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People are making new teachings about the Book of Revelation

People are making things up. It is not the first time. New teachings have come up about the book of Revelation but are they true? What about clothes being left behind at the rapture? Is the tribulation all about Israel? Will the 144,000 be evangelists like Billy Graham? Revelation 22:18 warns not to add to the things in the book of Revelation. Are they adding to the word?

Clothes Left Behind

A new theory has come up that suggests that when Christians are raptured they will leave their clothes behind. The logic is that only flesh will be taken to heaven while clothes and artificial items such as hip replacements will be left behind. If everything will be left when people are taken to heaven someone's teeth fillings will be left. Prosthetic devices will be lost. Their clothes will be left. Whatever is not part of the body will be left. The Bible does not say this about the future. It also does not record this with the past.

When God took Enoch to heaven in Genesis 5:21-24 the Bible does not say that his clothes were left behind. It does not mention it. It is important.

When the Prophet Elijah was taken to heaven his mantle was left behind as a sign to Elisha but his clothes were not left behind. First Kings 19:19 says that when Elijah passed by Elisha he cast his mantle upon him. This may have been a sign or some type of calling. In second Kings chapter two Elijah was taken to heaven. Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his power. 2 Kings 2:10 reads, "And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so." Here we see that the mantle was left behind as a sign and that rest of the the clothes went to heaven.

In Isaiah 6:5 when Isaiah was taken up to heaven he did not lose his clothes. He did not say woe is me for I'm naked. Instead he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

When Jesus was taken up to heaven he did not lose his clothes. If he had, the disciples would not have sat there and stared at either one side of the other. The angels also said he was coming back the same way. When Jesus Christ comes back he will not be riding nude on a horse. Acts 1:9-11 says, "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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."

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse two it says, "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven." Again, we do not see any mention of any someone losing their clothes.

In Revelation chapter four, the Apostle John was in heaven. Again there is no mention of someone losing his clothes.

If the theory were true, however, that anything not of the body would remain behind, then water that had just been consumed would be left behind as well since it had not become part of the cells. Once the water that has been ingested and become part of the body it would disappear. Water that had reached peoples' bladders would also be left behind. Moreover, our food is not part of our body until it gets digested and goes into our body. It becomes part of our cells. But then it turns in a human waste is expelled from the body. If the theory of everything being left behind were true, Christians would leave soiled underwear wherever they were taken. In addition any woman between in a certain age group at a certain time of the months would also leave her sanitary products. God, in Deuteronomy 23:12-14 tells us not to leave a mess out in the open. Why would God something he commanded the people not to do? How would it possibly glorify God to leave soiled clothes all over the place? The Bible does not say clothes will be left behind, it does not mention people losing their clothes who were taken to heaven and it is not logical. People need to think about what they are saying.

Is it all about Israel?

Many people claim the book of Revelation focuses on the country of Israel. This does not appear to be true. There are 22 chapters and 405 verses in Revelation. Only 25 verses appear to refer specifically to Israel. Chapter one as an introduction and focuses on seven churches in Asia as chapter two and three do. These churches are either actual churches in Turkey or they represent the church in periods of history. Either way, this is not Israel. Chapter four and chapter five deal with the heavenly scenes and the earth in general. Chapter six talks about war. One quarter of the world dies from famine, plague, etc. Chapter seven is about the tribulation saints. Six of those verses, number 3 through 7 speak of Israel specifically. Chapter eight is about silence in heaven followed by trumpet sounds signifying or releasing terrible things on the earth. Something like a great asteroid destroys a third of the trees, grass and more. Two angels sound trumpets in chapter nine but nothing directly addresses Israel. Something like scorpions who torment people is mentioned as well as a 200,000,000 man army. Chapter 10 has seven thunders and the seventh angel sounds. It mentions a little book. Chapter 11 appears to be about two witnesses who I believe are in Jerusalem or at least a partly in Jerusalem. There is a great earthquake in Jerusalem, and yes, I would consider verse 13 to be about Israel. It looks like 13 verses apply here. In chapter 12 the church flees to the wilderness. Chapter 14 talks about the 144,000 that follow the lamb wherever he goes. Five verses refer to Israel. In chapter 15 there are seven plagues and seven angels in a heavenly scene. In chapter 16 is about seven bowls of wrath and includes Armageddon. Chapter 17 refers to mystery Babylon which is Rome. We know it is Rome because if it were the Babylon in Iraq, it would not be a mystery. We know it is Rome from the hint about the seven hills. We know it is Rome because in it is found the blood of the saints. We know it is Rome because at the end of chapter 17 it says at the time that it was written by John it was the country which ruled over the earth. In chapter 18 it speaks of the destruction and witnesses see it from the sea. If were in Iraq, they would not see it from the sea. Chapter 19 to chapter 22 have heavenly scenes, judgment and again heaven. What it is really all about is the meaning of life. Life is a test and the only answer is Jesus Christ. Normally, the test comes to a close at the end of life. At this time, God makes a last call. Everyone must decide. The tribulation shown in Revelation is the biggest wake up call ever. Have you decided?

144,000 evangelists

Preachers have added to the teaching about a special group of God servants referred to as the 144,000. These are found in Revelation 7 and 14. They are all male Jewish virgins. Comments follow such as, "They are 144,000 Jewish "Billy Grahams"" Billy Graham was a great evangelist. See the obituary recapping Billy Graham's life. They claim or conjecture that they will all be evangelists. How do they know? What does the Bible say?

Revelation 7
1	And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2	And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3	Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4	And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5	Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6	Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7	Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8	Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

Revelation 14
1	And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2	And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3	And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4	These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5	And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Chapter 7 only says they are servants of God but does not list any thing they do. Chapter 14 says the Lamb, referring to Jesus Christ, stood on Mount Zion and the 144,000 with him. They sing on a new song that no one else can sing. When they are with Jesus, Jesus is on Mount Zion. This is not a scene from the tribulation. Only when Jesus comes back at the end of the tribulation will he be in Jerusalem. This is a scene from after the tribulation or in heaven. There is no indication that these people are evangelists. People assume they are evangelists because they are special. They may assume they are evangelists because the Bible mentions a multitude which no man can number in the passage following them in Revelation chapter 7. There is not a cause and effect relationship. People are reading into God's word. Read the Bible. Don't read into it.

What we teach today can affect people's lives in the Tribulation. If the rapture comes and clothes are not left behind, it will hurt the credibility of those who preached the rapture. Why should those not in Israel who are suffering, respect the theory about it being all about Israel. If one of the 144,000 is not the evangelist people expect, the observers can have doubts and be confused. The book of Revelation is partially written for the benefit of those who will go through the Tribulation. Let's not take away the from it by adding to it.