End Times Hysteria Has Paralyzed the Church ("Days of Noah" Pundits Misinterpret Genesis 6)

The birth of the Internet has provided mankind with one of its greatest tools, ever! No one can deny the resourcefulness of this amazing invention. People throughout the world can now communicate with others 3000 miles away, as well as share their personal opinion on any issue on their minds. No other tool has changed the lives of business, big or small, as has the Internet.

One specific group that has sliced off a big chunk of this communications’ pie is religionists, especially evangelicals. They are everywhere, developing and using blogs, web sites, radio shows –and Facebook, of course – to share the Gospel and win souls for Jesus Christ, as was His Great Commission (Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:15). The Internet has replaced the local community churches throughout the land, as did its radio and television forerunners, reaching every crevice of humanity, with their messages.

Sadly though, rather than simply preaching and teaching directly from the Bible, there is a great throng of “so-called” evangelicals that are promoting anomalies (such as Ufology, Ancient Aliens, Nephilim, Transhumanism, Zombies, and a myriad of spiritualistic phenomenon) that really have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, one of the more effective catch phrases being used to ostensibly validate their objectives is taken from Matthew 24:37, which say that the confirmation of the soon return of Christ will be the same  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

They interpret this to mean that the prevalent times spoken of in Genesis 6 relate more so to the presence of fierce giants roaming the streets and attacking humans. This premise ostensibly validates the works of many authors who write books about Nephilim, UFO’s Extraterrestrials, ancient aliens and other supernatural phenomenon that is gripping at the fearful hearts of their fellow Christians. Most certainly, this provocative agenda sells books and movies, of which sinister forces are promoting.
One of the biggest proponents of this theory is author and end times aficionado Chuck Missler, whose website includes the following:

“There continues to be a flow of articles, books, and entertainment programs dealing with UFOs, aliens, and the like.¹ Many wonder if there is a connection or relationship to the prediction of our Lord in Luke 17:26:

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man."

The emergence of the "Nephilim" was what brought about the Flood of Noah. Who were they? Is the current interest in the possibility of "alien" involvements somehow of Biblical relevance?

The Nephilim

Genesis 6 indicates that the "sons of God" (B'nai Elohim) took wives of the "daughters of men," which gave birth to the "Nephilim." What on earth was going on?

The B'nai Elohim is a term that refers to angels. It occurs four times in the Old Testament ² and is rendered "Angels of God" in the ancient Septuagint translation.³ The intrusion of certain angels into the human family resulted in unnatural offspring termed Nephilim, which derives from the Hebrew naphal (to fall), or the Fallen Ones. (The Greek Septuagint renders this term gigantes, which actually means "earth-born." This is often misunderstood to mean "giants"--which they also happen to have been, incidentally).”

There may be some partial truth to this theory. Our mission is not to debate this issue other than to say that Jesus’ main reference to the “Days of Noah” concerned itself primarily with “man” not evil spiritual entities. While the following group of scripture does make reference to the possible theory that fallen angels descended to earth and impregnated some human woman and supposedly their offspring became giants (the Nephilim), God is addressing the conditions of the times as they related to His creation: Man!

 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,² That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.³ And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.⁴ There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.⁷ And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, (Genesis 6:1-8, KJV).

Obviously, by virtue of the words above that are underlined and marked in bold, God does not appear to be addressing so much the possible offspring of fallen angels, but with man! God was upset with the wickedness and every imagination of man’s heart which was only evil continually! Obviously (again) what we are witnessing in today’s society is the exponential increase of evil in man’s heart, which was the case in “the Days of Noah.” But the theorists who hold a monopoly on the prevailing evangelical agenda, place a greater significance on the possibility that we now have Nephilim on every corner of the earth, ready to destroy mankind, rather than fulfilling the great commission to preach the gospel and to attend to God’s work (see James 1:26-27). Obviously, focusing on titillating topics such as Nephilim, UFO’s, Transhumanism and other ghosts and goblins appeals more to the newly converted Christian; but this should not be so with church leaders, teachers, pastors and evangelists, who can make more money discussing or writing books about these supernatural anomalies.

Even worse is an element among evangelicals are those who focus primarily on “prophecy (supposedly the ability to predict the future)" by interpreting political and economic headline news and associating them with certain scripture. These folks come from primarily the ultra-conservative right-wing of American evangelicalism, which see every liberal entity as the enemy. They obviously cannot make the distinction between Americanism and theology, believing in their hearts that people who are not registered, conservative Republicans, must be of Satan.

