Wednesday, 13 April 2011
-
The End is Near-ish: May 21 and the Impending Rapture
I just had a conversation with someone regarding Christianity about an hour ago. That person was asking me to go for a water baptism because, according to him, the "end" is near, and on 21st of May the rapture will happen.
I myself am a Christian. Typing that sentence and labeling myself a Christian makes me feel like the biggest hypocrite. I have never said that out loud before, but considering the fact that none of the people I know in real life reads this site anymore I guess I should just be completely honest. Right now, where faith is concerned, I am in a crossroad. However, I will go into further detail of that later if I feel comfortable about doing so.
Regarding the "end" and the rapture thing, I really don't know what to say about it. If you're a Christian and if you read the Bible you'll know that only God himself knows when He will be coming to earth. I am going to interrupt myself there and give a disclaimer. I am not in anyway a Biblical scholar or expert. I am just using what I gleaned from being schooled under a Christian syllabus to discuss this topic. This is, in fact, just a rant I have to get off my chest.Having said that, I am clearly not in anyway unerring. It says in Mark 13:32 that "No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." So can someone explain to me how on earth certain Christians are predicting when the end will come? And even a specific date to go along? Sure prophesy about earthquakes and et cetera are one thing, but this? I've tried Googling this thing, and sure enough there's a lot of hogwash about May 21 going on. And it all bottles down to a radio evangelist named Harold Camping.
There are always a lot of people bagging each other on their faith. Get any two groups of people with different beliefs, and they'll find something to fight about where religion is concerned. Now that I'm older, I get it, and I also get why people are annoyed by Christians. Many of these kinds of predictions have been done before. Whenever we see a large number of people so assured of an Apocalypse, the aftermath of a failed prophesy tends to get ugly. This is kind of random, but I'm kind of waiting for 12/21/2012 to see what will come of it!
Concerning the water baptism? I feel that water baptism should be something personal. It shouldn't be done out of fear of something happening, or the fear of "not being able to enter heaven." Or even because someone forced you to. Which is the main reason why I am not yet baptized. Because I wanted to fully understand what I am going to do and that it will be MY choice. Right now though, I don't know where I stand with my faith.
I am not trying to offend anyone or be disrespectful. Just stating my opinion. Do tell me what you think of predicted apocalypse. After all no one believed Noah when he said the flood was going to happen. And with the current events going around the world, I can't say I blame people for being adamant about May 21.Do you think the rapture is upon us? Is May 21 a legitimate rapture day or is this just something made up? Is it true that no one knows the day or time, and if that is true, why do we still try to figure it out?
RecommendRelated Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: wategurl@xanga
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 1 Views: 0 4589 Comments: 0 70 View all posts by wategurl@xanga
Comments (69)
I posted a tract that someone wrote and distributed. I know who he is but he/she has chosen not to put their name on the tract:
Will Jesus really return on May 21, 2011? A Review of the Teachings of Harold Camping
http://bornagainchristians.yuku.com/topic/318/Jesus-really-return--May-21-2011--Review---Teachings--Harol?page=-1
I'm intrigued to see that this is so wide-spread. Clearly they're getting a message out; maybe we should, too...
@Katja88@xanga - Harold Camping controls Family Radio and he is a broadcaster so he alone is the arbiter of what goes on his radio station.
there are times when i question if this is the end partially because of all the choas and nonsense going on in the world. and the wars and then with japan, haiti, 9/11, katrina, etc its hard to not question i feel the same way that we dont know when the world will end only God knows that. i wasnt sure because :( i dont read the Bible like i should but i was pretty sure that wasnt something that was written on there and i think when i was in like 6th grade some movie they made us watch, that prob was about evolution and how we are from monkeys said the world will end on blah, blah, blah. and now i know there is alot of hype about it ending next year what is it the day after Christmas. i think people heard it somewhere and now people are not sure if they should believe it just in case so maybe they are i dont know i mean i guess that is understandable but i will go with what i believe which is what you have written here, you know that only God truly knows. and also i believe we arent really supposed to worry about it but to just have faith and trust that God will protect us and take care of everything. thanks for this post :) i needed to read it
@Katja88@xanga - I'm actually beginning to question whether this is a "congregation" thing if you know what I mean.
