End Times Stuff

The End

Recently, there was a disagreement here on WordPress regarding the time and meaning of end times events as written in the Bible.  I am not going to rehash that disagreement here.  I got involved in the conversation to help my sister in Christ and to help bring peace and understanding to the situation.  Many devout Christians who love Jesus with all of their hearts disagree with each other on the timing and meaning of end times Scripture.  This is an unfortunate reality within the church.  All of the conversations I have had over the past few days (here on WordPress and by email) with those involved in the disagreement have been constructive and righteous and I appreciate you all.  I would like to share a couple of posts that I wrote about the end times back in August of 2018 when I first started blogging.  Only a few people had seen my blog back then, so not many people have seen these posts.

Here is one I wrote on 8-25-18 about the Rapture.  I actually wrote this post because of a disagreement a brother in Christ and I had about the Rapture.

The Rapture

Here is one I wrote on 8-22-18 about the mark of the beast.

Don’t Ever Get Chipped!

I was thinking today about the different views of the end times and how many disagreements there are about it.  The conversations over the last few days made me think about my old college buddy who became a Pastor in Boulder.  We were catching up by phone a couple years back and the Rapture came up.  He told me he doesn’t even believe in the Rapture!  He is not Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, or Post-Trib; he just doesn’t believe in it at all!  That was shocking to me and I disagreed with him, but he wasn’t changing his mind.  Is he still my good brother in Christ?!  Of course!  We shared the Gospel together all over campus at the University of Northern Colorado back in the 90s and we even baptized people together!  He loves Jesus with all of his heart and the main thing is he believes a person can only be saved by faith in Jesus and not by works.

I posted the front cover of Mark Hitchcock’s book because that is an awesome book to use as a Bible study guide to the end times.  Pastor Mark is a humble guy.  I chatted with him by email a couple years ago and it really helped me during my time of suffering.  I love his books.  His book “The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days” is my favorite so far.

Here is what I wrote about his book on the “Great Books” page on my blog:

“This is an incredible resource for studying the end times and Bible prophecy.  If you want help understanding Revelation and Daniel, or you have ever wanted to dive deeper into understanding prophecy, then this is your definitive book on the subject!  Mark Hitchcock has written over 20 books on end times Bible Prophecy, he is the senior Pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, and he serves as an adjunct faculty member of Dallas Theological Seminary.  He is also a humble servant of God who I have enjoyed speaking with over email on several occasions.  Powerful book!”

-Ryan Callahan

If you are looking for a great resource to study the end times, then Pastor Mark’s book is what I recommend.  I believe he has a correct and clear understanding of the end times and I agree with his beliefs regarding the Rapture and all other end times events.

It is important to remember that our beliefs in the Rapture are not a salvation issue.  My old college friend who is now a Pastor is not a deceiver because of his views on the Rapture.  I wouldn’t point people to him for understanding of the end times, but he sure knows how to preach the Gospel.  I am not saying the Rapture is not an important issue because it is and it should be taught correctly.  However, there are many disagreements regarding the Rapture and the timing and meaning of other end times events and we should be careful in how we judge each other regarding those disagreements.  There will be people that disagree with my views of the end times.  That’s okay.  I might disagree with yours.  I am not here to argue with anybody about the end times.  My focus is on helping the lost get saved.  Not arguing with those who are already saved.

All we can do is speak the truth in love on our blogs and let the chips fall where they may.  If you have a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ, please contact them privately first.  Please be very careful about publicly calling somebody out on your blogs.  You might not have all the facts and you need to give the person a fair chance at responding to your disagreement.  It is always best to seek understanding through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and talk with the brother or sister directly first.

I posted those links about the Rapture and the mark of the beast, so that people know clearly what I believe.  I believe the overview of upcoming end times events is:

WW3

The Rapture (Pre-Trib)

7 year Tribulation

Armageddon

The 2nd Coming of Jesus

The Millennial Kingdom

Satan’s final revolt and defeat

Eternity

There are a lot of things that take place within all that, but that is the general overview.

I hope I was able to help those involved in the disagreement.  You all love Jesus with all of your hearts and we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  We may not agree on everything, but we agree that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and a person can only be saved by God’s grace through faith in Him!  Amen to John 3:16, John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Romans 10:9!

I pray we all keep focused on Jesus as we fulfill the Great Commission He gave us in Matthew 28:18-20!  May we love each other as He loves us!

