False Prophets are Real

There is nothing new about false prophets. Throughout history they have appeared to lead people away from God. Sometimes they are bold. Other times they veil themselves in Christian language slyly leading people astray. Even in modern Christianity they come. Don’t be fooled.

One very powerful and relatively modern false prophecy is the ‘rapture’. This false teaching suggests that God will come and rescue ‘the good’ Christians and leave the others behind to be tortured by evil. The rapture is false. It is a myth. The Church has never believed it. BEWARE.

I offer this today as a response to Christ’s reminder about ‘the end’ when He will return to complete what He began so many centuries ago. He begins, “He who endures to the end will be saved.” If this were not true, Christ wouldn’t’ have said it. Here is the entire passage for today.

The Lord said to his disciples, “He who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. “So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Lo, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Matthew 24.13-28

In this promise about ‘the end’ Christ never says some won’t have to suffer. In fact, Christ says the opposite, “For the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” In other words, if Christ is delayed just one day ‘too long’ even the elect would fall away from salvation.

I think the rapture has welcome ears because the idea of suffering panics even the most prepared of Christians. It is also why it is such a dangerous lie. If we think we can escape suffering as ‘the chosen,’ and be whisked away from danger, we are being fooled.

The rapture lie is no different from when the serpent said, “You will not surely die.” The serpent was lying then. The serpent is lying now. Don’t be fooled ‘just because’ the lie comes from a so-called Christian pastor. Any pastor that leads people away from Christ is no pastor.

Another dangerous lie is when we say, “We’re all Christians.” It causes us to lower our defenses against false prophets. No false prophet claims to be outside the Church. They claim they are part of the Church to gain our trust. Don’t be fooled.

If a Christian is teaching something against the Church, don’t follow. Don’t be fooled. Don’t allow yourself to be ‘lulled’ into comfort thinking “you will not surely die.” It was a lie then. It is still a lie. Christ says, “Don’t believe it.” He wouldn’t say this if the danger wasn’t real. The danger is real.

When we are baptized into the Church, one prayer includes a prayer that we will not veer from the Church. The Church prays that our godparents will help us grow closer to Christ and keep the faith as we have received it. Don’t be fooled. Don’t walk away from the Church.

Sure, the Church has struggled throughout history to remain faithful to Christ and His teachings. That doesn’t mean we can’t trust the Church. The Church has been guided by the Holy Spirit since the day of Pentecost to protect the Truth. The Church has the truth. Others do not.

This is all a lot to say we shouldn’t trust our own logic when it comes to knowing God. We should put our trust in the Church guided by the Holy Spirit. When we hear someone, in or outside the Church, teaching against the Church, it should be a warning to us.

False prophets are real. Don’t be fooled. Don’t follow them. Follow the Church.