The Intellectual Dishonesty of Stan & Holly Deyo

tan and Holly Deyo run a ministry called Millennium Ark, and both are popular figures in alternative media. Publicly associated with high profile media icons such as Steve Quayle (Holly runs Steve's website), Art Bell, and other flashy figures in alternative media, the Deyos are what are usually called Stealth Dispensationalists – which is a nice word for those who have subtly infiltrated the Remnant Christian community with the Antichrist doctrine of the Rapture Cult.

Not dissimilar to the charismatic Quayle, Stan is known for presentations on Black Science, UFO's, the Nephilim, Conspiracy, and similar subjects. With access to significant voices such as the Coast to Coast broadcast, and others in the non-Christian alternative underground, the Deyos move easily within the Patriot community, and many Remnant Christian circles, as well as secular media.

For the unwary, Stealth Dispensationalists are Christian believers who propagate a subtle form of Jewish Supremacism, but carefully cloak it, or desensitize it to the degree that they are still accepted within counter-culture circles by individuals who don't fully realize the true nature of the threat. Many such "stealthers" move in to non-mainstream media by offering a post-tribulational worldview, which tends to mask the fact that they still firmly believe the Jews are the so-called "chosen people" based upon their race -– thus, those who propagate such unscriptural drivel cannot be trusted, as their allegiance is to the Antichrist people of Israel, as opposed to the genuine Saviour.

Even a decade ago, point blank Rapture Cultists were anathema in alternative media, but gradually, liberally dispensing the leaven of the Pharisees, a multitude of Stealth Dispensationalists (mostly post-tribulational), have corrupted the alternative media to the degree that people like the Deyos can enjoy popularity in spite of the fact they present the poison that is pretrib.

Most thinking individuals understand the process. The old adage about the camel's nose is apropos here, for once that big boy's proverbial nose is under the edge of the tent, shortly thereafter the beast will be in bed with you. So the Deyos start out with the alternative aura of an Art Bell, but once the doctrinal dromedary of the Deyos has pierced the perimeter, they're delivering deceit from the likes of Jack Van Impe, the late Grant Jeffrey, Hal Lindsey, and even the ridiculous reprobates Sid Roth and Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.

To put it plainly, just like every liar just listed, the Deyos propagate the gospel of the Antichrist, and although we would champion their political right to put forth their fraud, they should be widely identified as committed to presenting the other gospel that is Jewish Supremacism.

"If there come any unto you, and bring not [the true] doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (II John 1:10,11).

The surprising fact is how easily the Deyos were able to slip into the alternative Christian underground, as the other gospel they pitch has evidently been with them from the beginning of their ministry. For instance, the pre-tribulation Rapture dogma was embraced by Stan at least as far back as his book The Vindicator Scrolls (published in 1989), and it's being defended to this very day by Holly on the Deyo website in an essay entitled Setting The Record Straight On Rapture.

That particular piece features the classic cult con job, and an unexpected amount of very shoddy research. Since the Christian Media ministry has already produced many books, DVD's, and essays featuring Scriptural refutations of the Antichrist doctrine which seeks to exchange Jesus Christ's role as the "seed of Abraham" with the Pharisaical sleight which inserts the Jews in that crucial position, we'll try to focus the present work on aspects of pretrib which are unique to the Deyos.

In the Deyo defense of the pretrib doctrine posted on their website, we find intellectual dishonesty in the very first sentence, and it goes downhill from there:

"The purpose of the following material is not to debate the existence of Rapture or when that event would occur, as it is to establish that this is a doctrine of long-standing"(Setting The Record Straight On Rapture, Holly Deyo, online).

This is manipulative misdirection at its worst, for anyone going to the trouble of writing a lengthy summary of all the individuals who supposedly taught pretrib long ago is clearly a proponent of the doctrine – thus the Deyos pose as a neutral party – manifesting how they are deceitfully seeking to persuade the public to follow their leadership, based on the supposed historicity of the doctrine. In the present instance, the Deyos have entered the fray initiated by those who try to rehabilitate the unscriptural doctrine by telling us the Rapture has been around from the beginning.

The next fiery dart in the Deyo's dialogue with death also misses the mark:

"A well-circulated notion says that John Darby was the first to begin teaching Rapture in 1828."

Not only is the date wrong (there is Darby authored post-tribulational correspondence dated years after 1828), this is a straw man approach, as honest researchers all acknowledge John Nelson Darby was not the first to posit pre-trib. Darby is, however, widely recognized as the primary individual who popularized the doctrine via a series of high profile speaking tours in America much later than 1828.