Grace and peace to you all!

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus speaking in John 13:34-35

 

 

Author: Ryan Callahan

Hello, and welcome to my site! I am an independent Christian author (One Man's Very Strange Supernatural Life), blogger, and evangelist for Jesus. My main goal with this blog is to help people come to know Jesus, help people understand the Bible, and to minister to a lost and hurting world. This site is about hope, new beginnings, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love! I'm glad you are here, God bless you! Copyright © 2024 Ryan Callahan. All rights reserved.

47 thoughts on “End Times Stuff”

  2. Pingback: End Times Stuff — Ryan Callahan’s Blog – INTROVERTED EVANGELIST

  4. It’s good to share your views and the fact that our salvation does not depend on our view of the Rapture. I appreciate you helping out those that have had a problem with others’ views…we must be gracious with other believers. They have a right to a different view on these kinds of issues!

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      2. By the way, I thought you might like to know that both of my replies on his blog (except for one I left in your thread of comments) were removed. Apparently truth was not the goal. God bless. And thanks again for your mediation.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. That’s not right he did that. He challenged you, but then he didn’t give you a chance to defend yourself and set the record straight. That is cowardly of him and it’s just not right. It is actually sinful of him to falsely accuse you too. I have been through some crazy encounters here on WordPress, but what you went through is the craziest yet. I pray the Lord protects us all. God bless you Dee!

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      6. I completely agree. It’s disheartening to think that we have to be on our guard even against our brothers and sisters. I’ve been praying for him and I know this is in God’s hands, so I’m letting it go. I just thought you should know since you were so great to mediate. Thank you again for that. God bless!

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  8. Someone said it this way: “Some Christians post complex doctrine. Some share errors in understanding the things of God. As we help each other grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, may we be gentle and kind, remembering that in our Father’s house there is room for all of us. ”

    Amen 💜

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  9. It seemed so simple when I was a young Christian. Then I started learning about all the different interpretations and it stressed me out. I decided that I don’t need to know the details and if I do, God will give me understanding. Until then , I trust that Jesus will return when he’s ready. 🙂

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  10. Hi Ryan. Wonderful post and you are right on target. I am so glad that you are still friend with the pastor even though you both do not share the same views. Sometimes as Christians we get bogged down by who is right and who is wrong. But, the truth is only God is the truth and therefore only God is correct.

    For what if some do not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith (or truth) of God without effect? God forbid! Yea, let God be true and every man a liar. (Romans 3:3-4)

    The fact of the matter is that all of us as humans (it doesn’t matter our years of experience in ministry or how high is our education) will err in some of our understanding of the Bible because the revelation of God’s Word is infinite and no single human being can contained it. Thus, the Lord will reveal small portions to individual.

    Sometimes when we get a portion we run with it and often times wield it out of proportion.

    Your pastor friend has the understanding that the word rapture is not in the Bible and so he does not preach it or believe in it. He is not out of line!

    The Bible teaches us about the second coming of Christ and that the dead in Christ will be caught up to meet him. If you consider this event the rapture then so be it. You or anyone who believes in it are not out of line either.

    God will not condemn us nor throw any of us in hell if our understanding of His Word is not perfect. We just need to love each other and learn to respect each others views.

    As you said our focus should be on the winning souls for Christ by teaching the gospel of salvation and living a sincere and upright life on earth.

    On another note, a few years ago when I was going through some rough times in my life the Lord encouraged me to study the Bible so that I would be delivered.

    Part of that study was on the book of revelation. When the Lord opened up the book to me I was instantly delivered  and set free. I shared the lessons that God taught me in the book that I wrote.

    Many of the lessons are different from the popular end time views, but they are all Biblical. I shared a link to this book if you or anyone else would like to check it out. You won’t regret it. Thanks for reading through my long comment. Blessings.
    https://www.amazon.com/Harm-Not-Wine-Beverley-Wright/dp/1518743587/

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    2. P.S. Regarding the word Rapture: Here is an excerpt from my post about the Rapture where I quote Pastor Mark Hitchcock’s teaching about the origins of the word:

      “Pastor Mark Hitchcock in his book “The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days” teaches us about the word harpazo and where our English word “Rapture” comes from:

      “Harpazo appears thirteen times in the New Testament: Matthew 11:12; 13:19; John 6:15; 10:12, 28, 29; Acts 8:39; 23:10; 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Jude 1:23; Revelation 12:5. In those passages, harpazo is variously translated as “take by force,” “snatch,” or “caught up” (NASB). In Acts 8, the Spirit “snatches,” or transports, Philip from one place to another that was twenty miles away. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes being “caught up” to heaven in the presence of the Lord. This was a thrilling experience he wanted others to share. In Revelation 12:5, harpazo refers back to the Ascension of Jesus to heaven (Acts 1:9-11).

