A Growing Sense of Uneasiness in Christianity and in America:

Are We Facing The Truth Or A Lie?

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As we look closely at the various political movements within Christianity seeking to influence, there must be a deep dive into human nature to appreciate what’s at stake.

This is critical for aggressive movements such as Christian Nationalism, the New Christianity, the various denominations in Protestant faiths, and the Orthodox/Roman Catholic views. The core of these issues is what drives or motivates human actions.

People in general liked to be liked, to be popular, to have fun! This is simply human nature. Preachers and prophets alike want to be loved, adored, and respected. Church leaders count their quality by the number of new members they can add to the church.

The larger the church, the more glory to the leaders — and money! Even as believers, we have a hard time escaping our internal discord and desires. So much so, we even read within the words of God what we prefer to see, not necessarily what is really there.

Case in point: What does God mean when he provides escape for His people? We know the last days will be terrible, full of strife and hatred. No Christian in their right mind would want to be involved with that carnage.

It would be much easier to see a way out of tribulation than to face it head-on. In fact, the most popular Bible teachers have embraced a way of escape from troubles and difficulties — they call in the pretribulation rapture. Teaching this, while very little Biblical evidence backs this perspective, is still preferred and indeed much more popular.

However, did you know that God doesn’t see rapture as more preferred an escape plan than death itself? God doesn’t see death as an ending but simply resting from our labors.

The apostle Paul sees death as a gain.[1] God even tells his people to hide in the ground, in their closets, until His wrath is past.[2] We, however, desire to escape death, and the rapture is a convenient and enticing way to avoid the unpleasantness of dying for the faith.

But are we doing the Church harm by teaching a pre-tribulation rapture?

YES! To do so leaves the saints unprepared to face tribulation and even death if God should allow it. This is the very thing that sets up many to fall away when times get hard, when their faith is tested to the point of dying for it. When they finally realize that dying for Jesus truly means dying to self.

None of what I propose is popular, and I suspect few will ever read these words. Indeed, I do not blame you! I truly hope we escape the coming tribulation, being swept away by the Spirit before the antichrist is revealed and his wrath is poured out.

Sadly, the poor post-tribulation believers will get all the pain and suffering during the tribulation as we escape to play harps on clouds in heaven. Indeed, I do hope this is true; but I would be wrong to depend on that view and mislead many by assuring no risk, no pain, enjoy the American life, and simply get whisked away when it gets hot.

Revelation 7: 9–17 shows a wonderful scene of a multitude of saints dressed in white robes praising God. John is told, these are those that come out of the great ordeal (tribulation), having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

Now, seriously notice, “coming out of the great ordeal.”

This is not coming out before the great ordeal, but during, and the implications of having washed their robes in blood may truly mean those murdered, martyred during the great ordeal.

This is even hinted at in the following verses in Revelation 7: 15–17 where it is said that God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. This is a sign of the past suffering that these saints emerged from.

Some will simply say, that’s the tribulation saints' problem, we’ll be safely tucked away watching them come out of the great suffering — yet no description of those that were spared the suffering is seen or described.

There is nothing in Scripture describing two sets of saints coming out of the earth, the pre-trib group and the post-trib group. All are coming out of the tribulation with the exception of those already dead.

We are also called for endurance during the terrible reign of antichrist as seen in Revelation 14:12–13, and even a salutation to the dead again assuring rest from their labors.

The one passage pre-tribulation teachers hold firmly to is Revelation 3:10, the message to the church at Philadelphia. However, reading closely, there isn’t an indication of not facing or enduring persecution, but a firm acclamation to those having already endured,

“Because you have kept my commands to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”

The difficulty with the above passage is that there are two separate periods that apply; the tribulation and the antichrist, or the wrath of Jesus when he returns. Truly, the saints will be spared Jesus’ wrath that comes upon the whole earth — it’s a terrible period and much more severe than the tribulation. (see Revelation 6:17)

Absolutely, a pre-Wrath Rapture is scriptural. (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10)

This is not an escape story, this is facing danger head-on and surviving through it with faith intact — no matter what it takes. To simply say, that’s for those tribulation saints to face, those converted after the real church is raptured — does that even sound like something a follower of Jesus would say?

