Statement of Faith for Beth Goyim Messianic Congregation

7. THE RAPTURE: What is Beth Goyim Messianic Congregation stand on “The Rapture”

We believe that the Scriptures from B’resheet/Genesis to Revelation are the perfect words of Adonai. We believe that forever did not come when Yeshua the Messiah gave His life freely on the cross made of wood on the hill called Golgotha.

Messiah Yeshua speaks about being “Born Again” here;

Joh 3:1  There was a man among the P'rushim, named Nakdimon, who was a ruler of the Judeans.

Joh 3:2  This man came to Yeshua by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know it is from God that you have come as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles you perform unless God is with him."

Joh 3:3  "Yes, indeed," Yeshua answered him, "I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

Joh 3:4  Nakdimon said to him, "How can a grown man be 'born'? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"

Joh 3:5  Yeshua answered, "Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

Joh 3:6  What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit.

Joh 3:7  Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again from above!

Joh 3:8  The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it's going. That's how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit."

Joh 3:9  Nakdimon replied, "How can this happen?"

Joh 3:10  Yeshua answered him, "You hold the office of teacher in Isra'el, and you don't know this?

Joh 3:11  Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don't accept our evidence!

Joh 3:12  If you people don't believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven?

Joh 3:13  No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

Joh 3:14  Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

Joh 3:15  so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.

Joh 3:16  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.

Joh 3:17  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.

Joh 3:18  Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God's only and unique Son.

Joh 3:19  "Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked.

Joh 3:20  For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won't be exposed.

Joh 3:21  But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God."

No place in this passage do I read anything about being “raptured” or speaking in tongues. What I read about is the way to heaven and how a person can get there. I also read in this passage how a person can be excluded from heaven.

Whether there is a rapture, or whether there is not, has absolutely no bearing on Salvation at all. Many people have had many fights and there has been great division in the so-called body of Messiah over this ridicules issue. What we should be focusing on is, if, this rapture were to occur will you be found doing what pleases Yeshua? Because if you are not found doing what He loves you are not going to be raptured anyway!

So what is it that we should be doing instead of focusing on something that may or may not happen? First we must change our lives from the old manmade ways and loving the world to loving what Yeshua loves and becoming a new creation. So what does Yeshua love? 

You can get a full 2 hour teaching on this subject by clicking on this link http://theremnantscall.org/Audio/MTT/Law%20vs%20Grace.html or read on.

Joh 14:1  "Don't let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many places to live. If there weren't, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3  Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.

Joh 14:4  Furthermore, you know where I'm going; and you know the way there."

Joh 14:5  T'oma said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you're going; so how can we know the way?"

Joh 14:6  Yeshua said, "I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

Yeshua was speaking Hebrew to Hebrew men at this moment. So you must first understand the Hebrew mindset before understanding the rest. Let us take a look at verse 6.

What does Yeshua mean when He said I AM the WAY, the Truth, and the Life. What do these three Hebrew words mean WAY, TRUTH, LIFE?

THE WAY

H1870  דּרך  derek

BDB Definition: 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner

1a) road, way, path, 1b) journey, 1c) direction, 1d) manner, habit, way

1e) of course of life (figuratively)

1f) of moral character (figuratively)

 

THE TRUTH

H571  אמת  'emeth

BDB Definition: 1) firmness, faithfulness, truth (noun feminine)

1a) sureness, reliability

1b) stability, continuance

1c) faithfulness, reliableness

1d) truth

1d1) as spoken

1d2) of testimony and judgment

1d3) of divine instruction

1d4) truth as a body of ethical or religious knowledge

1d5) true doctrine

2) in truth, truly (adverb)

 

THE LIFE

H2421  חיה  châyâh

BDB Definition: 1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to live

1a1a) to have life

1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive

1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon

1a1d) to live (prosperously)

1a2) to revive, be quickened

1a2a) from sickness

1a2b) from discouragement

1a2c) from faintness

1a2d) from death

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to preserve alive, let live

1b2) to give life

1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh

1b3a) to restore to life

1b3b) to cause to grow

1b3c) to restore

1b3d) to revive

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to preserve alive, let live

1c2) to quicken, revive

1c2a) to restore (to health)

1c2b) to revive

1c2c) to restore to life

So now that you understand what the Hebrew mind is thinking when the Jewish Messiah says I AM the way, the truth and the life. The depth of these words cannot truly be expressed in simple terms. Now that we understand that, we must also understand that the Brit HaDasha “NT” was not written when Yeshua was saying these words in Yochanan 14. Also we must understand that Yeshua never changes He is the same always.

Joh 14:7  Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him."

Joh 14:8  Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us."

Joh 14:9  Yeshua replied to him, "Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Joh 14:10  Don't you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works.

Joh 14:11  Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can't, then trust because of the works themselves.

Joh 14:12  Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father.

Joh 14:13  In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Joh 14:14  If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.

 

Joh 14:15  "If you love me, you will keep my commands;

 

Joh 14:16  and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever.

Joh 14:17  The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you.

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you orphans — I am coming to you.

Joh 14:19  In just a little while, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live.

Joh 14:20  When that day comes, you will know that I am united with my Father, and you with me, and I with you.

Joh 14:21  Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

 

Joh 14:22  Y'hudah (not the one from K'riot) said to him, "What has happened, Lord, that you are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

Joh 14:23  Yeshua answered him, "If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Joh 14:24  Someone who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

Joh 14:25  "I have told you these things while I am still with you.

What are His commands? What should we love? What words should we be keeping? 3 times Yeshua speaks of what HE considers to be love. What you should do if you are in love with God. And that if you love what HE, Yeshua loves, you will be loved back in return.

If you love manmade rules and traditions more than you love God made rules and commitment to your marriage to Him you will find yourself on the outside looking in a heaven. This example was the leadership of Israel in the time of Messiah doing manmade rules instead of TORAH. Read verse 24 again. What words was Yeshua speaking of? That must be HIS TORAH. Remember Yeshua wrote the TORAH He and the Father are one.

Mat 24:44  Therefore you too must always be ready, for the Son of Man will come when you are not expecting him.

Mat 24:45  "Who is the faithful and sensible servant whose master puts him in charge of the household staff, to give them their food at the proper time?

Mat 24:46  It will go well with that servant if he is found doing his job when his master comes.

Mat 24:47  Yes, I tell you that he will put him in charge of all he owns.

Mat 24:48  But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is taking his time';

Mat 24:49  and he starts beating up his fellow servants and spends his time eating and drinking with drunkards;

Mat 24:50  then his master will come on a day the servant does not expect, at a time he doesn't know;

Mat 24:51  and he will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites, where people will wail and grind their teeth!

Here we see what the MASTER thinks about HIS servants and what they should be doing. Most people miss the 51^st verse. Yeshua says the MASTER will cut the bad servant into two and put him outside with the Hypocrites. Are you a bad servant? How can you be a good servant? Messiah said if you love Him you will follow His commandments!

The final word is this, the leadership at Beth Goyim Messianic Congregation does not care whether the rapture occurs or not. We teach that you have to love Messiah Yeshua not lust after Him. To love Him is to keep His commandments Yochanan 14:15. If you don’t love Him the way He expects and has told you plainly there is a train waiting for you and it will not be going to heaven. Simple WWYD, what would Yeshua do? Do as He did and still does and find yourself at HIS banquet table. Don’t follow HIS LOVING COMMANDMENTS and you won’t.  

8. To be called rabbi or not to be called rabbi?