RAPTURE MOVIE FICTION

Over the last few years, "rapture" movies and books have taken off like wild fire. The basic premise is a literal mistranslation of biblical events that wreak havoc on planet earth. Seven years of tribulation, under rule by the Anti-Christ, murder, mayhem, violence, destruction, theft, vandalism, plane crashes, car crashes, people dying ... all up until the return of Jesus Christ to gather his believers in the clouds, and leave behind a miserable existence for those who did not accept his status as God. It's quite the story ... but story it is. Fiction. Every part of it, unless of course, you have right and true understanding that these are all allegorical myths describing what it to happen inside mankind ... not from the outside.

The Bible is called the Gospel, which literally means "Good News." So, where do we find good news in any of these events. In fact, most of them are already part of our daily human self-serving society. The stories contained in the Bible, and so many other religious documents are metaphors. They are stories with deeper Truths contained below the surface. Historic and literal value are of no value. It is the inner message of the Truth contained deep within the stories that is of value.

What Is The True Meaning of The Rapture

The "Rapture of The Saints" is not about flying around the clouds being taken out of the miserable world and into the Paradise of Haven. It is a strange doctrine that’s been going around for hundreds of years. Millions of people believe in it. Some are so sure of it that they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to prepare for it, even quitting their jobs and selling all their worldly possessions. What scripture would cause someone to do something so foolish if the word “rapture” isn’t even in the Bible?

There is an ad that pops up on Facebook quite often for yet another new Rapture Movie. This is another scare and fear movie that has people believing that planes will be falling out of the sky, trains will derail, cars will be abandoned on the highway, and loved ones will disappear in their shoes. In this ad I always apply my comment ... my own personal warning after many years of research and study ... "The Rapture is not a literal-historical event."

In fact, over 365 times in the English Bible people are told "do not fear." Jesus The Christ prayed for a "world without end, amen." WE create the future. WE manifest reality ... according to our thoughts and actions. But it all begins with mind ... within. INSIDE of us ... not outside of us.

Just like true esoteric baptism, the scriptural description of rapture is about what happens during contemplative prayer, and meditation ... within us. It has nothing to do with literal people flying in the air to meet Jesus Christ. People don’t fly. This fact is not going to change unless we grow wings and feathers. The ancient scripture writers knew this as well. They certainly didn’t mean that people would fly to the clouds literally.

“…the kingdom of God cometh not with observation” (Luke 17:20)

In other words, the kingdom of God is not something that you will observe with your eyes. You can’t look around and see it. No one will see anyone else fly in the air, either. No one will meet their past loved ones in the clouds. In fact, the whole event isn’t about anything that happens outside of you. So where does it happen?

“…the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

The entire Bible and all of its stories happen within you. If you’re going to understand the Bible, you have to see all of its stories and parables as something that happens within you. The stories are not historic and literal.

Take the time to enter your Holy Temple ... within you. Take more time for yourself and meditate. When you’re ready, you’ll know when it’s time to begin meditation for the purpose of higher awareness. Hopefully, you’ll experience the “rapture” and realize that all those people who are still waiting for it to happen are only deluding themselves. Then maybe you can help them see the truth if they become open to it.

What Exactly is The Second Coming of Christ?

The second coming of Jesus is something that has been predicted for hundreds of years. When we take a close look at the scripture we find that Jesus told his followers that he would return before some who were present at the time tasted death. That would place his second coming within the lifetime of his youngest followers. In the Gnostic literature we also find that Jesus has returned after an absence of some 500 days; about a years and a half. In the Gospel of Mary Magdalene Jesus has clearly returned and has prepared to leave again.

Other records indicate that Jesus moved to Egypt following what was claimed to be his crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus and a new set of students have been placed in Egypt near the Valley of the Kings. There was a Temple built to the exact specifications of the Temple in Jerusalem on Elephantine Island. For many followers of Judaism, this was the real Temple after the Romans and their politically appointed priests had polluted the one in Jerusalem.

This is also the locale for the writing of the Gospel of Thomas and the Nag Hammadi scrolls were found not far from there. In the Gnostic tradition the second coming is clearly a spiritual event, not a physical one. This second coming occurs within us. It is the activation of our Christ Consciousness ... our Divine Spark of God.

The mystery school system had a level of initiation, missionary work, discipleship and an advanced level of apostleship. The apostleship level was equivalent to spiritual enlightenment; what people now refer to as the Christ Consciousness. The Christ Consciousness is actually a better term, as it clearly identifies the experience as one of consciousness, rather that the enigmatic term enlightenment.

Jesus told his followers that He and the Father were One. This statement was never intended to be taken literally ... as He being God and the entirety of God, but was instead referred to a strong conscious connection with God. In Michael Baigent’s book “The Jesus Papers” two documents are identified as Jesus’ written response to the charges of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin. The claim against Jesus was that he was claiming to be the actual Son of God. Michael Baigent states that the documents explain what was meant: that Jesus was not THE actual Son of God, but A Son of God as was recorded in the original Greek language Gospels. He shared a strong conscious connection with God, and that everyone that experienced such a connection and state of consciousness would also be entitled to be called a Son of God.

Through this explanation we clearly see that Son of God was a state of consciousness, not a physical relationship. As such, there were a number of “Sons of God” that were a part of the Gnostic communities.

Following that pattern in later years when a spiritual student completed his or her training and reached the apostleship level, the experience gradually became known as the coming of Christ, or the emergence of the Christ Consciousness within that person.

By convention then, the Second Coming of Christ is the emergence of the Christ Consciousness within an individual, not a collective physical event as is portrayed by the Christian Church. There have in fact been many Second Comings over the past two millennia as many individuals have reached that level of spiritual experience, and there will be many more to come.

Contrary to the predictions of the return of Jesus, no such event will take place. As with so many things in Christianity, the events and concepts apply to changes in awareness and consciousness, not physical, historical, and literal events. Just as salvation is not as it is portrayed in the literal sense, but is a transformation in spiritual consciousness, so too is the Second Coming a transformation in a person’s spiritual consciousness and connection to God, not an outer physical event.

Just a thought ...

~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.