There are now no doubts whatsoever Bilderberger and Jesuit Herman Van Rompuy is shaping up to be the Biblical Antichrist?

Shabby and secret dealings between member states last year made Herman Van Rompuy president of the European Council. At the time, he was mocked in Britain largely because he was unknown, mouse-like and, well, Belgian. That is now something the Brits may now live to regret forever?

But last night in Berlin, Van Rompuy showed what there is a very strong probability that he is - the Biblical Antichrist, and that He is, a dangerous, cynical man who intends that all of Europe should be turned into a vast version of Belgium, an invented country called Europe where the loyal feelings and patriotism of the ancient nations are suppressed -- all replaced with a European nationalism.

Last night Van Rompuy gave a speech in which he condemned 'the danger of a new Euro-scepticism. This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries. In every member state, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the globalised world. It is more than an illusion. It is a lie!'

[Note, I can't think of any state in the world outside Burma and North Korea that imagines it can survive alone. What Van R is attacking is any country and any people who imagine they are equipped to run their own state without an undemocratic Superstate being in control such as what the EU has turned out to be. Damn shocking, those Swiss.]

'The biggest enemy of Europe today is fear. Fear leads to egoism, egoism leads to nationalism and nationalism leads to war.'

'Today's nationalism is often not a positive feeling of pride in one's own identity, but a negative feeling of apprehension of others.'

By the ratifying of the EU constitution, even it be ever so slightly, what has been achieved is to place more and more power into the hands of Van Rompuy, and that can only be to the detriment to not only the EU but the entirety of mankind as well. More particularly, those that are not Born Again into the spirit of the living God.

Accordingly, one can make no mistake the aforementioned are the words of a man who has just been given more authority than any other human being in the combined history of the EU, (and for that matter the whole of the world) and gives a true insight of what his true intentions are, to plunge the world into the most catastrophic world war the world has ever witnessed.

Forget about the casualties of the first and second world wars combined, Bilderberger and Jesuit Van Rompuy is the most vile man ever to walk the face of the earth and his atrocities are going to make Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and all of the other megalomaniacs that have ever waxed vain on the face of the earth seem like Sunday School teachers by comparison as he sets out to destroy well over one third of the total of the population of the world.

Nonetheless there are still going to be some that are going to call that tripe, but let them say whatever they like, the facts of the matter still remain the EU is the final world empire on the face of the earth before the return back onto the earth of the Lord Jesus Christ and that whoever is appointed as their leader of the fully Revised Roman Empire is the one the Bible calls the Beast.

Nationalism' is not nationalism as we understand it. The word is used instead to mean any expression of rational self-interest by one country. It is used to mean any preference by any citizen for their own homeland or culture or political system over others.

Remember, the European Commission is the institution in which its employees are trained never to mention their own home countries if the word can possible be avoided -- British Eurocrats are trained not to say Britain but to say only 'the country I know best.' This is why the EU has rigged up the idea of dividing Europe into 'regions' which ignore, indeed, erase, national boundaries. This is why, under law, we are all called 'citizens of the EU' now. It's not just a gesture, it's a fact, and cynical creatures such as Van Rompuy means we should all become 'citizens of the EU' in every sense.

WE can't say we weren't warned. The day after Van Rompuy was appointed, Paul Belien, a Flemish historian and lawyer, warned readers of the Mail that the newly powerful president of the council was a man 'devoid of patriotism and contemptuous of democracy.'

Belien has known and observed Van Rompuy since the mid-1980s. He called Van Rompuy 'a shrewd manipulator, he will do all in his power to further EU integration.'

'Van Rompuy is a product of the debased, corrupt political life of Belgium. Like the EU, it is an artificial construction, the result of political compromise and experiment.'

'Because of this lack of real nationhood, Belgians despise their own state. But this unpatriotic attitude is precisely the reason why Belgian politicians have been so enthusiastic about the EU, in which they see the mirror image of their own fraudulent, unprincipled country.'

Which is to say, Van Rompuy is precisely the man to lead the Belgianisation of Europe. Make no judgment of error, the EU is an empire with global ambitions. It was no mere gesture that in his acceptance speech as president of the council, Van Rompuy extolled 'global governance.' Pay the man the compliment of believing he means what he says.

And then be prepared to treat him as the dangerous, cynical anti-patriot he is, and a man who seeks not only to gain total control not only over those that live within the sphere of the EU, but over every living creature on the planet as well.

The worst part of this is that he looks nigh on well set to achieve that very objective as we race head on towards the very end of mankind's existence here on the earth as we know it on this day.

THE ANTICHRIST - AN ARTICLE WELL WORTH READING

Preface:I thought this article was so good that it was well worth while repeating here, and for those that were, or are, looking to correctly identify the Antichrist there could be no surer guide than this.

The one section of this article that impressed me over and above every other portion of the article was the point that the author made of the ongoing work the introduction into the world of the final Antichrist, spanning thousands of years, has been for Satan.

Also that even after successive generations have been trying unsuccessfully to identify the Antichrist, there has not been a single person, in a single generation, that has been close to, or has had success in doing so.

And even after thousands of years ago there have been Christians of every generation who had thought they had identified the final Antichrist as the one who is to go up against the real Christ in the battle of the Armageddon, when the reality of the matter has been entirely different, they had not.

As the writer of the article had said there have been many, many Antichrists just as there has been over the centuries, just as there may be for and as there may be for many, many years to come, although that would seem to be highly unlikely given the rapid rate in which the Bible prophecies are currently being filled?

In other words, what the writer of the article was saying in that respect was that in every generation Satan has had his Antichrist jacked up and ready to go, but that we may not have reached the stage whereby the final Antichrist is ready to go, even though as I have said above that suggested scenario is highly unlikely.

Now read the rest of the article, it is good as there is nothing that has been written there that I could not be in agreement with or even choose to have a disagreement over, as the whole load of it is spot on.

THE ANTICHRIST
Antichrist's name gives us indication of what he is. He is Anti-christ As every Jew knows, the name Christ is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, whom the Jews expected to come in God's name to save them. The Messiah, or Christ, is the one anointed by God and qualified to carry out a certain work in God's name. Christ's work is to redeem God's people from sin and death by His own death, and to renew God's creation as a creation of righteousness and peace. The man Jesus of Nazareth (died circa AD 33) is this Christ. He is God's anointed, the servant of Jehovah. He is qualified to do the work of redeeming God's people and renewing creation. The confession of the church down through the ages is, "Jesus is the Christ."

Antichrist is a false Christ, according to Matthew 24:24. He claims to be anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and claims to be qualified to do the work in God's name of redeeming God's people and renewing the creation. But he is not. He is a liar. His claims are false. He is a false Christ.

Antichrist: opposed to Christ and to GodA little word study may help to understand the prefix "anti" in the name Antichrist. Just as antivenom is given to counteract the venom of a snake bite, and antiseptic is used against infection, so Antichrist is against, is opposed to, Jesus Christ. This tells us the essence of what Antichrist is: he is opposition to God's Christ. He is opposition to Christ personally; he is against Christ's Church; he is against Christ's Word, Holy Scripture. Furthermore, because Christ's mission is to show the name of Jehovah God to men by showing Himself to them (see John 17:6, John 14:8,9, and Revelation 13:6), Antichrist is opposed to God Himself. So, although the Antichrist will leave the impression that his motivating force is love, concern for humanity, and pity for the oppressed, what drives Antichrist is not love but hatred. The one motivating force in his life is opposition to Jesus Christ, opposition to all that He stands for, and to all that stand for Him.

Antichrist: in place of Christ
The name Antichrist also indicates substitution. Antichrist opposes Jesus in order to supplant Him, to take His place as Christ. Although the English language does not often use the prefix "anti" to mean substitution, it is a common use of the preposition in the Greek language. When Scripture says that Jesus died "for His people," one of the prepositions used is anti indicating that He died as a substitute for His people. This is the secondary meaning of the preposition anti. Antichrist purposes to be "in the place of," or "a substitute for" Jesus the Christ.

II Thessalonians 2 points out how Antichrist comes as an impostor of the Christ from God, and how there is a striking outward similarity between Antichrist and Christ. Will Jesus Christ be revealed some day? So will Antichrist (Vss 3,8). Will Christ be in God's temple? Antichrist will sit there also (Vs 4). Is Christ God? Antichrist will claim to be (Vs 4). Did Christ support His claim to be God with signs and wonders? Antichrist, too, will perform signs and wonders (Vs 9). Christ has a kingdom; so will Antichrist. Christ comes by the power of the Spirit; Antichrist will come by the power of a spirit, who is the devil himself.

Does it surprise anyone, then, that in the Middle Ages Antichrist was called the "ape of Christ"? He comes in the place of Christ, making himself out to be Christ. In every way mimicking Christ, Antichrist will propose to be Christ. Antichrist is Satan's counterpart to Christ. Jesus was God's choice to establish His kingdom, redeem His people, renew creation; Antichrist is Satan's choice to establish his kingdom, gather in as many people as he can, and subject all to himself. All of God's plan hinges on the works of Jesus, the Christ; all of Satan's plans hinge on the working and success of Antichrist.

