter, Jesus dismissed the Holy Spirit from within and died. Thus, just as the Afikomen is separated from the other two
pieces, on the cross Jesus was separated from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
If you have seen a piece of matzo and can discern the symbolism in the
Passover meal, then you can see great similarities between Jesus’ body and the
matzo He referred to as His body!
Jesus tells us in St. John 6:48 that He is the bread of life.
Moreover, He was born in the little town of Bethlehem which translates
into “house of Bread.” Matzo is an unleavened bread.
In His teaching, Jesus often equated leaven with sin [see St. Matthew
16:6]. Like the matzo without
leaven, Jesus’ body was without sin. Because
matzo is cooked on a grill, it bears stripes, just as would the body of Jesus
[see Isaias 53:5 and I St. Peter 2:24]. To
aid in cooking, the matzo is pierced throughout, just as Jesus’ body would be
pierced by nails, the lance, the crown of thorns, and the bone and metal shards
on the cat-o-nine-tails [see Zacharias 12:10].
The father breaks the Afikomen for the participants, just as Jesus’
body would be broken for us [see Isaias 53:10].
The Afikomen is wrapped in linen and hidden away, just as Jesus’ body
would be wrapped in burial linen and placed in a tomb.
As with the joy of “finding” the Afikomen, there would be much
rejoicing by Jesus’ disciples after they found the tomb empty and saw the
risen Christ [see St. Matthew 28:8].
There is one additional point that should be noted.
We know from Scripture that Jesus took the Afikomen and blessed it.
But what was that blessing? What
words did He say? The answer to
this question again confirms how much Jesus’ body was like bread.
The blessing Jesus said was the standard blessing any Jew would have said
over the food: “Blessed are You,
O LORD our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from
the earth.” Jesus was telling His
friends that just as bread is brought forth from the earth by the Father, so
would His dead body be brought forth. Moreover,
Jesus had told His followers, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (grain)
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit.” [see St. John 12:24]
Jesus’ followers did not understand His message until they stood face
to face with the risen Christ [see St. Matthew 28:9 and St. John 20:28].
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The analogy between our Lord’s blood and the wine can be understood in
a similar context. The Abrahamic
covenant and the Jewish marriage proposal figure prominently in understanding
this symbolism.
As described in Chapter 15 of Genesis, God made a blood covenant with
Abram to seal His promise of an heir to come from Abram’s own body.
Blood from a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon was shed to seal
the covenant. God made other
covenants with Abram’s descendants and all were sealed by the blood of
animals. Centuries later, Jeremias
prophesied a “new covenant” would come to the Northern kingdom of Israel and
the Southern kingdom of Judah [see Jeremias 31:31].
When Jesus said, “For this is my blood of the new covenant,” it is
likely He placed the emphasis on the words “my blood,” to distinguish the
basis for this new covenant (His blood) from the Old Testament animal blood
covenants.
The gospels note, too, that Jesus gave thanks over the cup, just as He
did over the bread. The traditional
Jewish thanks over the wine was: “Blessed
are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth the fruit of
the vine.” Eleven apostles drank
from the cup. Judas had already
departed.
In order to understand the importance of drinking from the cup, or
declining, we must understand the traditional Jewish marriage proposal.
In those times, if a boy wanted to marry a girl, he approached the
girl’s father. He discussed his
intentions, as well as the price he would pay.
Then the girl was summoned into the room.
The father explained the circumstances to his daughter and the three sat
down at the table. The boy poured a
cup of wine and sat it before his intended. The girl would indicate her
acceptance of the proposal by picking up the cup and drinking from it.
The analogy to God’s offer of salvation to each of us is clear.
Who is the intended bridegroom? The
King’s Son [see St. Matthew 22]. In
this case, Jesus. Each of us is
analogous to the girl. Like the
girl, we were purchased with a price: Jesus’ death on the cross.
As with the pouring of the cup of wine, Jesus poured out His blood and
died in our place. Symbolically
speaking, He fills the cup with His blood and places it in front of each of us.
He invites each to accept His proposal:
the full payment of his sin debt and His free gift of eternal life [see
Romans 6:23]. He gives each the
choice whether or not to pick up the cup and drink or, like Judas, decline.
