Today, on Facebook, a Christian gentleman shared from his blog an article about Corrie ten Boom. The article is titled "Corrie Ten Boom: Beware of False Teaching of Pre-Tribulation Rapture" and is found on his blog page: "Z3 News, End Time News Before It Happens."
In his blog about Corrie ten Boom it is evident that he believes her letter, written in 1974, proves that she denied the PreTribulation Rapture of the church.
This bothered me because in the past year or so, we have been inundated with so much "fake news" - both political and religious. Some of the fake news is openly and blatantly thrown at us, with the writer knowing that it was false - just trying to mislead folks.
And, we have others, such at the man who posted his blog - whom I believe, without him holding a false prejudice, he is following an unbiblical teaching of the Rapture, a teaching which denies the Imminency of Christ's Return. I do not believe he has shared this to propagate "fake news" - but, instead he has shared it through honest, though misled, belief that the return of Christ is not imminent.
Possibly Corrie ten Boom did not believe in a PreTribulational Rapture. If so, I believe she was wrong - BUT, that does not detract from her Christian faith, nor her eternal life in Christ. Our beliefs and teachings on issues such as End Time Prophecies. baptism, tithing, etc., do not affect our eternal position in Christ. Those beliefs fall into what we would call Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines. In other words, they are important to study and understand - but our position in Christ is not determined by them.
And we must keep in mind that - as much as all of us loved and admired Corrie ten Boom and her devout Christian ministry - she was not and is not the final authority. The Bible is the final authority. We should never follow the teachings of "anyone" without testing those teachings against Scripture. While we respect our pastors, theologians, scholars, teachers - not one of them is infallible. So, in respect, we take what they teach us and test it against Scripture - and keep what the Bible has validated.
A point of interest: Just last night in our Prayer Night Devotional - our pastor taught on the same Scripture passage which Corrie ten Boom shared as her go-to passage while in the German concentration camp. This is from her letter:
In that excerpt from her letter - this tells me that Corrie ten Boom did, indeed, see that there are Two Distinct Tribulations: First, the current persecution of believers - and - Second, the coming Tribulation which God will use to bring the remnant of His chosen people, Israel, into the family of God.
Below is an excerpt from the 19 page booklet "The Tribulation And The Church" written by Pastor Chuck Smith and available in PDF format if you google it - or it can be purchased from bookstores. Here, Pastor Chuck clearly defines the Two Tribulations:
My Friends, God tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
And, by "dividing" He does not mean that we should let Scripture divide us, brother against brother. But that we must be diligent in discerning the correct interpretation of each Scripture verse and passage. The apostle Paul teaches us in Acts 17:11 to be good Bereans, always testing the teacher and the teaching against Scripture.
That is one reason that I believe so strongly in expositional sermons and Bible studies. i.e., teaching and studying through the Bible, verse by verse.
My reason for sharing this blog is not to put down other Christian believers because they hold different views on the End Times Prophecies or other non-essential Biblical doctrines.
My reason for sharing this is to warn all of us - that we should not so revere any person - such as Corrie ten Boom, or any pastor, teacher, scholar, or theologian - that we mindlessly accept everything they teach - without being good Acts 17:11 Bereans. The final authority must always be God and His Bible.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
In his blog about Corrie ten Boom it is evident that he believes her letter, written in 1974, proves that she denied the PreTribulation Rapture of the church.
This bothered me because in the past year or so, we have been inundated with so much "fake news" - both political and religious. Some of the fake news is openly and blatantly thrown at us, with the writer knowing that it was false - just trying to mislead folks.
And, we have others, such at the man who posted his blog - whom I believe, without him holding a false prejudice, he is following an unbiblical teaching of the Rapture, a teaching which denies the Imminency of Christ's Return. I do not believe he has shared this to propagate "fake news" - but, instead he has shared it through honest, though misled, belief that the return of Christ is not imminent.