Antichrist: an individual person
Although there is difference of opinion among Reformed students of Scripture regarding this, it is not difficult to see why many believe that Antichrist will be one man.

A reality that stands opposed to Jesus, but also that claims to be the Christ, the anointed of God, must be a man as Christ was a man, a man in whom they put their trust, a man to whom the people can look for deliverance from their miseries. How can something claim to be Jesus, the man, and not be a man himself? Supporting this logic, II Thessalonians 2 seems to make this plain. Antichrist is "that man of sin" and "the son of perdition" (Vs 3); he shows "himself that he is God" (Vs 4); he is "that wicked (one)" (Vs 8).

Antichrist will be a definite individual, a particular human being. A single individual of outstanding ability and extraordinary power will arise, who is opposed to Jesus Christ and claims to be the Christ.

It is significant that Antichrist will be a man. Antichrist will not be some strange creature, unrecognizable to you and me, some foreigner, a man from Mars or another solar system. Antichrist will not be a stranger to humanity. Indeed, he will be the final and full development of man, of the human race. You will know him well, for his nature will be your nature. Man always has and always will claim equality and identity with God (witness the insane ravings of the Shirley MacLaines and others today). This man's claims will be believable; he will be one of us.

Antichrist: a political powerRevelation 13 gives further instruction about Antichrist, teaching that his kingdom will be both a political and an ecclesiastical empire. The vision of Revelation 13 must be read in the light of Revelation 12, where the dragon cast out of heaven, identified as the devil and Satan, pursues the woman (who represents the church of Christ) in the new dispensation.

The dragon is angry because the woman's man-child, Jesus Christ, is caught up into heaven before the dragon can devour him. Now he spits his poisonous black bile on the woman, persecuting her, making war with her seed! He hates and tries to devastate the church.

In chapter 13 we have the appearance of two beasts which are the product of the dragon in chapter 12-- his creation and servants ("...and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Vs. 3). This first beast is a wild animal which arises out of the sea. It looks like a leopard, but its feet are like bear's feet and its mouth like a lion's. Its seven heads and ten horns make us think of the dragon himself in chapter 12:3 where he was pictured with seven heads and ten horns. The heads of the beast are full of blasphemy. And one of the heads has a scar from a wound now healed. After the beast has risen from the sea, the whole world worships this beast, while it spews out blasphemies against God and makes war with the saints and overcomes them. This is the same beast that Revelation 17:3 refers to, where it is described as scarlet in color, ridden by a great whore. If you study the vision in Revelation 13 in connection with Daniel 7, you will see that the vision of Revelation 13 is based on that of Daniel 7, and that the beast of Revelation 13 is the beast of Daniel 7. John's beast from the sea is a combination of the leopard, bear, lion, and indescribable fourth beast of Daniel 7, whose ten horns give rise to one horn that speaks great, boastful things, and makes war with the saints and prevails!

What does this beast from the sea represent?

Antichrist! But Antichrist as a world government, a political power, the likes of which this world has never seen. The origin of this beast is the sea, which represents the restless nations and peoples of the earth. Isaiah 57:20teaches, "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose water cast up mire and dirt." If more is needed, Revelation 17 tells us that "the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples and multitudes and nations." Little doubt is left when we see that the beast has horns and crowns. In Scripture horns are symbolic of power, and crowns of ruling authority. Besides, Revelation 13:2 says that the beast has power and a throne and great authority; and verse 7 says that he has power over all kindreds and tongues and nations. If any question remains, Daniel 7 says that the four beasts are four kings; and Revelation 17 says the beast from the earth is a king. The centuries of division and separation on this earth will end in one world government. The Antichrist is a political reality, a new world order, a global unity.

We emphasize the point in the preceding paragraph because there is often the impression that Antichrist will simply be a religious figure. Scripture makes clear, however, that Anti-Christ will be a political power.

This political power will be a worldwide power.

The beast has ten horns and ten crowns, representing fullness of power and authority over the nations of the world. Verse 3 says that all the world wondered after the beast. Verse 7 says that he has power over all kindreds and tongues and nations. And verse 8 says that all that dwell on the earth shall worship him (all, of course, except those whose names have been written in the Lamb's book of life).

But it is a worldwide power that is the goal of, and embodiment of, all previous world powers. This is brought out in Revelation 13 in two ways. Follow along carefully as we look at this important point. First, the beast of Revelation 13 has the characteristics of a leopard, a bear, and a lion, so that, even though it is the final development of Daniel 7's fourth beast, it somehow embodies the other three as well. The four beasts of Daniel 7, almost all agree, represent four great world kingdoms: Babylon headed by Nebuchadnezzar; the Medes and Persians led by Cyrus; Greece and Macedonia under Alexander the Great, and, finally, Rome. The beast of Revelation 13 is the final development of the old, Roman kingdom (which indicates that Antichrist will come out of the Christian West, and not the pagan East), but it takes into itself also the other great kingdoms.

Secondly, that Antichrist's is a worldwide kingdom is also the meaning of the seven heads of the beast described in Revelation 17. The 7 heads of the beast are 7 kingdoms-- five of them had already fallen, one of them was still standing (at the time John wrote this prophecy about AD 95), and one yet to come. Rome was the kingdom in existence, and the one yet to come is the Antichristian kingdom. The five which have already passed out of existence were the Greek kingdom, the Medo-Persian, the Babylonian, the Assyrian, and the kingdom of Babel, headed by Nimrod. We see, therefore, one beast with seven heads. And now the Spirit teaches us that the great kingdom of Antichrist, as the embodiment of these former kingdoms, succeeds where the other kingdoms ultimately failed, achieving its goal of world dominance. Nations cease their warring; the planet is united; the world is one. And that world belongs to Antichrist. The healing of the wound in Revelation 13 points to the success of Antichrist. We must not fail to see the significance of the healing of the wound.

One of the heads of this beast had a "deadly wound that was healed." The explanation of this is that in the time of Nimrod, at the tower of Babel, there was an attempt to unite all men into one great world power. God frustrated this attempt by dividing the men and women into different races with different colors and languages, so that they were forced to separate. Races have remained separate ever since. All their efforts to be united have been frustrated up to this point. At the end, Antichrist will succeed.

This, we believe, is what II Thessalonians 2 speaks of when it says, "he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." That is, "He that restraineth, will restrain...." There is something or someone that restrains, hinders, impedes, the Antichrist from coming; but in the end, that hindrance will be taken out of the way so that the Antichrist can succeed in uniting all the kingdoms and nations of the world into one.

One must be blind and deaf not to detect this happening today. In a way that has never happened before, that was impossible before, nations are holding hands and talking peace. Walls are coming down. Economies are becoming more and more interdependent. The union of all the world into one is on the horizon. One day soon the sun will rise on a united world, and Antichrist will be its bright and morning star.

Antichrist: an ecclesiastical powerBut Antichrist is not only a beast from the sea. The second part of the vision in Revelation 13 further reveals him as another beast, one arising from the earth. This beast serves the first beast, wielding the power of the first beast, making all the world worship the first beast, and showing that without it the first beast is nothing. And the point of the vision is that the reality of Antichrist is two cooperating powers, the one political, the other, ecclesiastical.

The beast that arises out of the earth looks like a lamb. It had two horns of a lamb, but it was a beast. So immediately we understand the nature of this beast; it is a deceptive creature -- a ferocious beast disguised as a gentle lamb. The horror is that this beast masquerades as Jesus Christ, who is THE Lamb of God. This beast, too, is powerful, for it has horns. However, the power of this beast is not political or military. Rather, its power is the power of persuasive speech. It speaks like a dragon, persuading the world to worship the first beast, to build an image of the first beast, and to bow down to it.

It is plain that this beast represents false religion. Preaching and teaching make men worship something or someone. But this is false teaching and lying preaching. That's evident from the fact that this beast looks like a lamb, looks like Jesus Christ and all that Jesus Christ represents, but in actuality is a beast. He claims to speak like Jesus, but has the foul breath and fiery speech (in the eyes and nostrils of God) of a dragon.

This beast will not arise from Hinduism or Buddhism or any other pagan religion; he will arise out of Christianity itself. Few Christians would believe a Ghandi's claim to be Christ. When one looks at Revelation 19:20, that becomes obvious. There, in the passage that describes the defeat of Antichrist, we read that the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before the beast. This second beast represents false Christianity, the apostate church that calls itself "the Church of Christ" (we mean by this designation the broad "church," and do not intend it to be confused with a certain denomination of that name).

The work of the second beast is the service of the first, the cooperating with the Antichristian world government. What is that service? It is causing all the world to worship the first beast. He will call all men and women of the world to bow down to the first beast, who is the "Savior of the world." Now the prophecy of Revelation 17 comes to pass: the kings of the earth commit fornication with the whore, the false church.

If one asks what he should look for in the days to come, we say this: there will be political union all nations will be gathered together into one mighty empire. This is the first beast. There will also be religious union, joining all the religions and religious empires of the world. The powerful ecumenical movement of today, led by the religions of Christianity, will in the end fully succeed, swallowing up all the other religions of the world. You may expect to see one man over it all. Antichrist.

