The Final Deception Confronting the Body of Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 06/05/24

The Final Deception Confronting the Body of Christ

A Clear Refutation of the Error that Contradicts the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church

by Pastor Doug Riggs

Dear Saints,

This message was originally recorded March 4, 2015.

My notes:

"The last and great and final deception that will be in the body of Christ – [is] the agenda of false teachers". According to Dr. Michael Lake, the doctrines of demons come from the watchers (fallen angels) and the Nephilim (hybrid offspring). The final deception confronting the body of Christ is the false teachings so prevalent in our generation related to eschatology. The confusion and deception is because the church today is not instructed sufficiently in the revelation of the mystery of the Christ, the singular and corporate aspect of the one New Man, Christ the head, the church His body. Without this key to properly interpret scripture, false teaching about the end times abounds. How many will apostatize and abandon their faith when tribulation comes upon the church (not "The Tribulation") and Jesus isn't here to deliver us? The saints at Thessalonica experienced this confusion and had to be corrected.

It's important to see the distinctions between the prophecies in the Old Testament and the gospels relating to Israel and the second coming of Jesus, and the teaching on the coming of Jesus for the church (i.e.: the rapture), two completely different events soon to come. "The message for the church is very much different than what you see in Luke 21, Mark 13, and Matthew 24. Luke 21 is actually the Temple Discourse which sets the stage for the Olivet Discourse in Mark 13 and Matthew 24 that is focusing on the 2nd coming of the Lord. In other words, you look at the events leading up to the 2nd Advent of Christ when He returns from heaven to earth to establish His kingdom, that's what those passages are focusing on. There's nothing in there of the church; absolutely nothing." Remember, the revelation of the mystery of the Christ (corporate body of Christ) was not yet revealed, so the Gospels do not prophecy the rapture of the church, only the prophecy of Israel.

The "day of the Lord" is not the same as when Jesus comes for the church. The day of the Lord is that 7-year period of time prophesied in Daniel (and other places) that pertains to Israel. The "day of Christ Jesus" ("day of Christ") refers to when Jesus returns for the church. For those confused about the 2nd coming of Jesus, it's in two phases: first He comes FOR His church; then He comes WITH His church at the 2nd Advent when He will establish His throne on Earth. Doug also clears up the confusion about the trumpet of God blown when Jesus comes for the church and the trumpets blown by angels during the tribulation... not the same. "The eschatology of the church, that is, the last days prophetic plan for the church, is distinct from Israel and the nations... There's at least 7 years separation between the translation of the church and Jesus returning with His church to this earth 7 years later." "The rapture precipitates the day of the Lord."

Doug refers to Christians who pass on being referred to as those who have fallen asleep. Some religious denominations teach 'soul sleep' based on the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. However, the Apostle Paul wrote about being "absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Being "at home with the Lord" wouldn't make sense if we are asleep.

In Ephesians 6 where the Christian armor is listed, Doug clears up the reason for the helmet of salvation. It isn't about eternal security, protecting our minds from doubting our salvation; it's about FINAL deliverance (deliverance = 'salvation' - i.e.: the deliverance of the church at the end), protecting our minds from deception and false teaching. In this message, Doug teaches us the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace is the firm footing of the fact we are eternally saved once we receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Doug takes us into the context and framework of the letters to the Thessalonians. "Why is he (Paul) addressing this issue (false teaching) in 2 Thessalonians? Because the suffering they were going through was being interpreted as that they were in the day of the Lord... This is not just about Thessalonica. This is about the church at the end of the age. This is giving us the framework of what it's going to be like prior to the rapture. There's going to be universal suffering."

Doug mentions The Celestial Court, his 4-part series of messages (https://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html#anchor_53) as the explanation for those who suffered for their faith during the church age receiving vindication from the Lord.

In this message, Doug gives a scenario that the falling away (apostasy) of the church prior to the rapture will be precipitated by the Disclosure Event, the public unveiling of the "aliens" and “extraterrestrials” among us. In other messages, Doug has suggested it could happen after the church is removed and that will be used to explain the sudden disappearance of Christians at the rapture. Either way, the Disclosure event "will be the precipitating factor that will prepare the stage for Antichrist."

Doug stresses the importance of the Apostle Paul's clear teaching on the pre-day of the Lord (i.e.: pre-tribulation) rapture and it is not his private interpretation. "Pre-day of the Lord is not a position; it's the truth. You can't have 'pre-day of the Lord', 'mid-day of the Lord', 'pre-wrath', 'post-trib', 'post-day of the Lord'; only one can be right, and this is the right one. And, if you're certain about this, you're in sync with Paul. If you're not, you're not in sync with the Holy Spirit who's speaking through Paul to Gentile believers." When the doctrine of the rapture of the church is accurately taught, it should be an encouragement. "There's no encouragement about going through any phase of the day of the Lord - zero encouragement!"

Link to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/3-4-15+Wednesday+Assembly.mp3

Additional Resource: Doug’s series The Helmet of Salvation (https://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html#anchor_62)