After the opening salvo, the Deyo authored piece then awkwardly inserts a lengthy citation with quotes bracketed, and it opens with the subheading "Daniel writes," followed by numerous Scriptures. We might ask Daniel who? The scripturally illiterate, many of which have the Spiritual depth of a dandelion, might very well think this is the work of the Biblical prophet Daniel. Thus, even the format of the presentation is confusing.

After quoting several Scriptures describing the resurrection from I Corinthians and I Thessalonians, "Daniel" (whoever he is) tells us these verses are all about the rapture. This is followed by a couple of pages of typical rapture claptrap – God hasn't appointed Christians to wrath, the church age ends with the rapture, the analogy with Noah saved from the flood supposedly speaks of the rapture, ad nauseam. Here's an example of "Daniel" via the Deyo's deceit:

"The Tribulation is referred to as a time of Jacob's trouble. It has to do with the Jews. It's at that time that God wakes up the Jewish people and brings them to salvation."

For the record, there is no verse which says any of this. Although "trouble" sounds similar to "tribulation," so does the word "trough" – which is where this theological garbage should be presented to the pigs. The point is, there is no Scripture at all predicting God will "wake up the Jewish people" at the time of the end.

The Deyo deceit then closes out "Daniel" with the opening salvo of a lengthy cut and paste of sources documenting how pretrib was supposedly taught for the last 1,000 years in Christendom.

"…there is ample evidence of the Church teaching the Rapture 1100 years before John Darby."

We suggest the reader take note of the title case used in the word "church." Although it is acceptable on occasion to capitalize some words for emphasis, the word "church" is miraculously transformed by using a title case, in that this technique changes the word into a proper noun – in effect, adding to the Scriptures. Like so many others who are incredibly sloppy with their so called "scholarship," the Deyos (or even "Daniel") probably never even knew they were doing it – but we all know ignorance will fare about as well as the temporary insanity plea on judgment day.

Now the Deyos really bring out the big guns of bovine scatology, so get your wading boots on, because the BS just gushes out of Stan and Holly after "Daniel" signs off. First up, they tell us the Dead Sea scrolls taught the rapture! In fact, the Deyos even re-date the scrolls to 70 AD when there is no viable evidence at all that the Dead Sea scrolls are from the Christian era!

"The Rapture will occur suddenly. And countless thousands will vanish from the earth. Swept up to heaven to live with Jesus and escape the torment of the Tribulation, the others will be left behind" – The Dead Sea Scrolls

At some point, common sense should kick in, but when it comes to the liars working for the Rapture Cult, nothing should surprise us. Not only are there no references to any "rapture" anywhere in the scrolls, there is no reference to Jesus, or anybody vanishing, or "swept up to heaven," or anything even remotely similar. This is just pure baloney, and should be viewed with the same perspective exhibited by the Ephesians when they encountered such liars:

"I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil…and hast found them liars" (Revelation 2:2).

In our view, the Ephesians were just a bit too gentle in this citation, for I view people espousing this refuse with the same contempt that would erupt if someone came to my house with a wheelbarrow full of manure, and inexplicably proceeded to shovel the dung onto my dining room table.

The ambiguity in this ridiculous claim should be a clue. The supposed rapture "quote" from the scrolls never identifies which scroll, what section, or even who supposedly translated it. Was this "rapture" reference in what is called The Copper Scroll? They don't tell you that. Was it in The War Scroll, or even The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness? How about The Manual of Discipline?

Since no reputable scholar has ever established a New Testament timeline for the scrolls, it is simply unconscionable for Stan and Holly Deyo to post this apostasy in their "ministry" materials.

The rest of the Deyo defense of the Rapture Cult is largely a cut and paste of previous efforts, sequentially dated, which have been put forth by leading cult liars such as Chuck Missler and Grant Jeffrey. Indeed, the format used by the Deyos, where they reel off numerous supposed pretrib citations that sound legitimate, has been the stock in trade of Chuck Missler in particular, for many years (see the refutation of Missler in the book The Rapture Cult).

For example, after the scrolls, using the date 95-150 AD, we get a quote from the pseudopigraphical writing The Shepherd of Hermas:

"You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord his mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming"

First, the Hermas document is not only of a nebulous non-canonical origin, it is downright Satanic, so the fact that it's being used to pitch pretrib should give you a clue as to the Spirit behind it. What the Deyos don't say is Hermas also teaches us to worship female Jewish virgins – not exactly my highest priority in terms of preservation in the end times.

Second, "escape" does not equal evacuation. For instance, a recent newspaper article on a car crash noted how the driver "escaped serious injury" because he was wearing a seat belt. He was still in the crash, but "escaped" death. On top of that, the quote then goes on to say go and "tell the elect of the Lord." If that "escape" was the so called "rapture," how would you go back to earth and tell the elect" of what is to come?

