Praise God - You're Gonna Die!

"Attention! You will all die a horrible death soon. That is all." Futurists are a strange bunch. On one hand, you will see Rexella Van Impe aquiver with excitment over the imminent return of our Savior. On the other hand, we find dispensational teachers wringing their hands, warning believers that they will soon be "hunted down, tortured, thrown into jail, beheaded and slaughtered in great numbers":

It is glaringly obvious that Christians are going to suffer ferocious terror and death during the Apocalypse. And these verses are speaking of committed Christians as it speaks of "those who bore testimony to Jesus and to the Word of God". These are not wishy-washy believers who are being executed here. A parallel passage speaking about the same time in the Book of Daniel reiterates these awful truths...Not only will Christians be put to the sword, they will also suffer death by burning. In chapter 13 of the Book of Isaiah we have further prophecies concerning those who put their faith in God and Christ during the Day of Tribulation. We know that this is speaking of the Apocalypse as Isaiah states this is referring to the "Day of Wrath" which is another name for the Day of Vengeance, the Day of His Burning Anger, the Cruel Day with Wrath, the Day of Jacob's Trouble etc. This is a very harrowing section but mature Christians need to hear this so that we can warn others as to what is coming down the tracks in the days ahead. (Patrick Heron, Source)

Most mainstream Judeo-Christians miss the fact that there is no composite agreement in dispensationalism concerning our future. You may or may not meet a gruesome end, but - in any account - you are to be joyous in the coming Day of the Lord. Go figure. Most mainstream Christians I know are more into Longaberger baskets than the pain of imminent martyrdom. Clearly, they have not thought this idea of the "Second Coming" through.

Consider also that, according to dispensationalists, 2/3 of today's Jews are to slaughtered soon. Why are mainstream Christians clapping and cheering as today's Jews "return to the land" - knowing these people will be doomed and brutally killed? If today's Jews are truly Semitic, is this not an anti-Semite view?

What joy do they find in the re-establishment of the Sanhedrin (who murdered our Christ?) What joy do they find in the resumption of the temple sacrifices?

Ultimately, today's dispensationalists are whackier than the whackiest religion on Earth today. They get really excited knowing that this marvelous Creation is to be utterly destroyed. They believe that they - who number in the millions and fill megachurches throughout the US - uniquely know the truths concerning the "last days", and everyone else is deceived and ignorant.

While we turn the futures of our children over to the ungodly, villainous people we have placed in office to rule over us, we waste time speculating over who the Antichrist might be, and whether the Mark of the Beast might be an implant. We muse over current events - trying to map them to Bible prophecy - while our families, cities and nations are in moral peril.

Are you excited about the imminent return of Jesus, knowing that unparalled levels of disease, war, drought, famine as well as gristly, ghastly forms of torture and death are to be attendant with the event?

Or, truthfully, would you be more excited to find that you and those you love will not face these events, and Jesus actually completed His Work here on earth?