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THE FOLLOWING IS FROM A WEB PAGE THAT CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://assemblyoftrueisrael.com/Documents/Leftbehind.htm
I BELIEVED IN THE RAPTURE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT NOW LOOKING AT THE MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF IT, AND MANY DENOMINATIONAL INCONSISTENCIES
AND DISUNITY ON THE SUBJECT, AND ALSO AFTER DOING MY OWN STUDY WHICH I WILL SHARE HERE, I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT
THE RAPTURE, AS THE CHURCH BELIEVES IT, IS NOT GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
IN FACT IT IS A FALSE DOCTRINE THAT WAS MADE UP BY THE CATHOLICS, LIKE HELL WAS, IN ORDER TO COUNTER THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.
THIS HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THROUGH VARIOUS SOURCES, ONE OF WHICH I WILL POST HERE THAT I FOUND ON A WEB SITE.
IT IS ALL IN HOW YOU STUDY THE BIBLE.
IS IT TRULY CORRECT TO GO THROUGH THE BIBLE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUAL SCRIPTURES AND TAKE THEM OUT OF THEIR ORIGINAL CONTEXT
IN ORDER TO "PROVE" YOUR DOCTRINE IS CORRECT?
IS THAT THE CORRECT WAY TO STUDY THE BIBLE? IF THAT WAS TRUE THEN I CAN JUST GO THROUGH THE BIBLE AND COMPILE ALL THE VERSES
THAT I WANT ON GETTING RICH TO PROVE THAT GETTING RICH SENDS YOU TO HELL.
BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BIBLE AND COMPILE ALL OF THE VERSES YOU CAN TO PROVE THERE IS A HELL.
SO YOU SEE, YOU CAN PROVE, SO CALLED, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING BY SIMPLY COMPILING BIBLE VERSES YOU INTERPRET AS BEING ABOUT THAT
SUBJECT AND MISQUOTE THEM OR TAKE THEM OUT OF THEIR ORIGINAL CONTEXT ENTIRELY, AND MISAPPLY THEM, AND THAT WILL GET YOU INTO
A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THE LORD.
SO LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE ORIGINS OF THE FUTURIST VIEW OF THE TIME OF THE END AND ANTICHRIST AND ALSO THE RAPTURE, SO CALLED,
WHIHC BY THE WAY IS NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE ANYWHERE.
BESIDES , I HAVE RAPTURE DAILY WITH GOD, A RAPTUROUS EXPERIENCE AS HE JUST BLOWS MY MIND, AND I AM TALKING ABOUT THE FATHER
, SON AND THE HOLY GHOST COMMUNICATION AND FELLOWSHIP, PRAISE AND WORSHIP.
WHEN YOU KNOW YOU GOT A HOLD OF THE GODHEAD, AND THAT THESE THREE WHICH ARE ONE ARE LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF YOU IN ALL OF
GOD'S POWER, THROUGH SALVATION AND THE IN-FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN YOU HAVE RAPTURE EVERYDAY 24/7.
HERE IT IS, ON THE RAPTURE AND END TIME:
http://assemblyoftrueisrael.com/Documents/Leftbehind.htm
The Left Behind Deception
A Study into the "Left Behind Deception"
Modern Christianity has largely forgotten the importance of the Protestant Reformation, which took place during the 1500's.
“The sixteenth century presents the spectacle of a stormy sunrise after a dismal night. Europe awoke from long sleep
of superstition. The dead arose. The witnesses to truth who had been silenced and slain stood up once more and renewed their
testimony. The martyred confessors reappeared in the Reformers. There was a cleansing of the spiritual sanctuary. Civil and
religious liberty were inaugurated. The discovery of printing and revival of learning accelerated the movement. There was
progress everywhere. Columbus struck across the ocean and opened a new hemisphere to view. Rome was shaken on her seven hills,
and lost one-half of her dominions. Protestant nations were created. The modern world was called into existence.’1
For almost a thousand years, Europe had been ruled by the iron hand of Rome. Only a few Bibles existed then, and Christianity
was largely permeated with superstition. Faith in Yahshua Messiah, heartfelt appreciation for His love, and a simple trust
in His death on the cross, were almost unknown. The New Testament truth about grace, full forgiveness, and the free gift of
eternal life to believers in the Son of God (Romans 6:23), had been buried under a mass of tradition. Then Martin Luther arose
like a lion in Germany. After a period of tremendous personal struggle, Martin Luther began teaching justification by faith
in Yahshua Messiah (being declared “just’ by God), rather than through reliance on “creature merits,’
or any human works (Romans 1:16; 3:26, 28; 5:1).