ANTICHRIST'S PURPOSEWhy in the world would anyone work such deceitful effrontery? Why such effort in a sham kingdom? Why would any man with that kind of worldwide sovereignty even want his kingdom identified with Christ, labeled with the name of God?

To ask these questions is to answer them. Antichrist's purpose is to destroy the saints, God's elect. And here we get to the heart of the matter. The man Antichrist, indwelt by Satan's spirit, is opposed to God and opposed to Jesus His Christ. With a hatred that can be traced back to the fall of the angels prior to Genesis 3, he despises God and God's cause in Jesus. But he cannot touch God because God cast him out of heaven, according to Revelation 12; and he cannot touch God's Christ, because Jesus was caught up into heaven. So the only thing that remains for him to do is to breathe his fire on the seed of the woman, the Church of Christ. Revelation 12 describes this church as the "remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." In Matthew 24 they are described as the "elect" of God.

The devil knows that to attack the Church is to attack Jesus, the Christ; and to do damage to the body of Christ is to inflict damage upon Christ. He also knows that, because the members of the church are the chosen of God, eternally loved by God (Deuteronomy 7:6-8), to destroy them is equivalent to defeating God. So the objects of his fury are the beloved of God.

His worldwide empire will be less an inflating of his ego than an attempt to see come to pass his millennia-long dream of defeating God and God's purpose in the woman's Seed. In his mind, the promise of God that the Serpent's head would be crushed must never be fulfilled. He must have the victory over and defeat God. To defeat God's people is to defeat God.

He desires to have you, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ -- the elect of God. And if that is true, you must know how he works. You must understand his methods.

ANTICHRIST'S METHODSAntichrist goes about his business by speaking the lie. II Thessalonians 2 says that he comes "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." Revelation 13:12 says, "and he spoke as a dragon...." Revelation 17 tells us that he was a false prophet, a prophet being one whose calling it is to speak and to teach. The armies of the world may have guns and tanks and bombs to bring people into submission; but the power of speech and ideas is a mighty power. In his initial attempts to destroy the cause of God, the devil used a serpent to deceive the woman with crooked speech: "You will be like God." Now he uses a "dragon" who speaks crafty, lying words. His speeches will be heard by millions who will hang on his persuasive rhetoric. The content as well as the form of his speech will attract. Like most false prophets, he will even be sincere and passionate. But he is a liar. He adds dashes of truth to the mix, so that his lie tastes like truth. He will use all the right catchwords, using the language of the church, even throwing in a Bible text or two. But he is the ultimate Liar, and will deceive many.

He will use every tool available: school teachers, politicians, news broadcasters, artists, musicians, scientists and doctors, lawyers and businessmen. All will be pressed into the service of Antichrist to deceive men. But especially he will use those whose calling it is to persuade and to teach -- men who claim to be preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is this message that has such power to deceive? What is it that is preached by the now-apostate churches once rooted in true Christianity, that stirs up mankind to this ecumenical worship? What gospel will attract the hordes of men and women? What good news will knit the souls of such diverse peoples and nations and tongues?

The gospel of Antichrist is humanism -- the happiness of man, the glory of man, the peace and prosperity, the health and wealth of man. The number of the beast, do not forget, is 6-6-6, the number of man.

But we remind you, the Antichrist deceives. He will not tip his hand by declaring publicly, "I am the Antichrist." He will not claim that there is no God, no Christ, no salvation, and that the message of the Bible is a lie. But he will say, "I am your Messiah; you are God (Shirley MacLaine has comrades and consorts in the Rastifarians of Jamaica, whose word for "divine" is "I-vine"!); and an earthly life of peace and prosperity, of health and happiness -- that is salvation." The distant rumblings of Antichrist's thunder are growing louder.

Performing miracles, Antichrist will establish himself and validate his claim as God's anointed. This is the emphasis of II Thessalonians 2. Men have always performed miracles to establish their authority, presenting them as the credentials of their divine appointment. Moses did in Egypt. Elijah did on Mount Carmel. Jesus Christ and His apostles did. So will Antichrist. Revelation 13:13 says that the second beast "doeth great wonders..." and verse 14 that "he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast." Matthew 24:24 indicates the same thing: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." This is the teaching of II Thessalonians 2:9, "even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders...." The works of Antichrist will be the works of Satan, who has power beyond the natural ability of man.

Nor will these be fake miracles. These will not be just magic tricks of talented men like Harry Houdini and David Copperfield, but amazing deeds that simply defy explanation in human, scientific terms. Buttressing the claims of Antichrist will be nothing less than the superhuman power of the devil himself.

THE CHURCH'S CALLING: OPPOSE ANTICHRIST PRESENTLY
The critical danger for the church today is exactly the reality called Antichrist. There is a danger that the church, as it were, posts a lookout to scan the horizon for Antichrist, so that the lookout can warn the people of God when the enemy has arrived and sound the warning to give battle. In the meantime the church is busy with its own legitimate work, but supposes that the Antichrist is of no danger presently. That is precisely what Antichrist wants the church to believe.

God's call to His people is to oppose the Antichrist now. We are not saying here that the Christian's calling is to be ready to oppose Antichrist when he comes, urgent as that calling is. We are saying that our calling and the calling that we urge you to carry out is this: Oppose the opposer of Jesus Christ presently. Not someday, but today.

It is possible to oppose him now, for he is present now. Before you race ahead to find us naming names, or identifying persons and churches, let us explain. I John 2:18 does not say, "Antichrist shall come" but "Antichrist comes...." That is, there is a process of Antichrist coming all down through the history of this world. This process involves the coming of many Antichrists (in the plural). Thus, Matthew 24 can warn of "false Christs" and can say that many shall come in Jesus' name saying, "I am Christ." This also explains how Paul can say in II Thessalonians 2 that the mystery of iniquity is working. Even as Paul wrote that letter, the mystery of iniquity was active in the world, preparing the way for the final Antichrist and his work.

Recognizing Antichrist's "spirit"
Even in the old dispensation there were Antichrists, like Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, and others. But especially in the New Testament since Christ's ascension, Antichrist has been coming. The great Antichristian kingdom with its mighty head will not appear ex nihilo, out of nothing, but will be the result of a long and gradual development. And that long and gradual development is and has been the work of the spirit of Antichrist, the spirit of Satan himself, laying the groundwork, preparing the way, making ready for the revelation of the man of sin, the son of perdition.

Was it wrong, then, of the Reformers to say that the pope was Antichrist? If the Reformers meant that the pope at that time, Pope St. Paul III, or another, was the personal Antichrist, the man of sin, the final culmination of the Devil's work in this world, they were mistaken. He did not complete the picture the Scripture draws. But one may not dismiss the Reformers as wild-eyed fanatics. Consider: the pope is and was also a political figure. That is no less plain today than it was in Luther's day. Then already the pope laid claim to the right to crown kings and invest them with the authority to rule the world. Today, the Vatican has its ambassadors in almost every nation of the world and even we, the United States, send our own representatives to the pope.

The pope is a political head.
Rome has always embodied the Antichristian spirit and principles: a headship that is in a man, a pope, a hierarchy; an authority of tradition in addition to the one Word of God; a salvation by works in addition to faith and grace; a worship of another (Mary) in addition to the worship of the one alone in whose name we find salvation (Acts 4:12).

A present struggle
The struggle of the people of God against Antichrist has always been and will always be a present struggle. The call to oppose Antichrist must always be given in the present imperative. Whether in the future the church's children (your children and my children) are able to withstand the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, depends, to a great degree, on the success of the battle we wage against his spirit today.

The second beast is working; his labor is under way. We are not referring to specific persons, or particular institutions and churches. We are referring to the spirit of our age that rejects God and God's Word, and promotes with all of its power, MAN. The purpose of education today is man's welfare; the purpose of science is man's pleasure; the goal of entertainment is the good life for man. Hedonism says it all. The world is crowded with Antichrists presently. No, look not only on the horizon for Antichrist. Look about you. Oppose him today.

The manner of oppositionWe do not oppose him with guns and tanks and bombs. We do not try to prevent his coming or overthrow it when it comes by political power plays. We oppose him in a spiritual manner, in the same way Jesus Christ opposed him during His ministry, and in the way Jesus taught His disciples to oppose him in theirs -- by faith and the powerful Word of the gospel. We oppose all that opposes Jesus Christ. We oppose humanism that exalts man and promotes the cause of man and man alone. This is why Reformed believers from the beginning have maintained that it is necessary for them to maintain good, Christian schools in which their children are educated. The world inculcates its young with humanistic values and humanistic goals, and we must have no part of that mis-education. We oppose humanism from the pulpits of our churches, and put out those ministers and elders who would preach and teach this kind of a gospel. In this way we oppose Antichrist today.

