Unfortunately, instead of concentrating on being loving Christians and using their time to uplift, comfort and love others as Christ has commanded, some people naming themselves Christians appear more interested in erroneously "soothsaying" about the "end of the world" by "prophesying" the so-called "Tribulation" (that they have invented through misinterpretation). These people are too busy soothsaying to produce loving fruit and instead produce divisive and withering berries.
The doctrine of the so-called end-of-the-world-rapture/tribulation was concocted by the physical minds of a few in relatively recent times; it does not appear in Christian writings until the nineteenth century. "Rapture" is a totally non-Biblical concept. There is no mention of "Rapture" doctrine in any Christian writings, neither those of the Early Church Fathers nor any during the first 1800 years A.D.
The literalistic soothsayers may have memorised parts of the Bible but they look at them with the physical mind and not the spiritual mind. They act like lawyers among themselves and others, which is far removed from the loving Christ who walked the earth and the Way He laid to down for others to follow. They stifle the spirit of the word with the letter of the word. They have not released the love necessary to interpret the spiritual allegories in their Scriptures, and as a consequence they fill young people with fear and wicked imaginings instead of love, and in turn retard the purpose and the plan of God.
They have devised a mental escape from the very reasons they came into a body of flesh. They want to escape their responsibilities as Christians to love their neighbours as themselves. They seem to have little thought for people who do not believe like themselves being punished eternally, and thus these Christians demonstrate that they do not even know the real Nature of the loving Christ. They do not see the beauty in Christ's words: "I did not come to judge the world but to save the world" (John12:47).
The tens of thousands of soothsayers in today's world are somewhat like the Pharisees (interpreters of religious law - lawyers) as they look for external signs with the literal, carnal mind, but it is not seen with the physical eyes: "When he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation". Indeed, the Kingdom of God has already arrived: "Neither shall they say, it is here! Or it is there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20,21).
One must truly consider what kind of spirit it is that looks forward to the future suffering and "punishment" of innocent people, simply because they had a different religious understanding concerning: "And his disciples James and John having seen, said, ‘Sir, wilt thou that we may command fire to come down from the heaven, and to consume them, as also Elijah did?’ and having turned, he rebuked them, and said, ‘You know not of what spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save;’ ". End-of-world soothsayers should seriously look at their interpretations and readjust them to be in accord with Christ's attitude - for they know not what spirit they are of.
Indeed, the soothsayers have so misunderstood not only the Nature of our Lord, but they have created from His words a theory of the end of the world which they call the Word of God, when in fact the words that Christ spoke that the Tribulationists have misinterpreted have already been fulfilled.
A careful and unbiased study of historical records contemporary with Christ, reveals that historians with no affiliation to Christianity have in fact recorded many of the events to which Christ's prophetic words concerning the Tribultation referred - His prophecies were fulfilled in the first century A.D.
Here are two works for the discerning reader which present clear facts as showing that the so-called End Times have already occurred: The destruction of Jerusalem and The Parousia. Also to consider: Christians to whom He spoke were alive when the end came. The Christ Way is the way of sanity, and it is wise to gain the proper perspective concerning the issue of the often misinterpreted Tribulation.
Now, modern-day soothsaying aside, what, then, is the correct direction for a follower of Christ? Consider this: These things are against God: "A proud look (vanity, elitism), a lying tongue (dishonesty), and hands that shed innocent blood (devil-may-care violence). A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (formulation of execrable imaginings), feet that be swift in running to mischief (quick to cause trouble and strife). A false witness that speaketh lies (causing trouble to the innocent through spreading falsehoods) and he that soweth discord among brethren (determined to be divisive) (Prov. 6: 17-19)" .
Now, if the soothsayers are making material deductions from writings in the Bible that are meant to be taken in a spiritual sense and not a material sense (as this article is claiming), then the self-proclaimed oracles are really carrying out the above to greater or lesser degree. Therefore, when hearing the forecasters-of-doom, one should do as Jesus Himself said to His followers (of two thousand years ago): "Take heed that no one may lead you astray (Matt. 24:4)".
When he or she "prophesies" such things as the "end of the world" and salvation for the so-named "elect" (themselves), who are "plucked" or "snatched" into "the air" while all the rest of humanity suffer fire and torture - then he or she is displaying the height of selfishness in a most un-Christ-like way, as Jesus Christ left His Godhead and came to live and be amongst the poor and broken-hearted - He came to search for the lost sheep until He finds it - He did not come to be "snatched up" in the air away from all the trouble, no!
In truth, there would be no forecasting "The Tribulation" or "End Times" if people followed the new commandment that Christ gave: "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you" (John 13:34).
Why? Because by truly following this commandment in the Christ way, then there would be no room nor time for them. There would be no time for soothsaying imaginary events, there would be no time to cause trouble and strife with misguided interpretations, there would be no time to cause trouble to the innocent through spreading falsehoods about the end of the world.
Do not ever underestimate the importance of loving thy neighbour as He loved us. He gave His all out of love for us, He went to die out of love for us, He even forgave His executioners because He loved them! If people loved like Christ, then there would be no wicked imaginations, no soothsaying, no time for evil.
" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself' " (Matt. 22:37-40).
These sayings are not merely an afterthought, a little add on to His existence as God in the flesh. This is what He came to scatter. Without doing these things, everything else, with all its import, with all its urgency, is meaningless. It is not some little thing to do, it is the thing which is commanded by the Saviour to do. It is the most important, the key to the mystery, the answer to all ills and problems.
Saying these sayings is also meaningless without doing these sayings. "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
The whole law and the prophets rest upon loving God and thy neighbour as He has loved us. Without truly loving thy neighbour, the law and the prophets are unhinged, meaningless - because they hang on loving God and ones neighbour as He loved us.
Loving God and loving ones neighbour as He loved us is as the Inn of Suffering Love, and above its door hangs the sign of the law and the prophets. But when love for others is not as He loved us, then the sign is blown by the storm of the lesser self, and its words shattered upon the ground, smashed into pieces, the message undecipherable.
The emphasis of His teachings should be on this, and this alone: Love God with all thy heart, and simultaneously, love thy neighbour as He loved us. This is of the utmost importance not just for here but for the World to come, or much readjusting will have to take place before true happiness can be known.
And He told us how in many ways, this is just one, where He puts Himself in the place of our neighbour:
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me' " (Matt. 25:35-40).
It must be from the heart, and real love for ones neighbour must be in the heart, not divisive foolishness, not imaginations of wickedness.
And it is not for our own protection that we love our neighbour, although it is protection yet incomplete, for this is but self-preservation. It is out of love for God and love for our neighbour alone that we do these things. It is for their sakes. It is that simple.
It must unconditional love, there is no: "Yes, I love my neighbour but...(excuses, wicked imaginations, etc)". But it is: "Love others as I have loved you". "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt 5:4).
If this is done instead of all the mind games and cleverness and wicked imaginations (religious or otherwise), then He will show Himself in such a magnificent way that even the wildest dreams of the most avid lover of God will have fallen far short of His displayed Beauty.
He did not give a new commandment merely in passing. It is not an optional extra; it is the cornerstone of His teaching upon which everything else rests - otherwise it is meaningless, namely this: God so loved His children that He came as His own Christ in the form of Jesus of Nazareth to be with us, to show us the Way, to suffer with and for us, and to die for us - this is how much He loved us.
"If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4: 11). "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34)".
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