If we accept, then we become a part of His intended bride, the church,
and He becomes our Bridegroom. We
forsake all others for our bridegroom and He, thus, becomes our Lord, our
Master.
John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Bridegroom and to himself as the
bridegroom’s friend in St. John 3:29, “He who has the bride is the
bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices
exceedingly at the voice of the bridegroom.
This my joy, therefore, is made full.”
Moreover, Isaias says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul
shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation
and with the robe of justice he hath covered me:
as a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her
jewels.” [see Isaias 61:10] Who other than believers are described in the Scriptures as
being clothed in the garments of salvation and covered with the robe of
righteousness? None!
Thus, it is clear that Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church general (autos)
is His bride. Only Jesus did not
pour out wine in His proposal. He
poured out His life’s blood. When
we eat this bread and drink this cup, we affirm Jesus’ death until He comes
again to retrieve His bride at the rapture, which is discussed below [see I
Thessalonians 4:13-18]. The
parallels between the Jewish marriage proposal and Jesus’ call to us to be His
bride do not end here.
If the girl accepted the boy’s proposal, the boy departed to his
father’s house to share the good news with his parents and to prepare the
bridal chamber where the couple would spend their honeymoon.
That bridal chamber was referred to as a mansion [see St. John 14:1-3].
The boy would collect the materials necessary to construct the mansion,
which was a small, one-room addition to his parents’ house. The boy’s father would carefully check the progress of
construction. If a friend asked
when the wedding would be, the boy would answer that only his father knew since
it was the responsibility of the father, and the father alone, to determine when
the construction was complete enough for the boy to go to retrieve his bride.
When the moment came and the father gave the nod, this was generally
after sunset [see St. Matthew 25:13], the boy would round up his friends and
with lighted torches they would proceed with much noise and gaiety through the
streets toward the girl’s house. When
they were a short distance away, they would begin calling out her name to let
her know her bridegroom was near [see St. Matthew 25:6].
The blowing of the shophar, made from a ram’s horn, left no room for
doubt. And if she was prepared, the
lamp in her room was burning throughout the night each night so that there would
be no stumbling in the dark. Her
clothes were already packed for she did not know the hour of his coming [see St.
Matthew 25:10]. After collecting
his bride, the entire party went back to the boy’s parents’ house where a seven-day
celebration began. After the father
of the boy placed the hand of the girl into his son’s hand, the two were
considered married and they entered through the door into the mansion to
consummate the marriage. It is at
this door which his friends stood and rejoiced at hearing the voice of the
bridegroom [St. John 3:29].
In our culture, we honor and celebrate the bride.
In Jewish custom, it is the bridegroom who is honored and celebrated.
Therefore, these customs may seem strange to us.
But to the people of Jesus’ time, the customs and ceremonies were well
known. When Jesus told his
parables, relating Himself to the bridegroom and His followers to the bride, His
listeners understood the analogies. They
also understood the significance of drinking from the proffered cup.
Before He went to the cross, Jesus told His worried disciples:
“Let
not your heart be troubled. You
believe in God, believe also in me. In
my Father’s house are many mansions. Were
not so, I should (would) have told you, because I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I am coming again, and I will take you to myself; that where I
am, there you also may be. [St. John 14:1-3]
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In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus discussed the prophetic signs that will
signal His return [St. Matthew 24]. While
the context of the discussion revolves around His return to earth to establish
His earthly kingdom, referred to as His “glorious appearing” [see Titus
2:13] and distinct from His coming “in the clouds” [see I Thessalonians
4:17] to rapture His church, His words have relevance to both prophetic events
since He said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of
heaven, but the Father only.” [St. Matthew 24:36]
Clearly, Jesus’ language here in referring to “only the Father
knowing” parallels the role of the bridegroom’s father in determining when
the bridegroom could go to retrieve his bride.
It should be understood that when referring to the rapture of His church,
this is a reference to believers who are in the body (alive) from all
denominations, not an organizational or institutional Church.
Only those who have said, “Yes, Lord,” will be raptured.