We oppose hierarchical church government. Hierarchy in the church (the rule by a few "holy ones," or by an intellectual elite, from the top down) is Antichristian in spirit and purpose. That is one main reason the Reformers were opposed to the pope. Audaciously, he set himself up as Vicar of Christ, head of the church, whose word no priest or bishop or counsel, much less layman, could question. We oppose Antichrist today by opposing hierarchy -- a lordship of man, a setting aside of the Word of God and the replacing of it with the word and will of man.

We oppose the ecumenical mania, rife today in the churches. There are powerful winds blowing -- hurricane force winds -- blowing across the churches to bring them together into one, large church body. Robert Schuller, world-acclaimed pastor of one of the largest Reformed churches in America, calls the church world: "It is time for Protestants to go to the Shepherd (pope) and say, What do we have to do to come home?" (Los Angeles Herald Examiner, September 19, 1987). The bottom line, the common denominator, that summons all together is the goal of a world in which man will have earthly peace and prosperity. It seems that the only "heresy" in the minds of most churchmen today is the questioning of the ecumenical movement. There is even a widespread notion abroad, showing itself also in Reformed circles, that all the pagan religions are legitimate, nothing other than the expression of the universal religious feelings of mankind that probably find their best expressions in Christianity. Witness the Protestant preachers praying with Muslims. The basis for that is Humanism. The church of Christ today opposes Antichrist by giving battle to those notions and ideas prevalent in the church today.

We oppose Antichrist by opposing all heresy in the church. Heresy, or false doctrine, is nothing less than opposition to Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. How often does not Jesus warn His disciples of those wolves in sheep's wool who will misrepresent the truth to draw men away from Jesus? But how much concern is there today for fighting heresy, exposing false doctrine for what it is -- Antichristian in spirit and purpose, paving the way for the man of sin himself who will deceive many?

Opposing heresy, we promote the truth. The people of God who have a heart for God's Christ and Christ's church take the offensive in this battle against Antichrist. Promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. Promote biblical church government. Promote the proper, presbyterian form of church government. Promote the proper manner of church union and reunion -- on the basis of the truth of the gospel of God.

Finally, we do battle with Antichrist in ourselves. For Antichrist has an ally in my own sinful nature. Here is humanism in its basic form -- in my own heart. Here is the false doctrine of salvation by the works of man, right here in my own proud breast. Here is hierarchy, the rule by a few --by me. Right here in my own heart I find sympathy with the notion that salvation comes by faith and by works. In myself is the lie in its crudest form -- "Ye shall be as God." When the saint fights Antichrist in his heart, with his heart, God will give him the strength to oppose Antichrist when he is revealed in the last day, at the end of which he will be destroyed utterly and completely.

ANTICHRIST'S CERTAIN DESTRUCTIONAntichrist will succeed in deceiving many. By his earthly successes and charm, Antichrist will deceive millions. The ungodly world as well as many in the churches will fawn over him. Those who do not will not only be mocked, they will be killed.

And for that, the wicked will be damned. This is the teaching of II Thessalonians 2:10-12. Even their deception is a judgment of God upon them; when Antichrist comes, God will send a strong delusion that they should believe a lie. The reason for this is that they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. They heard the gospel, understood the truth, but rejected it. They will perish with the Antichrist. But in the end, Antichrist will be destroyed. God's people will be saved by sovereign grace, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. And Antichrist will be destroyed.

The religious Antichristian empire will be destroyed by the political Antichristian empire. For a time he uses the whore; in the end he turns on her (Rev 17:16). The political empire breaks up into the battle of Armageddon: the kingdom of the beast (the Western, "Christianized" nations) against the kingdom of the east (the pagan, non-Christian nations). In the middle of that battle, Jesus Christ will return to destroy the Antichristian kingdom, consume Antichrist with the spirit of His mouth, destroy him with the brightness of His coming, and begin the judgment.

Jesus Christ reigns!There will be no struggle by Jesus Christ with Antichrist. In moment of time, where the entire history of the world climaxes, Christ in an instant will destroy the man of sin.

Therefore, do not fear!The truth of the Antichrist is dreadful. The church must suffer under him, too. But we are not to fear for a moment. And when you see the Antichrist in the future, be not in terror. For in that darkest hour the world has ever known, we will be doing the same as we have all our lives, waiting "with uplifted heads" for the coming of Jesus Christ, Who will redeem us from all distress.

Nibiru ,Planet X, The Twelfth Planet and Wormwood, the Giant Red Star of the book of Revelations.

Also known as The Twelfth Planet or Planet X, some are warning that this wandering body is quickly nearing the Earth – and could cause global devastation. But should we worry?

There is a literal flood of information on the Internet relative to the approach of the dreaded Plant X, but are those fears and worries really warranted, or are those that are prophesying the arrival of the dreaded Planet X simply scaremongering for their own financial benefit? The later seems to be the circumstance of the matter? For as yet there are no real indications from anyone that is in a position of power that the dreaded arrival of the planet will occur as so many have predicted it will in 2012.

In 1976, Zecharia Sitchin stirred up a great deal of controversy with the publication of his book, The Twelfth Planet. In this and subsequent books, Sitchin presented his literal translations of ancient Sumerian texts which told an incredible story about the origins of humankind on planet Earth – a story far different and much more fantastic than what we all learned in school.

The ancient cuneiform texts – some of the earliest known writing, dating back some 6,000 years – told the story of a race of beings called the Anunnaki. The Anunnaki came to Earth from a planet in our solar system called Nibiru, according to the Sumerians via Sitchin. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s because mainstream science does not recognize Nibiru as one of the planets that revolves around our Sun. Yet it is there, claims Sitchin, and its presence holds great importance not only for humankind’s past, but our future as well.

Nibiru’s orbit around the Sun is highly elliptical, according to Sitchin’s books, taking it out beyond the orbit of Pluto at its farthest point and bringing it as close to the Sun as the far side of the asteroid belt (a ring of asteroids that is known to occupy a band of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter). It takes Nibiru 3,600 years to complete one orbital journey, and it was last in this vicinity around 160 B.C.E. As you can imagine, the gravitational effects of a sizable planet moving close to the inner solar system, as it is claimed for Nibiru, could wreak havoc on the orbits of other planets, disrupt the asteroid belt and spell big trouble for planet Earth.

Well, prepare for yet another possible apocalypse because, they say, Nibiru is once again heading this way – and will be here soon?

Nevertheless for real answer to the story behind the dreaded Planet X story we need to refer to the word of the maker, the Holy Bible, to see what God had to say, if anything, relative to the arrival of the dreaded planet as that seems to be the real precursor that would test out any warnings relative to its arrival.

Now even though this may surprise many people who quite often like to reference the Wormwood star as referring to the Planet X, there is a very distinctive difference between Wormwood and the Planet X. While one is a star, the other is a planet. That is the difference, and so the word of God does not describe the arrival of a planet that is going to sideswipe the earth from out of the blue at anytime, let alone anytime in 2012.

Also, there is nothing in the Bible that says anything about a date for the arrival of Wormwood, or any other planet, or star, for that matter, as there is simply nothing in the Bible that sets any dates relative to any event of the such like whatsoever.

Now here are those verses that speak of the giant red star, Wormwood, that is to fall to the earth before the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ back onto the earth.

Revelation Chapter 8 and Verse 10 and 11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
There were are there are no references at all to the arrival onto the earth of a giant planet but instead we are rightly told there that the references that so many like to refer to as being a the Planet X is nothing like the red star the Bible had prophesized. End of story.

Planet X - A Bit of HistoryThe story of the Anunnaki is told in Sitchin’s many books and is digested, augmented and speculated about in dozens of websites. But the tale is essentially this: About 450,000 years ago, Alalu, the deposed ruler of the Anunnaki on Nibiru, escaped the planet on a spaceship and found refuge on Earth. He discovered that Earth had plenty of gold, which Nibiru needed to protect its diminishing atmosphere. They began to mine Earth’s gold, and there were a lot of political battles among the Anunnaki for power. Then around 300,000 years or so ago, the Anunnaki decided to create a race of workers by genetically manipulating the primates on the planet. The result was homo sapiens – us. Eventually, rulership of the Earth was handed over to humans and the Anunnaki left, at least for the time being. Sitchin ties all this – and much more – into the stories of the first books of the Bible and the histories of other ancient cultures, especially Egyptian. (Here’s a good time chart of the alleged events.)

It’s an astonishing story, to say the least. Most historians, anthropologists and archeologists consider it all Sumerian myth, of course. But Sitchin’s work has created a diehard cadre of believers and researchers who take the story at face value. And some of them, whose ideas are getting widespread attention thanks to the Internet, contend that the return of Nibiru is close at hand – possibly as soon as somewhere between 2003 and 2013!

Where Is Nibiru and When Will It Arrive?Even mainstream astronomers have long speculated that there may be an unknown planet – a Planet X – somewhere out beyond the orbit of Pluto that would account for the anomalies they were detecting in the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. Some unseen body seems to be tugging at them. The finding was reported in the June 19, 1982 edition of the New York Times:

Something out there beyond the furthest reaches of the known solar system is tugging at Uranus and Neptune. A gravitational force keeps perturbing the two giant planets, causing irregularities in their orbits. The force suggests a presence far away and unseen, a large object, the long-sought Planet X. Astronomers are so certain of this planet’s existence that they have already named it “Planet X – the 10th Planet.”