Lutherīs Discovery
Eventually, Martin Luther turned to the prophecies. By candlelight, he read about the “little horn,’ the “man
of sin,’ and “the beast,’ and he was shocked as the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart. Finally, he saw the
truth and said to himself, “Why, these prophecies apply to the Roman Catholic Church!’ As he wrestled with this
new insight, the voice of God echoed loudly in his soul, saying, “Preach the word!’ (2 Timothy 4:2). And so, at
the risk of losing his life, Martin Luther preached publicly and in print to an astonished people that Papal Rome was indeed
the AntiMessish of Bible prophecy. Because of this dual message of salvation through faith in Yahshua Messiah apart from works
and of Papal Rome being the AntiMessish, the river of history literally changed its course. Hundreds of thousands of people
in Europe and in England left the Catholic Church.
“‘There are two great truths that stand out in the preaching that brought about the Protestant Reformation,ī American
Bible Commentator, Ralph Woodrow, reminds us, ‘The just shall live by faith, not by the works of Romanism and the Papacy
is the AntiMessish of Scripture.ī It was a message for Messiah and against AntiMessish. The entire Reformation rests upon
this twofold testimony.ī’2 It has been said that the Reformation first discovered Yahshua Messiah, and then, in the
blazing light of Messiah, it discovered the AntiMessish. This mighty, Spirit-filled movement, for Messiah and against the
AntiMessish, shook the world.
H. Grattan Guinness wrote these memorable words: “From the first, and throughout, that movement [the Reformation] was
energized and guided by the prophetic word. Luther never felt strong and free to war against the Papal apostasy till he recognized
the pope as AntiMessiah. It was then that he burned the Papal bull. Knoxīs first sermon, the sermon that launched him on his
mission as a reformer, was on the prophecies concerning the Papacy. The reformers embodied their interpretations of prophecy
in their confessions of faith, and Calvin in his ‘Institutes.ī All of the reformers were unanimous in the matter, even
the mild and cautious Melanchthon was as assured of the antipapal meaning of these prophecies as was Luther himself. And their
interpretation of these prophecies determined their reforming action. It led them to protest against Rome with extraordinary
strength and undaunted courage. It nerved them to resist the claims of the apostate Church to the utmost. It made them martyrs;
it sustained them at the stake. And the views of the Reformers were shared by thousands, by hundreds of thousands. They were
adopted by princes and peoples. Under their influence nations abjured their allegiance to the false priest of Rome.
“In the reaction that followed, all the powers of hell seemed to be let loose upon the adherents of the Reformation.
War followed war: tortures, burnings, and massacres were multiplied. Yet the Reformation stood undefeated and unconquerable.
Godīs word upheld it, and the energies of His Almighty Spirit. It was the work of Messiah as truly as the founding of the
Church eighteen centuries ago; and the revelation of the future which He gave from heaven—that prophetic book with which
the Scripture closes—was one of the mightiest instruments employed in its accomplishment.’3
A Counter-Reformation
In 1545, the Catholic Church convened one of its most famous councils in history, which took place north of Rome in a city
called Trent. The Council of Trent actually continued for three sessions, ending in 1563. One of the main purposes of this
Council was for Catholics to plan a counterattack against Martin Luther and the Protestants. Thus the Council of Trent became
a center for Romeīs Counter-Reformation. Up to this point, Romeīs main method of attack had been largely frontal—the
open burning of Bibles and of heretics. Yet this warfare only confirmed in the minds of Protestants the conviction that Papal
Rome was indeed the Beast which would “make war with the saints’ (Revelation 13:7). Therefore a new tactic was
needed, something less obvious. This is where the Jesuits come in.
On August 15, 1534, Ignatius Loyola (in the title picture) founded a secretive Catholic order called the Society of Yahshua,
also known as the Jesuits. The Jesuits definitely have a dark history of intrigue and sedition, thatīs why they were expelled
from Portugal (1759), France (1764), Spain (1767), Naples (1767), and Russia (1820). “Jesuit priests have been known
throughout history as the most wicked political arm of the Roman Catholic Church. Edmond Paris, in his scholarly work, 'The
Secret History of the Jesuits,' reveals and documents much of this information.’4 At the Council of Trent, the Catholic
Church gave the Jesuits the specific assignment of destroying Protestantism and bringing people back to the Mother Church.