@justwant2belovd@xanga - Thank you for the feedback (: I guess when it comes down to it, we don't know when it will end. But it's also good to be prepared for it when it does come. I think there was a parable about it, something about oil, lamps, and bridesmaid.
@Chuckt - Thank you for posting that! I had seen this billboard around town, but hadn't gotten the chance to do some research.
May 21 is my "spiritual birthday", when I was baptised...
"Because I wanted to fully understand what I am going to do and that it will be MY choice."
Props to you. I was baptized in second grade and confirmed before I was in highschool (a common practice around here sadly) and I had no idea what any of it really meant at the time. I think it take a large amount of faith to consciously choose the Lord.
don't concern yourself about jots and tittles of the law (aka the text for us). "No man knoweth the hour" etc etc.
As for baptism, the good thief was told he would go to God with Jesus and it is pretty hard to envisage him getting baptized, unless someone threw a bucket of water over him while he hung there.
There is too much searching the bible text for precise / hidden meanings when Jesus himself said that the heart of the scriptures is love God and love your neighbour. The NT says somewhere that people will be running back and forth seeking out signs and wonders. That's no different from being a typical fan of some celebrity, unable to just live their lives, which is hard enough already just trying to do the right thing. Leave the future to God and leave the minutiae of the law to pharisees. Your hands are full enough in this life just trying to b e a decent person.
Harold Camping is alone in this teaching about May 21 and has already been wrong about earlier dates that he predicted, so don't pay any attention to him.
I think you're in the right. Jesus is going to surprise us. It think these predictions of the apocalypse are utter nonsense given what Jesus said (especially from Christians! It's so bizarre!). I have a book called "End-Time Visions: The Road to Armageddon" by Richard Abanes that gives a rather large list of how many times Christian groups have predicted Armageddon. It's rather embarrassing when you think about it. I personally don't believe in the anti-christ, one last war, etc. stuff anyway, so that makes this May 21st thing seem all the more hysterical to me. However, I don't know them and I assume their intentions are well. As long as this isn't another Waco.
I don't dout Jesus is going to come. Not for a moment. But I sincerely doubt in my soul that he revealed the date to the people at Family Radio.
Christians around the world have come into agreement that the end is near, especially the ones in the prophetic circles, but I definitely do not believe it will be as soon as next month. I think it'll be more like 10-50 years from now. There's a lot of unfulfilled prophecy that needs to take place beforehand, but by the look of things we are definitely approaching it. But, I also don't believe that Christians will be raptured before the tribulation so that might change things a little.
Don't believe in the rapture at all, but if He does chose to return on May 21st, I would be THRILLED! I can't wait to meet Him face-to-face.
Aww shit, don't tell me the world's going to end before Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes out. :(
This just shows how gossip and fear spread like wildfire. Honestly, I don't think God would flat out tell people an exact date. Sure, he told Noah about the flood. But, he never told him the exact date, month, year, etc. I really don't like how people have publicized the whole 'the world is ending' propaganda.
And, if you look up the root of the word Apocalypse, it means revelation, not the end of the world. I believe that God is trying to send us a revelation, not trying to scare us all.
You could go ahead and say that all of the events that have taken place over the last 10 years are signs (9/11, Katrina, Japan, etc) but honestly, that's the world for ya. Devastating events have happened for millions and millions of years, so to suddenly assume that these are signs are very unlikely. Take WW I & II for example - the world never ended. Just goes to show, we never truly know.
@Lovegrove@xanga - Nicely said.
My christian friend(and don't quote me because this was just from her) said something about seven seals needing to be broken or something in order before the world ended... and so far we don't have an antichrist so clearly it's not true. Anyone know anything about that?
@Syphan@xanga - I'm so glad I'm not alone in thinking that hahaha
@petiteme_x@xanga - actually, the antichrist has already happened. Look at 1 John 2:18.