The anomalous body was first spotted in 1983 by IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite), according to news stories. The Washington Post reported: “A heavenly body possibly as large as the giant planet Jupiter and possibly so close to Earth that it would be part of this solar system has been found in the direction of the constellation Orion by an orbiting telescope aboard the U.S. infrared astronomical satellite. So mysterious is the object that astronomers do not know if it is a planet, a giant comet, a nearby ‘protostar’ that never got hot enough to become a star, a distant galaxy so young that it is still in the process of forming its first stars or a galaxy so shrouded in dust that none of the light cast by its stars ever gets through.”

Nibiru supporters contend that IRAS has, in fact, spotted the wandering planet.
“A Mystery Revolves Around the Sun,” an article posted by MSNBC on October 7, 1999 said: “Two teams of researchers have proposed the existence of an unseen planet or a failed star circling the sun at a distance of more than 2 trillion miles, far beyond the orbits of the nine known planets… Planetary scientist at Britain’s Open University, speculates that the object could be a planet larger than Jupiter.” And in December, 2000, SpaceDaily reported on “Another Candidate For ‘Planet X’ Spotted.”

Another article and photo appeared in Discovery News: “Large Object Discovered Orbiting Sun.” The article, published in July, 2001, says, “The discovery of a large reddish chunk of something orbiting in Pluto’s neighborhood has re-ignited the idea that there may be more than nine planets in the solar system.” Naming it 2001 KX76. the discoverers estimate that it is smaller than our Moon and might have an elongated orbit, but they gave no indication that it was heading this way.

Mark Hazelwood, who has a large website warning about the impending arrival of Nibiru and how we should prepare for it, suggests that all of these news stories lend credence to the existence of the Anunnaki’s Nibiru (although none of the articles said the celestial body was heading toward Earth). But Hazelwood says his research indicates that Nibiru will be here in the Spring of 2003, though he isn’t specific about how he arrived at that precise time period. This website about Planet X narrows it down even further to “late Spring or early Summer of 2003, probably May or June,” although they don’t specify their reasoning either.

Andy Lloyd isn’t as pessimistic – or at least his calculations are different. Since he speculates that Nibiru was actually the Star of Bethlehem seen about 2,000 years ago, “the problem faced by humanity as Nibiru again enters the planetary zone will fall to our descendants 50 generations hence.”

But Kent Steadman at the Sentinal section of Cyberspaceorbit.com is tracking Nibiru based on the Spring/Summer 2003 scenario and offers several star charts, timetables and other illustrations that show where Planet X will supposedly cross the inner solar system.

What Will Be the Effects on Earth?As stated before, the gravitational pull of a planet entering the inner solar system would have profound effects on the other orbiting bodies, including Earth. In fact, the Anunnaki story says that a previous appearance of Nibiru was responsible for the “Great Flood” recorded in Genesis, in which nearly all life on our planet was extinguished (but saved, thanks to Noah). Going even further back, some researchers into this topic suspect that Nibiru once even collided with Earth millions of years ago, creating the asteroid belt and resulting in the enormous gouges in our planet that the oceans now fill.

Mark Hazelwood and others say that Earth is in for some massive and catastrophic changes as Nibiru approaches. Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, a pole shift and other natural disasters will be so severe, Hazelwood says, that “only a few hundred million people will survive.” Another site says the gravitational pull of Nibiru might even stop the Earth’s rotation for three days, citing the “three days of darkness” predicted in the Bible.

Some of the Nibiru researchers also cite the prophecies of Edgar Cayce who predicted that we would soon suffer monumental Earth changes and a pole shift, even though he did not attribute them to anything as specific as a visiting planet. And, of course, the much-analyzed Mayan calendar is said to set the “end of world” in December, 2012.

Astronomers and other scientists who would seem to be in a position to know such things have made no announcements about the approach of any planet-sized body. Apparently, they have not detected anything of the kind. Those who believe Nibiru is approaching, however, say that scientists do know all about it and are just covering it up.

As with any such predictions, time will tell.

THE ROOTS OF DISPENSATIONALISM OF THE RAPTURE AND ITS INVENTOR - JOHN DARBY

Kurtis Dahlin
What is Dispensationalism?In the foreword of Charles Ryrie’s book, Dispensationalism Today, Frank Gaebelein wrote, “Dispensationalism is not a theology but rather a method of interpretation” Ryrie also called it a “system of theology” He stated that it “would be more accurate to call it a system of interpretation . . . It involves the meaning and significance of the entire Bible” He added,

Dispensationalism, then, claims to be a help . . . in offering a satisfying philosophy of history, and in employing a consistently normal principle of interpretation. These are basic areas in proper understanding of the Bible. If dispensationalism has the answers, then it is the most helpful tool in Biblical interpretation. If not, it ought to be discarded as worthless.

Therefore, dispensationalism is a tool, a method, a complete system of interpretation involving the meaning and significance of the entire Bible and history. Supposedly, God administers the affairs of the world in distinct periods, ages or dispensations. Each dispensation is characterized by a particular way, order or condition in which God administrates his interaction with mankind . John Darby identified seven different dispensations:

1. Paradise to the Flood 2. Noah 3. Abraham 4. Israel 5. Gentiles 6. The Spirit 7. The Millennium

Dispensationalism, as systematic theology, has predetermined conclusions about such subjects as the Kingdom of God; the Church and Israel; the teaching of Jesus; the return of Jesus and when it happens, how it happens, who is involved; the millennial 1,000 year period; the cessation of spiritual gifts; the nature of salvation and prophecy.

However, the distinguishing feature of dispensationalism is the belief in a secret catching away or rapture of the church prior to the final seven years of Great Tribulation. Paul Enns wrote, “Dispensationalists hold that the church is entirely distinct from Israel as an entity . . .

Dispensationalists also believe that the church will conclude its existence upon the earth at the rapture, prior to the Tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16)”. The Great Tribulation is designed specifically to discipline Israel. Therefore, the church will be raptured or mysteriously snatched away prior to the final Tribulation of Gods wrath. Enns stated, “This is a major reason why dispensationalists hold to a pre-tribulation rapture”. Ryrie wrote, “The distinction between Israel and the Church leads to the belief that the Church will be taken from the earth before the beginning of the tribulation” A pre-tribulation rapture of the Church is the core eschatology of dispensationalism Thessalonians 4:16 is marshaled as the proof text for a new doctrine of a secret half coming of Christ, for the true church, before the Tribulation. The dispensationalist system is a hermeneutical infrastructure for pre-tribulational rapture eschatology. In other words, the entire systematic theology of dispensationalism was created to support the pre-tribulation rapture theory. The Bible is interpreted to agree with dispensationalism.

Where Did Dispensationalism Originate?
Charles Ryrie served as professor of systematic theology at Dallas Theological Seminary for many years. He is well qualified to be the spokesman for this subject in his book called Dispensationalism Today. In The Moody Handbook of Theology author Paul Enns stated that Ryrie's book “is undoubtedly the premier defense of dispensationalism”. It is Ryrie's expressed purpose to correct misconceptions and to give a positive, up-to-date presentation of what dispensationalists are teaching today.

So where does the pre-tribulational rapture come from?
Ryrie tells us that a large contribution toward the systematizing of dispensationalism came from John Darby in the late 1800's He wrote, “There is no question that the Plymouth Brethren of which John Nelson Darby, (1800-1882) was a leader had much to do with the systematizing and promoting of dispensationalism” The most prominent early leader was John Nelson Darby, who taught that Christ might return at any moment and in a “secret rapture” which would take away the members of the true church to dwell in heaven (Conrad Wright, The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia). The rapture movement had its beginnings in Ireland and England in the 1820s, Plymouth being a main centre of activity. The name Plymouth Brethren identifies several small Christian sects of common origin found in Britain, continental Europe, and the United States that are conservative in theology and millenarian in outlook. Ryrie also demonstrated that the concept has changed much since that time of Darby. Dispensationalism has gone through an evolutionary refining and his book puts forth the current position that they hold today. In the development process, the dispensationalist system was adopted, adapted, and popularized by C.I. Scofield in his reference Bible Another prominent dispensationalist is Lewis S. Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary. Charles Ryrie also has his own study Bible that incorporates his notes, which further develop the dispensationalist system.

Larry Crutchfield, an avid dispensationalist, described the origins of the dispensationalist pre-tribulation rapture movement:

Few would argue that Darby was the first to give a systematic presentation of the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture. With regard to the question of where Darby himself got the doctrine, however, there is not the same harmony of opinion. A fairly wide range of sources are suggested, most of them contemporaneous with Darby.

Another candidate for the source of [John] Darby's pre-tribulation rapture doctrine is Margaret Macdonald (c.1815-c.1840). According to Dave MacPherson, the young mystic from Port Glasgow, Scotland, had a great deal to do with the pre-tribulational views of both Darby and Irving. The source of Macdonald's information was a vision she supposedly had of Christ's second coming. Her own handwritten account of the vision, later printed in several publications, is completely reproduced by MacPherson.

