Is There Really A Seven Year Tribulation Period At The End Of The Age?

In Christian eschatology the notion of a seven year tribulation period has become a standard belief system. Notably the concept revolves around “the rapture of the church”. People further divide the belief into pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation and post-tribulation rapture beliefs.

First of all, a secret rapture of the church is not Biblical. This false doctrine comes from a rewritten version of the Bible by John Darby around 1830. The idea was packaged and promoted by the scoundrel Scofield, who created long lists of footnotes in the Bible, and added to the false teachings.

The word rapture is not in the Bible at all. It was invented and added to the Bible by John Darby based on the experiences of a fifteen year old girl levitating during a seance. Since nothing is to be added to the Bible, or taken away – surely this is one of the biggest lies ever invented.

In my opinion, the rapture is a mockery of the resurrection. For those who believe in the idea of being whisked away to some unknown destination in order to escape tribulation, they are placing their beliefs in falsehood, and in the crooked doctrine of dispensationalism.

Dispensationalism has crept into multiple mainstream churches. In many cases, Christians do not even know they are being taught from a corrupted source. Those who do adhere to dispensationalism to the point of extremism, are the worst of the worst. They demonstrate the cultish and bizarre aspects of this false teaching, by the way they treat people. They believe deception and lawlessness is justified “if it suits God’s purpose”. What they really mean, is anything goes, as long as it suits their own purpose. They have aligned themselves with “the father of lies”.

The fictional versions of the rapture theory came out in many popular books and movies. In 1941 there was a movie titled “The Rapture”. In 1972 it was “A Thief In The Night”. In 1977 “A Distant Thunder”. In 1980 “Image Of The Beast” and in 1981 “Years Of The Beast”. In 1983 “The Prodigal Planet”. In 1998 “The End Of The Harvest” and another called “The Apocalypse: Caught In The Eye Of The Storm”. In 1999 it was “The Revelation” and “The Moment After”.

But probably the most infamous of the creepy movie genre, was in 2000 “Left Behind”. This became somewhat of a series with Left Behind 11 Tribulation Force” in 2002. Then there was one simply called “Gone” in 2002. In 2009 they upped the ante and made a movie called “Knowing” and another one called “Countdown: Jerusalem” and “In The Blink Of An Eye”. In 2112 there was “Mark” and in 2013 “Mark 2: Redemption”.

In 2013 things became even more sinister with “New World Order: The End Has Come”and then with another called “This Is The End”. After that there were fifteen more movies on the rapture and the apocalypse.

The first question we should ask ourselves is – How did Hollywood end up shaping our beliefs about the Bible? And why would they promote the rapture theory with such determination and fanfare? In fact, there is no Biblical basis for it at all. Each person has to sort that out for themselves because the rapture theory, for many is entrenched.

If the secret rapture theory is debunked, then how do they divide the belief systems into pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib? The concept is so well known, it is shortened to abbreviations with the assumption all Christians would choose one of the options.

The pre-trib fantasy is quite attractive since it means that as soon as the going gets tough, there will be a magical secret rescue. Since the tribulation timeline, which is tied to dispensational theology, spans a seven year period, the mid-trib belief takes people out of the world half way through, at the three and a half year point on the dotted line. The post-trib rapture is an exit into the clouds after, or at the end of the seven year tribulation.

The next question we should ask ourselves is – What about the tribulation people faced prior to all these movies and rapture theology? After all, the Darby Bible was not written until the mid 1800’s. Prior to that, there was no such concept. The early church suffered horrific persecution, yet they had no escape clause. In fact, the Bible tells us that all Christians will face persecution in one way or another. In addition, all people will face a certain amount of tribulation in life – whether they are Christian or not.