Those who believe that their belonging to a certain denomination, or
church, or Church, or having been baptized, or singing in the choir, or tithing
saves them will be left behind. Bridegrooms
are generally pretty particular about whom they take as brides and Jesus is no
exception!
The coming of the Bridegroom is explained by St. Paul:
“But
we would not, brethren, have you ignorant concerning those who are asleep, lest
you should grieve, even as others who have no hope (non-believers).
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so with him God will
bring those also who have fallen sleep through Jesus (Christians whose souls
and spirits are with Jesus but whose bodies are in the ground).
For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who live, who
survive until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen
asleep. For the Lord himself with
cry of command, with voice of archangel, and with the trumpet of God will
descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ will rise up first.
Then we who live, who survive (those who are living at the time of the
rapture), shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord
in the air and so we shall ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” [I Thessalonians
4:13-18]
The above is what God’s Word teaches and what believers call the
“rapture.” That is, Christ will
“snatch” His followers off the face of the earth prior to the beginning of
the seven-year Tribulation period prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments,
especially the book of the Apocalypse. This
will mark the end of the church age. The
Lord will appear in the clouds (only to those who have eyes to see) and the
graves of the dead in Christ (deceased believers) will be opened and their
bodies will go up with the bodies of those in Christ who are still alive to be
united for all time with the Lord. After
baptizing the eunuch, the Spirit of the Lord took (caught) Philip away and the
eunuch saw him no more, as recorded in Acts 8:39.
In other words, Philip was raptured.
The same Greek word,” harpazo,” is used to describe Philip’s
being caught away, as well as “caught up together” in the above citation.
St. Paul revealed additional aspects of the rapture:
“Behold,
I tell you a mystery: We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” [I Corinthians 15:51-52, NKJV]
St. Paul is confirming that some followers will be alive at the time of
Jesus’ return in the air to rapture His church.
Therefore, each believer has a blessed hope that he or she will not die
but be alive in the body on the day of rapture.
Note the parallels with the coming of the Bridegroom for his bride in the
Jewish wedding tradition. The
Bridegroom departs to fetch His bride only at the day and hour designated by the
Father. The Bridegroom comes
Himself. He brings His friends with
Him. The Lord alerts His bride that
He is coming with a shout. The
bride is ready and has oil in her lamp (the Holy Spirit in the heart).
The shophar is blown when the Bridegroom is only a short distance away
(in the clouds). We go to the
mansions prepared for us by the Lord Himself, to the seven-year marriage feast
of the Lamb [see St. John 1:29 and Apocalypse 19:7].
The parallels are astounding!
The words of thanks Jesus said over the bread and wine at the Last
Supper, combined with His other teachings discussed above and in previous
chapters, reveal a beautiful portrait of salvation:
how it is offered and how it is accepted.
There are no magical words, no mystical metamorphic incantations, and no
rituals or ceremonials. Salvation
is a free gift offered by God to each of us, received through faith, and based
on the finished work of His Son, the Jesus of the New Testament, at Calvary [see
St. John 19:30]. Will you accept
His proposal? Will you pick up the
cup? The choice is yours.
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While the Bema judgment of the believer’s works and the receiving of
crowns and the subsequent marriage feast of the Lamb are occurring in heaven,
those not raptured from the earth will experience the most awful and terrifying
period of history ever. It should
be noted that not all Churches or denominations believe in the rapture and end
times prophecy. Just as many depart
from biblical truth in other areas, many depart from the truth of the rapture
and end times prophecy. The
Catholic and Orthodox Churches are
but a few examples.
The Orthodox Churches teach that there will be no rapture preceding end
times and that the faithful will go through the Tribulation, along with
nonbelievers. The Churches justify
their teaching based on the Greek word for Tribulation used in Scripture.
As recorded by St. Matthew 13:21 in The Orthodox Study Bible, New
Testament and Psalms, Jesus said, “... For when tribulation ... arises ...
he stumbles.” The Greek word for
tribulation is “thlipsis” which is translated as “pressure,
persecution, affliction.” However,
the Orthodox Churches fail to distinguish between tribulation, which the
Scripture teaches all will go through, such as that cited above, and the
Great Tribulation. The Orthodox
Study Bible reveals in Revelation 7:14, “... These are the ones who come out
of the Great Tribulation ....” The
Greek for Great Tribulation is “megas thlipsis.”