This was to be done not only through the Inquisition and through torture, but also through theology.
The Jesuit Commission
At the Council of Trent, the Jesuits were commissioned by the Pope to develop a new interpretation of Scripture that would
counteract the Protestant application of the Bibleīs AntiMessiah prophecies to the Roman Catholic Church. Francisco Ribera
(1537-1591), a brilliant Jesuit priest and doctor of theology from Spain, basically said, “Here am I, send me.’
Like Martin Luther, Francisco Ribera also read by candlelight the prophecies about the AntiMessiah, the little horn, that
man of sin, and the Beast. But because of his dedication and allegiance to the Pope, he came to conclusions vastly different
from those of the Protestants. “Why, these prophecies donīt apply to the Catholic Church at all!’ Ribera said.
Then to whom do they apply? Ribera proclaimed, “To only one sinister man who will rise up at the end of time!’
“Fantastic!’ was the reply from Rome, and this viewpoint was quickly adopted as the official Roman Catholic position
on the AntiMessiah.
“In 1590, Ribera published a commentary on the Revelation as a counter-interpretation to the prevailing view among Protestants
which identified the Papacy with the AntiMessiah. Ribera applied all of Revelation but the earliest chapters to the end time
rather than to the history of the Church. AntiMessiah would be a single evil person who would be received by the Jews and
would rebuild Jerusalem.’5 “Ribera denied the Protestant Scriptural AntiMessiah (2 Thessalonians 2) as seated
in the church of God—asserted by Augustine, Jerome, Luther and many reformers. He set on an infidel AntiMessiah, outside
the church of God.’6 “The result of his work [Riberaīs] was a twisting and maligning of prophetic truth.’7
Following close behind Francisco Ribera was another brilliant Jesuit scholar, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) of Rome.
Between 1581 and 1593, Cardinal Bellarmine published his “Polemic Lectures Concerning the Disputed Points of the Christian
Belief Against the Heretics of This Time.’ In these lectures, he agreed with Ribera. “The futurist teachings of
Ribera were further popularized by an Italian cardinal and the most renowned of all Jesuit controversialists. His writings
claimed that Paul, Daniel, and John had nothing whatsoever to say about the Papal power. The futuristsī school won general
acceptance among Catholics. They were taught that AntiMessish was a single individual who would not rule until the very end
of time.’8 Through the work of these two tricky Jesuit scholars, we might say that a brand new baby was born into the
world. Protestant historians have given this baby a name—Jesuit Futurism. In fact, Francisco Ribera has been called
the Father of Futurism.
Defining the Issue
Before we go much farther, letīs define some terms. Historicism is the belief that Biblical prophecies about the little horn,
the man of sin, the AntiMessish, the Beast, and the Babylonian Harlot of Revelation 17, all apply to the developing history
of Christianity and to the ongoing struggle between Yahshua Messish and Satan within the Christian Church, culminating at
the end of time. Historicism sees these prophecies as having a direct application to Papal Rome as a system whose doctrines
are actually a denial of the New Testament message of free salvation by grace through simple faith in Yahshua Messish, apart
from works. Historicism was the primary prophetic viewpoint of the Protestant Reformers. In direct opposition to Historicism,
and rising up as a razor-sharp counterattack on Protestantism, was that of the Jesuits with their viewpoint of Futurism, which
basically says, “The AntiMessish prophecies have nothing to do with the history of Papal Rome, rather, they apply to
only one sinister man who comes at the end.’
Thus Jesuit Futurism sweeps 1,500 years of prophetic history under the proverbial rug by inserting its infamous GAP. This
theory teaches that when Rome fell, prophecy stopped, only to continue again right around the time of the Rapture, thus the
“gap’ was created. The ten horns, the little horn, the Beast, and the AntiMessish have nothing to do with Christians
until this “last-day AntiMessish’ should appear. According to this viewpoint, there were no prophecies being fulfilled
during the Dark Ages!
Inroads in Protestantism
For almost 300 years after the Council of Trent, Jesuit Futurism remained largely inside the realm of Catholicism, but the
plan of the Jesuits was that these theological tenets be adopted by Protestants. This adoption process actually began in the
early 1800s in England, and from there it spread to America. The story of how this happened is both fascinating and tragic.
As I briefly share some of the highlights, I want to clarify that I am not judging the genuineness of these Christian men.
They may have been sincere, yet at the same time deceived in some areas of their theological understanding.
