Rapture Fever
by Gary North by Gary North
Foreword xxi And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:47-48). Just as a parent has more responsibility before God than his child does, so do those who become successful. They receive greater blessings, and so they bear more responsibility. But our successes are supposed to establish our confidence in the fulfillment in history of God’s covenantal promises, which should produce greater obedience, which increases our confidence, and so on, until He comes again in final judgment. This is positive ~eedhzck: progress. But beware, God warned, that thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand bath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day (Deut. 8:17-18). God offers us the possibility of marching from victory unto victory, if we obey Him by obeying His law. But there are many Christians who prefer to believe in the Church’s defeat in history so that they can live under humanist man’s laws instead of God’s law. They even proclaim this subservience to humanist politicians, judges, and lawyers as God’s plan for His Church. I say there is a better choice. That is why I wrote this book. Ask Yourself These Three Questions First, do you hope that your work on earth will leave a positive legacy to fiture generations, no matter how small the legacy is, even if no one in the future remembers who you were or what you did? Of course you do. Second, does God’s Word
xxii RAPTURE FEVER return to Him void? No. Third, as a covenant-keeper before God, can you legitimately expect that your good words and good deeds will have more impact in the future than your evil words and evil deeds? I am not speaking merely of building up treasures in heaven; I am speaking also of your legacy in history to your earthly heirs. I am speaking here of inhmitunce in the broadest sense. If you answer yes, I think you have the right attitude about yourself and your work in God’s kingdom. If you answer no, I think you are in need of professional Christian counseling. You are headed for a mental crisis. First, you have a problem with your lack of self-esteem (and covenant-keepers have a right to self-esteem as legally adopted sons of God: John 1:12). Second, you have a problem with your lack of confidence regarding God’s willingness to bless your work. You have neglected God’s promise: “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Sam. 2:30). The three questions I have asked here with respect to your legitimate expectations about the historical outcome of your @-sonal efforts also need to be asked with respect to Christianity in general: the kingdom (civihzution) of God. When we begin to seek Bible-based answers to these three questions regarding the kingdom of God in history, we have necessarily raised the issue of a biblical philosophy of history. If all of our personal efforts will inevitably be swallowed up and wiped out during a future Great Tribulation, then of what earthly use are they? Similarly, if all of the Church’s good works are wiped out during that same Great Tribulation, what is the use of trying? Why should Christians sacrifice to build universities and other great institutions if they will all be stolen or ruined after the Rapture (and maybe before)? This is what millions of Christians conclude. That is because they are wor-
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Foreword xxi<br />
And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not<br />
himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with<br />
many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things<br />
worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto<br />
whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and<br />
to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the<br />
more (Luke 12:47-48).<br />
Just as a parent has more responsibility before God than his<br />
child does, so do those who become successful. They receive<br />
greater blessings, and so they bear more responsibility. But our<br />
successes are supposed to establish our confidence in the fulfillment<br />
in history of God’s covenantal promises, which should<br />
produce greater obedience, which increases our confidence,<br />
and so on, until He comes again in final judgment. This is<br />
positive ~eedhzck: progress. But beware, God warned, that<br />
thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand<br />
bath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD<br />
thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he<br />
may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it<br />
is this day (Deut. 8:17-18).<br />
God offers us the possibility of marching from victory unto<br />
victory, if we obey Him by obeying His law. But there are many<br />
Christians who prefer to believe in the Church’s defeat in history<br />
so that they can live under humanist man’s laws instead of<br />
God’s law. They even proclaim this subservience to humanist<br />
politicians, judges, and lawyers as God’s plan for His Church.<br />
I say there is a better choice. That is why I wrote this book.<br />
Ask Yourself These Three Questions<br />
First, do you hope that your work on earth will leave a positive<br />
legacy to fiture generations, no matter how small the legacy<br />
is, even if no one in the future remembers who you were or<br />
what you did? Of course you do. Second, does God’s Word
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