This is the root word from which we get the English prefix “mega.”
It means “large, one million.” Thus,
the Scripture reveals that all believers will go through tribulation but that
the tribulation experienced during the Great Tribulation will be a million times
worse! Also, Orthodoxy mistakenly
interprets I Thessalonians 4:15-17 (see above) as the Second Coming of Jesus.
The Orthodox Churches’ teaching is based on ex-Scriptural traditions,
what Jesus called the traditions of men. The
Scripture is clear. God has already
rained down His wrath on Jesus at Golgotha.
Believers have repented of their sins and accepted Jesus payment at the
cross for their debt. God has
accepted that payment. Just as
Moses was to strike the rock for water the first time and to speak to it in
future times, so it is with the Shepherd. The
body of the Shepherd has been smitten once for our sakes. His body bore our sins and our punishment.
There is no balance owed. The
purpose of God’s pouring out His wrath during the Tribulation is to get
sinners’ attention and turn them toward Himself.
Believers will have already done this.
Therefore, why would God leave believers, the body of Christ on the
earth, to experience the end-time destruction described in the book of the
Apocalypse? He wouldn’t.
It would be like striking the Rock a second time.
In addition to the Scriptures already cited, there are many other
examples where God foretold of destruction but saved a remnant for His own.
Noe and his family is one example. Lot
and his family is another.
God revealed to Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom, the city
wherein Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family lived.
Out of concern for this family of ten, Abraham drew near and spoke to the
LORD:
“...
Will you destroy the good with the wicked?
If there be fifty just men in the city, will you then destroy the place
and not spare it for the sake of the fifty just men within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing as kill the just with the wicked,
treating just and wicked alike! Far
be it from you! Shall not the judge
of all the earth act justly?” [Genesis 18:23-25]
Abraham bargained God down to saving the city for the sake of only ten.
This negotiation may well be the basis for development of the Yiddish
word “chutzpah,” which means “utter nerve, gall.”
Abraham was arguing with the Creator of the universe and questioning
whether He would do the right thing! Unfortunately,
not all of Lot’s family believed. Some
remained in the city and were therefore consumed.
Churches that teach “replacement theology,” that is, that the Church
has taken the place of nonbelieving Israel (Jews) in the New Testament, lose
perspective on end times prophecy because end times prophecies deal with the end
of the church age and God’s returning His focus to the Jews.
That God will deal with Israel in the end times is prophesied by major
and minor prophets in the Old Testament, as well as by writers of the books of
the New Testament. If one does away with Israel in interpreting end times
prophecy and substitutes the Church, as does Orthodoxy, which mistakenly calls
the Church the “New Israel,” there is no interpretation that makes sense.
The prophet Zacharias recorded God’s Word in the end times prophecy:
“And
I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem
the spirit of grace ... and they (Jews) shall look upon me, whom they
have pierced ....” [Zacharias 12:10]
The house of David cannot be interpreted as anything other than the Jews.
It cannot reasonably be interpreted as the Church.
Moreover, it certainly was not the Church that “pierced” Him.
Again, this prophecy points to the Jews, not the Church. The Church was not established prior to Jesus’ crucifixion.
Moreover, God’s dealing with the Jews in the end times is confirmed in
the New Testament, also. St. Paul prophesied about this as recorded in Romans 11:26,
“And so all Israel will be saved.” This
verse pertains to Jews who come to believe in Jesus during the seven-year
Tribulation. Failure to understand
that the Church did not supplant Israel as God’s chosen people leads to false
interpretations of end times prophecy.
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The Roman Catholic Church, too, subscribes to the ungodly theory of
replacement theology. Before
proceeding to examine the Church’s teaching on end times, it should be
mentioned that the Catholic Church refers to the same thing but with the words
“end of the world.” However,
the Church does not teach that the world will end.
An article titled, “What Catholics Believe About Prophecy, the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ, and the End of the World,” appeared on page 28 in The
Western Kentucky Catholic, dated February 1998.
