For Fair Use Education and Discussional Purposes
http://www.gospeltruth.net/scofield.htm

ORIGIN OF SCOFIELD HERESIES
by

EMMA MOORE WESTON


"No greater mischief can happen to a Christian people than to have God's word taken from them, or falsified, so that they no longer have it pure and clear. God grant that we and our descendants be not witnesses of such a calamity" (Martin Luther, Table Talk.)

The modern teaching of a secret rapture of the church, a seven-year tribulation, and a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth are not found in the Bible. More and more scholars have begun to doubt the validity of this teaching and have done research to uncover the facts. Their search has led them to libraries in England to the Plymouth Brethren, John N. Darby, Edward Irving, and to a fifteen-year-old orphan, Margaret MacDonald. Several Jesuit priests were also involved as well as Cyrus I. Scofield.

To date, this is the information that has come down to us. The first recorded history of a heretic writing and preaching the idea of a one thousand year reign of Christ on this earth was Cerinthus. He was contemporary in time and place with the Apostle John and was his enemy. The historian Eusebius wrote about him in his book Ecclesiastical History, A.D. 324.

The Protestants were calling the papacy the antichrist in the 16th century because of the millions of Protestant Christians being martyred. Hoping to take the heat off the Catholics, the Jesuit priests formulated doctrines calculated to counter the Reformation.

In 1585, Francisco Ribera published a prophetic commentary in which he put the first chapters of the Revelation in the first century and the rest off in the far distant future. He taught that the temple would be rebuilt in Jerusalem by an antichrist who would abolish Christianity, deny Christ, pretend to be God, and conquer the world. Ribera put a rubber band on Daniel's 70th week and stretched it to the end of time. This was the beginning of the futurist theory that is being taught today. There is no Scripture that warrants separating the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel. He took Scriptures that have already been fulfilled and put them far off in the future.

S. R. Maitland, Librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury, (about 1826) discovered Ribera's work and published it for general interest. Another Jesuit, Luis de Alcazar, put the fulfillment of prophecies of the Revelation in the past with his scheme now taught by preterists.

Another Jesuit, Emmanuel Lacunza, added his ideas in a book written in Spanish, but translated into English by Edward Irving and published in 1927. He suggested that the Second Coming of Jesus would be in two stages. Margaret Macdonald in Scotland also had a vision of the Second Coming being in two stages. Jesus would come first to catch some Christians in a secret rapture previous to the one Second Coming that the Church had believed in for centuries, and would return later with them. Copies of her vision were circulated in the area.

John N. Darby, of the Plymouth Brethren, and Edward Irving put all these ideas together and began to teach them as truth in the 1830's. The final form of the teaching ended up with a secret rapture, then a three and one-half or seven-year period of terrible tribulation under an antichrist, before Jesus would return with all his saints at his revelation to set up a thousand-year reign in Jerusalem. The temple would be rebuilt, animal sacrifices reinstituted and Christ would reign with the Jews for a millennium. However, the Greek words for rapture and revelation refer to the same event and are used interchangeably.

In 1994. Rev. John Bray obtained a copy of another book published in Pennsylvania in 1788 that teaches the same heresies. Its influence, if any, on the Brethren group is unknown. (His address is P.O. Box 90129, Lakeland, FL, 33804.)

In the last half of the past century, Darby made several trips to the United States and taught his new prophetic schemes in Bible conferences. It was accepted by many in the United States, among them Reverend James Brookes, who was sponsoring a new convert, a young man named Cyrus I. Scofield. Later on, all these ideas were incorporated in Scofield's notes and published in the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Millions of sincere Christians have accepted these ingenious theories as truth, knowing neither where they originated nor for what purpose they were intended. It has crippled the Church and the resultant date-setting has been disastrous. People need to know that the main differences in teaching on the Second Coming do not come from the Bible itself, but from these fabrications deliberately introduced to counter the Reformation and cause trouble. And have they ever! Added to this deception, the story of Scofield's life has been kept covered up because it would discredit, if not destroy, his teaching.

