The Sin of Dogmatism on the Timing of the Rapture

The Sin of Dogmatism

on

The Timing of the Rapture

 

By

 R.A. Coombes


Another Rapture-alert has come and gone again, as have so many over the years. Rapture alerts, of course, are an activity limited primarily to those who hold to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture-timing position and refer to points in time where believers speculate their particular Rapture timing theory might occur and eagerly expect the Rapture to transpire.

We’ve just passed another one of those times, with the ending of this year’s Rosh Hashanah festivals. There are many who think that the Rapture will occur during this Jewish festival time of 2 days. The theory itself, is intriguing and features some very compelling points. This year, was especially of interest because Rosh Hashanah parallels the Crucifixion-Resurrection which doesn’t happen too often.

This year also coincided with the theory that a “generation” is 40 years
and is the length of a generation referred to by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:34 when He said that “this generation will not pass away til all these things be fulfilled.”  The “these things” refers to descriptions of prophetic events that will occur at the time of His Return. The theory then takes the 40 years and tacks that to a key event that starts the clock countdown.

Years ago, many thought that clock started ticking with the rebirth of Israel. After the 1967 “6-Day” war, others speculated that this event would start that 40 year clock to ticking. Now we find that the end of 40 years is up next June. This means that IF this theory is correct and IF the Rosh Hashanah theory is correct, then the Rosh Hashanah should be the festival in which He Returns. Now that Rosh Hashanah has ended, we can rule out that particular theory regarding Rosh Hashanah during the 40 year period beginning in 1967,

Now because nothing happened at Rosh Hashanah, 2006, does not mean the Rapture will not occur on a future Rosh Hashanah, nor does it mean that the Lord can not rapture the church, in our opinion between now and next June 6.  However, the passage of another failed anticipation date does cause us to pause and consider again, this whole notion of “date-setting.”

We’ve always cautioned against the general idea of specific date-setting, as well as trying to be dogmatic on where the Rapture occurs on the prophetic time-lines, i.e. Pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib or pre-wrath, etc etc.

No one, has the right, to be dogmatic on affixing the Rapture to any point on the prophetic time-line. The idea of a Pre-trib rapture is nothing more or less than theoretical. The idea of a Pre-wrath or Mid-trib or a Post-Trib rapture, all are nothing more or less than purely theoretical and none deserve any hint of dogmatism. To dogmatically assert any timing position on the rapture is intellectual dishonesty and a disservice to the cause of Christ. None of these theories can be dogmatically proven from the texts of scripture. NONE, not one.

The arrogance, the wicked, sinful pride of some people who make such dogmatic assertions is an absolute SIN that I believe becomes an Abomination before God. YOU DON”T KNOW!  I DO NOT KNOW! NO ONE but the Father KNOWS when its going to happen on the timelines, let alone the actual year or day or hour. Yet, Satan has craftily deceived many, including many A-O readers, many preachers, many seminary professors and many theologians and prophecy experts of all persuasions into thinking that their pet theory is and can be dogmatically asserted as absolute truth. Those who do so are an abomination and a disgrace before God and disgrace the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If, you have ever made such dogmatic assertions, I hope that the Holy Spirit will convict you of this wickedness, because it creates a false perception within yourself and others in regards to something that simply cannot and was not to be theorized dogmatically. In reality such attitudes are stimulated and propelled by extreme pride and arrogance on the part of the person making such dogmatic assertions.

It should be noted that pride and arrogance are among the “greatest” or most “problematic” of sins, because they are some of the hardest ones for the perpetrator to even realize and recognize that such an attitude he’s holding is an abomination before God. Where is the humility? Where is the humility, today, among the Prophecy watchers when it seems so many, become so dogmatic, on their own pet little timing theories?

The next time, someone comes up to you, or emails you, or their writings cross your path in a book or article and makes a dogmatic assertion about when the Rapture will occur on God’s prophetic timeline, just realize that you are being confronted by someone who is in the process of committing the sin of pride and arrogance and who, in reality is a spiritually immature believer at best.