“The Futurism of Ribera never posed a positive threat to the Protestants for three centuries. It was virtually confined
to the Roman Church. But early in the nineteenth century it sprang forth with vehemence and latched on to Protestants of the
Established Church of England.’9 Dr. Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792-1866), a lawyer and Bible scholar, became a librarian
to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is very likely that one day he discovered Riberaīs commentary in the library. In any event,
in 1826 he published a widely-read book attacking the Reformation and supporting Riberaīs idea of a future one-man AntiMessish.
For the next ten years, in tract after tract, he continued his anti-Reformation rhetoric. As a result of his zeal and strong
attacks against the Reformation in England, the Protestantism of that very nation which produced the King James Bible (1611)
received a crushing blow.
After Dr. Maitland came James H. Todd, a professor of Hebrew at the University of Dublin. Todd accepted the futuristic ideas
of Maitland, publishing his own supportive pamphlets and books. Then came John Henry Newman (1801-1890), a member of the Church
of England and a leader of the famous Oxford Movement (1833-1845). In 1850, Newman wrote his “Letter on Anglican Difficulties,’
revealing that one of the goals in the Oxford Movement was to finally absorb “the various English denominations and
parties’ back into the Church of Rome. After publishing a pamphlet endorsing Toddīs futurism about a one-man AntiMessish,
Newman soon became a full Roman Catholic, and later even a highly honored Cardinal. Through the influence of Maitland, Todd,
Newman, and others, a definite “Romeward movement was already arising, destined to sweep away the old Protestant landmarks,
as with a flood.’10
Then came the much-respected Scottish Presbyterian minister, Edward Irving (1792-1834), the acknowledged forerunner of both
the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Irving pastored the large Chalcedonian Chapel in London with over 1,000 members.
When Irving turned to the prophecies, he eventually accepted the one-man AntiMessish idea of Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and
Ribera, yet he went a step further. Somewhere around 1830, Edward Irving began to teach the unique idea of a two-phase return
of Messish, the first phase being a secret rapture prior to the rise of the AntiMessish. Where he got this idea is a matter
of much dispute. Journalist Dave MacPherson believes Irving accepted it is a result of a prophetic revelation given to a young
Scottish girl named Margaret McDonald.11 In any case, the fact is, Irving taught it!
In the midst of this growing anti-Protestant climate in England, there arose a man by the name of John Nelson Darby (1800-1882).
A brilliant lawyer, pastor, and theologian, he wrote more than 53 books on Bible subjects. A much-respected Christian and
a man of deep piety, Darby took a strong stand in favor of the infallibility of the Bible in contrast with the liberalism
of his day. He became one of the leaders of a group in Plymouth, England, which became known as the Plymouth Brethren. Darbyīs
contribution to the development of evangelical theology has been so great that he has been called The Father of Modern Dispensationalism.
Yet John Nelson Darby, like Edward Irving, also became a strong promoter of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture followed by a one-man
AntiMessish. In fact, this teaching has become a hallmark of Dispensationalism.
Dispensationalism is the theory that God deals with mankind in major dispensations or periods. According to Darby, we are
now in the “Church Age,’ that is, until the Rapture. After the Rapture, then the seven-year period of Daniel 9:27
will supposedly kick in, and this is when the AntiMessish will rise up against the Jews. In fact, John Nelson Darby laid much
of the foundation for the present popular removal of Danielīs 70th week away from history and from Yahshua Messish in favor
of applying it to a future Tribulation after the Rapture. Thus, in spite of all the positives of his ministry, Darby followed
Maitland, Todd, Bellarmine, and Ribera by incorporating the teachings of Futurism into his theology. This created a link between
John Nelson Darby, the Father of Dispensationalism, and the Jesuit Francisco Ribera, the Father of Futurism. Darby visited
America six times between 1859-1874, preaching in all of its major cities, during which time he definitely planted the seeds
of Futurism in American soil. The child of the Jesuits was growing up.
Futurism in America
One of the most important figures in this whole drama is Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921), a Kansas lawyer who was greatly
influenced by the writings of Darby. In 1909, Scofield published the first edition of his famous Scofield Reference Bible.
In the early 1900's, this Bible became so popular in American Protestant Bible schools that it was necessary to print literally
millions of copies. Yet, in the much-respected footnotes of this very Bible, Scofield injected large doses of the fluid of
Futurism also found in the writings of Darby, Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and Ribera. Through the Scofield Bible, the Jesuit
child reached young adulthood. The doctrine of an AntiMessish still to come was becoming firmly established inside 20th-century
American Protestantism.