Dispensationalists call Jesus' coming as a thief in the night, when he comes for his saints, "the rapture" and the second stage when he returns with them "the revelation." However, Greek words for rapture and revelation refer to the same event and are used interchangeably. The Scriptures teach that, "Then shall that Wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his parousia." If the brightness of his coming is to destroy the Wicked it can hardly be a secret known only to the saints. (2Th 2:8 ) How can the antichrist begin to flourish at the parousia if he dies then? (Refs. on parousia 2Co 10:10; Mt 24:3, 27, 37; 1Co 15:23; 16:17; 1Th 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2Th 2:1, 8, 9 and Ja 5:7,

The Reformers, Luther, Calvin and Knox, and the leaders of the Great Awakening, such as Wesley, Whitefield and Finney did not believe any of this teaching. However, the important issue is what did Jesus say about it? Absolutely nothing! He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (Jn 18:36)The only way to get into his kingdom is to be born into it. It is a spiritual kingdom entered only by a spiritual new birth. (Jn 3:5)



What does the Apostle Paul say about it? Absolutely nothing!

What do the other Epistle writers say about it? Nothing!

What does the Apostles' Creed say about it? Nothing!



This centuries-old statement of the faith of the Church declares: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The third day he arose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

Some teachers would have it read, "From thence he shall come to set up an earthly kingdom for a thousand years, and after that, he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

The earthly kingdom doctrine was taught by the Pharisees. The Messiah would come, conquer their enemies and set up a literal kingdom. This is what the disciples had in mind when they asked Jesus, "Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They did not understand why Jesus did not set about doing it. They had no conception of a dying Messiah, a resurrection and another coming. They still did not understand his first coming. Their eyes were blinded by previous teaching. However, after Pentecost they never mention again this "doctrine of the Pharisees" that Jesus had warned them about.

The whole contrived millennial theory of a reign of Christ on earth depends on a literal and incorrect interpretation of one portion of Scripture, Rev. 20:1-7.

The word "millennium" is not in the Bible. This symbolical Scripture, Rev. 20:1-7, cannot all be taken literally. You cannot bind a spiritual being with a literal chain. Even if it did mean a literal thousand years, Jesus said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." This Scripture is the only witness. It is dangerous to build a whole doctrine on one portion of Scripture, especially if it is not backed up by the Gospel writers.

In Psalm 50:10, it says, "Every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills." Does that mean only a thousand? "God keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations." (Dt 7:9. ) Does his mercy stop there? Also see Ps 105:8. The thousand is not literal in any of these. Many scholars believe that it is a symbolical number representing the indefinite period between Jesus' first and second coming.

Did Jesus ever offer himself as a king or suggest in the faintest way that he was going to set up a literal kingdom? He said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." "When Jesus perceived that they would come to take him by force to make him king, he departed." His offer of the kingdom is the same he made to Nicodemus at the start of his ministry, "Ye must be born again." (Jn 3:3, 5,14,15 )This is the kingdom that he preached, (Mt 4:20; 9:35; 24:14 and Lk 12:32) and that Paul preached. (Ac 28:31; Col 1:13) Some say that the Jews refused this so Jesus had to postpone his kingdom. They try to fit Old Testament Scriptures about the kingdom into the thousand-year reign, but Jesus' kingdom in the New Testament is everlasting.

The Apostle Paul does not agree with this modern teaching 1Th 4:13-17) "Even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him ...the dead in Christ shall rise first ... THEN we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." The rapture and the revelation happen at the same coming. Compare 1Co 15:23-24: "Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming, then cometh the end ... when he delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet." From where does he reign? "Now this man, after he had offered one sacrifice of sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Heb 10:12-13; Ps 110:1)There is no time for a seven-year tribulation or thousand-year reign after Jesus raises the dead. That is not what the Scripture says. Many people love the millennium theory and are not impressed when shown that there is no Scripture to support it. Instead they accept the teaching of Scofield and others who contradict the Lord Jesus himself.

Thousands of devout believers have become brainwashed by the constant repetition of this teaching by evangelists, pastors and scores of books on prophecy and now base their hopes on man-made theories.

