A heart-felt message to the “Rapture in the Air Now” Forum (RITAN),
Before I begin, I must say that I admire the brotherly and sisterly love so openly displayed at RITAN. Personally, I have not seen any other Forum even come close to match the desire to commune in a positive way with each other than RITAN.
As such, the below is NOT to be construed as a criticism of RITAN AT ALL. Rather, the purpose of this post is to outline why what I have written recently should not simply be discounted due to some theological differences of opinions we may have on the small stuff.
In the past, I have been painted by some at RITAN as being a Post-Tribulation Rapture believer (wherein many others at RITAN promptly defended me). I have speculated that this may be because I do not believe in a Post-Rapture SEVEN year period that will begin with a peace treaty with Israel. While I am NOT saying this CAN’T happen, I simply do not believe it MUST.
To those who have claimed this about me, I want to stress to you that I am, and have ALWAYS been, a 100% Pre-Tribulation Rapture believer, with NO reservations. For further clarity, I do not believe we are experiencing ANY of the Lord’s wrath yet and are not in the end-times Tribulations AT ALL. I firmly believe that such wrath will not occur until AFTER we are taken out of the way in the Rapture. Quite simply, I do not believe the Ultimate Husband would ever beat up His Bride just before marrying her (the Rapture).
As a result of some of my other views often being different from many of the commonly held views in the prophecy community, I have also been accused of being anti-Scriptural. Thankfully, this accusation has only happened on VERY rare occasion (and when it did on RITAN, MANY kind fellow RITAN members would join me in my defense – again reflecting the nature of love so apparent at RITAN).
As anyone who has REALLY read my material thoroughly will attest, they would know that this is simply not true. “Different and/or controversial”, if NEVER in contradiction of Scriptures, is NOT the same as being anti-Scriptural. For clarity, I have NEVER, and never will, purposely allow myself to be offside of any of the Scriptures.
In other words, I ALWAYS go back to the Word, and not to interpretations of men, for clarifications on positions (as do so many of you). There should never be contradictions with the infallible Word of God. Indeed, I fear the Lord WAY too much for that (as well of love Him too much). If I am wrong and this is Biblically pointed out to me, I feel no pride in admitting my errors and correcting them.
Put another way, it is not that I dismiss challenges or differences in opinions. I honestly have no problem with that, as long as such challenges are warranted and Biblical. For example, just recently, two excellent writers I always enjoy reading (Donna Danna & Ed C.) both wrote excellent articles indicating why they believe that “the Holy Place” and “the Temple of God” will be a physical, rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and NOT what I believe they COULD be (as outlined in previous articles).
I have no problem with this at all. Indeed, they were specific in saying that this is what they believe could happen (not MUST happen). This “flexibility” as allowed by Scripture makes such expression of opinion even more pleasing for me to read.
While I also believe that a physical temple (even if a tent-like Tabernacle that would take just days to put up) could soon exist, I am simply trying to communicate that there are other possible alternatives to a physical temple that are also Scripturally sound that make it so it doesn’t HAVE to exist. This is an opinion that Karl and other Five Doves readers agreed was a very real possibility and one that I also believe Donna & Ed allowed for in their wording.
For tomorrow’s Five Doves, the Lord (as well as John Tng J) willing, I will be submitting an article entitled:
“When we assign "MUSTs and CAN'Ts" where we shouldn’t, are we trying to limit the Lord's flexibility?”
The purpose of this article is to formally outline what I believe and do not believe COULD happen to us and the rest of the world in the very near future. I am hoping that each and every reader of Five Doves (and RITAN, if someone posts tomorrow’s article - as well as this one as a prelude) that feels led to do so will take the time to read this article. I feel it just COULD be the most important article I have ever written.
In summary, my fear is that many fellow watchers are simply ignoring the possibility that much more COULD be happening right now than meets the eye (including the possible implications of the Pope’s resignation, Obama’s upcoming visit to Jerusalem and so much more). In part, this may be due to so many assigning MUSTs and CAN’Ts where they MAY not actually want or need to. However, I will outline and expand on this much more in tomorrow’s article.
Before ending though, I must formally state that, in absolutely no way, do I feel self-important or superior in writing the above material and/or tomorrow’s article. Furthermore, I would like to clarify that I am not writing this to admonish anyone, especially RITAN!! I am merely attempting to show that we need to try to not limit the Lord’s flexibility for the end-times unnecessarily (flexibility He will use whether we try to limit it or not).
Will I be correct in everything I have to say in tomorrow’s article? PROBABLY NOT!! But I certainly believe that, if read with an open mind, perhaps some people will see current events from a different angle and, HOPEFULLY, will be blessed by it.
Surely, time is almost up (that, I believe, we can ALL agree on J).
YbiC, MathMan