Unfortunately, most of these folks hang their theological and worldview hats on the erroneous Premillennial Dispensationalism doctrine, which promotes escaping the increase of tribulation through a secret Rapture to Heaven, as well as placing the State of Israel as being more important than Jesus and His command to pick up our crosses and follow Him!

Sadly, they ignore the fact there exists a more sinister force that has been opposing Christ since the days of the Pharisees, maybe even before then. These diabolical Mammonites are controlled by their lust for wealth and worldwide power, which they have already obtained to a great degree. They have (through stealth) infiltrated most countries and usurped most of their resources including the financial and media empires throughout most of the free world, including the United States of America. Many (if not most) of these evangelicals unwittingly (or by choice) are supporting the Mammonite agenda as their Zionism ideology clearly indicates.

Nevertheless, it is interesting to note the last message Jesus Christ gave His followers before He ascended to Heaven, is one of the most ignored scripture in the entire Bible. Jesus repeatedly told us that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father, (Matthew 24:36).

Jesus reiterates this command as He responds to their question concerning the restoration of His kingdom, reminding them about a more important event will transpire which will provide them with the power to endure all things, mostly for preaching the Gospel and fulfilling His will”

⁷ And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

¹⁰ And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven, (Acts 1:7-11).

But, evangelical pundits (especially on the Internet) care more about their esoteric and profit agenda, than following and obeying the commands of God!

For information about his books, blogs and other websites, please click on Joe Ortiz.

Thus Saith the Lord!

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. --Psalm 119:105

Most of our readers know that we do not believe the Pre-Tribulation Rapture to Heaven doctrine is biblical. Our biblical proof against pretribulationism is well documented in our two books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House Publications). 

The author spent over 25 years of research and writing about a subject matter that was not popular in the least, nor accepted by the predominant premillennial dispensational community. Our position is still not popular; however many other writers and authors have surfaced in the last ten years who agree with the premise of our studies that began in the late seventies. Authors such as Stephen Sizer, Stephen Wohlberg, Barbara Rossing, Ted Noel, Arnie Suntag and one of the most prolific opponents of the Pre-Trib Rapture for over 35 years, my dear friend, Dave MacPherson, present evidence against “Pre-Trib” on a daily basis.

Many say it’s not important whether there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture to Heaven (meaning that Jesus Christ will snatch believers up into the air and taken to Heaven) to avoid great tribulation, as long as we believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This is true to a great extent.

However, if there will not be a Pre-Tribulation escape to heaven before Armageddon, are believers prepared to endure the onslaught from anti-Christians forces? It’s nice to say that the Christian will not have to endure persecution because God did not intend them for wrath. True! God has said we are not destined to wrath but we are destined for great tribulation, as Paul claims in Acts 14:22, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

But, why would God allow the believer to suffer great tribulation? God is a good God and wouldn’t allow His children to suffer? But, yet, throughout recorded history, we see where millions of believers have suffered persecution and even death for the cause of Christ. Why should today’s believers (especially American Christians) be exempt or favored more so than those brave believers who have given up their lives for Jesus in the past. They shouldn’t, but most premillennial dispensationalist believers (and authors) support and promote heavily an unbiblical doctrine that makes that claim. So be it!

Those of us who do not believe in the Pretribulational Rapture will continue spreading the truth because we want to apprise the believer they will remain on earth until Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign right here on terra firma for an eternity. Believers will remain for one specific purpose, which is to broadcast the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ so that each and every remaining soul will have the opportunity to repent from their unbelief and enter into the eternal fold of the body of Christ and His kingdom.

Still, many will question our position, and will accuse us (non-pretribulationalists) of folly. But, we are convinced. God has said so often in so many scriptural verses too numerous to mention. He has said that we will remain on earth until His final return, therefore we must prepare to endure great persecution, through repentance and prayer.

Therefore, this coming year I personally will crank it up (broadcasting God’s word) several notches through our blogs, emails, speeches, lectures and through whatever means necessary to bring more people closer to the reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many will say, “Joe! Lighten up, enjoy life as God intended. Seek happiness! Seek joy and love! Seek God’s blessings as He intended!