      Our English word Rapture is derived from Latin. In the fourth century AD, the great scholar Jerome translated the Greek New Testament into Latin. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Jerome translated the Greek word harpazo into the Latin word raeptius. The Latin word rapio means “to seize, snatch, or seize away.” This word was eventually brought into English as Rapture.

      So, while it is true that the word Rapture does not occur in most English translations, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17 clearly contain the concept of a catching away of living believers to meet the Lord. The Rapture could just as well be called the “catching away of the church,” “the snatching away of the church,” the “translation of the church,” or the “harpazo of the church.” But “Rapture of the church” is an excellent description and has become the most common title for this event.”

      -Mark Hitchcock, The End, pages 124-125”

      Just wanted to make it clear that what I believe about the Rapture is most definitely in the Bible and that is why I believe it, because it is God’s Word. God bless.

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      1. Hi Ryan. Thanks for the information about the rapture. I haven’t read the book that you recommended, but I am aware of the biblical references to someone being caught up to heaven. However, the original meaning of the English word rapture is ecstatic joy or delight or joyful ecstasy. There is also a medieval French meaning of rapture which means rape or the act of carrying off, kidnapping. My further research showed that the rapture theory was first taught by John Nelson Darby in the 1830’s. Also rapture is also taught in Buddism called piti. In recent times many theologians have associated rapture with caught up. However, I prefer to disassociate myself from the word rapture. My church teaches it but it does not bother me. This is just my personal view of what I learned from the Lord. It is the word rapture and it’s original meaning that I don’t believe in. I definitely believe in the second coming of Christ and that the church will be caught up to meet Him. I personally do not call this event a rapture. I wrote a post on it and the link is below.
        https://becomingtheoilandwine.com/2017/09/01/the-rapture-theory/

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      2. Wow. Never heard of the medieval French meaning. Never studied Darby, but the Bible was written a long time before he was ever born. Like I said, there are many different views on the rapture. God bless

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  11. Wow, I just read your post and to my surprise, I saw this comment from you.

    “That is cowardly of him and it’s just not right. It is actually sinful of him to falsely accuse you too.”

    Thank you for that wonderful comment Ryan, this coward will pray on your behalf for the Lord’s blessings upon you and your family for good health and a stronger faith in Christ. I have no ill feelings towards you and your friend Dee. But the truth must be preached. God bless my brother.

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    1. No hard feelings from me either brother. Like I said to you directly, you should have talked with her first. You should not have deleted her comments. If you challenge someone, you need to be fair and let them speak for themselves. At least have a fair discussion. I’ll pray for you to have a stronger faith too brother and for courage to be fair and honest with people, especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. Grace and peace to you brother.

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  12. I might be a coward in the eyes of the world but in the eyes of Jesus, which brings me comfort, I am brave for the truth. I saw her debate before I posted and seen her passion for her interpretation. No need to go to her first. By the way, Caeli, said that she sent Dee a comment and she deleted it so please let us stop with the double standard. She can do whatever she want in her blog as I can do whatever I want with mine for the sake of Holy filled Christians. You have a great evening, in a positive note, Ryan at least you didn’t call me something worse. I’m in great company, they called Jesus names too.

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    1. Brother, for the record, I don’t think you are a coward and I never called you a coward or anything else. I simply said how you treated Dee was cowardly, that is all. I have read your blog and I believe you love Jesus and you preach the truth. I just had issue with how you called Dee out without talking to her first, and yes there was a need to talk with her first. I don’t have any beef with you bro, so don’t come on here puffing out your chest wanting to wrestle me. I will wrestle, but I would rather be at peace with you. If you don’t like to be challenged or admonished back, then don’t challenge people. I recommend dropping it bro. You and I are brothers in Christ, be at peace.

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  13. Wow, very godly response. Thank you Ryan. You know, sometimes you don’t know a person until a controversy arises. I’m not afraid debating your comments or anything else you have said but out of respect for you and seeing that it is your blog I will end it here. I will respond with a post. God bless.