It should be apparent from all that has been said previously that Darby's concept of the pre-tribulation rapture grows out of his understanding of the church as a special work of God, completely distinct from His purpose and plan for Israel. Darbys studies bring him to the conclusion that the church will be removed from the earth to set the stage for her glorification with Christ. And after this is accomplished, he believes that God can turn His attention to the remnant of Israel in the Tribulation and to her hopes associated with the millennial kingdom to follow. While Darby consistently refers to Scripture as the source of his views, a number of his detractors maintain that he got them elsewhere, either from the heretic Edward Irving (perhaps at the Powerscourt conferences), or a young Scottish woman named Margaret Macdonald, or someone else (189).

David MacPherson stated,Both Post-Tribs and Pre-Tribs may be shocked to learn that [John] Darby himself visited Margaret in her Port Glasgow home not long after the word got out that she'd succeeded in splitting the Second Coming "atom," and he tells what he saw and heard in a little-known work of his that has generally been overlooked by historical scholars (67).

It may be a bit unsettling to realize that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture’s birthplace is Port Glasgow, Scotland, that the date on its “birth certificate” is 1830, and that a young Scottish lassie originated it.

All knowledgeable Pre-Trib leaders of the present time trace back their distinctive prophetic view to John Darby, the famous organizer and promoter of the Plymouth Brethren movement. But such leaders never say that Darby originated Pre-Trib; they declare that Darby only rediscovered and systematized this concept.

And Darby himself never claimed to have originated Pre-Trib. Darby did reveal, however, the year he said he first separated the Rapture from the Second Coming. Commenting on II Thessalonians 2:1-2, he wrote: “It is this passage which, twenty years ago, made me understand the rapture of the saints before, perhaps a considerable time before, the day of the Lord (that is, before the judgment of the living).”

Analysing this statement, we find that when he began to adopt the “separate Rapture” view, his jumping off spot was the day of the Lord, which he equated with the judgment of the living. The study of his that contained this statement was published in 1850.

Therefore, “twenty years ago” refers to the key year of 1830 (50-51).
The most telling critique of this doctrine [i.e., Pre-Tribulation Rapture] is simply the fact of its newness. It developed from a series of visions experienced by a Scottish woman named Margaret Macdonald in 1830. She believed that a spirit of prophecy had revealed to her that, prior to Christs Second Coming, He would come secretly to remove all Christians from the earth. This novel idea was quickly adopted into both Catholic and Protestant doctrines, and spread throughout Europe and America (200-201).

Richard Reiter stated,
pre-tribulational dispensationalism advanced during this era [i.e., 1909-1952] because Gaebelein, Scofield, James M. Gray at Moody Bible Institute, Ruben A. Torrey at Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Harry A. Ironside at Moody Memorial Church, and Lewis Sperry Chafer at the Evangelical Theological College (later Dallas Theological Seminary) popularized its doctrines widely. The pre-tribulation rapture became the standard position of most Bible conferences and Bible institutes. Of greater influence than any other single factor was the Scofield Reference Bible (improved edition, 1917), which inculcated the eschatology of dispensationalism even while making its primary contribution as a popular defense of evangelicalism, when all else seemed to be falling before the flood of twentieth-century modernism. As a result, “soon the badge of North American evangelicalism was the Scofield Bible”.

Tim LaHaye published a book in 1998 titled, Rapture Under Attack. The book is the result of what Tim LaHaye called “The greatest research project of my life”. LaHaye “has undertaken the most comprehensive study and research effort of his career” to provide the definitive rebuttal of the growing arguments against the pre-tribulation rapture. His purpose is to convince and reaffirm the faith of readers in the pre-tribulation rapture. LaHaye attempted to systematically dismantle what he called the false charges being made against the pre-tribulation eschatology. He wrote, “I can honestly say that I am more convinced than ever of the pre Tribulation Rapture position”.

WHO IS JOHN DARBY?LaHaye informed us that John Darby was converted in 1825 and that same year entered the ministry with the Church of England (161). In late November of 1826, while Darby was convalescing from a broken leg, he recognized the distinction between the church and Israel. The separation of the church and Israel is key to pre-tribulation eschatology. During this time he also came to believe in the soon return of Jesus Christ. He was 27 years old when he formulated the basic principles of dispensationalism including the pre-tribulation rapture.

According to the best research done by devout Darbyists, John Darby was one year old in the Lord when he received his groundbreaking revelation from the Holy Spirit (LaHaye 162). Think about yourself when you were one year old in the Lord. What right did you command to hijack historical orthodoxy? I've had a broken leg that doesn't mean that I am allowed to create new doctrine. At what point in your Christian life are you authorized to introduce new doctrines?

Tim LaHaye wrote that Darby came to accept the soon return of Christ and the separation of the church and Israel between 1826 and 1827. LaHaye pointed out that for Darby, “the awareness of the coming of Christ at any moment was one of his earliest positions” (163).

THE ORIGIN OF THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Tim LaHaye attempted to show that Darby was led by the Holy Spirit to derive his doctrine from scripture. LaHaye stated that the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine was the work of “the Holy Spirit, who wanted to bring that truth to life for these last days…”. LaHaye quoted Darby who wrote, “the truths themselves were then revealed of God, through the action of His Spirit, by reading His Word. What was to be done? I saw in that word the coming of Christ to take the church to Himself in glory”. Darby claimed to have received direct revelation from God concerning the pre-tribulation rapture. Darby came to his rapture position through his personal study and translation of scripture.

Tim LaHaye quoted a church historian who stated, “Darby never indicated any source for his ideas other than the Bible…. In later years he seems to have felt that he was convinced about the doctrine as early as 1827”. There is some controversy surrounding the origin of the pre-tribulation rapture theory. Some argue that Margaret MacDonald first proclaimed it. Others believe that Edward Irving originated the theory. However, the Darbyists point out that it is “Darby's own claim to have arrived at the doctrine through his study of 2 Thessalonians 2:1 2” (LaHaye 165).

The early date of 1827 for Darby's discovery is important to Darbyists because it pre dates the supposed revelation given to Margaret MacDonald and Edward Irving. LaHaye noted, “This date is important because none of the current attacks suggesting Mr. Darby derived the pre Trib position from unsavory sources provide dates before 1831!. Apparently if the pre-tribulation rapture was revealed by the Holy Spirit to Margaret MacDonald or Edward Irving, it would be fanaticism or unsavory. However, if the secret rapture was revealed to Darby it becomes truth. LaHaye wrote, “It is safe for us to conclude that Darby did not receive his view of the Lord's return from any of the sources attributed to him by his detractors”. "

According to the Darbyists there is no other source for the pre-tribulation rapture other than Darby's own interpretation of the Bible. Darby stated that the Holy Spirit brought it to life as he studied scripture. In other words, Darby did not rediscover a truth hidden in church history. Darby would not say that he studied church history and recovered his doctrine from the early Fathers of the church. Darby did not get his doctrine from the orthodox flow of church history. In fact, all honest Darbyists agree that no one taught pre-tribulation dispensational eschatology before John Darby.

Tim LaHaye stated that Darby popularized dispensationalism. He wrote, “Mr. Darby may rightly be accused of popularizing the concept in England, in America and Canada, during the nineteenth century, but he certainly did not invent it”. Well then, who invented the secret rapture theory? Why doesn't anyone want to take the credit? Tim LaHaye and others do not want to admit that Darby not only popularized the doctrine but also invented it. Would the secret rapture be wrong if Darby invented it? LaHaye is a master in the clever use of words. However, Darby made no claim to having formulated his doctrine from church history. Darby did not care that his new doctrine was not taught anywhere in church history. Darbyists know that the earliest church was premillennial and posttribulational. LaHaye is correct when he stated that Darby “popularized” dispensationalism. Darbyists agree that no one, not even heretics in church history, taught Darby’s dispensationalism. It is a clever use of words to label the church Fathers as ancient dispensationalists and Darby as a modern dispensationalist. There is no connection between the eschatology of the early Fathers and the secret rapture developed by John Darby.

There is a fervent effort being made by Darbyists to find any crumb of support for their doctrine in church history. Their valiant effort is in vain! Darby did not get his theological system of dispensationalism from the orthodox stream of church history. He did not research the early Fathers and recover a lost eschatology. Darby did not believe that his doctrine was rooted in orthodoxy. Darby did not quote from the Fathers for his support. Darby quoted himself. If he did not get it from Margaret MacDonald or Edward Irving, where did he get it? Darby reported that he received revelation by the Holy Spirit. The pre-tribulation rapture of dispensationalism was a product of his own imagination.