Immediately following this nonsense, we get a Catholic citation from 303 AD – and not only is it ambiguous, it comes from Jack Van Impe – who is so far off the mark it's embarrassing to Christians with an IQ exceeding double digits. But we all know we can trust the Catholics, right?

Then the devious Deyos trot out Ephraem the Syrian's notorious quote, supposedly showing pretrib early in the 4th century AD. Those who have studied this one know the quote is from a forger masquerading as the decidedly post-tribulational Ephraim, with the forgery penned several centuries later. In other words, the liars in the cult are so desperate to find support for their dogma they're delighted to quote from a known criminal just to sustain their fraud. Not only that, but even the forger is revealed to be post-trib in other parts of the document.

Revealingly, the Deyos even acknowledge how the scholars have proven this document (known as "pseudo-Ephraem" with the word pseudo having a literal meaning of false) was a fraud written centuries later than represented, but they conclude

"The exact date doesn't matter" (Holly Deyo, Setting the Record Straight on Rapture)

This is one of those amazing, open mouth, insert foot instances, for the Deyos have just said accuracy doesn't matter.

There are many more quotes, including citations from John Gill, Joseph Mede, and a Frenchman named Pierre Jurieu who, it is claimed, wrote about pretrib in 1687. He did not, of course, but in a case quite similar to the famous theologian John Gill, with this attempt, the deceptive tactics of the Rapture Cult are laid bare for all to see.

Jurieu's book, entitled the Approaching Deliverance of the Church, was written in French, and later translated to English. What the Deyos don't tell you is that Jurieu was a historicist (like virtually all of his peers) who believed the 1,260 days of the tribulation was actually 1,260 years which were almost concluded in his time – thus the title's reference to the approaching deliverance of the church.

A classic European Protestant, Jurieu thought the Papal office was the Antichrist and, dating historicism's 1,260 year tribulation backwards so it began in the post-Apostolic era, he thought the tribulation was almost over, and that Christ would return in his time – but this would occur before Armageddon.

Thus, when these clowns claim people like Pierre Jurieu taught they would be raptured before the tribulation, they are grossly misleading their audience. To put it another way, how could Jurieu (or any of the other largely historicist oriented writers cited) believe in pretrib if they thought the tribulation had been going on for over 1,000 years at the time?

By the time the Deyos quote American writer Morgan Edwards, we're getting closer to John Nelson Darby's time, but once again, the citation offered is taken out of context and tortured in another pathetic attempt to make Morgan Edwards confess to pretrib – which he did not. The truth is, just like Pierre Jurieu before him, Edwards was a historicist who believed the 42 months of the tribulation (1,260 days) was actually 1,260 years – a theory which all historicists were grappling with during that century, as it was getting more and more difficult to sustain.

Quoting a genuine authority on the subject, we read

"Edwards' scheme of a rapture three and a half years before the end of a 1260-year tribulation has the same tiny gap a futurist would have if he were to teach a rapture three and a half days before the end of a 1260-day tribulation! Since such a futurist view would be seen as a posttrib view, Edwards (who had the same small percentage) should be classified as a historicist posttrib!" (The Rapture Plot, Dave MacPherson, Morgan Edwards Appendix, page 268, emphasis in orginal).

The truth is, the arrogance of the pretribbers who keep pitching ancient writers as Rapturists is not only embarrassing because of their ongoing ignorance, it has been proven time and time again these LIARS simply ignore the truth which the historical record conveys, because it's not what they want to believe.

Many believers do not yet fully appreciate the gravity of this situation, for this entire generation (including Stan and Holly Deyo) have been programmed into the Dispensationalist lie the modern state of Israel is God's supposed "timepiece" (chapter and verse, please) – and the so called Rapture is crucial to that identification – thus, the hidden motive for the theological crime emerges. Those ensnared in the Rapture Cult have also been programmed to believe that it's not really all that important as it's only an issue of timing, so the typical dialectically driven "we shouldn't be divided over non-essentials" is commonplace.

All a genuine truth seeker has to do is ask what about the "elect" who Jesus tells us will be retrieved by His angels "immediately after the tribulation" (Matthew 24:29), and the cultist will predictably reply `well, that elect is the Jews who get saved after the rapture!"

Suddenly, the Rapture Cultist is defining just who is saved and who is not saved (i.e. who are the elect) – hardly a non-essential.

There is much more, but the bottom line is, Stan and Holly Deyo are on the fast track to desolation by not only preaching another gospel, they are leading many others to the same fate.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (II Timothy 4:3,4).

-- James Lloyd

See Also

The Rapture Plot

Recognizing Christian Identity

The Rapture Cult