The Moody Bible Institute and the Dallas Theological Seminary have strongly supported the teachings of John Nelson Darby,
and this has continued to fuel Futurismīs growth. Then in the 1970's, Pastor Hal Lindsey, a graduate of Dallas Theological
Seminary, released his blockbuster book The Late Great Planet Earth. This 177-page, easy-to-read volume brought Futurism to
the masses of American Christianity, and beyond. The New York Times labeled it “The number one best-seller of the decade.’
Over 30 million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into over 30 languages. Through 'The Late Great Planet Earth,'
Jesuit Futurism took a strong hold over the Protestant Christian world.
Left Behind
Now we have Left Behind. In the 1990's, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins took the future one-man AntiMessish idea of Hal Lindsey,
Scofield, Darby, Irving, Newman, Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and Ribera, and turned it into “The most successful Christian-fiction
series ever’ (Publishers Weekly). Hal Lindseyīs book, 'The Late Great Planet Earth,' was largely theological, which
limited its appeal, while Left Behind is a sequence of highly imaginative novels, “overflowing with suspense, action,
and adventure,’ a “Christian thriller,’ with a “label its creators could never have predicted: blockbuster
success’ (Entertainment Weekly). The much-respected television ministries of Jack Van Impe, Peter and Paul Lalonde,
and Pastor John Hagee, have all worked together to produce LEFT BEHIND: The Movie. The entire project has even caught the
attention of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, resulting in an interview of LaHaye and Jenkins on Larry King
Live. The Left Behind books have been made available on displays at WalMart, Fryīs Electronics, and inside countless other
stores.
Again, let me clarify, I am not judging the genuineness of the authors of Left Behind and the leaders of these television
ministries. They may be sincere, and have their own walk with God. But they are deceived into wrong ideas concerning Bible
prophecy. God may even use Left Behind to influence people for Yahshua Messish. But, in the full light of Scripture, prophecy,
and the Protestant Reformation, something is terribly wrong. Left Behind is now teaching much of the same Jesuit Futurism
as Francisco Ribera, which is hiding the real truth about the AntiMessish. Through Left Behind, the floodgates of Futurism
have been opened, unleashing a massive tidal wave of false prophecy which is now sweeping over America. Sadly, it is a false
“idea whose time has come.’
The Prophetic Foundation
As we have already seen, the theological foundation for the entire Left Behind series is the application of the “seven
years’ of Daniel 9:27 to a future period of Tribulation. Are you ready for this? Guess who was one of the very first
scholars to slice Danielīs 70th week away from the first 69 weeks, sliding it down to the end of time? It was Francisco Ribera!
“Riberaīs primary apparatus was the seventy weeks. He taught that Danielīs 70th week was still in the future. . . It
was as though God put a giant rubber band on this Messianic time measure. Does this supposition sound familiar? This is exactly
the scenario used by Hal Lindsey and a multitude of other current prophecy teachers.’12
When most Christians look at the last 1,500 years, how much fulfilled prophecy do they see? None, zero, because almost everything
is now being applied to a future time period after the Rapture. As we have seen, this GAP idea originated with the Jesuits,
and its insertion into the majority of 21st century prophetic teaching is now blinding millions of hearts and eyes to what
has gone before, and to what is happening right now inside the Church. “It is this GAP theory that permeates Futurismīs
interpretation of all apocalyptic prophecy.’13 In love and in the Spirit of Yahshua Messish, someone should publicly
appeal to the major prophetic television ministries of today to re-evaluate their positions. Hopefully, like noble ships with
a new command from their captain, they will yet change their course.
Jesuit Futurism has almost completely changed the beliefs of Protestant Historicism. “The proper eschatological term
for the view most taught today is Futurism, which fuels the confusion of Dispensationalism. The futuristic school of Bible
prophecy came from the Roman Catholic Church, specifically her Jesuit theologians. . . However the alternative has been believed
for centuries. It is known as Historicism.’14 “It is a matter for deep regret that those who hold and advocate
the Futurist system at the present day, Protestants as they are for the most part, are thus really playing into the hands
of Rome, and helping to screen the Papacy from detection as the AntiMessish.’15
Who Had It Right?
