Pastor and Christian broadcaster Harold Camping predicted the rapture would take place May 21, 2011, soon followed by the end of the world. The rapture apparently did not happen as scheduled. Or did it? Could the rapture have occurred May 21 but nobody noticed? Is the end near? Belief in the rapture is rooted in this verse from the Bible: “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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
It is believed that true Christians will be whisked away into heaven before a period of great suffering for humanity called the tribulation and the apocalypse. Pastor Camping could have been correct in his dating of the rapture. He merely overestimated the number of people who would be raptured (including him).
According to rapture theology, only true Christians will be raptured. It is granted that anyone who belongs to any non-Christians faith (including Mormons and Catholics) will not be raptured. True Christians are assumed to be born-again Christians who adhere to a conservative interpretation of scripture. But does that alone define a true Christian? Assuming anything is just that…an assumption.
Could it be that Christians who believe in the rapture will automatically be disqualified from the rapture? Hoping for the rapture really is an almost selfish, anti-Christian attitude. We’ll be in heaven while sinful human suffers the apocalypse. Yippie for me, too bad for humanity! A true Christian would prefer to remain behind with their unsaved family and friends.
If we narrow down what is defined as a true Christian, out of 2 billion Christians, how many are genuine, and the real deal? It could be as little as a couple of dozen. If a couple of dozen individuals were raptured on May 21 would the world notice?
If we want to know when the apocalypse will start, pay attention to any news stories about mysterious disappearances. People disappear everyday and it is not news, so the chance of noticing the rapture is slim, but it is possible. What NOT to do is assume you will be raptured, and your presence on earth means the rapture has not happened yet. What are the odds you are one of the few dozen genuine Christians out of the 2 billion mistaken Christians?
It is believed that true Christians will be whisked away into heaven before a period of great suffering for humanity called the tribulation and the apocalypse. Pastor Camping could have been correct in his dating of the rapture. He merely overestimated the number of people who would be raptured (including him).
According to rapture theology, only true Christians will be raptured. It is granted that anyone who belongs to any non-Christians faith (including Mormons and Catholics) will not be raptured. True Christians are assumed to be born-again Christians who adhere to a conservative interpretation of scripture. But does that alone define a true Christian? Assuming anything is just that…an assumption.
Could it be that Christians who believe in the rapture will automatically be disqualified from the rapture? Hoping for the rapture really is an almost selfish, anti-Christian attitude. We’ll be in heaven while sinful human suffers the apocalypse. Yippie for me, too bad for humanity! A true Christian would prefer to remain behind with their unsaved family and friends.
If we narrow down what is defined as a true Christian, out of 2 billion Christians, how many are genuine, and the real deal? It could be as little as a couple of dozen. If a couple of dozen individuals were raptured on May 21 would the world notice?
If we want to know when the apocalypse will start, pay attention to any news stories about mysterious disappearances. People disappear everyday and it is not news, so the chance of noticing the rapture is slim, but it is possible. What NOT to do is assume you will be raptured, and your presence on earth means the rapture has not happened yet. What are the odds you are one of the few dozen genuine Christians out of the 2 billion mistaken Christians?
1 comment:
That's amazing! :)
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