Tribulation comes in many shapes, forms, sizes, and disguises. Sometimes we bring it on ourselves. Other times, it just happens. There is tribulation in addiction, in grief, in failure, in betrayal, in violence, in deception, in sickness, in isolation, in rejection, in mental illness, in divorce, in family breakdown, in conflict, in accidents, in poverty, in mistakes, and in injuries. In addition, those who are afflicted and in pain – will have an impact on the people around them. Tribulation has a rippling effect.

We tend to think of tribulation in catastrophic terms, but the weight of oppression can be just as deadly. We are in a spiritual battle more than anything, and the Bible tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

What is the point of, or meaning of faith for the person who believes Christians are guaranteed an exit from this world before they face tribulation? Tribulation is what tests and increases our faith. We are supposed to have sufficient courage to face tribulation, and trust God no matter what happens. Otherwise our faith is weak.

If we do not become familiar with what it actually says in the Bible, the indoctrination of false beliefs and misinterpretations can be quite confusing. But when you try to figure out how they come to these conclusions, it leaves you scratching your head, because you cannot find what they are teaching in the Bible.

Finally more and more Christian teachers and pastors are recognizing the implications of this false teaching. It is sometimes referred to as “the doctrine of devils” because the entire Darby Bible is corrupted in more ways than one. It is corrupted from start to finish, and this is just one area of complete falsehood. They should be called Darbyites, so people know they are being taught from a different version of the Bible.

I was indoctrinated and brainwashed with these false Darby beliefs by an aggressive religious zealot high school teacher. I know many people will not let go of the idea of the raptured church, and see it as a matter of their own faith. I can give personal testimony to the kind of off-base cult that gives rise to this type of hearsay.

Many people take comfort and encouragement in such teachings, because they have put their hope in escapism. But we have been warned and advised to seek the truth. Do not be deceived. We have been steeped in dread over the “coming tribulation” instead of retaining the hope and knowledge of the reality of our situation. There is only one second coming. Any other teaching is leading people astray while simultaneously weakening or destroying their faith.

Regardless of what we believe, we are approaching end times. Each day is one day closer to the end of this age. One way or another, each day brings us one day closer to the realization we will die. When that happens, we are at the end of our own age. Whether it is from chronic disease, an infection, cancer, old age, an accident, brain bleed, or whatever – we will face death on a personal level unless Christ returns before we die.

What the Bible does say is that when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are still alive will be lifted up to meet him in the air as well. How can there be an escape or rescue for the dead? They are no longer facing tribulation or persecution. Therefore the resurrection of the saints is not tied to a post tribulation rapture either.

Obviously the second coming, or return of Christ – is not tied to a prior removal of the believers, or there would be no one left alive on the earth to be caught up to meet Christ when he returns. It will definitely be a joyful occasion, but it is not an escape because we all come back to earth after this happens. Everything will be changed though, from our bodies, to how we live our lives.

For those who choose to believe lies, the Bible tells us God sends strong delusion and gives them over to a reprobate mind. The truth might be a rocky road, where we encounter the equivalent of highwaymen with pistols. But I would rather dodge bullets than be given over to a reprobate mind.   For some of us, cognitive dissonance gives us more of a headache than you can shake a stick at.

Truth is as important as love is. Without it, there is no love. It is as important as life itself. We cannot find our way unless we embrace the truth. We are part of the seed of our heritage. Our place within the lineage and offspring, cannot be taken away from us with lies. No one can “lie away” or take away who we are in the great sea of humanity.

My maternal heritage comes from northern Sweden. As with all nations, the history of Sweden has its own unique culture. Throughout the centuries that have passed, each offspring is part of the kings and kingdoms of their own lineage. Even during our upbringing in small town Alberta, there were also many descendants from Germany, the Ukraine and Poland. People referred to the “old country” when talking about where they came from.

From a familial hereditary perspective, I got the interest in textiles and design from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Our great grandmother was a professional seamstress in Sweden. All of them worked with textiles, from carding and spinning wool, to knitting, quilt making and sewing. I loved the quilts our grandmother made. They had velvet flowers and satin stems. She made very beautifully designed themed quilts in bright colours with gorgeous fabrics. I remember examining them, petal by petal, the leaves, and tracing each shimmering stem, marvelling at all the fancy needlework she did just to create a border to frame the scene.