We, as the church, are guardians of the apostolic repository of truth. Truth does not stagnate. Truth is not progressive. Truth is static. We receive truth. We do not invent truth! If the pre-tribulation rapture were the doctrine of Jesus, the apostles and Paul, wouldn't someone have known before AD 376, 784 or 1830? Wouldn't Jesus have taught such a great hope clearly? Wouldn't Paul have taught it to his churches clearly? Wouldn't John have passed it on to subsequent generations as the great hope for Christians? Wouldn't the pre-tribulation rapture have been passed down as apostolic doctrine just like every other essential Christian doctrine? However, there is no confusion in the early church. The earliest disciples taught that the Second Coming of Christ and the gathering of the saints were premillennial and after the great tribulation. There are some theological principles found in the early Fathers that are exploited by the Darbyists, but no honest scholar would say that Darby was faithful to the Fathers. The early Fathers must be maligned as “confused” and discredited in order for the pre-tribulation doctrine to flourish. Likewise, the Gnostics, the Arians and the Jehovah's Witnesses all reject the early Fathers and malign them as confused.

Tim LaHaye mentioned one obscure Father from AD 327 who supposedly promoted a pre-tribulation rapture. Then it took 1500 years to go anywhere and find a follower in Darby. However, did Darby know anything about this church Father? Did Darby know anything about the renegade Jesuit priest Lacunza in 1826? Did Darby know about MacDonald and Irving? Did he quote Mede or Victorinus as his forerunners? No. As far as Darby knew, he was the inventor of a new doctrine. The pre-tribulation eschatology is based upon Darby's private interpretation or revelation of scripture (120). Concerning the rapture of Christians before the revelation of the anti Christ, LaHaye wrote, “Darby is probably the first to identify it before the entire Tribulation, which he perceived as a seven year period” (168). LaHaye also noted, “It is true that pre Trib position was not formed in detail until 1826 1828” (169). How can Darby be the “first” and not the “first” at the same time? How can the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine not be formed until 1826 and yet be considered historical orthodoxy? Very cl
Tim LaHaye admitted, “The post Trib position (in its primitive form) is the oldest point of view”. LaHaye also stated that it never occurred to second and third century Christians “that Christ would come before the tribulation”. The eschatology closest to the apostles is posttribulational. There is no confusion about this orthodox and universal apostolic tradition. This means that the earliest disciples of the apostles believed that the Second Coming of Christ and gathering of the saints was posttribulational. How could the church universally misunderstand such a great hope? The answer is they didn't. The post tribulation coming of Christ for the saints is the correct doctrine that has been handed down to us from Jesus, the apostles and Paul to the church Fathers. We don't need a new eschatology, no matter how appealing.

We learn from Tim LaHaye:
1) That the earliest church was posttribulational (197).
2) The earliest church believed in the imminent return of Christ (71).
3) The earliest church was holy, evangelistic and ready to be martyred (71).
4) The earliest church was patiently waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ.
5) The earliest church thought they were in the great tribulation (198, 31).
6) The tribulation saints were given the days to count down for the blessed Return of Christ

The earliest church was posttribulational.
This early church was able to evangelize the world, protect the scripture, give us the Canon, protect apostolic doctrine, give us the Nicene Creed and bequeath every other apostolic doctrine that we consider orthodox to this day.

Tim LaHaye wrote,Many Independent, Baptist, and Methodist pastors readily saw the biblical justification for Darby's teachings readily saw the biblical justification for Darby's teachings on dispensations, the separation of Israel and the church, Futurism, imminency, and a pre Tribulation Rapture. Since they were biblical literalists who already believed in the pre Millennial return of Christ, it was a small step to incorporate these new concepts into their views of end time activities.
LaHaye called them “Darby's teachings.” He called them “new concepts” and he listed a number of those new concepts. What we discover is that Darby developed a major system of biblical interpretation called dispensationalism that is “his concepts, his teachings, his views.”

The debate over who originated the pre-tribulational secret rapture theory is of little consequence. Of course, the devotees of dispensationalism do not want to claim Margaret Macdonald or Edward Irving as the founders. However, the fact remains that the secret half coming of Christ “for the saints” was a new invention recently developed over the last 150 years. Either Margaret Macdonald, Edward Irving or John Darby created a novel interpretation of the End Times that has become authoritative for a large portion of Protestant Christianity. Yet, how can one man or woman exercise such authority in the church? A new doctrine cannot be based upon a few scattered references over 1800 years of church history. The Darbyists believe all we require is two or three isolated quotations from history to approve a new dogma. Usually Protestants are quick to find fault with Roman Catholics for adding new dogma and traditions based on popular consensus. Yet, many Protestants find no fault with John Darby who was the first to systematize and popularize dispensationalism. At least the Roman Catholics have a church council where consensus is required for the adoption of a new tradition. Yet, in certain Protestant circles new traditions are adopted simply by popular appeal. Roman Catholics claim equal authority for tradition and scripture. Roman Catholics argue on behalf of progressive revelation and the “Church’s right to authorize a legitimate development in doctrine.” The Roman Catholics consider the bodily rapture of Mary after her death to heaven to be “truth divinely revealed” (Hardon 161). Some Protestants claim equal authority for the tradition systematized by John Darby. What is the difference between the formulation of the pre-tribulation rapture and Purgatory or the bodily assumption of Mary? The pre-tribulation rapture is taught as canon in many Protestant circles. Apparently the canon is not closed for all Protestants. However, the Fathers and church history must be discarded, disparaged and ignored in order for Darby’s dispensationalism to flourish. A major doctrine such as dispensational eschatology should have been taught universally in church history. Yet, the lack of historicity is overlooked by the Darbyists. The Roman Catholics also argue, “we need not be able to trace historically through ecclesiastical documents the Church’s hierarchical teaching on some matter of faith and morals” (Hardon 233). Ultimately, we are not concerned with who invented the secret rapture, whether two or three people in history or if MacDonald or Irving or Darby made it up. It still is an error introduced into the mainstream of Protestant Christian theology. Dispensationalism is a needless manmade tradition added to the Canon of scripture.

Let us be honest. John Darby, as a 27 year old young man, and an untrained new Christian convert, without any accountability to orthodox church history, a denomination or Christian mentors, created a theological system that divided the Brethren Movement and further divided the church (LaHaye 162). The same people who teach that revelation ceased with the apostles now inform us that Darby received a monumental revelation as a result of his own individual study of the word of God.

Yet, Ryrie is not concerned about the newness of the dispensationalist secret rapture doctrine. Instead, he argued for the legitimate progress of dogma. Apparently, it is only now that the church is beginning to fully understand eschatology. He dedicated four pages of his book Dispensationalism Today to describing the dispensationalist interpretation of the End Times as progressive revelation. “The Bible interpreter must observe carefully this progressiveness of revelation, and dispensationalism helps promote accuracy in this regard”. Ryrie also understood that the early apostolic Fathers did not teach any tenets of the current dispensational system. He stated, “It is not suggested nor should it be inferred that these early Church Fathers were dispensationalists in the modern sense of the word”. Charles Ryrie clearly understood that pre-tribulational dispensationalism was not rooted in historic orthodoxy. He wrote, “Posttribulationalism was the position of the early church” (Doctrine 168). If posttribulationalism was the position of the early church--why change? Apostolic truth should not be subject to the whims, “revelations” and desires of consensus or well meaning individuals.

A wedge must be hammered between the new view invented one hundred and fifty years ago and historic orthodoxy. The early Fathers must be maligned as confused, embryonic or ill informed. Lewis Chafer wrote,

Until A.D. 190 the early church fathers were almost unanimous in holding to the premillennial interpretation of Scripture. They were confused by the fact that the Bible affirms that major events will take place before the Second Coming such as the appearance of the Antichrist and a single worldwide government. On the other hand they recognized the teaching of the Scriptures that the coming of Christ for the church is imminent. The early church fathers accordingly were confused and often they spoke of the Rapture as imminent and then later affirmed that some event must take place first which would deny its immanency.

Crutchfield wrote, “On the whole, the eschatology of the Fathers was embryonic and incomplete”. However, Engleman again recalled the historic position of the Fathers,

The concept of Christ rapturing believers was completely unknown during the first thousand years of Christian history, during which time there was but one Christian Faith throughout the world. The Seven Ecumenical Councils of A.D. 325 through 787, in which all the essential doctrines of Christian Truth were declared, never mentioned a rapture (Engleman 201).

Father Michael Pomazansky points out the traditional Christian teaching on this subject: that “even the elect will suffer on earth during the ‘tribulation’ period, and that for their sake this period will be shortened” (Matt. 24:21-22) (Engleman 201-202).

Historically the church has suffered incredible persecution. The Second Coming of Christ was to end the tribulation that Christians endured. Since the early Christians lived in the midst of vicious, brutal tortures how could they teach a pre-tribulational escape? They looked forward to the time when Christ would come and end their trials. The early church was post-tribulational. No one is confused about the eschatology of the Fathers. However, the hope of the Fathers is now ridiculed as a destructive deception of the devil. Richard Reiter explained the remarkable turn around and then quoted C. I. Scofield,

As early as 1895 C. I. Scofield asserted that both posttribulationism and postmillennialism lacked urgency, and said they “come perilously near to saying, ‘My Lord delayeth His coming.’” But when he addressed the Wilmington [Delaware] Bible Conference in 1913 he called posttribulationism a deceiving and destructive opponent of the pre-tribulation Rapture.

