Throughout the history of the Christian Church, the subject of Christ’s
return has been a continual theme of study and preaching. The ministers
of our present generation have faithfully continued to expound upon such
subjects as the Rapture, the Tribulation and the coming Kingdom of
Christ. When dealing with these subjects, the vast majority of these men
have been quite careful to stay within the boundaries of scripture. Men
such as Charles Swindoll, Charles Stanley, Chuck Smith and many others
have been obedient to the scripture, which states, "No man knows the
(exact) day of Christ’s Return."
Yet throughout history and in our present generation there have always
been a few "preachers" who have blatantly stepped over the boundaries of
scripture by declaring outright the exact date of Christ’s return.
Unlike those who stay within the parameters of scripture, these men have
caused great ridicule to brought against the church, and rightfully so.
Charles Schultz, the creator of the comic strip "Peanuts" who also was a
Christian, pointed out that it is often the case that these same
preachers, who overstep the boundaries of scripture, also greatly
benefit from contributions from their followers. People tend to give a
lot more if they think that Christ is coming back next Friday!
George Geftakys is one of these men who have overstepped the boundaries of scripture. During the 1980s, George preached strongly on the theme of Christ’s return, and the "Beginning of Sorrows." He stated on several occasions that the rapture was going to occur in the 1980’s. This is publicly recorded during his seminar on "Resurrection and Rapture", which was given in late 1982, or early 1983. Several people who were in fellowship during this time foolishly sacrificed their careers and education because of the emphasis George put on the brevity of time.
During the Gulf War George stated, "This is it! We are in the
Beginning of Sorrows!" Some years previous to this, during Operation Desert Shield, just prior to the Gulf War, I
remember reading in the Orange County Register that many evangelical
leaders were warning people not to jump to conclusions. Chuck Smith of
Calvary Chapel specifically stated, "This is not it!" The first Sunday after the
newspaper this statement from Chuck Smith, George, apparently in
response, countered, "People are saying ‘This is not it!’ But they are
wrong! This is it!"
Immediately after this, some people in the Assembly voiced concern. One
man wisely stated, "I think we are doing a disservice to our children!
What if the rapture doesn't come? They will lose confidence in what we
are telling them!" He was rebuked for saying this: "The Ministry
(George's ministry) teaches this!"
Today I find it interesting that many are bitter because of lost opportunities, education, careers and family relationships, due to "abandoning all to follow God." George, however, enjoys a nice home, extensive travel and a certain amount of fame, primarily among his followers. He didn’t suffer one bit from his inaccurate predictions. Does anyone remember him stating these things?
If a prophet says something and it doesn't come true is he really
listening to God? Deuteronomy 18:22 says, "If what a prophet proclaims
in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a
message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken
presumptuously."
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