Now, if you were refering to the son of perdition/man of sin/ son of destruction, mentioned in 2 thessalonians 2:3 that is totally different. He too, has already happened though as well.
His name was John Levi. he was a jew, that caused a war with the romans, by staging a revolt in Jerusalem, he was attacked by the romans, and locked himself and his soldiers into the temple. The romans that were at Jerusalem, did not have a big enough force, so they could only make tent in the outer court. They sent for backup, which started to come, but the Ceaser died in rome, and the general of the backup army, had to go back to rome and assume the throne. He then started back on his way to Rome. because of his detour, the romans in Jerusalem, had to trample the outer courts for 3.5 years waiting for him to show up, This fulfiled Revelation 11:2 by the way, where John is told not to measure the outer court, as it was given to the gentiles to trample for 42 months. the exact time that the gentile roman army, laid seige to the temple waiting for backup to come.
While the backup was coming, and Jiohn Levi and his troops were in the temple, John Levi, fulfilled 2 thessalonians 2 by lifting himself above God, by ordering the melting of the temple artifacts and tools of worship. After he destroyed them, he went into the high place of the temple and declared himself to be God, and the Messiah of the jews. When the roman backup finally showed up, they set fire to the temple, burning it to the ground. Thus, John Levi's abomination of the temple, and declaring himself to be God and Messiah, led to the desolation of the temple, and parts of the city, thus fulfilling the abomination that causes desolation of I believe Daniel.
If you don't believe me, look him up. John Levi of Gischala. Sometimes refered to as John of Gischala. anyone, who is still waiting for the man of sin/son of perdition has to also explain why John Levi, could not be it. Because if he does fulfill so much, then why can't he be the Son of Perdition?
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - hmm interesting point, I'll have to ask her about that then since I was curious as to if she was correct in what she had explained to me. Thanks at least :) And you explained yourself very thoroughly which I appreciate greatly.
@petiteme_x@xanga - If you or her, want to discuss this further in private, I will always respond via XANGA mail, or ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@yahoo.com If you or her want to read more about my position, go to my site, and go to the tags section at the bottom, click on see all tags, and then look up preterist or preterism and read the posts I have so far. if you have not noticed, I deny both the pretrib and the post trib futurist positions.
God is the only one who knows. If Jesus knew, doesn't it make sense that He'd not lie and say he doesn't know? All we can do is be prepared. And you are right about baptism. It's your decision to make, and it should be a decision made out of love and a desire to follow in Jesus's footsteps, not out of fear.
@Chuckt - Thank you for that article, I'm reading it now.
@Lots_goin_on_1_focus@xanga - I've actually never seen those billboards around, considering I'm from a different country and all. But the fact that I'm hearing about this here, it seems as though this whole May 21 thing is pree widespread.
@PseudoEuphoric@xanga - I agree. I don't want the end times to begin in my generation. Going to church and having a relationship with God out of worldly fear just doesn't seem right to me.
@Red_Apocalypse_Horse@xanga - That's great, here's to more years to celebrate your spiritual birthdays!
@zretrareo27@xanga - Thank you, that was an encouraging comment. However I do frequently get criticized for not being baptized.
@Lovegrove@xanga - Certainly. We can't all rely on people to interpret the Bible for us. Right now though, I'm focusing more on mending my trust with God. (: It isn't easy, but I'm trying.
@musterion99@xanga - Haha, this is actually the first I heard of him.
@kk_grayfox@xanga - Precisely.and @petiteme_x@xanga- I do however believe in the anti-Christ, its rather easy to do so. Just maybe not right now. Human can clearly be deceiving. Who's to say that the anti-Christ can't? And as for the seven seals, I've read of it in the book of Revelation, don't really remember much of it to be honest. But it is very scary though, in my opinion. There are also seven angels with seven plagues, the seven bowls of God's wrath.
@aN_amAYzInG_storrII@xanga - Agreed. I just don't get why he's going around predicting stuff. Imagine how crushed his "congregation" will be when May 22 rolls along.
@caroliiineee@xanga - The thought of it all scares me. I don't believe that the end will come until every corner of the earth has heard the gospel.