By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Special Post ~
This past Monday I listened to a number of false teachers on YouTube videos predicting what they think will take place on and after September 23, 2017. I was shocked and saddened to hear all the spectacular, sensational and nonsensical things they were saying, all their errors, these lies of the devil. For example: the rapture is going to take place on September 23, 2017 – FALSE. The world as we know it will end on September 23, 2017 – FALSE. There will be a number of signs and events taking place on September 23, 2017, that will then lead to the end of this world – FALSE.
After listening to this false teaching, I felt compelled to share the truth and give some instruction, for you need discernment, you need to know the difference between what is true and what is false when it comes to prophecy. You need to know what God says is going to take place in the future so you don’t fall prey to the end times’ errors that are so prevalent and rampant in our world today.
1. Be aware of error. Many false teachers, false prophets and false Christs are making predictions and promoting their error, and you need to know what God’s word says about prophecy – you need to be discerning. “See to it that no one misleads you…” Matthew 24:4, 11, 24-25
2. The rapture will not take place on September 23, 2017. The Bible makes it very clear that no one knows the day or hour of the rapture, and therefore no one can predict the day or hour of the rapture. “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36
3. The rapture cannot happen on September 23, 2017, and that’s because God’s word tells us many things that still need to take place before Christ’s return and the rapture. There will be an increasing number of false Christs, wars, earthquakes, famines and plagues. There will be a great apostasy, the building of the temple in Jerusalem, the United States declining in power, the realigning of nations, the revealing of the Antichrist, and people taking the mark of the beast. There will be a great persecution of Christians and Jews, global evangelization, and finally, signs in the heavens. All these things are prophesied to occur before the return of Christ and the rapture of the church. God tells us these things because He wants all believers to know the general timing of Christ’s return. “… so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33
4. The rapture of the church is not imminent, and that’s because there are a great number of discernible prophesied events that need to take place before the rapture. We can know the general time of Christ’s return, but we cannot know the specific time. (Point #3 lists many of these prophesied events that will occur before the rapture).
5. Understand what Jesus has told us about the birth pains, the false Christs, wars, earthquakes, famines and plagues (Matthew 24:4-8). This will help you to see that the solar eclipse and hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, are not Biblically prophesied signs of Christ’s return. False teachers are misinterpreting Luke 21:25-26 – “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves.” The “signs in sun…” is referring to signs in the heavens that will take place right before the rapture of the church (Matthew 24:29), and will be seen by everyone on the earth. The “roaring of the sea and the waves” is not referring to recently occurring hurricanes that have hit the United States and its territories, but will be a result of a great earthquake occurring right before the coming of Christ (Psalm 46:2-3, Revelation 6:12). Hurricanes, catastrophic as they may be, are not spoken of as prophecy predicting events in the Bible.
6. Never add to God’s word, or subtract from God’s word. Always remember that truth + error = error. In this recent round of errors concerning September 23, 2017, many false teachers are mixing astrology (Virgo), astronomy (Jupiter) and the Bible (Revelation 12:1-2), and this is so terribly wrong. Mixing the word of God with the word of man results in error. Our understanding of eschatological, end times’ prophecy must be based solely on the Bible, for it is prophetically sufficient, it is all we need to know. “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life.” Revelation 22:18-19, Matthew 24:35
7. Be a good Bible student. Read God’s word; study the word; compare passages; don’t go beyond what is written; interpret the Bible correctly; take it literally, that is in its normal, natural, plain sense; and don’t try to make the events of the world interpret God’s word, but rather let God’s word interpret the events of the world. Saturate your mind with Biblical truth so it becomes a spiritual sieve that filters out the good from the bad, that enables you to recognize the truth and discard the error. Don’t be naive, don’t be deceived, don’t be fooled by the devil, but get discernment and wisdom from God’s word. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.” 2 Timothy 2:15-16
When it comes to prophecy, be very careful of what you watch and who you listen to. Don’t be fooled by false teachers and the deception and lies of the devil. “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many” (Matthew 24:11). I strongly encourage you to check out the following links to other posts that I have specifically written to help you understand the timing and chronology of events leading up to the rapture: North Korea, Microchips, and the Solar Eclipse – A Hurricane is Coming – Be Ready, Watching, Working – Deception or Discernment? – Matthew 24 – A Road Map of the End Times – The Seals of Revelation 6 – The Storm Before the Son – Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? – Daniel’s 70th Week, One of the Keys to Unlocking the End Times.
P.S. – This week’s “Saturday Morning Post” will list out a number of critically important points that will give you a lot more insight and understanding about the end times’ birth pangs.