The article was co-authored by Fathers Phil Riney and Dan Kreutzer.
In it, the priests provide, among other things, comparative views of
“fundamentalists” teaching on end times versus those of the Roman Catholic
Church. The following quotes are
from that article. Only those
portions relevant to the current discussion are presented.
According to Fathers Riney and Kreutzer:
“In
total reliance on the Scriptures and the Official Teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church, the authentic Revelation of Jesus Christ, we want to reassert
what the Church teaches about prophecy, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and
the end of the world.
“What
Catholics believe and teach sharply differs from the understandings of American
fundamentalist denominations. That
point of view characterizes the end of the world in doomsday language.
There is an undue and dangerous preoccupation with Satan, the Antichrist,
and a cosmic battle between good and evil.
Catholics, on the other hand, focus on God in Jesus Christ and the
victory of Christ over death and evil at His resurrection and ascension.
“The
fundamentalists cling to a pessimistic view of the end of the world.
It will be a terrible and horrific ending in which God, for a time,
abdicates control of the world and hands it over to Satan.
Catholics hold an optimistic view of the end of the world.
We look to the end of the world as a time of new birth, which like any
birth may be somewhat frightening but not catastrophic.
We believe the end of the world and the fullness of our life in God will
be a beautiful experience.
“One
of the hallmarks of fundamentalism is private revelation.
Any fundamentalist believer can become a medium of divine expression.”
First, it should be noted that, as discussed in Chapter Two and Appendix
A, many denominational organizations, as well as fringe groups, refer to
themselves as fundamentalists. Some
handle poisonous snakes during worship services while others stockpile weapons
in anticipation of overthrowing the U.S. government (discussed in Appendix A).
However, if Fathers Riney and Kreutzer are talking about independent,
bible-believing, bible-preaching New Testament churches, as described in this
book, then their observations are about right.
However, some of their characterizations are not.
For example, believers do not have “... an undue and dangerous
preoccupation with Satan, the Antichrist, and the cosmic battle between good and
evil.” In fact, it was explained
in Chapter Five that anyone who mistakes the real person of Satan as an evil
force in the universe does so at his peril.
Also, as discussed in Chapter Five, Satan has a plan for your personal
destruction. To underestimate him
and his capabilities is not to “not be preoccupied with him” but to invite
him and his demons to destroy you, your life, and those you love.
St. Peter warns believers:
“Be
sober, be watchful! For your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour.”
[I St. Peter 5:8]
The article also accuses believers as characterizing the end of the world
in “doomsday language.” This
characterization is partly correct. On
the brighter side, however, and as discussed in Appendix A, the seven-year
Tribulation will produce the largest soul harvest ever [Apocalypse 7:9].
This is accomplished by God when He pours out what the Roman Catholic
Bible calls the seven seal judgments [Apocalypse 6-8:1], followed by seven
trumpet judgments [Apocalypse 8:2-11], and culminating in seven bowl judgments
[Apocalypse 16]. As can be
understood from the descriptions, each succeeding judgment is worse than the
former. As the Scripture makes
clear, God is bringing these disasters on people of the earth as a result of His
fierce wrath:
“...
the cities of the nations (Gentile nations) fell.
And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of
the wine of his fierce wrath ... And great hail, heavy as a talent (80-120
pounds), came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God ....”
[Apocalypse 16:19-21]
People will understand well that these judgments are the result of
God’s wrath upon unrepentant men and women:
“And
they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall upon us, and hide us from
the face of him who sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for
the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
[Apocalypse 6:16-17]
In response to these judgments, some will repent and accept the gospel
[Apocalypse 14:6]. However, even as the judgments grow in intensity, many will
continue to refuse the truth [see Apocalypse 9:20; 9:21; 16:9; and 16:11]:
“And
the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast (the one world
government); and its kingdom became dark, and they (men) gnawed their
tongues for pain.” [Apocalypse 16:10]
At this point, their judgment is so painful that these unrepentant ones
chew their tongues to take their minds of the pain associated with the previous
judgments which included bodily sores and skin scorched by a sun to the extent
that it feels like its on fire [Apocalypse 16:2 and 8-9]. They are so frightened by cosmic events that they try to kill
themselves but cannot [Apocalypse 9:6].