Look within deeply, see if it “feels” right, or does it seem…worldly, self-preserving?

These events are governed by the unseen; the supernatural realm that influenced the Bible’s creation. The test each believer must ultimately answer is — why do I do what I do? What motivates my point of view?

When asked, many give canned answers or what they perceive as expected answers. These often include the following: “I know it’s right”, or “I feel it’s right.” Worse, “I was told it is right.” But deep down, we’re afraid to be wrong.

What if America isn’t a chosen nation? What if our works are evil and not good? What if America was never designed to be a Christian nation? What do I do if I have to face the tribulation? What if America the Great falls?

This is precisely why there is such a wide web of discord and disagreement. Many voices, both without and within, are chatting in our psyches. But rarely are they from God. I can go into many examples in the Old Testament when so-called prophets of high reputation were, in fact, not speaking from God.

I favor one example found in the book of Jeremiah in chapter 28. It’s appropriately titled - “Hananiah Opposes Jeremiah and Dies.”

This was a royal battle between two prophets, acclaimed for their abilities, but only one heard God’s word. Hananiah spoke that God had broken Babylon’s yoke and that the threat of attack from Babylon would not happen to the nation of Judah. His prophecies were of comfort and support of the status quo. Any articles that Babylon previously stole would be returned to Judah, including re-establishing the king’s son on the throne.

The effect of these prophecies was that no other views would be considered, and everyone’s guards would be down. Jeremiah, in contrast, started out hoping Hananiah’s words proved true, but he told Hananiah that when the word of a prophet comes true, only then will it be known that the prophet’s words came from the Lord.

Hananiah reacted angrily towards Jeremiah, reaffirming that his words were valid. Jeremiah then predicted that all the bad things he and former prophets had said regarding Judah and the pending captivity by Babylon would happen. But he had a more chilling word for Hananiah — that he would be dead within less than one year. Hananiah died within seven months.

My point is that many prophets are not speaking on behalf of the Lord, although they may be highly regarded or even famous.

The real test of prophecy is within the prophet’s heart, what drives the prophet to make predictions. Is there gain, greed, personal protection, or a desire for change? Are their old grievances stirring in the heart that blind the prophet? Is it the desire for a specific national agenda, a vision of a new order, or even a prediction of bloodshed if the prophet’s vision isn’t followed?

I have written about the fruits of the Spirit versus the instinctual desires of people. It can be said very clearly that no one speaking from the Spirit of God incites violence, war, hateful speech, or attempts to conceal “hidden agendas” to convince the ignorant of their true intentions. No one living under the control of the Spirit of God agitates anger and rage or seeks to enflame old grievances or to divide a nation.

No spiritual person wants revolution or the enforcement of strict laws to control freedoms. No one led by the Spirit of Jesus seeks to escape trials and tribulations. We pray for God’s deliverance, but we submit to His will, not ours. These acts are not compatible in any way with the Spirit of Jesus.

It is not my purpose to be a downer, and prophet of gloom and doom. I, too, wish for deliverance other than death. I welcome the pre-tribulation escape plan — if it were true. However, it doesn’t feel right, and the scriptures do not really support it without a lot of reading gymnastics and puzzle solving.

The saints must be prepared to face the future, and not simply ignore where things are going. Hananiah was much more popular than Jeremiah, as he spoke what people wanted to hear. Jeremiah was despised, as he said what no one wanted to hear.

Today, now, God will put a Jeremiah out there to tell the truth- and be despised. I only pray those with an ear will hear. Will America face the fate of Judah during the days of Jeremiah? Will our pride and resistance to confess our sins and reconcile to God result in our doom?

[1] Philippians 1:21

[2] Isaiah 26:20

© Bob Russell