THE BIBLE AND THE APOCALYPSE: The biggest book of the summer is about the end of the world.

Time ^ | June 23, 2002 | Nancy Gibbs

[Prince Caspian]

The mysteries of what God is up to as this earth nears its final chapter are not to be found in Time Magazine. Or in most of what parades itself as mainstream Christian eschatology, for that matter. The Rapture is a counterfeit. We will ALL be participants in earthly affairs until that day that every eye beholds Christ who then raises the righteous dead and transforms the righteous living. The dead are dead and remain dead until that event.

[Old Landmarks]

Yes, and before that they thought OKC was the trigger predicted in the Bible. And before that, Waco. And before that, the Cold War. Or Mount St. Helens. Or the Six-Day War in the Middle East. On and on and on.
I mean, i'm a Catholic so obviously my take on that whole section of the Bible is just a TOUCH different from that of hardcore fundamentalist Protestants, but whatever happened to "no one will know the time or place"?

Are you a hardcore fundamentalist Catholic or some other type of Catholic?

Jesus Christ said "no man knows the 'day' nor the 'hour'", but he also said (and I paraphrase for brevity) observe what is going on around you so you can recognize the general 'climate' (not the literal weather) of the time you live. He said the disciples could see the sky and predict generally if it would rain or not, and wanted them to apply this same technique to world events.

There are always a few, sincere of otherwise" Christians who jump on any and all events and brand the event as possibly the event that leads directly to the tribulation period when the world is ruled by the antichrist. Most fundamentalist Christians that I know are nowhere near that gullible. However, you are correct if you say they see a trend toward world government and a world economic setup (one that will require a mark on your hand or forehead in order to buy and sell), an increasing trend; not yet a tsunami wave but growing in stature.

I have read the works of several turn of the century fundamentalists predicting the return of Israel as a state long before it happened (they did not claim to know the day or the hour)as they are predicting the rise of the antichrist long before it happens.

The possible over-hyping of the specific significance of individual events by certain zealots does not negate the overall recognition of a trend.

[Dog Gone]

nearly one-quarter think the Bible predicted the Sept. 11 attack.

25% of Americans actually believe this? How many were saying this BEFORE the attack?

Maybe it's because people have no idea what is really is in the Bible, or they try to apply real-world events to vague passages AFTER the fact.

Either way, the Bible didn't predict this.

[goodieD]

I've never seen such ugly infighting and Christian bashing even on liberal websights.

[seeker41]

I gotta agree with you. Makes me think the islamists and their cohorts here on FR are going to win in bringing this country down.

[Da_Shrimp]

I've never seen such ugly infighting and Christian bashing even on liberal websights (sic)

As an outsider, I must say it doesn't really seem like bashing and infighting, but more of a discussion of an interesting topic. Do you expect everyone to agree without argument?

[truth_session]

Look it people, when the end of the world comes we'll all know it. What the hell can you do about it anyway?

[the]

Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw back when I lived in Laurel, MD:

In case of rapture, this car will have no driver

This then set off the whole christian fish, darwin fish pendulum again:

[Euro-American Scum]

Bump for future reference.

[null and void]

LOL!!!

[yendu bwam]

a truly religious person would act the same if they knew for certain it would be 1 million years from now

Of course this is true. A truly religious Christian person hopes to emulate Christ out of love for God.

[SWake]

"What scares me the most is the so called " Christians " (that are IMO religious whacko's) who are taking matters into their own hands to MAKE IT HAPPEN!"


Are you talking about the Methodist who are sponsoring talks by the Palistinian apologists?

http://www.freerepublic.com/fo cus/news/704383/posts

[Starwind]

The Rapture is a counterfeit. We will ALL be participants in earthly affairs until that day that every eye beholds Christ who then raises the righteous dead and transforms the righteous living.

On the surface these would seem contradictory statements. What did you actually mean by 'counterfeit'? What is your 'label' for the event of 1 Thes 4:15-17?

[berned]

when U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan tells the World Economic Forum that globalization is the best hope to solve the world's problems, when the forum floats the idea of a "united nations of major religions,"

ECUMENICALISM. The False Prophet. Rev 13 10-18.

It is interesting to note that it is the One-World Religious leader (The False Prophet -- NOT the antichrist) who forces all those left-behind to recieve the mark of the beast.

This is why the merchants of the earth weep when God destroys the One-World religion known as "Mystery Babylon Mother of Harlots".

[goodieD]

There is a big difference between disagreements, which I support, and this type of undignified name calling.

[Mortimer Snavely]

Many of the Apocalyptically preoccupied tend to replace scholarship and analysis with religious euphoria and enthusiasm. This decision making process tends to discredit orthodox, historical Christianity, which was in no way by Billy Sunday or Hal Lindsey.

[Conservative til I die]

Boy I bet the eschatological loonies are out in full force on this thread! I look forward to reading it.

[Conservative til I die]

Because "apocalyptic Christians" are ridiculous loons who after one surface level reading of Revelations feel they are qualified to go around predicting when the world will end, how it will end, and who will cause it. The Rapture ain't comin' folks.

[RightWhale]

When it comes to End-of-the-World thoughts and speculations, I have always sorted out those things that man does from what occurs naturally. Wars, terrorists, economic collapse, and nukes are one thing. The sun suddenly going cold or hot is another. If disease strikes the crops and famine rules the world, look to see if it is natural or something that we did.

If we cause the end of the world, then we are just stupid. If a massive asteroid hits earth, then we have nothing to do with it and the universe got us.

Neither case implies the world is ended forever, just for the time being. Depending on what is meant by the word "world."

[Conservative til I die]

But His name was Yeshua.