Truth Be Known

 

We live in an age of untruth. Who are you going to believe? Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” I think He was attesting that while truth may be elusive the search would be worth it. For most people truth is simply what everyone agrees on, it is not based on fact, or reason, or revelation. Although they think it is. They settle for hearsay, or cultural consensus. They follow the wide road. 

The Church is not exempt. Just consider how many denominations there are, each claiming to be the guardian of the truth. From the earliest Gnostic heresy to the plethora of false doctrines today, truth is not too terribly plain to see, it would seem. Truth is usually what you want it to be, what you create it to be. False teachers abound, like the false prophets of old. Think about it, though, they do not intend to deceive. They really, really think they are leading their listeners into truth. Just like the false prophets who thought that their advice was much more accurate than that of Elijah or Jeremiah.

Understanding the Biblical prophecies of the last days is not exempt. False teachings flourish, totally obscuring the truth. Jesus warned that many false prophets will abound, and because of deception many will fall away at the end of the age (Mt 24:10-13). I think that disappointment and disillusionment will become overwhelming when Christians endure death, mourning and famine, rather than being delivered from tribulation by the rapture, like they have been taught. The false teachers have not a clue they are deceiving, they resolutely think they have it all figured out. Let me repeat it a third time: false teachers of end times prophecy, en masse, are convinced that they speak the truth. Their teaching, though, is based on speculation and conjecture, and they merely mimic what all the others propound. Their lies do not become truth just because they are accepted by the majority.

Here are some teachings about prophecy you might want to fact check, just a sample. You must decide, personally, what is fools’ gold and what is the gold nugget of truth. Unfortunately, it probably comes down to this, who are you going to believe? I say unfortunately because most Christians, even teachers and preachers, don’t know how to study the Bible inductively, free from the biases and opinions of their favorite Bible teachers or commentaries.

Fact Check: The Bible teaches that there will be a seven-year Great Tribulation at the end of the age, preceding the second coming of Jesus. Truth be known, that is a hoax, started by John Darby about 1840, who twisted the great Messianic prophecy of Daniel 9 into a teaching never, ever conceived of before. It was then spread by the likes of Scofield, Moody, Pentecost, Walvoord, Chafer, Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, and Jerry Jenkins, to name a few.

Fact Check: The seven trumpets are judgments of God during the seven-year Tribulation. Truth be known, they are warnings to mankind of God’s impending judgment at the end of the age, and they have already started, more than 100 years ago.

Fact Check: America is blessed by God, and will never suffer defeat or judgment. Truth be known, America is clearly identified in prophecy as the little horn of Daniel 7, and the seventh head of the beast in Revelation 13. Daniel’s vision predicts that America will be utterly destroyed, and Revelation 17:16 says that the eighth beast will “bring her to ruin and destroy her with fire.” 

Fact Check: The rapture is the next event on the last days timetable. Christians will be taken out of this world before tribulation, tumult, and destruction occur. All that judgment stuff is reserved for the wicked who are left behind in the Great Tribulation. Truth be known, the rapture is simultaneous with the second coming of Christ, when the seventh trumpet sounds. Much turmoil will occur while Christians are still on earth. America will be destroyed. Wars will abound. Armageddon will be in full force. Christians will cry out, “Come quickly, Lord. Come quickly!”

Fact Check: Antichrist is the central figure during the Tribulation. He will make a peace covenant with Israel, and rebuild their temple. He will then turn evil and mean at the midpoint of the Tribulation. He will be a “one world” ruler. He will make everyone have a mark of the beast. And that’s just a short version of this larger-than-life monster. Truth be known, there is no basis for all these beliefs about Antichrist. The seven-headed beast, in Revelation 13, is a prophecy about seven nations, not Antichrist. The man of lawlessness is the “antichrist”. Proclaiming himself to be God, he leads a group of ten Arab nations against Israel at the very end of the age.

Suffice it to say, prophecy needs to be re-examined. There is far too much false teaching, and the vast majority of Christians believe it. They will be gravely disappointed, I’m afraid.