Don’t worry, be happy! This may be the prevailing feeling by many Christians; I know it’s the dominant attitude by the majority who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, those who see this world as a playground, rather than the spiritual battleground for our souls! Personally, I trust the word of God before any man. The living Bible is the word of God!

As many of you know, A.W. Tozer is one of my favorite Christian writers, an individual who has captured my deep and inner most feelings about God’s word and he said it best in one of his books, This World: Playground or Battleground? In this following excerpt, Tozer begins by quoting one of my favorite all-time scripture verses:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, Psalm 119:105

"Every New Year is an uncharted and unknown sea. No ship has ever sailed this way before. The wisest of earth's sons and daughters cannot tell us what we may encounter on this journey. Familiarity with the past may afford us a general idea of what we may expect, but just where the rocks lie hidden beneath the surface or when that tempestuous wind called “Euroclydon (penalty or penance for sins committed) " may sweep down upon us suddenly, no one can say with certainty....

Now more than at any other time in generations, the believer is in a position to go on the offensive. The world is lost on a wide sea, and Christians alone know the way to the desired haven. While things were going well, the world scorned them with their Bible and hymns, but now the world needs them desperately, and it needs that despised Bible, too. For in the Bible, and there only, is found the chart to tell us where we are going on this rough and unknown ocean. The day when Christians should meekly apologize is over--they can get the world's attention not by trying to please, but by boldly declaring the truth of divine revelation. They can make themselves heard not by compromise, but by taking the affirmative and sturdily declaring, 'Thus saith the Lord.'" This World: Playground or Battleground? Pp 9-10 by A.W. Tozer.

God said it; that’s good enough for me!

For more information about Joe’s two books, his blogs and various articles, click on any of these sites contained here: Joe Ortiz web and blog sites

Two Books By Joe Ortiz Receive Rave Reviews!

Following are reviews and testimonials about Joe Ortiz' two books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation. Joe’s books outright refute a Pre-Tribulation escape and also debunk the Left Behind doctrines

Reviews of THE END TIMES PASSOVER

Do you know why "The End Times Passover" by Joe Ortiz is riveting and enjoyable? He travels behind the scenes from Greek word to Greek word and skillfully shows how far removed from Scripture some faulty prophetic views, such as pretribulation rapturism, truly are.

As one who has been eminently successful in various occupations (as a radio and television talk show host, news reporter and newspaper columnist, public relations expert, and teacher on the college level - only a fraction of his talents), Ortiz, named as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics in The US," is equally accomplished in his handling of the Bible. On more than 500 pages he sifts facts from fiction and comes up with a classic work on every important aspect of the end times that every child of God will be privileged to own. My stamp of approval is on it! (10-08-07, Dave MacPherson author of "The Rapture Plot")

Review of WHY CHRISTIANS WILL SUFFER "GREAT TRIBULATION"

Prolific author Joe Ortiz has penned a sequel to his earlier book "The End Times Passover." His newer work has a title reading "Why Christians Will Suffer 'Great Tribulation'" - and, believe me, it doesn't suffer from lack of proof for its thesis! As an average American who loves junk food, is overweight, and doesn't even like to watch when a nurse has to draw blood from his arm, I naturally shrink back when I see a Christians-will-suffer-something sort of book title. But when I look around and observe individuals in our seemingly suicidal nation trying to outdo each other in insane violence, in unparalleled perversion, and even nonchalantly belittling and blaspheming the Christ who has blessed us above all other nations, I wonder how soon the Holy One will be forced to schedule the destruction of entire cities, a la Rev. 16:19. This newer work by Joe Ortiz is only for serious, reasoning, and Bible-following Christians. All others can continue their "Gethsemane" sleeping (Mark 14:37) instead of watching. (10-08-07)

Dave MacPherson is the author of

The Rapture Plot, The Incredible Cover Up,

The Great Rapture Hoax, Unbelievable

Pre-Trib Origin and Late Great Pre-Trib Rapture.

"The reader will find The End Times Passover to be a scholarly sound and profound work that will straighten out a lot confusion surrounding biblical issues related to end times prophecy. It will cause many teachers and students of the Bible to rethink much of what they have accepted as 'fact' concerning the end times. Joe Ortiz has done a magnificent job of researching and writing this important book. This is the book I wish I would have written, and I'm sure there are a few others who will wish they had written it as well," Bill Somers, May 28, 2004.