As can be seen by checking these citations, this is “Roman Catholic
Bible language” on end times. Is
it also “doomsday language,” as the Fathers suggest?
Doomsday is an Old English word and is defined as “Judgment Day.”
And that is exactly what has been described above, as quoted from the
Roman Catholic Bible. Thus, fundamentalists characterize end times in exactly the
same manner as the Roman Catholic Bible! Moreover,
while the Catholic Church erroneously teaches that the Roman Catholic Church
wrote the bible, it is the Catholic Church that denies its veracity, not
fundamentalists! God escalates His
judgments. At each step up in
intensity, some will repent and accept the gospel.
However, as incredible as it seems, some will not.
For those who fail to repent, it literally is doomsday.
With regard to the charge that, according to fundamentalists thinking,
“... God, for a time, abdicates control of the world and hands it over to
Satan,” this is not a correct characterization.
In fact, the Roman Catholic Bible reveals the opposite of what the
Fathers suggest is true. First,
Satan is in control of the world now [see II Corinthians 4:34].
Moreover, he also has access to heaven [see Job 1:6 and 2:1].
As discussed in Chapter Two, when Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of
this world and all their glory, Jesus did not tell Satan that they were not his
to give [St. Matthew 4:8-9]. They
are. Second, it is during the
Tribulation period that God sends devastation on Satan’s one-world government
and one-world leader, the Antichrist. Moreover,
at the midpoint of the Tribulation, Satan is cast out of heaven and down to
earth [Apocalypse 12:12]. Finally,
as discussed in Chapter Five, Satan has done everything he can to destroy the
Jews, God’s chosen people, and thwart the greatest soul harvest ever.
The operative phrase here is everything he can.
Satan can only do that which God, in His providential sovereignty,
allows. Thus, at no time does God hand over His providential
authority to Satan. At the end of
the Tribulation, Satan will be bound:
“And
I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the abyss and a great
chain in his hand. And he laid hold
on the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him
for a thousand years. And he cast
him into the abyss, and closed and sealed it over him, that he should deceive
the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished.
And after that, he must be let loose for a little while.” [Apocalypse
20:1-3]
The prophet described how Satan will spend the millennium, the last one
thousand years of time before the start of eternity:
“They
that shall see thee shall turn toward thee and behold thee.
Is this the man that troubled the earth, that shook kingdoms, that made
the world a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the
prison to his prisoners ... and art gone down to the bottom of the pit (abyss),
as a rotten carcass.” [Isaias 14:16-19]
As the millennium winds down, Satan will be released from the pit for a
little while to gather and lead the rebels born during the millennium and still
alive in a final stand against God Almighty [Apocalypse 20:7-8].
Again, God uses Satan to do His good pleasure.
Satan’s end on this earth and his eternity are recorded by St. John:
“...
And the devil who deceived them (the rebels of the millennium) was cast
into the pool of fire and brimstone ... and ... will be tormented day and night
forever and ever.” [Apocalypse 20:9-10]
Another false characterization is the allegation that “... the hallmark
of fundamentalism is private revelation.”
This is not true. Believers
halt the line on revelation at the end of Chapter 22 of the book of the
Apocalypse (Revelation), the last chapter in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and
King James bibles. As discussed in
earlier chapters, New Testament churches do not go outside Scripture.
Neither do these churches expect additional revelation, private or
otherwise. Moreover, as discussed
in earlier chapters, believers interpret ex-Scriptural revelation, such as
associated with Constantine, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, and the many Marian
appearances, to be not only anti-Scriptural but demonic in origin and message.
Finally, with regard to Fathers Riney and Kreutzer’s claim that, “Any
fundamentalist believer can become a medium of divine expression,” such is not
true. First, such expressions are
not divine in nature, but demonic, as explained in Chapter Two. Second, God’s Word forbids such practices, as discussed in
Chapter Two. And third, believers
are not interested in divination. When
you know and are known by the One who holds your future in His hands, you
don’t need to discern the future!