A new look at what the Scripture actually says should settle the minds of those who are confused:

He is coming again, "If l go away, I will come again." (Jn 14:5 )
It will be as unexpected as a thief in the night. (1Th 5:2. )

It will not be secret. (Mt 24:26 )

It will be as impossible to hide as lightning. (Mt 24:27 )

It will be very noisy. There will be a shout, a voice, and a trump of God. (1Th 4: 16a-c.)

"The souls ... will God bring with him." (1Th 4:14b )

"And the dead in Christ shall rise first." (1Th 4: 6 )

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together ... to meet the Lord in the air." (1Th 4: 17 )

Then, not seven years later, he will take the resurrected dead and the living with him.



When will this be? When are the dead raised?



"I will raise him up at the LAST DAY." Jesus repeats this in Jn 6:40,44 and 54. On the last day, at the last trump, and in the twinkling of an eye (cf. 1Co 15:52 )

"The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and come forth, they that have done Good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done Evil unto the resurrection of ****ation." (Jn 5:28-29 ) (Jesus said that the good and bad are raised at the same time.)

In his note (SRB 1967) on Mt 25:32, Scofield states, "This judgment of individual Gentiles is to be distinguished from other judgments in Scripture, such as the judgment of the Church, the judgment of lsrael, and the judgment of the wicked after the millennium. The time of this judgment is 'when the Son of man shall come in his glory,' i.e., at the Second Coming of Christ after the tribulation."

But Paul said, "He hath appointed A DAY in which he shall judge the world." (Ac 17:31 ) "We shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Ro 14:10b. ) "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment." (Heb 9:27 )

Now, I ask you, if all the dead -- good and bad -- are raised for judgment on the last day, where do you find all these different judgments, a seven-year tribulation or a thousand-year reign of Christ after the judgment? There are no more days after the last day. Only judgment awaits unbelievers after that. See Mt 13:38-42, 47-49.

The day Noah entered the ark the flood came and destroyed all who were outside. (Lk 17:26 )

"The same day Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." (Lk 17:29-30 ) The Scofield notes could cost those who believe in them their eternal souls. There is no time to get ready if you miss the "rapture." There will be no second chance. Books are being written to tell those who miss the rapture what to do. God help these writers and open their eyes to the truth.

"All that are in the graves shall hear His voice." (Jn 5:28b, 29 ) When He comes the door will be shut as Noah's Ark was shut after Noah's family was inside and the Flood came and destroyed the ungodly. The ones who are ready are taken, the others are left -- for certain destruction.

Preachers describe a secret, silent coming of Jesus as a thief in the night when millions of people will disappear and huge headlines in the papers will tell of the frantic families whose loved ones are gone without a trace. Don't you believe it! Jesus warned against believing any report that He had come secretly for His coming would be visible as lightning. Paul tells us in 1Th 4:16 that the Lord will descend with a shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. A very noisy time!

Peter didn't believe in a secret rapture or a literal reign of Jesus on earth. He wrote in 2Pe 3:10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night [unexpectedly] in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, the earth and the works therein shall be burned up." Who will be left then to publish a paper or establish a kingdom? The day after this will never come, for this is the end of life as we know it. With this word of Peter's, the whole contrived doctrine goes up in smoke.

The teaching that a terrible tribulation period is coming, after this secret catching away of the church, keeps people in great fear. If this were true that the Lord would come after a seven-year tribulation the exact time of his coming would be known. Since the two comings idea came from the Scottish girl's vision and not from the Scripture, you can throw out the whole argument as to whether Jesus' coming will be pre-, mid- or post- this seven-year tribulation between the comings. It is sheer imagination. Jesus said that in the world we would have tribulation. Around the world many are suffering now for their faith. But Jesus explicitly said that there never would be a repeat of the wrath of God poured out in the destruction that was just ahead for Jerusalem and the people of that very generation to whom he was speaking. (Mt 24:21 ) "Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, compass thee round ... lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee ... because thou knewest not the time of thy Visitation." (Lk 19:43-44 ) He said to the women following him as he carried the cross, "Weep not for Me; weep for yourselves and your children." "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." "I will send them prophets and apostles and some ye shall slay and persecute; That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of THIS generation. Verily I say unto you, it shall be required of THIS generation." They had murdered the prophets God sent and then brought their rebellion to a climax in crucifying His Son. Wrath came upon them to the uttermost. (Cf Mt 21:33-45 )