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    1. Just do me this courtesy brother, if you ever have some kind of issue with me or with something I’ve written, just talk to me first. You can respond with whatever comment you feel you would like to respond with here on my blog. I don’t have any problem with you. God bless

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      1. I was trying to talk to you but you took it the wrong way. I was calling you out for calling me a coward, sinful and a false accuser but you bypassed that and defended your position. What is the use if one says to talk to me first and disregard my concerns? Dee blogged about the private exchange. Is this privilege only applicable to her? Anyways, have a good night man.

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      2. Yeah, you all blogged about it. Like I said, I don’t have a problem with you. I wasn’t involved with any of this. You are the one that called her out and started the whole thing. Keep me out of it man. I was just trying to do the right thing and provide some understanding on Dee’s behalf. She loves the Lord just as much as you do bro. Are you gonna go all over WordPress and point your finger at every single person who disagrees with you about the rapture? What if somebody does that to you just because they disagree with your view on the rapture? It’s ridiculous. Focus on Jesus and sharing the Gospel. That’s fine, you can call me out and I stand by it. You acted cowardly, it was sinful, and you accused her falsely. She just has a different view than you do. I don’t need to talk to you about this anymore. I am a 40 year old father of 2 with a wife of 17 years and I fight Celiac every day. I’ve got enough going on. I have been open and honest with all of you in my comments and anyone can read them. You know from the very start when I first commented on your post about this whole thing that I said you should have talked to her first. That has been my position the entire time. I agree with your theology on the end times. I do not agree with how you called her out publicly before talking to her. Peace

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      3. One more thing bro. You can keep your arrogant mocking sarcasm to yourself too with your “wow, very godly response” phrase. You like to argue and fight, huh? I don’t know how old you are, but if you are younger than 40, then I admonish you as an older man. If you happen to be older than 40, then you should know better by now. I’ve spoken with you straight up man to man the whole time. You better put that pointing judgmental finger of yours away bro. I haven’t done anything to you or called you anything and I have not been ungodly to you, so again, keep your mocking sarcasm to yourself. You are not going to come on here mocking me bro.

        I admonished you when you called Dee out when you don’t even know her and you had never even chatted with her first. She loves Jesus and she is your sister in Christ, yet you caused her pain just because you disagree with her end times views. Your post was reblogged several times too, which caused her further pain. Dee believes Jesus is the only way to salvation just like you. It’s not right what you did and it was cowardly. I never called you a coward. I said your actions towards Dee were cowardly. You can dislike my comments about it, but there was nothing ungodly about any of my comments to you.

        I was raised to be straightforward and honest and speak right to the issue man to man. I am being honest with you and speaking right to you man to man. If you don’t like that kind of blunt and honest talk, then you won’t like talking with me. I don’t mince words and I will be very straightforward and to the point. I’m here to share the Gospel as Jesus has called me to do, not argue with some brother who wants to mock and fight.

        My comments were not ungodly. You just don’t like being told straight up. For some reason in your world, you feel you have the right to judge and challenge your brothers and sisters, but you don’t want that done to you.

        My Dad used to have a saying he told me when I was growing up: “don’t start none, won’t be none.” Like I said before, if you don’t want to be challenged or admonished, then don’t go around pointing your finger at other brothers and sisters in Christ starting fights. That is my straightforward, loving, and godly advice to you brother. You could have just contacted her directly or left a comment under her post. You didn’t need to do a public post like you did.

        There are so many disagreements about the rapture and the end times that it is ridiculous. Believers need to stop arguing and be about the business of fulfilling the Great Commission. None of us know the times or dates of the end, so let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

        Grace and peace to you.

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      5. The Lord bless you and your family too brother. I am glad you are out here bravely sharing Christ with the world. You preach the truth boldly and I respect that. I am glad to know you as a fellow ambassador for Jesus! Grace and peace to you always!

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  15. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 [a]The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Philippians 1:15-18 encourages me.

    As long as Christ is preached, all is well!

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  16. When I was a kid the “Left Behind” movies were legit lol now I know that they are only an interpretation, regardless of what we can correctly interpret, the day and hour of our Lords coming remains a mystery, though I believe we are in the End Times and drawing ever near. I completely agree that these topics a minor compared to that of salvation. So many Christians worry themselves over the end when ultimately, when it is a cause for celebration for the saved as they will be with Christ.

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