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The key to understanding why the Catholic Church’s teaching on end
times prophecy and events is so skewed is provided in the article. Again, the Catholic Church does not believe in the Jesus of
the New Testament. Like the
Latter-Day Saints, Orthodox Churches, state Churches, and other cults, they have
added ex-Scriptural sources to their teachings.
Many apostate Churches maintain that they believe in the infallibility of
the New Testament. However, they do
not believe in its sufficiency. Thus,
their teachings belie their words. As the Fathers note in their article:
“In
total reliance on the scriptures and the Official Teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church, the authentic Revelation of Jesus Christ ....”
According to the Fathers, additional revelations about Jesus Christ were
made known to the Catholic Church which, as we learned in Chapter One, didn’t
come into existence until the middle of the 5th century.
Even if one erroneously credits Constantine with establishing the Roman
Catholic Church, this means that Jesus revealed additional information about end
times nearly three hundred years after His ascension!
This is in concert with Latter-Day Saints teaching.
The beauty of replacement theology to the ex-Scriptural advocates lies in
its support for the notion that God changes His mind. Replacement theology teaches that God chose the Jews because
they were good people and made a covenant with them based on their
“goodness.” However, because
over time they became “bad,” God changed His mind about the Jews. Moreover, because the Church views itself as good and Jesus
promised never to leave it, Church leaders believe that the Church has replaced
Israel (the Jews) and God’s promises to Israel transfer over to the Church.
The utility of such a theory to these Churchmen is that they can then
justify changing and supplanting Jesus’ and His apostles’ teachings;
negating His promises of eternal life; and placing additional, ex-Scriptural
requirements on the faithful such as a sacramental salvation system.
And, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they make a little money and
gain a little power on the side while still pushing the faithful through the
entrance to the kingdom.
However, as already shown in Chapter Four, no Church or church replaced
Israel in God’s heart, promises, or prophetic plan.
Moreover, God assures us:
“For
I am the LORD and I change not; and you the sons of Jacob (Israel) are not
consumed.” [Malachias 3:6]
Moreover, God’s Word assures us further:
“Forever,
O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”
[Psalms 119:89, NKJV]
While God’s Word is settled in heaven forever, it is still being
changed by wicked men on earth!
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel [Genesis 32:29] and it was he who
gave birth to the leaders of the twelve tribes, Jesus being a descendent of the
tribe of Juda. The body of
believers was added to the Abrahamic covenant and God’s Word confirms
that this body of believers, what some mistakenly refer to as “The Church,”
does not supplant Israel. This is
how St. Paul described the relationship between Israel and the body of believers
years after Jesus’ ascension:
“For
you are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For all you who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile); there is neither slave
nor freeman; there is neither male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are the offspring of Abraham, heirs
according to promise.” [Galatians 3:26-29]
Note St. Paul’s words carefully. He
does not say that those who are Christ’s (believers) receive the promises
forfeited by Israel. Nor does he
mention forfeiture by Abraham. Quite
the contrary, he reveals something startling:
Believers are added to the covenant of promise God made with Abraham!
Churches that teach replacement theology do so for a variety of
interests. This, in turn, requires them to teach that the prophecies in the book
of Apocalypse (Revelation) have already taken place.
This is called the preterit view. Of
course, this presents even more problems. For example, the book of Apocalypse reveals catastrophes
that, had they already occurred, surely would have been recorded by historians.
However, such is not the case. Therefore,
what these Churches are left with is a patchwork theology that, like their
soteriology, has patch upon patch upon patch until these is no substance left,
only patches.
Having eliminated the teachings in the book of Apocalypse and other end
times Old Testament prophecies, the Roman Catholic Church has substituted the
mistaken teaching that Jesus will return to earth only after the earth has
become much better and is worthy of receiving her king.
Fathers Riney and Kreutzer describe this in their article:
“The
Roman Catholic Church eagerly, hopefully, and joyfully anticipates ... the
Second Advent of Jesus Christ at the end of the age.
Many other Christian denominations and world religions do not share the
Catholic Church’s optimistic view of these future events.”