He told his followers that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded with armies, the people in Judea were to flee to the mountains. (Lk 21:20-21 ) AND THE CHRISTIANS DID! They fled to Pella in the Decapolis where King Agrippa opened to them a safe asylum. This great tribulation was for a certain city, people and nation and has been fulfilled. The country was left desolate and devoid of inhabitants for over fifty years. Everything was utterly wiped out --Israel ceased being a nation. It seemed God's intention that when the siege came, the city was packed with thousands of people who had come to celebrate Passover and were destroyed with the city. The people were killed, starved, crucified or sold into slavery, and the glorious temple and all it stood for utterly destroyed. No country or people ever endured the wrath and judgment that came upon Jerusalem. No wonder Jesus wept over the city. "This generation shall not pass until all shall be fulfilled." (Mt 24:34 )

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken," Mt 24:29. In commenting on this verse, Philip Mauro says, "Whatever may be the force of the word translated 'immediately,' it cannot be permitted to displace the tribulation foretold by Christ as coming and which did come in that generation and to remove it away off to the end of the age ... All we assert is that regardless of the nature and severity of afflictions which are yet to come, that particular "tribulation" the Lord spoke of as the "great tribulation" and as "the days of vengeance," (Mt 21:21; Lk 21:22, Mk 13:19 ) was the execution of divine judgment upon Daniel's people and the holy city for which God used the Roman armies under Titus in A.D. 70." (Mauro, The 70 Weeks and the Great Tribulation. pg. 272. )

Since the prophecies were literally fulfilled about the destruction of Jerusalem and the following verses were not fulfilled literally as some men assume, then there must be another interpretation of the prophecies. Such Old Testament symbols as "The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars fall from heaven" were used over and over to describe the breakdown of governments and men in authority. Remember Joseph's dream? He saw the sun, moon and stars fall down before him. This was fulfilled later when his father and his brothers bowed before him in Egypt. The destruction of Jerusalem is shown by Joel 2:30-31, by wonders in heaven, darkening the sun and the moon turning to blood. So it seems to apply here concerning the final destruction and dissolution of the nation. The stars fell representing the downfall of the leaders.

The Jews and Jesus were familiar with the symbolic language used by the prophets. The heavenly bodies typified people. "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened ... the moon shall not cause her light to shine." "I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place ... in the day of his fierce anger." (lsa 13:10,13 ) "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth from the vine" (lsa 34:4) This was a prophecy against ldumea. Also see Joel 2:30-31; Eze 32:7-8; Amos 8:9 and lsa 41:15-16. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low and the crooked be made straight" (Isa 40:4 ) was about the coming of John the Baptist. God is said to have "come down" in judgment many times in the Old Testament. Jesus uses the same kind of language in Jn 14:18, "I will come to you," and in 2Pe 1:16. These comings were not literal. The destruction of Jerusalem was to be swift as a vulture (Roman eagle) swoops down on a rotten carcass. The city was ripe for judgment. Can Mt 24:29 be literal, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken," any more than lsa 40:4 was literal and the mountains and valleys moved at the coming of John the Baptist?

Jesus told Caiaphas that he would see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mt 26:64 ) He was saying in symbolic language, "You will see my power manifested." It was seen in the earthquake at Golgotha, darkness during the crucifixion, the splitting of the veil in the temple when He died, and the utter destruction of Jerusalem. The sun set on their kingdom, and it went down in blood as the old system was wiped out. The Christians who escaped from the destruction must have felt that Jesus had truly "come down" in judgment, established his New Covenant, and proved his royal reign. (Ps 18:9 ) This fulfilled the prophecy, "There be some standing here which shall see the Son of man coming in His kingdom." (Mt 16:28 )

Jesus said, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Mt 24:34 ) If they were not fulfilled for those who look for them with preconceived ideas, there must be a different interpretation of the prophecies. Jesus predicted a time would elapse before his Second Coining for the Jews would be scattered in all nations and Jerusalem would be trodden down until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The kingdom of heaven was like a man traveling to a far country, and alter a long time the Lord would return and reckon with his servants. (Mt 25:14-30 ) "Ye know not when the Master cometh." "There will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet." (Mk 13:7 ) No special signs of warning will be given, only he will come suddenly.