Bill Somers is the host of the End Time Prophetic Vision web site.

http://www.etpv.org

It definitely rattled my cage and exposed a lot of misunderstanding of legitimate faith issues. Joe Ortiz is anointed with a fresh, if not controversial, understanding of scripture that I find fascinating and inspiring! I challenge all of my friends who consider themselves Christians or agnostics or atheists to take a fresh look at what he is saying. It could be a life changing event. It certainly will take away a lot of the silly images of what we think is church/religion and substitute a better impression of WHO God considers His people or children of promise. You have been warned- take an hour and test your faith or lack of it. You may go through life misunderstanding the scriptures without benefit of Joe's etymological insights. Read the books, you will not feel your time was wasted! (April 18, 2007)

Roger W. Hubbard, Ph.D is a Consultant and Formerly Directorate Director, Environmental Pathophysiology Directorate, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.

"Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation" is one of the best short books on end times prophecy, and is an excellent rebuttal to the prevalent pre-tribulation rapture teaching. The text is written in an easy to read style, yet cites the relevant scriptures to back up its interpretations. The book has changed the way I look at some end times events, and has clarified my picture of the end times. It is highly recommended reading for those interested in end time's interpretations." (March 27, 2007)

Richard Deem is a volunteer with GodAndScience.Org, an Internet web site that believes there is harmony between the Bible and science, and is also employed as a Researcher/Specialist in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Mr. Ortiz was saved in 1975, and was “indoctrinated” with the Pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine; but after a few years of study he realized that the Pre-trib position was only substantiated by inaccurately translating certain Greek words. So, with a background as a teacher, school administrator, and broadcast journalist, he spent over 20 years researching and writing in order to unlock the mysteries of eschatology; resulting in what would become this book, and the second volume. He believes the various eschatological positions today do not fully reveal God’s true redemption plan for mankind.

This is not just another book on bible prophecy, it presents unique insights and exegesis, some of which is found in no other book. The author studied all the end time views, he studied Hebrew and Greek word definitions, and many different commentaries in order to better understand what God intended to say in his Word. He goes into great detail explaining the word meanings and how this view or that one errors in this or that point, in this or that verse.

Because of the length of this book, actually two volumes, everyone that reads it will find things they disagree with, but they will also find much to enrich their understanding of specific passages and their overall knowledge of Bible prophecy.

This book is not a casual read for the beginner, but is more like a commentary and reference work that deals mainly with the Rapture, the Millennium, the Great Tribulation, and who the Church and the Bride are. As a result of his research, he does not completely agree with any of the existing camps. He believes we will go through the tribulation, but we will be protected like Moses and the Israelites at the first Passover when the plagues of Egypt were poured out.

Many Bible teachers have their minds already made up, so they will ignore this book, but they do so to their detriment. Everyone who plans to spend time doing an in-depth study of Bible prophecy should read this book. Your study will be incomplete without it. Be aware, however, that he is wordy, probably because he wants to provide lots of evidence to backup his views. Sometimes a lot of evidence is required to overcome long established, but wrong view points.

I too spent over 20 years doing the very same in-depth study and came to many of the same conclusions that Mr. Ortiz did. If I had this book to read at the start it would have saved me a lot of time and effort. I just published my own similar conclusions in Apocalypse Fire, but it also covers all the end time prophecies, seals, trumpets, etc.

Michael D. Fortner has a BA in Communications and a minor in History. He is the founder and administrator of the Apocalypse Fire web site. His new book, Apocalypse Fire; the Great Tribulation and Wrath of God, was published by Great Plains Press in May 2007

I want to let you know that I carried End Time Passover with me during my recent two-week trip across the Caribbean. I read it on every flight. It is an awesome work! You confirm many things the Holy Spirit has taught me, although I haven’t done the extensive research that you completed on the meaning of specific words. For example, the Lord revealed to me years ago that New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ. I want to commend you on the excellent research. We need to have you back on the (TruNews.com) program in the near future. (Rick Wiles 6/13/07)

Rick Wiles is the founder of TruNews.com, and is a pioneer in the field of alternative news. Rick has been alerting his listeners to significant events that relate to end times prophecy since 1999. Basically, Rick has been podcasting since before there were pods. His professional career has been in media marketing. Previously, he held marketing management positions with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN/Family Channel) and Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).