Who had the right theology—those who were burned at the stake for Yahshua Messish, or those who lit the fires? Who had
the true Bible doctrine—the martyrs or their persecutors? Who had the correct interpretation of the AntiMessish—those
who died trusting in the blood of Messish, or those who shed the blood of Godīs dear saints? Dear friend, Jesuit Futurism
is now at war with the Protestant Reformation by denying its power-packed application of prophecy to the Vatican. “The
futurist school of Bible prophecy was created for one reason, and one reason only: to counter the Protestant Reformation!’16
In fact, Jesuit Futurism is at war with the prophecies of the Word of God itself! And if thatīs not enough, consider this.
Jesuit Futurism originated with the Roman Catholic Church, which makes it the very doctrine of the AntiMessish! And when Christian
ministries and movies like A Thief in the Night, Apocalypse, Revelation, Tribulation, and Left Behind, proclaim an AntiMessish
who comes only after the Rapture, what are they really doing? I shudder to even say it. Are you ready for this? They are sincerely
and yet unknowingly teaching the doctrine of the AntiMessish!
Now you know why truth has been left behind. You are now able to see The Left Behind deception. I appeal to you in the loving
name of Yahshua Messish, the Crucified One—Donīt fall for it.
Notes
1 H. Grattan Guinness, Romanism and the Reformation, p. 122
2 Michael de Semlyen, All Roads Lead to Rome, Dorchester House Publications, Dorchester House, England, 1991,
pp. 202, 203
3 H. Grattan Guinness, Romanism and the Reformation, pp. 136, 137
4 Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative. Abundant Life Ministries Reformed Press, 1991, p. 31
5 George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture. Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans, 1956, pp. 37-38
6 Ralph Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 89
7 Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 32
8 Ralph Woodrow, Great Prophecies of the Bible, p. 198
9 Ralph Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 91
10 H. Grattan Guinness, History Unveiling Prophecy or Time As an Interpreter, New York: Fleming H. Revell Co.,
1905, p. 289
11 Dave MacPherson, The Incredible Cover-Up: Exposing the Origins of Rapture Theories. Omega Publications,
Medford Oregon, 1980
12 Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 35
13 Ralph Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 90
14 Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 6
15 Joseph Tanner, Daniel and the Revelation: The Chart of Prophecy and Our Place in It, A Study of the Historical and
Futurist Interpretation. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1898, p. 16
16 Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 34
By Steve Wohlberg
Pastor Wohlberg currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas. This article is adapted from his recent books, Truth Left Behind and
The Left Behind Deception.
Martin Luther, as well as all of the other Reformers, were unanimous in their interpretation of the AntiMessish as the papacy.
Luther never felt strong and free to war against the Papal apostasy till he recognized the pope as AntiMessish. Up to this
point, Romeīs main method of attack had been largely frontal—the open burning of Bibles and of heretics.
At the Council of Trent, the Jesuits were commissioned to develop a new interpretation of Scripture that would counteract
the Protestant Reformation, specifically, the application of the biblical AntiMessish to the Roman Catholic Church. Francisco
Ribera and Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, two Jesuit scholars, published works that taught that the Scriptures written by Paul,
Daniel, and John had nothing whatsoever to say about the Papal power. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, who helped popularize and
propagate the futuristic interpretation of biblical prophecy. Thus Jesuit Futurism sweeps 1,500 years of prophetic history
under the proverbial rug by inserting its infamous GAP. The Futurism of Ribera never posed a positive threat to the Protestants
for three centuries it was virtually confined to the Roman Church.
When Irving turned to the prophecies, he eventually accepted the one-man AntiMessish idea of Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and
Ribera, yet he went a step further, adding to the Futuristic interpretation of prophecy, John Nelson Darby added the theory
of dispensationalism, or the idea that God deals with mankind in major dispensations or periods of time.
Cyrus Scofield, the famed publisher of the Scofield Reference Bible, liberally interspersed the footnotes of his Bible with
large doses of Futurism. These footnotes are still widely accepted by many theologians today.
Left Behind is now teaching much of the same Jesuit Futurism as Francisco Ribera, which is hiding the real truth about the
AntiMessish. Jesuit Futurism has almost completely changed the beliefs of Protestant Historicism who had the right theology—those
who were burned at the stake for Yahshua Messish, or those who lit the fires?
Steve Wohlberg's books are available from the Laymen Ministries bookstore. Exploding the Israel Deception takes a look at
the current popularity of seeking fulfillment of prophecy in the Middle East, and shows what the Bible indicates about these
prophecies. The Left Behind Deception is select chapters from Truth Left Behind. These books will give you the history of
the teachings of the Rapture, and show you the truth of what the Scriptures say about it. The Left Behind Deception is a great
gift for one who has questions on the Rapture, but isn't so in depth as to be overwhelming.
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