However, Jesus described what it would be like at the time of His return,
as recorded in the Roman Catholic Bible:
“But
as it was in the days of Noe, even so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
[St. Matthew 24:37]
And how was it in the days of Noe? According
to the Catholic Bible:
“And
when the LORD saw that the wickedness of man on the earth was great, and that man’s
every thought and all inclination of his heart were only evil, he regretted that
he had made man on the earth and was grieved to the heart.
Then the LORD said, ‘I
will wipe from the earth man whom I have created ....” [Genesis 6:5-7]
It seems that the Jesus of the New Testament, the Jesus presented so
clearly in the Roman Catholic Bible, does not share the Church’s optimism that
man will get better as time goes by. Neither
does St. Paul:
“But
the wicked and imposters will go from bad to worse, erring and leading into
error.” [II Timothy 3:13]
The Roman Catholic Bible confirms that man will get progressively worse
and Jesus tells us that by the time of His Second Coming man will be as wicked
as he was during the time of Noe. The
only optimism believers can find in this is the fact that, as taught in the
Catholic Bible, they will have been raptured prior to these events.
The role replacement theology played in the persecution of the Jews
during the Inquisition was critical. According
to Roman Catholic tradition, then and today, the Christ would return to earth
only after the world had been made Christian.
Replacement theology, taught by the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in
Germany, played a critical role in the people’s acceptance of Hitler’s
“final solution to the Jewish problem.”
Replacement theology is a doctrine of demons [I Timothy 4:1]. More will be said about Hitler’s demonic ties in Appendix
A.
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There is only one Christ. However,
there are as many “Jesuses” as there are cults.
There is the Jesus in Constantine’s vision who placed himself on the
same level as the sun god, thus breaking the first commandment of Jehovah God -
You shall have no other gods beside Me. Some
may be inclined to ask, “If God can and does use evil men for His good
purposes, then how do you know God wasn’t using the evil Constantine to spread
Christianity when he established his universal Church?”
That’s a good question. As
discussed in Chapter Four, God does sometimes use evil men to accomplish His
good pleasure. However, in each and
every instance, God is using the evil ones to spread His Truth, not a
lie! Constantine was not spreading
Christ’s truth, but Satan’s lie, as documented in Chapter Five.
The Roman Catholic Church would argue that when Constantine brought the
pagan statues into the Christian churches, the people were kneeling before
statues of Christians, not pagans. However,
this is not true, as demonstrated in Chapter Five. The pagans that
“converted” at Constantine’s urging continued to look upon the statues of
Semiramis and Tammuz but now called Mary and Jesus.
Constantine, with his introduced rituals and icons and pagan prelates,
did not conform the world (pagans) to Christianity, which was Christ’s
directive. Neither did he follow
our Lord’s command to “come out of her” (the world).
Rather, he conformed apostate Christianity to the world, to paganism!
Kneeling in front of icons was a pagan practice.
There is also the Jesus of the Latter-Day Saints who is a created being
and the half-brother of Lucifer. There
is the Jesus of the Christian Scientists who swooned on the cross.
There is the Jesus of the sacramental sects who died, was buried, and
rose again. However, according to
Church teaching, he surrendered his power and authority to Church leaders and
councils who voided his word with their traditions and made him a liar.
Lastly, there is the Jesus prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled
in the New. This Jesus is the Son
of God who, as our kinsman redeemer, bore our sins on the tree to pay our
debt. This is the same Jesus
who cried out from the cross It is finished.
This is the all-powerful Shepherd who still gives His sheep eternal life,
promises them they will never perish, and holds them securely in His loving hand
[St. John 10]. This is the One who
pours the cup and sets it before us. This
is the Bridegroom who will soon leave His position at the right hand of the
Father and return to catch away His bride (the church).
This is the Jesus God’s Word refers to as the Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world, the only One who is worthy to open the scroll, the
title deed to the earth, and pour out God’s wrath on unrepentant sinners.
This Jesus is the Judge of the universe, the Judge in front of whom each
of us will one day stand. The same Jesus all men will confess is Lord.
This Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the author and finisher of our
faith! Which Jesus will you follow?
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Proceed to Appendix A
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