It seems to have been a prime object of Satan to confuse the minds of God’s people about that Blessed Hope, anything to turn their eyes away from expecting him. Well, our Lord said it would be so. . . . I dont think that the enemy of the Blessed Hope is now so much postmillennialism, but it is rather posttribulationism

Next, the authors of the new interpretation of scripture claim a special revelation from God. Ryrie stated,

Progressive revelation is the recognition that Gods message to man was not given in one single act but was unfolded in a long series of successive acts and through the minds and hands of many men of varying backgrounds.

Charles Ryrie then proceeded to link the revelation of dispensational eschatology with the Bible. “The principle of progressive revelation is evident in the Scriptures themselves”. Ryrie quoted from Milton Terry as further proof for the progress of revelation. “With each new series of generations some new promise is given, or some great purpose of God is brought to light.” Ryrie concluded that dispensationalism is the work of divine revelation.

It is the marking off of these stages in the revelation of the purpose of God that is the basis for the dispensational approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures.

The student of Christian history is presented with a clear choice. We can acquiesce in the authority of one woman or man with a “new progressive” revelation from God or we can acquiesce in the authority of the early Fathers. Let the Fathers prevail. The pre-tribulation rapture theory and all its necessary supports and arguments are essentially unorthodox. Dispensational eschatology depends on a new tradition imparted as a divine revelation either to Margaret Macdonald or John Darby. When a person is indoctrinated into the dispensationalist methodology, he or she approaches the study of scripture in a particular systematic way. It is like wearing dark glasses when studying the Bible. Everything is filtered or colored by the dispensationalist system of interpretation. The dispensationalist filter effects their approach to history and the interpretation of the Bible. Dispensationalism is a complete system of interpretation. The conclusions the dispensationalist arrives at concerning the Bible, are the very same ones they began with. History and the Bible no longer inform thinking but are forced to conform to their predetermined theology. Crutchfield wrote,

It is interesting to note that Scofield too goes straight to the Bible as his source for the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. In February, 1902, issue of A. C. Gaebeleins publication, Our Hope, Scofield asserts that “We cannot  allow the statement to stand that ‘until the days of Edward Irving, who was excluded from the Presbyterian Church for heresy, no one ever heard of the ‘coming for’ and ‘coming with His saints.’” Scofield goes on to cite 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 in further proof of the Biblical origin of the doctrine.

However, the Second Coming of Jesus and the gathering of the elect as described in Matthew 24 is clearly “after the distress of those days” or post tribulation. Does the Coming of Jesus in 1Thessalonians 4 describe a different, unique and secret half coming prior to the days of distress? The Coming of Christ and gathering of the saints in Matthew 24 is the same Coming and gathering in 1 Thessalonians 4. Compare for yourselves.

Matthew 24:29 31
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (NIV)


1Thessalonians 4:15 18
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. (NIV)


Paul specifically referred back to “the Lord’s own word” as the authoritative reference point for his teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4. Jesus said his coming and gathering of the elect is “after the tribulation” (Matt 24:27; Mk13:24). What is it about “after the tribulation” that is so hard to understand? Where, according to the Lord’s own words, does he teach a secret coming to rapture endless Christians before the Great Tribulation? Jesus never taught a pre-tribulation rapture 7 years before his coming. His coming and gathering of the saints is “after the tribulation” not before the tribulation. It is clear that the only record of Jesus’ eschatology depicting his return and the gathering of the saints is post tribulation. There is no other coming and gathering in the teachings of Jesus.

Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days (RSV)
Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days (NKJ)
Matt 24:29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days (NAU)

It is impossible that Paul should have any other secret teaching or doctrine or knowledge of the Second Coming and gathering of the saints apart from the precise words of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. Jesus stated that his coming and gathering of the saints would be “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.” The nations that are alive and remain will see him coming on the clouds with glory and power. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call to gather up the elect to be with him. Paul stated that his description of the Coming of Jesus and gathering of the elect in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 was “According to the Lord’s own word.” Paul wrote that the Lord would descend with a loud command of power and glory. The first angel would blow the trumpet and those elect Christians of all nations who remain alive will be gathered up to be with the Lord. Historically, there was only one Second Coming and gathering of the saints as proclaimed by Jesus. According to the very words of Jesus his coming and gathering is after the tribulation. The apostolic church believed Jesus, literally, for 1850 years. The post tribulation return of Jesus to gather the elect was the complete and clear eschatology of Jesus, the apostles, Paul, the early Fathers and the universal church until Margaret Macdonald or John Darby’s revelation about A.D. 1830. The Secret Rapture was so secret that no one taught it for 1850 years. Apparently Darby’s personal interpretation of scripture has precedence over the very words of Jesus and the orthodox post tribulation eschatology of the apostles, Paul and the apostolic Fathers. Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4 must be severed from “the Lords own word” in the gospels and applied to a novel, secret half coming according to “the words of John Darby.” Let the Fathers prevail. Let Jesus prevail.

Dispensationalism dismembers the body of Christ by disposing of powerful spiritual gifts. The weakened Church now cowers before evil hoping to escape the final battle. The Blessed Hope of the Darbyists is to escape the end time war between good and evil. Darbyists rob the Church of power, then they rob it of courage. The rapture is a feel good theology that appeals to Western Christians. The Darbyists do not pray for power to endure and bring glory to Christ. The Darbyists pray to escape honoring Christ. The Darbyists burn their draft cards.

ACCORDING THE DARBYISTS
John Darby was the first to systematize and popularize the pre-tribulation rapture and the theological infrastructure of dispensationalism. No one taught anything close to it in all the history of the world. Darby was the primary leader in the secret rapture movement. Darby dispensationalism has no root in apostolic tradition. Dispensationalism is progressive revelation. Darby was one year old in the Lord when he received his profound revelation from the Holy Spirit. Yet, supposedly he did not invent dispensationalism. If Margaret MacDonald or Edward Irving had the revelation first that would constitute an unsavory and fanatical source. Fortunately for the Darbyists, with new information, Darby’s revelation of the rapture predated both MacDonald and Irving. The post tribulation coming of Jesus and gathering of the saints was the universal teaching of the earliest church. However, post tribulationalism is now considered a deception of the devil and an enemy of the Blessed Hope. The earliest disciples of the apostles were confused. And all this is OK with you?

God says what he means, and means what he says in his word.

There seems to be some areas of confusion operating amongst certain areas of Christianity over what God was trying to tell us in his word?

There seems to be the mistaken belief that somehow or another we are able to twist the words of God contained in the Holy Scriptures - even if that be ever so slightly - and that by doing so we change its meaning just to suite our own somewhat twisted viewpoints.

Without wishing to rant and rave again over the rapture of the church debate all over again, a prime example of this is the rapture debate.

With reference to the debate over the Mark of the Beast, I have just received an email from a friend who seemed to suggest that the word of God could somehow be compromised, or twisted around so that it could be made to say what it actually did not.

Even though there are no doubts whatsoever those that take the Mark of the Beast are destined for eternal damnation, He seemed to be inferring there would be the case for exclusion (in some instances) from what God had written in his word.

The excuse being that just because a person may have been innocent or naive relative to the consequences of taking the Mark of the Beast there was somehow the chance for a compromise when there is nothing of the such like written in the word of God.

What that sort of statement infers is that even though God had written something in his word it could be compromised at a later time. If that were the case then everything that had been written in the word of God could be negotiated at a later date, when that is simply not the case.

His wording went something along the following lines

You really think God would damn someone who innocently took a chip that later was used for the mark? Is that what a just God would do, punish you for eternity for being naive or even deceived?

There are no excuses when it comes to the word of God. When God wrote his word he said what he meant, and meant what he said, and if he said that those that take the Mark or determined for eternal hellfire, then he meant what he had said.

There are no ifs or buts or maybes, and if God said that those that take the mark are determined to spend eternity in hellfire, then those are the facts of the matter, (as has been mentioned aforesaid) and those that think any differently are simply barking up the wrong tree by twisting the word of God just to suite one's own purposes, which is not a very wise thing to do.

After all, if those that have come to such a point relative to the Mark of the what else can one also make excuses over by saying that was not really what God had meant by what he had written in his word.

Are we then going to say that the countless other sins that are mentioned in the Bible can also be excused?

If that were the case then there would have been no reason whatsoever for Christ to have come into the world so that our sins could be forgiven.

That is not to say that I do not believe that God is a loving and forgiving type of God but if he said in his word that those that take the Mark are determined for Hellfire then that is what he meant, as harsh as that might seem to be.

It's there for all to read in black and white those that take the Mark of the Beast are determined to spend eternity in Hellfire, there are no excuses, not now, or not ever.

Revelation Chapter 14, Verse 9 to 12
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Those that worship the Beast and take his mark are determined for eternal damnation that's what the scripture says.

Therefore, there would have to be the dual sin of the worship of the Beast and the taking of the Mark before a person would be sent to eternal damnation

However the fundamentalist Born Again Christian would not worship the Beast -- therefore the Christian would not take the Mark. But that verse still says that anyone who takes the Mark is determined for eternal damnation, and there are no excuses not know or not ever, and so please be warned before it is too late.