The Primary Sign of the Rapture

(Continued...)

Those churches that do not proclaim God's holy way of living and His Gospel are preaching a different Gospel, and their pastors are therefore cursed (1 Peter 4:17).

We know that the great apostasy, or falling away from the faith, precedes the introduction of the Antichrist: "Let no one deceive you [Matthew 24:4] in any way. For that day [the day of the Lord - judgment] will not come, unless the rebellion [Apostasy, Falling Away from the Faith] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Antichrist] is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the [rebuilt] temple of God [in Jerusalem, Israel], proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

It is imperative that the true church of Christ call all dead and Laodicean churches to repent before the return of Christ. The problem is, when true Christians stand up and denounce these churches, they are shouted down by those who prefer to cling to false doctrine. Paul warned: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers [pastors] to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Timothy 4:3).

Jesus said: "If you do not wake up [and proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins in my name], I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come against you [I will be your enemy]. The one who conquers [remains in the faith] will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the [Holy] Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:2-6).

Continued in Beliefs Sidebox...