In a similar sense, over the years I have met fishermen and sailors whose calling was to be on the water just as their father and grandfather had been. Some things are in our blood, and just keep on with the tradition or the gift.

In many cases, the farm families who had immigrated from Europe, spoke their original languages at home. It was not uncommon for children to start school without knowing English. Our grandmother was in Canada thirty years, and still refused to speak English, although I knew she understood it quite well. When we went to visit them, she cooked Swedish food, which is quite different from the traditional foods from the Ukraine or Poland.

We have long established bloodlines that are carried from one generation to another. The Bible is full of descriptions about who begat who. Is some deluded teacher going to change all that within my own family history? What were his motives? I was not up for adoption, and there was no adoption. Who would even consider such a plot? He has infiltrated and ripped the family apart in the process.

Some of us are from the seed of Christ, therefore the lineage, the offspring, and the descendants were established a long time ago. We cannot be plugged into another ancestry, and I thank God for that. Anyone who thinks they can steal a person, take over their life, and make parental claims – is absolutely nuts. Anyone who supports such a scheme is also crazy.

In my own case, a hyper dispensational high school teacher made bizarre and false claims that he was adopting me. He repeated these lies so often, people began to believe them. In reality, he was obsessed with a teenage girl, and used religion as a cloak to cover his lies. He held to the image of superiority that a “wonderful Christian” like him, would never lie. Yet his lies and corruption led to a lifetime of persecution over my own life.

I can give my own personal testimony on this. To be naive, is to allow a compulsive liar to destroy your life, and your faith for all eternity. Someone should have told him – You cannot take a person out of their own family tree. What kind of gall does it take to even attempt it? I know what family I came from, and I know what family I belong to.

Why I ever had to put up with that bullying abuse is beyond me. People can believe whatever they want, but they have no right to stalk, exploit, and claim ownership of other people through deception and lies. If not for the strange teacher in a small town school, I  would never have known the Exclusive Brethren even existed, yet I got stuck in the mire of a warped obsession, twisted religion, and a colossal abuse of power.

Although we can easily be wrong interpreting the Bible, the biggest mistake we can make is to follow Hollywood movies, Hollywood type televangelists, or false teachers. There are many false teachers that seem to be increasing by the day. We have to seek the truth directly from the Bible for ourselves. No one else can do it for us.

All I can say is that for each of these strange and false beliefs, they did not sound right to begin with. The creepy movie series, and the false rapture teaching – has created more fear-mongering and mysticism than anything else.

People are looking for an easy escape while at the same time looking toward the future with absolute dread. Again, this is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.

We will face tribulation, and many of us have faced a lifetime of tribulation already. It is not sprung upon us in the final seven years of our lives, or in the final seven years of the world. It is a consistent and unavoidable theme throughout the entire Bible and history of the human race.

We can also be sure we will face persecution, possibly with increasing levels of bullying and harassment as time goes on. It is difficult to understand why someone targets us for what seems like no reason at all. They see something within us that they want to destroy.

The only thing Christians will not face, is the wrath of God. We have much to be thankful for in that regard, because we deserve to be punished for all our transgressions too.

The deception, the intensity, and the overall spiritual battle does increase toward the end of the age. We can already see it happening. We know that lawlessness will increase, and that many other things will happen as the events unfold.

However the outstanding message of the Gospel is one of love, endurance, patience, mercy, faith, and hope. Surely it is much wiser to get the truth out of the authentic and original Bible, instead of the crooked path of Darby’s dispensationalism and Hollywood movies.

The Bible does teach that apostasy will be rampant at the end of the age. Dispensationalism is probably in the top five of the greatest deceptions of all time. It is provably a cult, and represents a massive falling away from the original covenant teachings in the Bible.