It's Here - Are You?

I guess I should say, "If you can read this, you didn't go!" but that of course isn't true until tomorrow comes really. But despite the radio broadcasts, the column inches of press, the conversations the reality is that even the staff of Family Radio are expecting to be in work on Monday, and that perhaps says it all.

The Daily Express carries an article by Emily Fox, "The Rapture, predicted by Camping has gained global support, with some believers even quitting their jobs to prepare for the world's end." She continues by telling us that skeptics continue to be skeptical (well they would, wouldn't they) and also reports that Douglas Davies, Professor in the Study of Religion at Durham University, supports the idea. Oddly, I didn't read it that way, but then again, perhaps I wouldn't.

Davies says of today's prediction: "The nature of the biblical books of Daniel in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New Testament is such as to give opportunity for readers to engage in numerical speculation. It is a kind of biblical literalism with numbers. Much depends on how you approach the 'substance behind' such thoughts.
The Rapture is one rather distinctive and recent American form of Evangelical literalism that can be interpreted in terms of one kind of American way of death and teaches that you won't need to die at all, but be caught up in the air and removed from this world while all sorts of demonic hostilities occur here."

Personally I struggle with this whole thing, but struggle especially with those who have given up their life savings, trashed careers and may well find themselves disappointed and lost this time tomorrow (I say 'may' because I don't have a clue when He will come and it could just as likely be today as tomorrow or the day after - I just don't know!) and most of all, the words of the banners proclaiming the Rapture:

'Judgment Day is coming May 21st, 2011 – The Bible guarantees it!'

And if Camping is wrong we can add his date to the many others. After all I will have (consciously) survived:

May 2011 - Harold Camping (Think we know him)
April 2008 - Pavel Kuzentsov (who sent his followers to hide and stayed at home!)
January 2000 - Y2K (Worked 36 hrs up to 08:00 on Jan 1st because everyone was so scared!)
April 1999 - Nostradamus (amazing what some loose writing can do for those seeking to interpret it!)
September 1988 - Edgar Whisenant (88 Reasons - but they obviously weren't)
September 1994 - Camping (Strike one?)
1993 (Various) - Loads people (Late Great Planet Earth, 'Thief in the Night (film) and the like brought about five prophesies that 1993 was it!)
October 1992 - Mission for Coming Days (Korean group who came, prophesied and didn't go!)

One famous one I missed:
March 1844 - William Miller (later revised to October, but still didn't happen!)

And a special 'Bargain Bucket' mention for the Jehovah's Witnesses who thus far have had 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1942. Still, probably time for another one or two (if Harold's wrong!).

So I'll leave this topic for today with three thoughts:

THOUGHT THE FIRST
The Mayan people have a prophesy that the world will end on 21 December 2012 ('The Time of Trial on Earth') - so if you're here tomorrow, you have a bit of time before you need to panic over a date.

THOUGHT THE SECOND
One of my (many) heroes, Sir Isaac Newton, calculated (from Daniel) that the Apocalypse could not occur before 2060 and he has been right more often than Harold Camping so should be more believable.

THOUGHT THE THIRD
The whole point of the Rapture is that Jesus comes and claims His own. This means those who acknowledge Him as the Christ, have a relationship with Him, live according to His father's demands and most of all, accept that Jesus died for them (personally, knowing who you were and not just doing it for everybody 'en masse') and live in this wonderful reality.

So, if you're here tomorrow, rather than laugh at Camping perhaps you might start to live that new day, and every day, with Christ. Because He is coming and there won't be a warning when He really comes!

Pax