Possibly Corrie ten Boom did not believe in a PreTribulational Rapture. If so, I believe she was wrong - BUT, that does not detract from her Christian faith, nor her eternal life in Christ. Our beliefs and teachings on issues such as End Time Prophecies. baptism, tithing, etc., do not affect our eternal position in Christ. Those beliefs fall into what we would call Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines. In other words, they are important to study and understand - but our position in Christ is not determined by them.
And we must keep in mind that - as much as all of us loved and admired Corrie ten Boom and her devout Christian ministry - she was not and is not the final authority. The Bible is the final authority. We should never follow the teachings of "anyone" without testing those teachings against Scripture. While we respect our pastors, theologians, scholars, teachers - not one of them is infallible. So, in respect, we take what they teach us and test it against Scripture - and keep what the Bible has validated.
A point of interest: Just last night in our Prayer Night Devotional - our pastor taught on the same Scripture passage which Corrie ten Boom shared as her go-to passage while in the German concentration camp. This is from her letter:
When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, “Nothing could be any worse than today.” But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy.
1 Peter 4:14-15, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name."
I found myself saying, “Hallelujah! Because I am suffering (for the name of Christ), Jesus is glorified!”
In that excerpt from her letter - this tells me that Corrie ten Boom did, indeed, see that there are Two Distinct Tribulations: First, the current persecution of believers - and - Second, the coming Tribulation which God will use to bring the remnant of His chosen people, Israel, into the family of God.
Below is an excerpt from the 19 page booklet "The Tribulation And The Church" written by Pastor Chuck Smith and available in PDF format if you google it - or it can be purchased from bookstores. Here, Pastor Chuck clearly defines the Two Tribulations:
It's important to make a clear distinction about tribulations as taught in the Bible. There are two different types of tribulation. (1) The Great Tribulation referred to by Jesus and Daniel and detailed by John in the Revelation - and - (2) The tribulation that Jesus promised would come to the Church.
Speaking to His disciples in John 16:33 Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
The Church will have tribulation in the world. It's important to notice that the "tribulation" faced by the Church originates from the world and comes from the world system controlled by Satan. Satan is behind all the attacks on the Church.
Paul tells us that we're wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Spirit forces are warring against the children of God, the source of our tribulation is definitely the world system governed by Satan.
The Great Tribulation that will come upon the earth originates from Heaven. God's wrath is poured out in judgment against the sinners during this Tribulation. When the sixth seal is opened in Revelation 6:12, those on the earth try to hide and they call for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of His wrath has come, and they question, "Who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 11:18 declares, "Thy wrath is come."
In Revelation 14:10 the Great Tribulation is referred to as the indignation and wrath of God. When the seals are opened in Heaven corresponding judgments come upon the earth. The angels are given trumpets in Heaven, and as they blow the trumpets corresponding judgments come upon the earth. The vials from the living creatures are opened by the seven angels, and again corresponding judgments come upon the earth. All these judgments come from God and have their origin in Heaven. . . .
The tribulation (today) experienced by the child of God comes from the Satan-governed world.
The Tribulation (Great Tribulation) that is coming on the sinful world will come from God.
My Friends, God tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
And, by "dividing" He does not mean that we should let Scripture divide us, brother against brother. But that we must be diligent in discerning the correct interpretation of each Scripture verse and passage. The apostle Paul teaches us in Acts 17:11 to be good Bereans, always testing the teacher and the teaching against Scripture.
That is one reason that I believe so strongly in expositional sermons and Bible studies. i.e., teaching and studying through the Bible, verse by verse.
My reason for sharing this blog is not to put down other Christian believers because they hold different views on the End Times Prophecies or other non-essential Biblical doctrines.
My reason for sharing this is to warn all of us - that we should not so revere any person - such as Corrie ten Boom, or any pastor, teacher, scholar, or theologian - that we mindlessly accept everything they teach - without being good Acts 17:11 Bereans. The final authority must always be God and His Bible.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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