Many denominations have never accepted this prophecy teaching. Their members know nothing about the "Rapture of the church," two Second Comings or "the millennium" -- this "other gospel." But the ones who do teach it are extremely vocal.

The Apostle Paul says, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:8-9) Then in Acts 20:27, Paul said, "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Paul's teaching of the "whole counsel of God" did not include two separate comings, an earthly reign for a thousand years or a rebuilt temple with animal sacrifices. (See Heb 8, 9 and 10, especially vv. 12, 13, 14 of ch. 10 ) "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."

It should not take a theologian to figure out that the church has been sold "another gospel" by teachers who support doctrines that Jesus warned against. Paul's curse is upon it. If the Lord has declared the full truth and things that are to come in the Bible, then all teaching and doctrines that are different from this is heresy, every one teaching it is a false prophet -- though perhaps unknowingly. Then the postponed earthly kingdom also must be classed with false theories and speculations of men.

Many follow Scofield only because that was their early training and is the source of their financial support. They have followed in the error of the rapturists not realizing that they are in error, but longing to serve the Lord. So God brings them to a place of usefulness. He does not honor the error, but the Lord has given freedom, and they must find the truth. Those that rise up against God in the vanity of their own minds and false doctrine and exalt their imagination above the Word of God, he will laugh to scorn. Now is coming the shaking; now is coming the loosing when the bands of deception are being loosed. Many leaders are seeing it, for it is happening now. Those that are in error would like to have the place of accepted and unchallenged teachers. They shall not have it. The Sword of the Lord is in this battle for truth, and it cannot be sheathed by man.

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God put the ministry gifts in the church: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments, and diversities of tongues. (1Co 12:28 ) Scofield took it upon himself to remove them, SCOFIELD note (SRB 1917,1967 ) on 1Co 14:1-2, "Tongues and the sign gifts are to cease." Thus he takes the spiritual equipment that the Holy Spirit provided for Christians to carry on his work and leaves them sitting at a bus stop waiting for the Lord to snatch them out of the mess the world is in by a secret rapture. They forget that Jesus is to sit at the right hand of the Father until all enemies are put under his feet.

The very truth of the Bible has been destroyed. The alarm should have been sounded in 1909 when the boundaries were broken on all sides and the church accepted unscriptural teaching as truth.

We must take back our Bibles and return to apostolic foundations.

The Word is clear and specific. To put the 70th week off to the end of time takes the heart out of the gospel and makes a mockery of the Visitation of the Messiah who wrought our salvation in that one special week. It is time for all the church to search the Scriptures deeply, do some research on church history and re-think its positions on prophecy.

A long-needed Reformation has begun.

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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
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I had no idea that Scofield was the Apostate Rascal that he was. His membership in the "Lotus" Club tells me that he was, like so many over the centuries, a tool of the Illuminati. All of the information on Scofield provided has been an eye-openener for which I am very grateful.

There was this paragraph in RED that caught my eye to which I'd like to comment.

The Word is clear and specific. To put the 70th week off to the end of time takes the heart out of the gospel and makes a mockery of the Visitation of the Messiah who wrought our salvation in that one special week. It is time for all the church to search the Scriptures deeply, do some research on church history and re-think its positions on prophecy.

I read the above words and consider that the Messiah fulfilled the first 3 Feasts, with the one in the middle, Pentecost, which equipped His Church with Power on High during it's sojourn upon earth. Until I investigate this possibility further, my thinking from my studies, is that He fulfilled the three in one week YET He still has the three Fall Feasts, yet to fulfill, RIGHT?

Anyone else have any input? gerlinda

HERE IS A GOOD ONE!!

BUMP!

bump